Prevalence and Determinants of General Health Literacy Among Adult Patients Attending the Medicine Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India

Background: Health literacy is a key determinant of healthcare engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes. Evidence from eastern India remains limited. This study assessed health literacy and its determinants among adults attending a tertiary-care outpatient department in eastern India. Material & Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 382 adults attending a medicine outpatient department of a tertiary care centre in West Bengal, India. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire and the validated HLS19-Q12 instrument. Associations were examined using χ² tests and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Participants were predominantly male (65.4%) and rural residents (78.3%). In bivariate analyses, limited health literacy was significantly associated with rural residence, lower education, occupation, lower socioeconomic status, healthcare-seeking behaviour, healthcare utilisation frequency, and treatment preference (all p<0.001), while age and sex showed no significant association. After adjustment, lower educational attainment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 12.49, 95% CI 5.78–27.00), skilled/unskilled occupational status (aOR 16.19, 95% CI 4.12–63.71), and healthcare utilisation exceeding three visits annually (aOR 8.14, 95% CI 4.24–15.61) remained independent predictors of limited health literacy (all p<0.001). Conclusions: Limited health literacy is common among adults attending a tertiary-care outpatient setting in eastern India and is strongly associated with educational disadvantage, occupational status, and frequent healthcare utilisation. Targeted health-literacy interventions may improve patient engagement and promote equitable healthcare delivery.