Evaluation of Health Literacy Levels and Associated Factors Among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Heart Failure in Qatar

Marwa Elbashir; Maguy Saffouh ElHajj; Daniel Rainkie; Nadir Kheir; Fatima Hamou; Sara Abdulrhim; Ahmed Mahfouz; Sumaya Alyafei; Ahmed Awaisu

doi:10.2147/PPA.S385246

Evaluation of Health Literacy Levels and Associated Factors Among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Heart Failure in Qatar

Patient Prefer Adherence. 2023 Jan 7:17:89-105. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S385246. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Marwa Elbashir^{1

2}, Maguy Saffouh ElHajj¹, Daniel Rainkie^{1

3}, Nadir Kheir⁴, Fatima Hamou⁵, Sara Abdulrhim⁶, Ahmed Mahfouz⁵, Sumaya Alyafei⁵, Ahmed Awaisu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
² Pharmacy Department, Airport Health Center, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
³ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁴ College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
⁵ Pharmacy Department, Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
⁶ Pharmacy Department, Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of inadequate health literacy and its associated risk factors among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and/or heart failure (HF) in Qatar.

Patients and methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted among patients with ACS and/or HF attending the national Heart Hospital in Qatar. Health literacy was assessed using the abbreviated version of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) and the Three-item Brief Health Literacy Screen (3-item BHLS).

Results: Three hundred patients with ACS and/or HF, majority male (88%) and non-Qatari (94%), participated in the study. The median (IQR) age of the participants was 55 (11) years. The prevalence of inadequate to marginal health literacy ranged between 36% and 54%. There were statistically significant differences in health literacy level between patients based on their marital status (p=0.010), education (p≤0.001), ability to speak any of Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, or other languages (p-values ≤0.001 to 0.035), country of origin (p≤0.001), occupation (p≤0.001), and receiving information from a pharmacist (p=0.008), a physiotherapist (p≤0.001), or a nurse (p=0.004).

Conclusion: Inadequate health literacy is common among patients with ACS and/or HF. This study suggests a need for developing strategies to assist healthcare professionals in improving health literacy skills among patients with ACS and HF. A combination of interventions may be needed to improve patients' understanding of their disease and medications, and ultimately overall health outcomes.

Keywords: acute coronary syndrome; cardiovascular diseases; health literacy; heart failure.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Qatar University under Student Grant number QUST–2–CPH–2017–15 [Approved amount QAR 20,000.00 (~US$ 5480)]. The funders had no role in the design, planning, and implementation of the study. The content is the sole responsibility of the authors.