Validation of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults in a Danish population
Sammanfattning
Objective: To describe how the original American full-length version of the Test of Functional Health
Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) was translated and adapted for use in the Danish setting and culture. A
reliable Danish version of the TOFHLA was created and pretested using patients diagnosed with
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as case group.
Methods: Forty-two patients with COPD completed the Danish TOFHLA and participated in a face-to-
face interview concerning their basic demographics. Statistical analyses were conducted to explore
the demographic data provided by the participants and to determine the internal consistency and
reliability of the Danish TOFHLA.
Results: The mean age of sample was 68.7 years (range 34-86). The face validity, internal
consistency and item to scale correlations of the Danish TOFHLA were determined and found to fulfil
well-established criteria; on this basis, we found the reliability and consistency of the Danish
TOFHLA to be satisfying.
Conclusion: The Danish TOFHLA is now ready for application in future research projects, which test
levels of functional health literacy in an elderly Danish population at risk of chronic diseases. The
evolvement in the measurement of health literacy is still ongoing, as there is a need to refine
existing methods. Until recently, there has been a total lack of instruments for assessing health
literacy in Scandinavia; it is hoped that this development of the Danish TOFHLA will promote further
research within the field of health literacy in Scandinavia and other European countries.