Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30326903›Full record

SynthesisHealth and quality of life outcomes2018

The relationship between health literacy and quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mengyun Zheng, Hui Jin, Naiyang Shi, Chunxiao Duan, Donglei Wang, Xiaoge Yu, Xiaoning Li

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Health and quality of life outcomes, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 98 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
98citing papers in PubMed, 5 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

98 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  13. The impact of health literacy on health-related quality of life among individuals with physical disabilities: a path analysis based on the integrated model of health literacy.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
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  18. Latent class analysis of quality of life among patients with Kashin-Beck disease and its association with health literacy and social support.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
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38 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

7 authors.

Mengyun ZhengDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
Hui JinDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China. jinhui_hld@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0071-9755
Naiyang ShiDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
Chunxiao DuanDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
Donglei WangDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
Xiaoge YuDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
Xiaoning LiJiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, 210009, China.

Funding

Chinese National Natural Fund 81573258the Social Development Fund of Jiangsu Province SBE2017710
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow health literacy often has an association with poor health outcomes such as low levels of self-efficacy, increased mortality, poor health status and reduced quality of life (QOL). The aim of the study was to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between health literacy (HL) and QOL based on a systematic review and meta-analysis.

methodsEMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, Cochrane Library, and Chinese electronic databases such as CNKI, and Wanfang were searched from 1970 until February 1, 2018. The pooled correlation coefficient (PCOR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) between HL and QOL were estimated using R software. Potential sources of heterogeneity were explored using subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and meta-regression.

resultsTwenty-three studies, with a total of 12,303 subjects,were included. The PCOR between HL and QOL was 0.35 (95%CI: 0.25-0.44). Considering different dimensions of HL, the PCOR between QOL and health knowledge, health behavior, health belief, and health skill were 0.36 (95% CI: 0.04-0.61), 0.36 (95%CI: 0.13-0.55), 0.39 (95%CI: 0.10-0.62), and 0.42 (95%CI: 0.03-0.69), respectively. The PCOR between HL and the two dimensions of QOL was lower than the total PCOR between HL and QOL. In subgroup analysis, the PCOR between HL and QOL was 0.46 (95%CI: 0.13, 0.69) among community residents, 0.45 (95%CI: 0.27, 0.61) in China, and 0.45 (95%CI: 0.24, 0.62) based on cohort studies. Sensitivity analyses showed that the stability of results had no significant after excluding the study (p < 0.001). Meta-regression showed that cohort study design, studies conducted in China, and publication before 2012 may be important influencing factors.

conclusionsHealth literacy was moderately correlated with quality of life, but this finding needs to be supported by more evidence.

Indexed as

Health LiteracyHealth StatusQuality of LifeChinaCohort StudiesHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansSelf EfficacyCorrelation coefficientHealth literacyMeta-analysisQuality of lifeSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID30326903
PMCPMC6192335

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.