Multi-level Barriers to Chronic Diseases Self-Management in Rural Communities: A Survey of Health Literacy, Social Support, and Cultural Beliefs
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Objective: The study aims to identify the level of health literacy, the nature of social support, and the nature of cultural beliefs. Investigate the influence of health literacy, social support, and cultural beliefs on chronic disease self-management.
Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 518 patients with chronic diseases who attended primary healthcare centers in rural areas of Diyala Governorate, Iraq, using non-probability purposive sampling. Data were collected via a validated health literacy scale, a perceived social support scale, a cultural beliefs about diseases scale, and a chronic diseases self-management scale. The data was analyzed by SPSS 26. version, descriptive statistics, and multiple linear regression measures were also used.
Findings: More than two fifth of the patients with age groups 36.1-45 years (n=116:22.4%), more than half of the patients are male (n=282:54.4%), less than half of the patients experienced moderate level of health literacy (45.55%), less than half of patents experienced high level of social support (47.87%), most of patients exhibits moderate level of cultural beliefs about chronic diseases (60.61%), half of patients have moderate level of chronic diseases self-management (50.38%), predicted variables (health literacy, social support) positively influence 47.3% of the chronic diseases self-management. Cultural beliefs negatively influence 47.3% chronic disease self-management.
Conclusion: The study highlights that health literacy and social support are protective factors, while cultural beliefs act as barriers. Effective interventions must therefore educate, empower, and culturally engage rural communities to improve chronic disease self-management outcomes.
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