Health Literacy and Satisfaction with Decision-Making in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Background: Health literacy (HL) is a measure of an individual’s ability to understand and utilize health information and
is associated with health outcomes in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Aim: We aim to measure HL in surgical patients with IBD and investigate its correlation to satisfaction with decisionmaking.
Patients and Methods: In this prospective observational study, IBD patients younger than 18 years of age treated
surgically in King Abdulaziz University Hospital completed a validated eHealth Literacy Scale and Satisfaction with
Decision tools. HL scored as sufficient (27–40), problematic (21–26 points), or deficient (8–20 points). Univariate and
multiple logistic regression were performed to examine the association between limited eHealth Literacy Scale and level
of satisfaction with decision-making.
Results: A total of 44 were included (2.3% of participants have ulcerative colitis, and 97.7% have Crohn’s disease).
The age distribution reveals that 77.3% of participants are in the 25–54 age range. The distribution of HL scores in our
cohort is categorized into inadequate (18.2%), problematic (59.1%), and sufficient (22.7%) levels. The distribution of
satisfaction level of decision-making scale scores among participants were categorized as neutral (20.5%) and satisfied
(79.5%). The regression coefficients reveal that the HL score has a significant positive association with decision-making
satisfaction (Estimate= 0.5955, SE= 0.0535, t=11.131, P< 0.001).
Conclusion: Most of the selected patients with IBD have low and problematic HL scores. HL score is correlated with
satisfaction in decision-making. Future research is needed to understand the role of HL in IBD treatment decisions.