The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Diabetes-Related Burnout in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: Health literacy is an important factor in diabetes management and may be associated with diabetes-related burnout among individuals with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to assess health literacy and burnout levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes, identify associated variables, and examine the relationship between health literacy and burnout.Materials and Methods: This descriptive and correlational study included a sample of 162 patients with type 2 diabetes who attended the diabetes outpatient clinic of a training and research hospital between May and August 2025. Data were collected using a patient identification form, the Diabetes Burnout Scale (DBS), and the Health Literacy Scale (HLS). Results: The participants’ mean total score on the DBS was 30.12±6.06, and the mean total score on the HLS was 42.40±7.00. A strong negative correlation was observed between participants’ total health literacy scores and total burnout scores (r = -0.676; p < 0.001). Moreover, regression analysis indicated that health literacy dimensions explained approximately 51.5% of the variance in burnout scores (R²=0.515).Conclusion: This study demonstrated that health literacy was significantly and negatively associated with burnout, with higher health literacy scores being associated with lower burnout scores.