TABLE 3.
Asthma medication knowledge according to literacy level
| Inadequate Health Literacy
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Question (correct answer) | Yes, % correct (n =16) | No, % correct (n =57) | p Value‡ |
| Even if I have no symptoms from my asthma, I should take (say β2-agonist they are on)*every day so that I can stop asthma attacks from starting (False) |
10 | 60 | < 0.01 |
| If I am told to take two puffs, twice a day, then I should press down on the inhaler two times before I start to take a breath (False) |
40 | 87 | < 0.01 |
| The longer I wait to treat an asthma attack after it begins, the easier it is to stop the attack (False) | 75 | 96 | < 0.01 |
| When I am prescribed steroid tapers like prednisone for an asthma attack, I can stop taking them as soon as I start feeling well even if I have not finished the taper (False) |
65 | 87 | 0.02 |
| (Say inhaled steroid they are on)† should be taken only when I have asthma symptoms (False) | 40 | 69 | 0.02 |
| After I press down on the inhaler, I should take a normal, regular-sized breath (False) | 25 | 49 | 0.06 |
| (Say β2-agonist they are on)*should be taken only when I have asthma symptoms (True) | 60 | 74 | 0.21 |
| (Say β2-agonist they are on)*works within minutes to help you breathe better (True) | 85 | 90 | 0.55 |
| (Say inhaled steroid they are on)† takes days or weeks before it starts to help you breathe better (True) | 50 | 55 | 0.68 |
| Even if I have no symptoms from my asthma, I should take (say inhaled steroid they are on)† every day so that I can stop asthma attacks from starting (True) |
70 | 73 | 0.78 |
| Total test score, mean (95% CI) | 5.2 (4.3–6.2) | 7.2 (6.8–7.6) | < 0.01 |
Definition of abbreviation: CI =confidence interval.
Each question has a true, false, do not know format.
*
If participant did not list a short-acting β2-agonist as a medication on hospital admission medication, then the phrase “medicines such as Ventolin, Proventil, Maxair, Alupent, or Albuterol” was used.
†
If the participant did not list an inhaled steroid as a medication on hospital admission, then the phrase “medicines like Flovent, Pulmicort, Azmacort, Vanceril, or Advair” was used.
‡
χ2 test and Wilcoxon rank sum test.