Caregiver health literacy and adherence to a daily multi-vitamin with iron regimen in infants.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether or not limited caregiver health literacy is associated with adherence to a daily multi-vitamin with iron regimen in infants.


METHODS
110 caregiver/infant dyads were enrolled in a prospective study to assess the relationship between caregiver health literacy and adherence to a daily multi-vitamin with iron regimen for infants. Households were contacted biweekly over a 3-month period. Adherence was based upon caregiver report. High adherence, our primary outcome, was defined as the administration of the multi-vitamin with iron on 5-7 days over the past week.


RESULTS
As measured by the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA), 18% of caregivers had limited health literacy skills. Caregivers with limited health literacy skills were more likely to have higher adherence than caregivers with adequate health literacy, after adjusting for a number of possible confounding variables (AOR=2.13; 95% 1.20-3.78).


CONCLUSIONS
Caregivers with limited health literacy were twice as likely to report high adherence to a daily multi-vitamin with iron regimen in infants as caregivers with adequate health literacy in adjusted analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Health literacy may exert a differential influence on adherence depending upon the complexity of the desired health behavior.
Hironaka
L Kari
LK
Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. lynn.hironaka@bmc.org
Paasche-Orlow
Michael K
MK
Young
Robin L
RL
Bauchner
Howard
H
Geltman
Paul L
PL
D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D058085:Iron Compounds; D014815:Vitamins