Assessing Diabetes Health Literacy, Knowledge and Empowerment in Northern Portugal - New Contributions in Information Systems and Technologies - page 64

authors [21], and is often related to various factors also addressed in our study, such
as low level of education, older age [8], [21].
By observing the answers of EQ-5D, we find that the mobility problems and
problems of pain/discomfort, with 42.7 and 43.8%, are respectively the most
commonly referred to. The EQ-5D index, being valued at most with the value of 1,
showed the average 0.65 with a standard deviation of 0.27, which compared to the
average of 0.758 attributed to the general Portuguese population [14], presents a
relatively high value, since we are studying a sample of individuals with a chronic
pathology and mostly with relatively advanced ages.
We note that, when there is no difference in the level of knowledge of men and
women, men are those who perceive greater ability to self-control of pathology and
better QoL. Some authors [22] state that older women with type 2 diabetes show a
poor self-management. As regards health related QoL, women have lower values, and
this is in line with the study of the Portuguese population using the EQ-5D [14], as
well as other international studies that reached the same conclusion [23].
The younger people and more educated revealed more knowledge and perceived
better self-control and better QoL. These results are congruent with a set of studies
[8], [12], [14], [16]. We are aware however, that this comparative analysis is heavily
crossed by cultural factors, by language barriers and by interactions specific to each
country and each region.

5 Conclusions

The current study allowed us to conclude that there is a relatively low level of
knowledge, a higher perception of self-control and QoL in men, in the younger age
groups and more educated ones. On the other hand, we found that some risk factors
are under-perceived vis-à-vis the measurements taken. In this sense, it is important
that the intervention be adjusted to individuals but also to small groups, bearing in
mind a variety of equity-promoting strategies that differences in literacy, per se ,
already entail. There is thus a need of an intervention process, of recognized
complexity and of collective responsibility that must therefore be built with people,
with the professionals, with community leaders and with the political power

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