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Abstract
Chronic pain is a significant health condition that requires a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Currently there are efficacious interventions for treating chronic pain, but disparities occur in the assessment and treatment of chronic pain (AHRQ, 2019). Understanding the social determinants that influence pain management behaviors and health outcomes is necessary in knowing where and how to intervene and improve them. The proposed study aimed to understand the role of health literacy as a predictive factor of both pain outcomes (severity, disability, and quality of life) and pain management behaviors, including treatment adherence and following provider recommendations. It was hypothesized that individuals who report higher health literacy levels would report higher adherence to following their providers recommendations and attending treatment appointments. It was also hypothesized that people who report higher health literacy levels would report lower pain severity, disability, and higher quality of life. Data was collected through a Qualtrics Survey of patients recruited from two community clinics in Athens, GA. Analyses including Bivariate Correlational Analysis, Analysis of Variance, Principal Component Analysis, and Linear Regression Analysis were used to test hypotheses. The results of the study partially supported the hypothesis of the study. The findings supported the hypothesis that health literacy has a significant negative correlational relationship with pain severity and disability. The results also showed that health literacy has a positive correlational relationship with health-related quality of life. The results however did not support the notion that health literacy has a relationship with adherence to treatment recommendations and treatment appointment attendance. A regression analysis was conducted to determine the strength of the relationship between health literacy and chronic pain outcomes, and it was found to explain a significant amount of the variance in pain severity, pain disability, and quality of life outcomes. The findings of the study suggest that extrinsically related health literacy skills are predictive of chronic pain severity and disability. It highlights that future research should focus on developing health literacy strategies that target population health literacy weaknesses and needs, by increasing access points to health information and resources. Additionally, this study highlights the need to continue focusing on understanding the patient provider interaction factors that can negatively impact treatment engagement and chronic pain outcomes.