Structural Predictive Relationship between Health Literacy, Primary Care Attributes and Medical Decision Making in Diabetic Patients

Objective: To examine the structural predictive relationship between health literacy, primary care attributes and medical decision making in diabetic patients. Study Design: The study was a cross-sectional research design. Methodology: Among diabetic patients, health literacy, primary care attributes and medical decision making were evaluated. These variables were measured using Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy scale, General Practice Assessment Questionnaire- R and Rochester Participatory Decision -Making (RPAD) scale. Results: 240 diabetic patients were examined and results established a model fit among the functional health literacy, communicative health literacy, medical decision making and primary care attributes. Finding established that functional health literacy and primary care attributes regression estimate was .436 (p-value, .000) which indicated that better functional health literacy increases the primary care attributes. Furthermore, the communicative health literacy link with medical decision making (regression estimate -.293, p-value, .000) was also established with inverse relationship. It means improved communicative health literacy and lower medical decision making. Same relationship patterns were between primary care attributes and medical decision making (-.117, p-value, .025). It was indicated that better primary care attributes lower the medical decision making. Conclusion: The final conclusion drawn was, better functional health literacy increases the primary care attributes. The enhanced communicative health literacy worsens medical decision making and improved primary care attributes leads to poorer medical decision making.