The relationship between attitude toward self-care behaviors and health literacy in cardiac patients hospitalized in an educational hospital

Background and Objective: Self-care has the main role in controlling heart failure. Moreover, health literacy is a key determinant of health and the first priority in improving the quality of health services. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between attitude toward self-care behaviors and literacy in cardiac patients admitted to educational hospitals in Khorramabad city. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional and analytical study in which the 182 heart patients admitted to the educational hospitals of Khoramabad. They were randomly assigned to several stages. The research tool was standard questionnaires about self-care behaviors and Health Literacy Assessment Questionnaire (HELIA). Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software via independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The mean score of self-care in patient was 36.5± 5.32. According to the self-care division, 29.7 % of participants had average and 70.3 had good self-care. The mean score of health literacy was 99.25 ±52.66. The correlation coefficient between self-care and health literacy score was 0.23 (p 0.001). Conclusion: The need to improve the health literacy in cardiovascular patients as a prerequisite for promoting self-care behaviors should be addressed through mass media and health centers. This help controls disease and enhances patients’ ability to manage their disease.