The Association Between Health Literacy and General Health in Women With Gestational Diabetes: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Health literacy includes cognitive and social skills that enable individuals to understand and use health information effectively. In addition, it significantly influences health outcomes in society. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) often have low health literacy and need better education. Therefore, this study explored the link between health literacy and general health in these women. Study

Design

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

This study involved 200 women with GDM referred to the Diabetes Clinic in Hamadan, Iran. The participants were selected through consecutive sampling, and the required data were collected using self-reported questionnaires, a health literacy questionnaire, and a general health questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS with a 95% confidence level.

RESULTS

The mean age of women was 29.63 years, and the mean±standard deviation (SD) of health literacy score was 77.41±16.44. Further, the mean±SD of the general health questionnaire score was 21.02±6.01. There was a positive correlation between health literacy and general health (P<0.001), as well as between health literacy and education (P<0.05). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between general health and education (P<0.05). Eventually, a significant negative correlation was observed between age and general health (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Health literacy plays an essential role in managing GD and promoting general health for pregnant women. This subsequently leads to reduced postpartum complications for the mother and baby, as well as reduced healthcare costs.