The Relationship between Health Literacy of Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Their Quality of Life

Background: Health literacy is a critical component of individual and public health, thatimpacts personal health outcomes. Patients with low health literacy may struggle to navigate thehealthcare system, interpret medical terminology, and follow instructions for medications andtreatments, leading to poor health outcomes and reduced quality of life. Objective: To determine therelationship between the health literacy of patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and theirquality of life. Setting: The study was conducted in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Outpatientclinic at the Alexandria Fever Hospital which is affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Population.Subjects: A convenience sample of 245 adult HIV patients’ was selected from above mentioned setting.Tools: two tools were used. Tool I: Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) Patients’ Health LiteracyAssessment Scale (HPHLAS), Tool II: Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) Patients’ Quality ofLife Assessment Scale (HPQOLAS). Results: It was found that more than half of HIV patients had amoderate level of health literacy and more than three-quarters of patients had a moderate level ofquality of life. Also, there were statistically significant positive correlations between health literacyand quality of life as p < (0.001). Conclusion: HL is closely related to the quality of life; individualswith high health literacy are more likely to have better health outcomes and better quality of life thanthose with low health literacy Recommendations: Provide regular education sessions to reinforceimportant information and promote ongoing learning for HIV patients.