Table 1.
Characteristics of study population, total and by health literacy level
| Characteristic | Total (N = 833) | Health literacy level | Significancea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (n = 148) | High (n = 685) | |||
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 65.2 ± 11.6 | 69.5 ± 13.2 | 64.3 ± 11.0 | t = −5.01, p = < 0.001 |
| Sex, % | ||||
| Women | 51.0 | 51.3 | 50.9 | χ2 = 0.008, p = 0.93 |
| Men | 49.0 | 48.7 | 49.1 | |
| Race/ethnicity, % | ||||
| Asian | 12.9 | 19.1 | 11.6 | χ2 = 10.70, p = 0.03 |
| Black/African American | 17.0 | 12.9 | 17.9 | |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 6.1 | 5.4 | 6.2 | |
| White | 57.7 | 53.1 | 58.7 | |
| Other | 6.3 | 9.5 | 5.6 | |
| Hispanic | 2.7b | 1.0c | 3.06d | χ2 = 1.31, p = 0.25 |
| Highest level of education, % | ||||
| High school or less | 34.3 | 60.8 | 28.5 | χ2 = 34.82, p = < 0.001 |
| Some college/college degree | 53.9 | 33.8 | 58.2 | |
| Some graduate school/graduate degree | 11.9 | 5.4 | 13.3 | |
| Household income, % | ||||
| < $25,000 | 20.6 | 36.9 | 17.3 | χ2 = 39.21, p = < 0.001 |
| $25,000–$49,000 | 35.5 | 43.4 | 33.8 | |
| $50,000–$74,999 | 20.5 | 10.7 | 22.5 | |
| ≥ $75,000 | 23.4 | 9.0 | 26.4 | |
| Marital status, % | ||||
| Single | 13.3 | 10.8 | 13.9 | χ2 = 5.48, p = 0.07 |
| Married/partnered | 62.8 | 58.1 | 63.9 | |
| Separated/divorced/widowed | 23.8 | 31.1 | 22.2 | |
| Health history | ||||
| Uncontrolled blood pressure,% | 14.7 | 19.3 | 13.7 | χ2 = 3.03, p = 0.08 |
| Uncontrolled LDL cholesterol, % | 30.2 | 27.3 | 30.8 | χ2 = 0.59, p = 0.44 |
| Baseline statin adherence among users, mean ± SD | 0.59 ± 0.27 | 0.60 ± 0.25 | 0.59 ± 0.27 | t = −0.11, p = 0.91 |
| Baseline ACEI/ARB adherence among users, mean ± SD | 0.65 ± 0.30 | 0.62 ± 0.32 | 0.66 ± 0.29 | t = 1.11, p = 0.27 |
| No. of medications dispensed, % | ||||
| 1–5 | 39.1 | 41.9 | 38.5 | χ2 = 0.17, p = 0.68 |
| 6–12 | 39.1 | 32.4 | 40.6 | |
| ≥ 13 | 21.7 | 25.7 | 20.9 | |
| ED visit in last 6 months, % | 10.6 | 13.5 | 9.9 | χ2 = 1.66, p = 0.20 |
| Hospitalization in last 6 months, % | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.4 | χ2 = 0.30, p = 0.58 |
| Health care utilization in last 6 months, mean | 6.5 ± 6.8 | 7.8 ± 8.3 | 6.2 ± 6.3 | t = −2.64, p = 0.01 |
| HUI2, mean ± SD | 0.84 ± 0.17 | 0.79 ± 0.20 | 0.85 ± 0.17 | t = 3.06, p = 0.00 |
| HUI3, mean ± SD | 0.77 ± 0.28 | 0.60 ± 0.35 | 0.80 ± 0.25 | t = 7.43, p = < 0.001 |
| Satisfied with care, % | 93.0 | 92.6 | 93.1 | χ2 = 0.06, p = 0.81 |
| Depression diagnosis, % | 3.4 | 6.1 | 2.8 | χ2 = 4.10, p = 0.04 |
| BMI,e % | ||||
| 18.5–24.9 | 11.8 | 14.9 | 11.1 | χ2 = 3.30, p = 0.07 |
| 25.0–29.9 | 29.7 | 39.2 | 27.8 | |
| 30.0–39.9 | 47.2 | 35.1 | 49.7 | |
| ≥ 40 | 11.3 | 10.8 | 11.4 | |
| Smoker, % | 10.1 | 11.2 | 9.9 | χ2 = 0.23, p = 0.23 |
a
Two-sided p values based on F test for continuous variables, Pearson χ2 test for unordered categorical data, and Mantel-Haenszel χ2 test for ordered categorical data;
b
N = 589.
c
n = 1.
d
n = 15.
e
kg/m2.
ACEI/ARB = angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker; BMI = body mass index; ED = Emergency Department; HUI = Health Utilities Index mark; LDL = low-density lipoprotein; SD = standard deviation.