Abstract

VILCHEZ-ROMAN, Carlos; QUILIANO-TERREROS, Rocío; CANALES-NEGRON, Rocío  and  CHIROQUE-SOLANO, Richard. Demographic factors associated with health literacy in a sample of females residing in Lima, Peru in 2008: results from the SAHLSA-50 test. Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2009, vol.60, n.3, pp.223-229. ISSN 0034-7434.

Objective: the objectives were to identify the percentage of subjects having appropriate health literacy and determine the demographic variables predicting appropriate health literacy in females. Methodology: this was a cross-sectional study in which the short assessment of health literacy for Spanish adults (SAHLSA-50) test was given to a sample of 49 reproductive-aged females who were attending the gynaecological service at Dos de Mayo Hospital in Lima, Peru. Linear regression analysis and Pearson’s coefficient of correlation were used to test the hypothesis. Results: SAHLSA test scores ranged from 22 to 50 points, averaging 37 + 7.15 points; 43% of the females surveyed obtained a score lower than the average on the health literacy test (n=21). It was found that the level of schooling was a predictor for health literacy level (p<0.05). Conclusions: these findings showed that patients who have had lower levels of schooling would have little opportunity of understanding written messages/instructions issued by local or state health services.

Keywords : health literacy; female; sexual and reproductive health; health promotion.

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