Literacy and cancer anxiety as predictors of health status: An exploratory study

Background . Socioeconomic status is a strong correlate of health status. Low literacy is associated with barriers to health information and anxiety about disease. Methods . Using 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey data, the relationship between self-reported health status and proxy measures of literacy (Hispanic ethnicity, education, and media variables), cancer anxiety, and cancer information seeking were assessed. Results . Low literacy, measured by proxy variables, was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting fair-poor health status. Reporting excellent-good health status was less likely for people reporting frustration finding cancer information (odds ratio [OR] 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52–0.89), worry about cancer (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.35–0.89), and increased chance of getting cancer (OR 3.5, 95% CI 0.24–0.51). Conclusion . Proxy variables for literacy suggest a possible contribution to health status disparities.