Koerts Nicole D K, Horváth Barbara
Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Dermatology. 2025;241(2):184-193. doi: 10.1159/000543286. Epub 2025 Jan 3.
Health literacy plays an important role in the management of chronic and debilitating skin diseases like hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Adequate health literacy empowers patients to understand their disease, manage it effectively, and make informed decisions about their health. Exploring the interplay between health literacy and HS is essential to improve healthcare outcomes in this population. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of limited health literacy among HS patients and its associated factors which has never been studied before.
In this epidemiological cross-sectional study, data were collected via a population-wide survey within the Lifelines Cohort Study in the Netherlands. Health literacy of participants with HS was compared to non-HS controls. The health literacy was measured using six validated questions covering functional, communicative, and critical health literacy. Associations between the characteristics of the HS group and limited health literacy were examined.
Out of 56,084 adult respondents, 1,156 participants with HS were identified. The prevalence of limited functional health literacy was 24.5% in the non-HS group and 26.4% in the HS group. Our findings indicate that limited health literacy among HS patients is associated with higher body mass index (BMI) (26.9 vs. 25.8) (OR: 0.969, 95% CI: 0.941-0.998), lower education level (34.5% vs. 19.9%) (OR: 0.495, 95% CI: 0.350-0.701), lower socioeconomic status (-0.68 vs. -0.58) (OR: 1.194, 95% CI: 1.029-1.386), and more severe disease stage according to the Hurley stage (33.0% vs. 25.8%) (OR: 1.400, 95% CI: 1.005-1.952).
Our study highlights the importance of addressing health literacy in HS patients, given the high prevalence of limited health literacy among this group and associations with higher BMI and more severe disease stage. Limited health literacy may contribute to poorer health outcomes, suboptimal healthcare utilization, elevated healthcare costs, and health disparities. Targeted interventions to improve health literacy could enhance care quality and outcomes for HS patients.
Health literacy plays an important role in the management of chronic and debilitating skin diseases like hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Adequate health literacy empowers patients to understand their disease, manage it effectively, and make informed decisions about their health. Exploring the interplay between health literacy and HS is essential to improve healthcare outcomes in this population. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of limited health literacy among HS patients and its associated factors which has never been studied before.
In this epidemiological cross-sectional study, data were collected via a population-wide survey within the Lifelines Cohort Study in the Netherlands. Health literacy of participants with HS was compared to non-HS controls. The health literacy was measured using six validated questions covering functional, communicative, and critical health literacy. Associations between the characteristics of the HS group and limited health literacy were examined.
Out of 56,084 adult respondents, 1,156 participants with HS were identified. The prevalence of limited functional health literacy was 24.5% in the non-HS group and 26.4% in the HS group. Our findings indicate that limited health literacy among HS patients is associated with higher body mass index (BMI) (26.9 vs. 25.8) (OR: 0.969, 95% CI: 0.941-0.998), lower education level (34.5% vs. 19.9%) (OR: 0.495, 95% CI: 0.350-0.701), lower socioeconomic status (-0.68 vs. -0.58) (OR: 1.194, 95% CI: 1.029-1.386), and more severe disease stage according to the Hurley stage (33.0% vs. 25.8%) (OR: 1.400, 95% CI: 1.005-1.952).
Our study highlights the importance of addressing health literacy in HS patients, given the high prevalence of limited health literacy among this group and associations with higher BMI and more severe disease stage. Limited health literacy may contribute to poorer health outcomes, suboptimal healthcare utilization, elevated healthcare costs, and health disparities. Targeted interventions to improve health literacy could enhance care quality and outcomes for HS patients.
健康素养在诸如化脓性汗腺炎（HS）等慢性和使人衰弱的皮肤病管理中起着重要作用。足够的健康素养使患者能够了解自己的疾病，有效管理疾病，并就自身健康做出明智的决定。探索健康素养与HS之间的相互作用对于改善这一人群的医疗保健结果至关重要。本研究旨在评估HS患者中健康素养有限的患病率及其相关因素，此前从未对此进行过研究。
在这项流行病学横断面研究中，通过荷兰生命线队列研究中的全人群调查收集数据。将HS患者的健康素养与非HS对照进行比较。使用六个经过验证的问题来衡量健康素养，这些问题涵盖功能、沟通和批判性健康素养。研究HS组特征与健康素养有限之间的关联。
在56084名成年受访者中，确定了1156名HS患者。非HS组中功能健康素养有限的患病率为24.5%，HS组为26.4%。我们的研究结果表明，HS患者中健康素养有限与较高的体重指数（BMI）（26.9对25.8）（比值比：0.969，95%置信区间：0.941 - 0.998）、较低的教育水平（34.5%对19.9%）（比值比：0.495，95%置信区间：0.350 - 0.701）、较低的社会经济地位（-0.68对-0.58）（比值比：1.194，95%置信区间：1.029 - 1.386）以及根据赫尔利分期更严重的疾病阶段（33.0%对25.8%）（比值比：1.400，95%置信区间：1.005 - 1.952）相关。
我们的研究强调了解决HS患者健康素养问题的重要性，因为该群体中健康素养有限的患病率较高，且与较高的BMI和更严重的疾病阶段相关。健康素养有限可能导致更差的健康结果、次优的医疗保健利用、医疗成本升高以及健康差距。针对性地提高健康素养的干预措施可以提高HS患者的护理质量和结果。
健康素养在诸如化脓性汗腺炎（HS）等慢性和使人衰弱的皮肤病管理中起着重要作用。足够的健康素养使患者能够了解自己的疾病，有效管理疾病，并就自身健康做出明智的决定。探索健康素养与HS之间的相互作用对于改善这一人群的医疗保健结果至关重要。本研究旨在评估HS患者中健康素养有限的患病率及其相关因素，此前从未对此进行过研究。
在这项流行病学横断面研究中，通过荷兰生命线队列研究中的全人群调查收集数据。将HS患者的健康素养与非HS对照进行比较。使用六个经过验证的问题来衡量健康素养，这些问题涵盖功能、沟通和批判性健康素养。研究HS组特征与健康素养有限之间的关联。
在56084名成年受访者中，确定了1156名HS患者。非HS组中功能健康素养有限的患病率为24.5%，HS组为26.4%。我们的研究结果表明，HS患者中健康素养有限与较高的体重指数（BMI）（26.9对25.8）（比值比：0.969，95%置信区间：0.941 - 0.998）、较低的教育水平（34.5%对19.9%）（比值比：0.495，95%置信区间：0.350 - 0.701）、较低的社会经济地位（-0.68对-0.58）（比值比：1.194，95%置信区间：1.029 - 1.386）以及根据赫尔利分期更严重的疾病阶段（33.0%对25.8%）（比值比：1.400，95%置信区间：1.005 - 1.952）相关。
我们的研究强调了解决HS患者健康素养问题的重要性，因为该群体中健康素养有限的患病率较高，且与较高的BMI和更严重的疾病阶段相关。健康素养有限可能导致更差的健康结果、次优的医疗保健利用、医疗成本升高以及健康差距。针对性地提高健康素养的干预措施可以提高HS患者的护理质量和结果。
