title: Prevalence and demographic and clinical associations of health literacy in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although limited health literacy is estimated to affect over 90 million Americans and is recognized as an important public health concern, there have been few studies examining this issue in patients with chronic kidney disease. We sought to characterize the prevalence of and associations of demographic and clinical characteristics with limited health literacy in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of a prospective clinical trial of symptom management strategies in 288 patients treated with chronic hemodialysis, we assessed health literacy using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM). We defined limited health literacy as a REALM score ≤60 and evaluated independent associations of demographic and baseline clinical characteristics with limited health literacy using multivariable logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 260 patients who completed the REALM, 41 demonstrated limited health literacy. African-American race, lower educational level, and veteran status were independently associated with limited health literacy. There was no association of limited health literacy with age, gender, serologic values, dialysis adequacy, overall symptom burden, quality of life, or depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limited health literacy is common among patients receiving chronic hemodialysis. African-American race and socioeconomic factors are strong independent predictors of limited health literacy. These findings can help inform the design and implementation of interventions to improve health literacy in the hemodialysis population.
authors.affiliation: Renal-Electrolyte Division, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. greenja@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Jamie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Maria K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: Anne Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sevick
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Palevsky
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Weisbord
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D032882:Comprehension; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology