OBJECTIVE: Studies show that the average person fails to understand and use health care related materials to their full potential. The goal of this study was to evaluate a health literacy instrument based on the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) that incorporates dental and medical terms into one 84-item Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and Dentistry (REALM-D) measure and determine its association with patient characteristics of a culturally diverse dental clinic population. METHODS: An 84-item dental/medical health literacy word list and a 48-item health beliefs and attitudes survey was provided to a sample of 200 adult patients seeking treatment for the first time at an oral diagnosis clinic located in a large urban medical center in Los Angeles, California. RESULTS: Of the total sample, 154 participants read all of list 1 correctly, 141 read list 2 correctly, and only 38 read list 3 correctly. Nonwhite participants had significantly lower REALM-D scores at each level of difficulty as well as the total scale score compared to white participants. Participants who reported English as not their main language had significantly lower REALM-D scores. REALM-D scores also varied significantly by level of education among participants where as level of education increased, oral health literacy increased. At a bivariate level, race, education, and English as a main language remain predictive of health literacy in a regression model. An interaction between education and English as a main language was significant. CONCLUSIONS: The REALM-D is an effective instrument for use by medical and dental clinicians in detecting differences among people of different backgrounds and for whom English was not their primary language.
OBJECTIVE: Studies show that the average person fails to understand and use health care related materials to their full potential. The goal of this study was to evaluate a health literacy instrument based on the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) that incorporates dental and medical terms into one 84-item Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and Dentistry (REALM-D) measure and determine its association with patient characteristics of a culturally diverse dental clinic population. METHODS: An 84-item dental/medical health literacy word list and a 48-item health beliefs and attitudes survey was provided to a sample of 200 adult patients seeking treatment for the first time at an oral diagnosis clinic located in a large urban medical center in Los Angeles, California. RESULTS: Of the total sample, 154 participants read all of list 1 correctly, 141 read list 2 correctly, and only 38 read list 3 correctly. Nonwhite participants had significantly lower REALM-D scores at each level of difficulty as well as the total scale score compared to white participants. Participants who reported English as not their main language had significantly lower REALM-D scores. REALM-D scores also varied significantly by level of education among participants where as level of education increased, oral health literacy increased. At a bivariate level, race, education, and English as a main language remain predictive of health literacy in a regression model. An interaction between education and English as a main language was significant. CONCLUSIONS: The REALM-D is an effective instrument for use by medical and dental clinicians in detecting differences among people of different backgrounds and for whom English was not their primary language.
Authors: Kathryn A Atchison; Edward E Black; Richard Leathers; Thomas R Belin; Mirna Abrego; Melanie W Gironda; Daniel Wong; Vivek Shetty; Claudia DerMartirosian Journal: J Oral Maxillofac Surg Date: 2005-04 Impact factor: 1.895
Authors: Tam H Nguyen; Hyunjeong Park; Hae-Ra Han; Kitty S Chan; Michael K Paasche-Orlow; Jolie Haun; Miyong T Kim Journal: Patient Educ Couns Date: 2015-07-29
Authors: Jacqueline M Burgette; John S Preisser; Morris Weinberger; Rebecca S King; Jessica Y Lee; R Gary Rozier Journal: J Public Health Dent Date: 2018-04-16 Impact factor: 1.821
Authors: Mark D Macek; Kathryn A Atchison; William Wells; Don Haynes; Ruth M Parker; Haiyan Chen Journal: J Public Health Dent Date: 2017-01-12 Impact factor: 1.821
Authors: A G Brega; J F Thomas; W G Henderson; T S Batliner; D O Quissell; P A Braun; A Wilson; L L Bryant; K J Nadeau; J Albino Journal: Health Educ Res Date: 2015-11-26
Authors: Mark D Macek; Kathryn A Atchison; Maria Rosa Watson; Jennifer Holtzman; William Wells; Bonnie Braun; Linda Aldoory; Diana Messadi; Melanie Gironda; Don Haynes; Ruth M Parker; Haiyan Chen; Susan Coller; Jessica Richards Journal: J Public Health Dent Date: 2016-04-29 Impact factor: 1.821