Table 1. Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Associated With Maternal Health Literacy.
| Characteristic | Health literacy, participants, No. (%) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inadequate (n = 1638)a | Adequate (n = 7703) | ||
| Maternal age, mean (SD), y | 22.9 (5.0) | 27.9 (5.3) | .004 |
| Race and ethnicity | |||
| Non-Hispanic | <.001 | ||
| White | 456 (27.8) | 5265 (68.4) | |
| Black | 506 (30.9) | 780 (10.1) | |
| Hispanic | 516 (31.5) | 948 (12.3) | |
| Asian or otherb | 160 (9.8) | 710 (9.2) | |
| Public insurance | 1008 (62.2) | 1532 (20.0) | <.001 |
| Household income <200% of federal poverty level | 637 (66.8) | 1646 (24.5) | <.001 |
| Married | 411 (25.1) | 5251 (68.2) | <.001 |
| English as primary languagec | 1514 (92.4) | 7692 (99.9) | <.001 |
| Some college education or greater | 1149 (73.9) | 5279 (94.5) | <.001 |
| Obesityd | 492 (30.0) | 1691 (22.0) | <.001 |
| Ever used tobacco | 648 (39.6) | 3275 (42.5) | .03 |
| Chronic hypertension | 40 (2.6) | 188 (2.5) | .92 |
| Pregestational diabetes | 32 (2.0) | 112 (1.5) | .12 |
| Asthma | 228 (15.8) | 975 (13.9) | .06 |
| Mental health disordere | 235 (15.0) | 1404 (18.7) | <.001 |
a
Inadequate health literacy was defined as less than high school level of health literacy based on the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine–Short Form.
b
Other includes American Indian/Native American and any other race not listed above.
c
Participants included in this analysis all chose to complete the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine–Short Form in English.
d
Obesity is defined as body mass index greater than or equal to 30 (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared).
e
Refers to mental health disorders diagnosed before pregnancy.