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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1502852
Health literacy & associated factors among adult type 2 diabetic patients in Woldia Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North-East Ethiopia, 2022
Provisionally accepted- 1 School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
- 2 College of Medicine and Health Science, Wollo University, Dessie, Amhara, Ethiopia
AbstractBackground: Despite limited research, health literacy in developing countries like Ethiopia remains low, making it a significant challenge to combat non-communicable diseases. Objective: To assess the level of health literacy & associated factors among adult type 2 diabetic patients in Woldia Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North-East Ethiopia, 2022. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Woldia Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from April 19 to July 19, 2022, involving 423 participants. Systematic random sampling, face-to-face interviews, and document reviews were used to collect data. The data were coded and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6.0.2, then analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The results were presented in texts, tables, and figures. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant predictors with p-values below 0.05 and to verify the assumptions of binary logistic regression. Result: General Health Literacy Index was 27.86 (±6.71), and the magnitude of participants with adequate health literacy in the study was 22.2% (95% CI: 18.4% – 26.3%).Ages (18–35) years [(AOR =14, 95% CI = 3.86-50.77)], ages (36-50) years [(AOR = 15.38, 95% CI = 4.23-55.9)], being male [(AOR = 2.945, 95% CI = 1.570-5.526)], no experiencing depression symptoms [(AOR = 2.673, 95% CI = 1.308-5.463)],not experiencing anxiety [(AOR = 2.001, 95% CI = 1.011-3.960)] and being literate [(AOR = 4.120, 95% CI = 1.397-12.146)] were significantly associated with adequate health Literacy.Conclusion and Recommendations: The magnitude of adequate health literacy was low. Ages (18–35) years, ages (36-50) years, being male, not experiencing depression symptoms, not experiencing anxiety, and being literate were significantly associated with adequate health literacy. Health professionals should regularly implement health education programs for diabetic patients and communities, focusing on females, older adults, the illiterate, and those experiencing depression and anxiety.
Keywords: diabetes, Ethiopia, Health Literacy, magnitude, Woldia
Received: 03 Dec 2024; Accepted: 27 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Girma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Mitaw Girma, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
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