Abstract

FERRAO, Ângela; CARVALHO, Paula  and  SILVA, Cláudia. Health literacy evaluation in patients with hypertension. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2021, vol.22, n.2, pp.521-529.  Epub Aug 31, 2021. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/21psd220216.

Health literacy refers to an active posture that individuals must assume as a response to the demands of health and disease required by its context. Chronic patients are at greater vulnerability for health literacy and most affected by the effects of inadequate literacy levels. This study aimed to evaluate health literacy levels in individuals with arterial hypertension. A cross-sectional survey of 76 individuals aged between 18 and 65 years, with diagnostic of arterial hypertension was conducted on a Portuguese hospital. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Health Literacy Survey. The results revealed that, 23.7% of respondents report inadequate levels and 64.5% have problematic health literacy levels. The younger ones and those with higher education levels shows a greater ease in understanding and dealing with health-related issues. Low awareness and poor knowledge of health issues and disease are a relevant factor in the development and management of a given pathology and should be understood as a central aspect of attention and intervention by health professionals.

Keywords : Chronic diseases; high blood pressure; health literacy.

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