Association between health literacy at discharge and post-discharge step count in stroke survivors: A prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE This study examined whether health literacy of patients hospitalized with acute stroke is associated with physical activity and sedentary behavior three months after discharge. METHODS A prospective cohort study of 61 patients was conducted. Health literacy was assessed using the HLS-EU-Q16 questionnaire, and physical activity and sedentary behavior were measured three months post-discharge using a triaxial accelerometer. Multiple linear regression analyses examined associations between health literacy and step count, sedentary behavior, light-intensity physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, adjusting for age, sex, stroke severity, walking speed, and modified Rankin Scale score. RESULTS Health literacy was significantly associated with post-discharge step count (B = 93.07, p = 0.025) but not with sedentary behavior, light-intensity physical activity, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS Health literacy at the acute stroke phase was associated with post-discharge step count. These findings emphasize the need for multidisciplinary collaboration, including nurses, to enhance health literacy from the acute care stage.