Examining the Association of Health Literacy and Health Behaviors in African American Older Adults: Does Health Literacy Affect Adherence to Antihypertensive Regimens?
Authors: Ingram Racquel Richardson , Ivanov L. Louise 
Published: February 2013

How To Obtain Contact Hours By Reading This Article

Instructions

1.1
contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at

https://villanova.gosignmeup.com
.

To obtain contact hours you must:

1.
Read the article, “Examining the Association of Health Literacy and Health Behaviors in African American Older Adults: Does Health Literacy Affect Adherence to Antihypertensive Regimens?” found on pages 22–32, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz.

2.
Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study.

3.
Go to the Villanova website listed above to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name; contact information; and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated.

This activity is valid for continuing education credit until February 28, 2015.

Contact Hours
This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated.
Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Activity Objective

1.
Review the findings of a research study that examines health literacy and adherence to antihypertensive regimens among African American older adults.

Disclosure Statement
Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand the health information needed to make appropriate health decisions. The health behaviors of African American adults with inadequate health literacy skills affect their health outcomes. This study examined the association of health literacy and adherence behaviors in African American older adults (
N
= 121) with hypertension using a descriptive correlational design. Health literacy was measured using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine survey, and adherence was measured using the Hill-Bone Compliance Scale. Most of the participants were functioning with inadequate health literacy. No statistically significant association was found between health literacy and adherence, but regression analysis showed that age and health status significantly predicted adherence: Those who were younger and reported
poor
or
fair
health status were less likely to adhere to treatment.