Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Health literacy is a very critical aspect of a patient's recovery, and low levels of it have been correlated to a large range of negative health outcomes. Health literacy's effects on treatment adherence and health optimism was examined in a sample of 32 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients who were recruited from a transplant center in the southeastern section of the United States. Participants had a mean age of 47.55, with 45.2% (n=14) of the participants being female and 54.8% (n=17) being Caucasian.The participants completed a survey, which incorporated the tools of Health Literacy Questionnaire, Life Orientation Tool, and the PlAnk 4 scale. The study found that (1) Health literacy was positively correlated with Health Optimism and (2) Health Literacy had a positively correlated with Treatment Adherence, supporting both of the stud's hypotheses. This study's findings highlight the importance of health literacy in CKD and its association with health outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Gardiner, Heather, "The effects of health literacy on treatment adherence and health optimism in chronic kidney disease patients" (2019). Honors Theses. 1377.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1377