Adaptation of the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS) for Karen refugees: factor analysis

Health literacy has been identified as a significant predictor of healthcare utilization among refugee and immigrant communities. Considering its potential impact on their health outcomes, accurately measuring levels of health literacy among limited English proficiency (LEP) populations is an import...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social work in health care 2023-05, Vol.62 (5), p.143-161
Main Authors: Kim, Wooksoo, Kim, Jangmin, Baltimore, Krisztina, Kim, Isok
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Competence
Ethnic groups
Ethnicity
Factor analysis
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Health education
Health Literacy
Health services
Health services utilization
Health status
Humans
Immigrants
Karen refugees
Measures
Minority Groups
Non-English speakers
Psychometrics - methods
Quantitative psychology
Refugees
Reproducibility of Results
Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Health literacy has been identified as a significant predictor of healthcare utilization among refugee and immigrant communities. Considering its potential impact on their health outcomes, accurately measuring levels of health literacy among limited English proficiency (LEP) populations is an important area of investigation. This study examined the psychometric properties of a modified version of the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS), based on Nutbeam's model of health literacy, using an exploratory factor (EFA) and confirmatory factor (CFA) analysis among a sample of Karen refugees, an ethnic minority group from Burma. Results of the EFA confirmed a 3-factor model in our sample. CFA results indicated good model fits, demonstrating a promising use of the AAHLS in assessing health literacy among Karen refugees. The findings of this study support the validity of using this measure among this population and suggest some necessary adjustments to incorporate factors unique to the refugee experience that may affect the interpretation and application of items in the AAHLS. Further replication using other LEP samples is necessary to confirm the psychometric properties of the AAHLS and its ability to assess health literacy using Nutbeam's theoretical model of health literacy.
ISSN:0098-1389
1541-034X
DOI:10.1080/00981389.2023.2199795