The objective of this study was to look at the relationship between literacy and diabetes outcomes, specifically glycemic control and quality of life. Trust, self-efficacy, and involvement in medical decision-making were posited to be mediating variables in the relationship between literacy and diabetes outcomes. Study participants were 268 patients from an internal medicine clinic. All participants had type 2 diabetes, took at least one medication for diabetes, and were above 18 years of age. Participants were administered surveys by a research assistant.
Key Findings:
- There were 215 patients in the higher literacy group and 53 patients in the lower literacy group.
- Neither diabetes outcome—glycemic control or quality of life—was related to literacy.
- No relationship existed between literacy and trust or self-efficacy.
- Lower-literacy patients reported less of an inclination to be involved in medical decision-making and lower levels of diabetes-related knowledge.
- Self-efficacy was positively related to each subscale in the diabetes-related quality-of-life measure.