Brief screening items to identify spanish-speaking adults with limited health literacy and numeracy skills

摘要

Limited health literacy (HL) and numeracy have been shown to be associated with a wide array of poor health-related outcomes, knowledge, and behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of brief HL and numeracy screening items in identifying Spanish-speaking adults’ HL and numeracy skills. We studied convenience samples of native Spanish-speaking adults in Columbus, Ohio. A trained research assistant administered sociodemographic items, HL and numeracy screening items, Short Assessment of Health Literacy (SAHL), and Newest Vital Sign (NVS) to participants in Spanish. Participants (n?=?151) averaged 36.8?±?11.0?years of age and 54.7?% were female. Average SAHL score was 15.7?±?2.8 (range?=?4 to 18), while the average NVS score was 1.7?±?1.5 (range?=?0 to 6). “How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?” performed best in detecting limited NVS scores (AUROC?=?0.66; 95?% confidence interval [CI]?=?0.57–0.75), limited/marginal NVS scores (AUROC?=?0.75; 95?% CI?=?0.65–0.84), and inadequate SAHL scores (AUROC?=?0.69; 95?% CI?=?0.58–0.79). A single HL screening item is useful for quickly estimating HL and numeracy skills in native Spanish-speaking adults.