Health Literacy and Quality of Life among Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Southwest Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, with its increasing prevalence posing significant challenges to healthcare systems and adversely affecting patients’ quality of life. Effective diabetes management depends largely on patients’ ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health information, making health literacy an essential component of successful self-management. Despite the growing burden of T2DM in Nigeria, empirical evidence on the relationship between health literacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adults living with the disease remains limited. This study therefore examined the level of health literacy and its influence on the health-related quality of life of adults with T2DM attending selected secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Southwest Nigeria.

The study was anchored on the Integrated Model of Health Literacy, which explains how individuals’ ability to access, comprehend, appraise, and apply health information influences health behaviours and outcomes. A facility-based analytical cross-sectional research design was adopted, involving 384 adults diagnosed with T2DM for at least six months. Participants were selected through systematic sampling from diabetes and general outpatient clinics in selected secondary and tertiary hospitals. Data were collected using a validated multidimensional health literacy questionnaire and a diabetes-specific health-related quality-of-life instrument. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression, with statistical significance established at p < 0.05.

The findings revealed that 41.9% of the respondents had adequate health literacy, while 33.3% and 24.8% demonstrated marginal and inadequate health literacy, respectively. The mean health-related quality-of-life score was 62.8 ± 14.6, indicating a moderate level of quality of life among the respondents. Furthermore, health literacy exhibited a moderate positive and statistically significant relationship with health-related quality of life (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). The regression analysis further showed that adequate health literacy, higher educational attainment, absence of diabetes-related complications, and good glycaemic control significantly predicted better quality of life among adults living with T2DM.

The study concludes that health literacy is a significant predictor of health-related quality of life among adults with T2DM in Southwest Nigeria. Enhancing patients’ health literacy through structured, culturally appropriate educational interventions integrated into routine diabetes care can strengthen self-management practices, improve quality of life, and promote better clinical outcomes. The study therefore recommends that healthcare providers and policymakers incorporate comprehensive health literacy programmes into diabetes management strategies to improve the overall well-being of people living with T2DM.

Keywords: Health literacy, health-related quality of life, type 2 diabetes mellitus, self-management, glycaemic control, Southwest Nigeria.