SSA could not be possible without the generous support of Drs. Herbert A. and Betty Lou Lubs and the Science, Society, and the Arts Research Conference Endowment. We are deeply grateful!
Diabetes is one of the most psychologically demanding chronic diseases, with 95% of its management being performed by the patient. Furthermore, diabetes patients with low health literacy possess less knowledge about their self-management behaviors and adhere less to treatment plans. In Romania, diabetics comprise 11.6% of the population, with diagnoses increasing annually. Therefore, this study aims to explore the ability of diabetes-specific health outcomes and treatment adherence to gauge potential health literacy in a sample of type 2 diabetics in Romania. A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted on a sample (n=400) of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes from a clinical setting in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from April 2015-March 2016. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample in terms of gender, age, income, area of residence, and treatment adherence. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the ability of treatment adherence and diabetes-related health outcomes to gauge health literacy in the sample.
