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Diabetes Care 27:331-334, 2004
© 2004 by the American Diabetes Association, Inc.

Clinical Care/Education/Nutrition
Original Article

Health Literacy and Pregnancy Preparedness in Pregestational Diabetes

Loraine K. Endres, MD1, Lisa K. Sharp, PHD2, Elaine Haney, BS, MS3 and Sharon L. Dooley, MD, MPH1

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
2 Department of Family Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
3 Evanston Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Evanston, Illinois

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Loraine K. Endres, MD, University of Illinois, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 820 S. Wood St., MC 808, Chicago, IL 60612. E-mail: lendres{at}uic.edu

OBJECTIVE—We investigated the association between functional health literacy and markers of pregnancy preparedness in women with pregestational diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—English- and Spanish-speaking pregnant women with pregestational diabetes were recruited. Women completed the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) short form and a questionnaire. A TOFHLA score of <=30 was defined as low functional health literacy.

RESULTS—Of 74 women participating in the study, 16 (22%) were classified as having low functional health literacy. Compared with women with adequate health literacy, those with low health literacy were significantly more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy (P = 0.02) and significantly less likely to have either discussed pregnancy ahead of time with an endocrinologist or obstetrician (P = 0.01) or taken folic acid (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS—The results of this study suggest that low functional health literacy among women with pregestational diabetes is associated with several factors that may adversely impact birth outcomes.

Abbreviations: TOFHLA, Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults


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Copyright © 2004 by the American Diabetes Association.