Table 1.
Percentage of participants, by health literacy score (REALM) according to various demographic and lifestyle variables
| Characteristics | Low health literacy n (%) (n = 222) | Higher health literacy n (%) (n = 359) | Chi-square test (p) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | .18 | ||
| 18–29 | 20 (33.9) | 39 (66.1) | |
| 30–39 | 22 (31.0) | 49 (69.0) | |
| 40–49 | 61 (35.1) | 113 (64.9) | |
| 50–59 | 63 (40.9) | 91 (59.1) | |
| >60 | 56 (45.9) | 66 (54.1) | |
| Sex | .08 | ||
| Male | 116 (42.0) | 160 (58.0) | |
| Female | 106 (34.9) | 198 (66.0) | |
| Race | <.01 | ||
| Non-Hispanic White | 27 (16.0) | 142 (84.0) | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 143 (47.7) | 157 (52.3) | |
| Hispanic/other racea | 48 (44.4) | 60 (55.6) | |
| Education | <.01 | ||
| Less than eighth grade | 20 (71.4) | 8 (28.6) | |
| Incomplete high school | 54 (60.7) | 35 (39.3) | |
| High school degree or equivalent | 95 (45.0) | 116 (55.0) | |
| College | 46 (19.1) | 195 (80.9) | |
| Income | <.01 | ||
| None to <$10,000 | 105 (47.1) | 118 (52.9) | |
| $10,001 to $30,000 | 81 (40.1) | 121 (59.9) | |
| $30,001 to $50,000 | 23 (31.9) | 49 (68.1) | |
| $50,000 or greater | 10 (18.5) | 44 (81.5) | |
| Other (missing/refused) | 3 (10.0) | 27 (90.0) | |
| Employment status | <.01 | ||
| Employed | 49 (27.5) | 129 (72.5) | |
| Unemployed | 71 (43.8) | 91 (56.2) | |
| Retired | 35 (42.2) | 48 (57.8) | |
| Disabled | 67 (42.4) | 91 (57.6) | |
| Insurance | <.01 | ||
| Private | 60 (31.8) | 129 (68.3) | |
| Government/free | 146 (42.6) | 197 (57.4) | |
| None | 12 (26.7) | 33 (73.3) | |
| Has primary care provider | .82 | ||
| Yes | 182 (38.0) | 297 (62.0) | |
| No | 40 (39.2) | 62 (60.8) | |
| Born in the United States | <.01 | ||
| Yes | 156 (34.4) | 297 (65.6) | |
| No | 66 (52.6) | 62 (48.4) | |
| English primary language | <.01 | ||
| Yes | 186 (36.1) | 329 (63.9) | |
| No | 32 (52.5) | 29 (47.5) | |
| Depression status (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) | .41 | ||
| Severe depression | 31 (44.9) | 38 (55.1) | |
| Mild depression | 11 (42.3) | 15 (57.7) | |
| No depression | 178 (37.0) | 303 (63.0) |
Note. Low health literacy = Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) score of less than 60; high health literacy = REALM score of 60 or greater.
a
Other refers to Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians.