Abstract:
If family caregivers have good health literacy, they will be healthy and can effectively
look after their relatives who are patients with chronic diseases. This research aimed to identify
factors influencing health literacy among family caregivers of chronic disease patients in
community. Participants were 120 family caregivers in communities at Kanthararom district,
Si Sa Ket province. They were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected by
questionnaires regarding demographic information, media use, social support, and health literacy
of family caregivers. Data were collected from April to May, 2018. Descriptive statistics and
stepwise multiple regression analysis were employed for data analysis.
Study results revealed that health literacy among these family caregivers of chronic
disease patients had health literacy at a low level (M = 61.37, SD = 12.72). Education ( = .56),
social support ( = .21), and age ( = -.19) explained 58.6 % of the variance in health literacy
among family caregivers of chronic disease patients (R
2
= .586, p< .001).
Findings suggest that nurses and health care providers would develop an intervention
or program of providing social support for family caregivers with low education and old age.
This might help these caregivers have high health literacy, then can take better care of their
relatives living with chronic disease.