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- Health literacy – study protocol for LiSa cohort studyPublication . Batalha, Maria João; Gabriel, Tiago; Valentim, Ana; Soledade, Ana; Gomes, Cátia; Alves, Bartolomeu; Santos, Estêvão Soares dos; Passadouro, Rui; Dias, Sara SimõesBackground: Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others, whether at home, at the workplace, in the community, marketplace, healthcare sector, or the political arena. The main aim of this project is to measure health literacy in the adult population living in the municipality of Leiria over the next 10 years. As secondary objectives it is intended to characterize anxiety and depression, metabolic risk and health behaviors in the same population and over the same period. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study that collects data on HL, anxiety and depression, health characteristics, health behavior and sociodemographic data. The study population will be composed by adults (≥ 18 years old) who are non-institutionalized and living in private households in Leiria. The random sample is stratified by gender and age groups. A face-to-face interview will be conducted with the Computer Assisted Personal Interview at baseline. Follow-up will be carried out every 2 years via telephone call. The association between independent variables and health literacy is examined by means of variance analysis with measurement repetition, and taking into consideration follow-up. Discussion: The LiSa project is a population-based study, derived from a random sampling technique that will allow the analysis of health outcomes in a representative sample of the population of the municipality of Leiria. The LiSa study will be a valuable resource for epidemiological research, as it will provide fundamental information to improve public health policies regarding health literacy in Portugal. Trial registration: Clinical trials: NCT05558631 (registered on 26/09/2022).
- Exploring the Association between Health Literacy and Diabetes Risk in Adults: Insights from a Pilot Study in LeiriaPublication . Batalha, Maria João; Gabriel, Tiago; Alves, Bartolomeu; Soledade, Ana; Passadouro, Rui; Dias, Sara SimõesIntroduction: Low levels of health literacy (HL) are related to behaviors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, in Europe, there is still little knowledge about this relationship, and whether improving HL could be an effective strategy for preventing the disease. Therefore, this study aims to measure the association between HL and the risk of developing T2D in adults living in the municipality of Leiria. Methods: Data from the Longitudinal Health Literacy Study of the Municipality of Leiria were used. The sample (pilot study) consists of 175 individuals aged 18 or over. The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score was used to determine an individual’s risk of developing T2D. The short version of the European Health Literacy Questionnaire was applied to assess participants’ HL levels. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe participants’ sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, education, and monthly income). The analysis of the relationship between the level of HL and FINDRISC score was performed using a multivariate linear analysis. The analysis was conducted in three nested Received: June 28, 2024 Accepted: March 24, 2025 Published online: June 24, 2025 c statistical models, and adjusted for age, sex, and educational level. Results: According to the FINDRISC, 35.7% of respondents have a low risk, 26.8% a slightly moderate risk, 8.3% a moderate risk, 24.2% a high risk, and 5.1% a very high risk of developing T2D diabetes in the next 10 years. In the statistical model adjusted for age, sex, and education, individuals with inadequate levels of HL presented an average of 4.62 points more on the FINDRISC scale than individuals with excellent levels of HL (95% confidence interval: 0.558–8.677). Discussion/ Conclusion: The risk of developing T2D is increased in people with lower levels of HL. It is important to invest in public health programs that empower citizens with knowledge to better manage their health.