title: Health literacy skills in rural and urban populations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether health literacy is lower in rural populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed health, prose, document, and quantitative literacy from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy study. Metropolitan Statistical Area designated participants as rural or urban.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rural populations had lower literacy levels for all literacy types (P<0.001 for each). After adjusting for known confounders, there was no longer a difference in health or prose literacy (P>0.05). However, rural populations had higher document (P=0.04) and quantitative (P=0.01) literacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health literacy is lower in the rural population although this difference is explained by known confounders.
authors.affiliation: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794-9636, USA.
authors.forename: Whitney E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Zahnd
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Scaife
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Francis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult