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. 2008 May-Jun;32(3):227-42.
doi: 10.5555/ajhb.2008.32.3.227.

Relationship of preventive health practices and health literacy: a national study

Sheida White  1 , Jing Chen, Ruth Atchison
Affiliations

Relationship of preventive health practices and health literacy: a national study

Sheida White et al. Am J Health Behav. 2008 May-Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To identify relationships between the health literacy and self-reported preventive health practices of US adults.

Methods: Measured health literacy and preventive health practices for a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 18,100) and conducted probit regression analyses after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, poverty level, insurance status, self-reported health status, and oral reading fluency.

Results: Low literacy was associated with a decreased likelihood of using most preventive health measures under study for adults aged 65 and older, but not for adults of 2 younger age groups.

Conclusion: The relationship between health literacy and preventive health practices varied substantially by adult age group.

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