Health literacy as a key factor in diet self-care in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Introduction: Health literacy refers to the set of social and cognitive skills that define the person’s ability to access, understand and utilize information in such a way that a healthy condition can be maintained. Objective: To determine the association between AS and self-care behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional and analytical study carried out in two primary health care centers in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz-Mexico, from August to November 2016. The AS was measured through the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q47) and the self-care behaviors were assessed using the Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities (SDSCA) by Toobert and Glasgow. We chose 90 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who attended consultation at the health care centers. Although their participation was voluntary, participants were required to sign the informed consent form. Results: Diet self-care was associated with AS, in a health promotion context (p=0,018). Conclusions: AS is directly related to self-care behaviors, specifically to diet.