Table 1 Demographic statistics and health literacy of hemodialysis patients in Taiwan in 2009—bivariate analysis by mean and standard deviation. (n = 468)

Gender

 Male

240

3.92 (1.21)

3.58 (0.78)

3.10 (1.22)

2.62 (0.64)

3.10 (1.39)

1.74 (0.77)

1.78 (0.43)

19.83 (4.62)

21 (17, 23)

 Female

228

3.99 (1.11)

3.58 (0.74)

3.05 (1.29)

2.51 (0.72)

3.07 (1.35)

1.66 (0.71)

1.69 (0.52)

19.56 (4.62)

21 (16, 23)

 p-value

.487

.953

.683

.086

.813

.248

.049

.524

Age (years)

  < 49

96

4.16 (0.99)

3.75 (0.62)

3.42 (0.89)

2.65 (0.60)

3.67 (1.13)

1.86 (0.69)

1.70 (0.51)

21.20 (3.37)

22 (20, 24)

 50–59

138

4.07 (1.10)

3.65 (0.64)

3.20 (1.07)

2.62 (0.64)

3.19 (1.29)

1.80 (0.74)

1.84 (0.39)

20.36 (3.97)

21 (17, 23)

 60–69

113

3.89 (1.23)

3.54 (0.83)

3.14 (1.29)

2.58 (0.67)

2.94 (1.38)

1.77 (0.68)

1.70 (0.48)

19.56 (4.96)

21 (16, 23.5)

  > 70

114

3.68 (1.25)

3.37 (0.89)

2.56 (1.55)

2.42 (0.79)

2.60 (1.41)

1.39 (0.72)

1.70 (0.51)

17.70 (5.28)

19 (13, 23)

 p-value

.011

.002

<0.001

.064

<0.001

<0.001

.034

<0.001

Education Level

 Illiterate and primary school

184

3.79 (1.27)

3.46 (0.83)

2.72 (1.48)

2.46 (0.75)

2.66 (1.44)

1.49 (0.74)

1.72 (0.48)

18.30 (5.13)

20 (13, 23)

 Junior high school

77

4.04 (1.13)

3.60 (0.83)

3.08 (1.27)

2.58 (0.75)

3.19 (1.30)

1.61 (0.65)

1.66 (0.53)

19.77 (4.54)

21 (17, 23)

 High school

112

4.04 (1.01)

3.65 (0.72)

3.34 (0.97)

2.66 (0.56)

3.36 (1.21)

1.89 (0.73)

1.76 (0.45)

20.70 (3.95)

22 (19, 24)

 College (and above)

94

4.11 (1.10)

3.73 (0.53)

3.45 (0.84)

2.65 (0.58)

3.50 (1.23)

1.96 (0.72)

1.79 (0.72)

21.18 (3.52)

22 (19.75, 24)

 p-value

.106

.020

<0.001

.037

<0.001

<0.001

.342

<0.001

Primary language

 Mandarin

274

3.97 (1.13)

3.62 (0.71)

3.24 (1.17)

2.57 (0.64)

3.26 (1.34)

1.81 (0.72)

1.70 (0.50)

20.17 (4.38)

22 (18, 23)

 Taiwanese

192

3.95 (1.21)

3.53 (0.82)

2.84 (1.35)

2.55 (0.73)

2.83 (1.39)

1.57 (0.75)

1.78 (0.44)

19.06 (4.88)

21 (15, 23)

 p-value

.860

.212

.001

.744

.001

.001

.085

.010

Primary caregiver for the patient

 Self or spouse

365

3.98 (1.16)

3.62 (0.72)

3.18 (1.14)

2.62 (0.61)

3.16 (1.34)

1.76 (0.72)

1.76 (0.46)

20.08 (4.28)

21 (17, 23)

 Child or a child’s spouse

50

3.82 (1.21)

3.42 (0.86)

2.78 (1.45)

2.38 (0.88)

2.82 (1.45)

1.42 (0.84)

1.60 (0.53)

18.24 (5.29)

20.5 (13, 22.25)

 Parents or siblings

15

4.40 (0.83)

3.93 (0.26)

3.27 (0.88)

2.67 (0.72)

3.60 (1.24)

2.00 (0.53)

1.80 (0.41)

21.67 (3.13)

22 (20, 24)

 Foreign caregivers or others

39

3.79 (1.22)

3.31 (0.98)

2.38 (1.79)

2.23 (0.84)

2.49 (1.41)

1.46 (0.72)

1.64 (0.54)

17.31 (5.95)

20 (11, 23)

 p-value

.291

.009

.001

.001

.005

.001

.071

<0.001

Willing to receive a kidney transplant

 Yes

166

4.14 (1.09)

3.73 (0.60)

3.40 (0.92)

2.67 (0.59)

3.57 (1.24)

1.89 (0.67)

1.77 (0.43)

21.16 (3.56)

22 (20, 24)

 No

259

3.76 (1.21)

3.45 (0.84)

2.83 (1.40)

2.47 (0.73)

2.75 (1.37)

1.58 (0.73)

1.71 (0.50)

18.56 (4.94)

20 (15, 23)

 p-value

.001

<0.001

<0.001

.003

<0.001

<0.001

.281

<0.001