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Table 4 Association between HLQ scores, demographic health and hospital use subgroups (N = 2374)

From: Health literacy profile of recently hospitalised patients in the private hospital setting: a cross sectional survey using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ)

 

Healthcare provider support

Having sufficient information

Actively managing health

Social support for health

Active appraisal of health information

Active engagement with healthcare professionals

Navigating the healthcare system

Ability to find good health information

Understanding health information

 

Variable (N)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Sex

Female (1604)

3.34 (0.48)

3.12* (0.48)

3.12 (0.48)

3.25 (0.50)

2.92* (0.53)

4.05 (0.60)

3.91 (0.58)

3.90 (0.63)

4.15 (0.58)

Male (1487)

3.35 (0.48)

3.02* (0.47)

3.03 (0.49)

3.26 (0.48)

2.77* (0.52)

4.09 (0.55)

3.90 (0.55)

3.79 (0.61)

4.07 (0.57)

Age

<  65 years (1216)

3.33 (0.50)

3.10 (0.48)

3.09 (0.51)

3.24 (0.48)

2.90 (0.52)

4.05 (0.57)

3.89 (0.56)

3.95 (0.57)

4.17 (0.54)

≥ 65 years (1853)

3.36 (0.47)

3.06 (0.48)

3.07 (0.48)

3.27 (0.49)

2.81 (0.53)

4.08 (0.58)

3.93 (0.56)

3.78 (0.64)

4.08 (0.60)

BMI

BMI ≤ 25 (1182)

3.34 (0.49)

3.09 (0.48)

3.13 (0.50)

3.28 (0.47)

2.84 (0.53)

4.06 (0.59)

3.89 (0.56)

3.85 (0.62)

4.13 (0.58)

BMI > 25 (1582)

3.36 (0.47)

3.07 (0.47)

3.04 (0.49)

3.25 (0.49)

2.86 (0.53)

4.09 (0.56)

3.92 (0.56)

3.87 (0.61)

4.12 (0.56)

Lives alone

Yes (630)

3.35 (0.48)

3.04 (0.49)

3.09 (0.48)

3.13* (0.56)

2.80 (0.54)

4.06 (0.62)

3.90 (0.57)

3.77 (0.68)

4.09 (0.62)

No (2421)

3.32 (0.49)

3.08 (0.48)

3.07 (0.49)

3.29* (0.46)

2.86 (0.53)

4.07 (0.57)

3.91 (0.56)

3.87 (0.60)

4.12 (0.56)

Born in Australia

Yes (2308)

3.37 (0.48)

3.09 (0.47)

3.09 (0.49)

3.27 (0.48)

2.85 (0.53)

4.09 (0.57)

3.93 (0.56)

3.86 (0.61)

4.13 (0.55)

No (781)

3.28 (0.49)

3.03 (0.51)

3.04 (0.49)

3.22 (0.50)

2.84 (0.52)

4.02 (0.61)

3.85 (0.58)

3.80 (0.65)

4.07 (0.64)

English spoken at home

Yes (2967)

3.35 (0.48)

3.08* (0.48)

3.08 (0.49)

3.26 (0.49)

2.85 (0.53)

4.08* (0.57)

3.92* (0.56)

3.86** (0.62)

4.13** (0.56)

No (98)

3.23 (0.52)

2.95* (0.49)

2.99 (0.47)

3.21 (0.50)

2.85 (0.51)

3.83* (0.70)

3.67* (0.64)

3.58** (0.73)

3.76** (0.86)

Employed

Yes (1121)

3.35 (0.49)

3.11 (0.48)

3.10 (0.51)

3.24 (0.48)

2.89 (0.53)

4.08 (0.57)

3.91 (0.56)

3.95* (0.57)

4.18 (0.53)

No (1927)

3.35 (0.47)

3.06 (0.47)

3.06 (0.47)

3.27 (0.49)

2.82 (0.53)

4.07 (0.58)

3.91 (0.57)

3.78* (0.64)

4.07 (0.60)

Left school/TAFEa before completion

Yes (1637)

3.31 (0.49)

3.03 (0.49)

3.03 (0.49)

3.24 (0.50)

2.77* (0.53)

4.04 (0.61)

3.89 (0.58)

3.73* (0.66)

4.00* (0.66)

No (1485)

3.36 (0.47)

3.09 (0.47)

3.10 (0.49)

3.27 (0.48)

2.88* (0.53)

4.08 (0.56)

3.92 (0.56)

3.90* (0.59)

4.17* (0.54)

Receives government benefits

Yes (1024)

3.36 (0.46)

3.06 (0.47)

3.06 (0.48)

3.26 (0.50)

2.80 (0.53)

4.07 (0.59)

3.92 (0.57)

3.74* (0.65)

4.03* (0.62)

No (2068)

3.34 (0.49)

3.08 (0.48)

3.08 (0.49)

3.26 (0.48)

2.87 (0.53)

4.07 (0.57)

3.91 (0.56)

3.90* (0.60)

4.15* (0.55)

Household income <$30,000 p.a.

Yes (1884)

3.37 (0.48)

3.09 (0.47)

3.09 (0.50)

3.27 (0.47)

2.87 (0.53)

4.10* (0.56)

3.93* (0.56)

3.90* (0.60)

4.16* (0.54)

No (412)

3.30 (0.47)

3.02 (0.46)

3.04 (0.48)

3.17 (0.55)

2.78 (0.53)

3.94* (0.64)

3.80* (0.58)

3.63* (0.67)

3.94* (0.66)

Internet use < once a month

Yes (583)

3.30 (0.47)

3.03 (0.48)

3.02 (0.48)

3.26 (0.51)

2.71* (0.53)

4.01 (0.63)

3.87 (0.61)

3.61* (0.75)

3.93* (0.68)

No (2486)

3.36 (0.48)

3.08 (0.48)

3.09 (0.49)

3.26 (0.48)

2.88* (0.53)

4.08 (0.56)

3.92 (0.56)

3.90* (0.57)

4.16* (0.54)

Private health insurance

Yes (2892)

3.35 (0.48)

3.07 (0.47)

3.08 (0.49)

3.26 (0.48)

2.85* (0.53)

4.07 (0.57)

3.91 (0.56)

3.85 (0.62)

4.12 (0.57)

No (156)

3.33 (0.48)

3.06 (0.54)

3.03 (0.54)

3.22 (0.56)

2.71* (0.62)

4.05 (0.68)

3.96 (0.62)

3.78 (0.72)

4.04 (0.64)

Physical activity ≥3.5 h per week

Yes (2192)

3.36 (0.48)

3.09 (0.47)

3.13* (0.48)

3.27 (0.48)

2.87 (0.53)

4.08 (0.57)

3.92 (0.57)

3.87 (0.61)

4.13 (0.56)

No (898)

3.31 (0.48)

3.04 (0.50)

2.94* (0.49)

3.23 (0.50)

2.80 (0.54)

4.04 (0.60)

3.88 (0.56)

3.80 (0.65)

4.07 (0.61)

≥ 4 health conditions

Yes (354)

3.40 (0.46)

3.00 (0.51)

3.02 (0.48)

3.21 (0.55)

2.85 (0.51)

3.99 (0.59)

3.84 (0.60)

3.73* (0.68)

3.99* (0.63)

No (2737)

3.34 (0.48)

3.08 (0.47)

3.08 (0.49)

3.26 (0.48)

2.85 (0.53)

4.08 (0.58)

3.92 (0.56)

3.86* (0.61)

4.13* (0.57)

Current smoker

Yes (96)

3.25 (0.55)

3.00 (0.52)

2.89* (0.54)

3.12* (0.63)

2.75 (0.52)

3.98 (0.69)

3.82 (0.63)

3.68 (0.73)

4.06 (0.57)

No (2941)

3.35 (0.48)

3.08 (0.47)

3.08* (0.49)

3.26* (0.48)

2.85 (0.53)

4.07 (0.57)

3.91 (0.56)

3.85 (0.62)

4.11 (0.58)

Alcohol consumption

Yes (2537)

3.35 (0.48)

3.08 (0.47)

3.07 (0.49)

3.26 (0.48)

2.85 (0.53)

4.07 (0.55)

3.91 (0.55)

3.86 (0.60)

4.12 (0.55)

No (500)

3.35 (0.47)

3.06 (0.50)

3.10 (0.48)

3.26 (0.51)

2.83 (0.54)

4.06 (0.68)

3.91 (0.63)

3.79 (0.72)

4.09 (0.70)

Needed help with questionnaire

Yes (239)

3.33 (0.47)

3.00 (0.51)

2.97* (0.53)

3.37* (0.45)

2.64 (0.57)

3.86* (0.68)

3.73 (0.63)

3.40*** (0.77)

3.62*** (0.79)

No (2825)

3.35 (0.48)

3.08 (0.47)

3.08* (0.49)

3.25* (0.49)

2.86 (0.53)

4.09* (0.56)

3.93 (0.56)

3.88*** (0.59)

4.16*** (0.53)

Self-reported ED admission

Yes (1632)

3.35 (0.49)

3.05 (0.49)

3.06 (0.50)

3.26 (0.50)

2.81 (0.54)

4.05 (0.59)

3.89 (0.57)

3.80 (0.65)

4.09 (0.61)

No (1429)

3.34 (0.47)

3.10 (0.46)

3.09 (0.48)

3.25 (0.48)

2.89 (0.52)

4.09 (0.56)

3.93 (0.56)

3.90 (0.59)

4.15 (0.54)

Re-presentation to ED within 12 months

Yes (596)

3.34 (0.49)

3.05 (0.51)

3.06 (0.51)

3.29 (0.49)

2.83 (0.54)

4.06 (0.62)

3.90 (0.60)

3.76 (0.70)

4.07 (0.62)

No (2495)

3.35 (0.48)

3.08 (0.47)

3.08 (0.48)

3.25 (0.49)

2.86 (0.52)

4.07 (0.57)

3.91 (0.56)

3.87 (0.60)

4.12 (0.56)

Re-admission to hospital

Yes (1164)

3.36 (0.49)

3.07 (0.49)

3.08 (0.50)

3.29 (0.50)

2.83 (0.54)

4.08 (0.59)

3.91 (0.57)

3.78 (0.65)

4.08 (0.59)

No (1927)

3.34 (0.48)

3.08 (0.47)

3.07 (0.49)

3.23 (0.48)

2.86 (0.52)

4.06 (0.57)

3.91 (0.56)

3.89 (0.60)

4.13 (0.57)

  1. Bolded results indicate where there were differences in mean HLQ scale scores between individual demographic, socio-economic or hospital use variables according to Pearson chi-square tests, p < 0.05. The interpretation of the size of the differences in means was determined using Cohen’s d for difference in means where a Cohen’s d of > 0.20–0.50 indicated a small effect size*, > 0.50–0.80 indicated a medium effect size** and > 0.80 indicated a large effect size***
  2. aTechnical and Further Education
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