Table 4.
Comparison between the higher and lower scoring groups in seeking medicine information and making medication decisions
| Higher score, N (%) | Lower score, N (%) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of subjects | 764 (50.7) | 743 (49.3) | |
| Number of information sources used by subjectsa | |||
| 1 | 265 (34.8) | 292 (39.5) | 0.003 |
| 2 | 248 (32.5) | 265 (35.9) | |
| 3+ | 249 (32.7) | 182 (24.6) | |
| Unknown | 2 | 4 | |
| I can obtain all the information I want | |||
| Yes | 502 (67.1) | 417 (57.1) | <0.001 |
| No | 246 (32.9) | 313 (42.9) | |
| Unknown | 16 | 13 | |
| I have seen unknown medical words at hospitals or pharmacies | |||
| Yes | 411 (55.0) | 418 (58.5) | <0.001 |
| No | 336 (45.0) | 296 (41.5) | |
| Unknown | 17 | 29 | |
| I want my views taken into account in medication decisions | |||
| No | 504 (66.3) | 367 (49.7) | <0.001 |
| Yes | 256 (33.7) | 372 (50.3) | |
| Unknown | 4 | 4 | |
| I prefer to choose between various alternative medicines | |||
| No | 571 (75.0) | 432 (58.3) | <0.001 |
| Yes | 190 (25.0) | 309 (41.7) | |
| Unknown | 3 | 2 | |
The study subjects were divided into two groups according to a total health literacy score of above or below the median (50)
aInformation sources were (1) physicians, (2) pharmacists, (3) friends/relatives, (4) books/dictionaries, (5) Internet, (6) drugstores, (7) pharmaceutical makers, and (8) public agencies