Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26161549›Full record

ArticleJournal of health communication2015

Health Literacy and Health-Related Quality of Life Among a Population-Based Sample of Cancer Patients.

Julie L Halverson, Ana P Martinez-Donate, Mari Palta, Ticiana Leal, Sam Lubner, Matthew C Walsh, Jeanne Schaaf Strickland, Paul D Smith, Amy Trentham-Dietz

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of health communication, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 75 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
75citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

75 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Understanding Cancer Information Burden and Quality Concerns: The Roles of Medical Statistics Literacy, Online Health Information Confidence, and Social Media.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Quality of Life and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Patients With Cancer: Insights From a Tertiary Care Hospital.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Factors associated with self-care engagement among oesophageal and gastric cancer survivors: a population-based cross-sectional study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Observational
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Observational
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article

15 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Julie L Halversona School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Ana P Martinez-Donatea School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Mari Paltaa School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Ticiana Leala School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Sam Lubnera School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Matthew C Walsha School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Jeanne Schaaf Stricklanda School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Paul D Smithc Department of Family Medicine , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.
Amy Trentham-Dietza School of Medicine and Public Health , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , Wisconsin , USA.

Funding

UW COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER SUPPORTP30CA014520 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI AMY TRENTHAM-DIETZ · 1985 to 2026
$142.6M
POPULATION-BASED HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH TRAININGT32HS000083 · AHRQ · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI SMITH, MAUREEN A · 1998 to 2012
$2.0M
AHRQ HHS T32 HS000083AHRQ HHS T32HS000083NCI NIH HHS P30 CA014520NCI NIH HHS P30 CA14520
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Health-related quality of life is an important outcome in cancer care. A few studies indicate that health literacy influences cancer patients' health-related quality of life, but additional investigation is needed. The authors examined the relation between health literacy and health-related quality of life among cancer patients. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with cancer patients in Wisconsin during 2006-2007. Data on sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, health-related quality of life, and health literacy were obtained from the state's cancer registry and a mailed questionnaire. Regression analyses were used to characterize the association between health-related quality of life and health literacy. The study sample included 1,841 adults, newly diagnosed with lung, breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer in 2004 (response rate = 68%). Health-related quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Adjusting for confounders, higher health literacy was associated with greater health-related quality of life (p < .0001). Controlling for covariates, we found significant differences between those in the highest and lowest health literacy categories (p < .0001) and in the physical (p < .0001), functional (p < .0001), emotional (p < .0001), and social (p = .0007) well-being subscales. These associations exceeded the minimally important difference threshold for overall health-related quality of life and functional well-being. Health literacy is positively and independently associated with health-related quality of life among cancer patients. These findings support adoption of health literacy best practices by cancer care systems.

Indexed as

Quality of LifeAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth LiteracyHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsWisconsin

Identifiers

PMID26161549
PMCPMC4751057

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.