The Association Between Self-Care and Health Literacy in Patients With Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #self-care
- #health-literacy
- #chronic-diseases
- Chronic diseases are a major global health burden, contributing to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.
- Self-care is essential for effective disease management, with health literacy (HL) and digital health literacy (eHL) playing a key role.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of 138 studies found a moderate positive association between HL and self-care (r = 0.29).
- Higher HL was linked to improved self-care behaviors like medication adherence, disease monitoring, and lifestyle modifications.
- Psychological, cognitive, and social factors mediate the relationship between HL and self-care, while distress and depression moderate it.
- Subgroup analyses showed consistent positive effects across various chronic conditions.
- Risk of bias was high in 62 studies, and certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate.
- Future interventions should integrate tailored education, digital tools, and mental health support to enhance HL effectiveness.