title: Social patterning in knowledge following an informed choice invitation for type 2 diabetes screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe prevalence of knowledge of items specified by the U.K. General Medical Council as required to make an informed choice following an invitation for screening for type 2 diabetes and investigate whether knowledge was socio-economically patterned.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 9-item knowledge questionnaire was employed immediately following an informed choice invitation to type 2 diabetes screening that was piloted with 278 people between 40 and 69 years in the U.K. between February and April 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the exception of post-diagnosis treatment and the effectiveness of early treatment in preventing long-term problems, information was typically understood correctly. Social patterning was observed: individuals who left full-time education before 19 years of age were less likely to understand the most likely test result, the effectiveness of early treatment in preventing long-term problems or the possible harms of screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even risk communication materials developed for ease of readability can result in inequity, limiting autonomy in healthcare decisions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kellar
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003142:Communication; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012923:Social Class