A Psychometric Assessment of Health Literacy Measures among Youth in a Residential Treatment Setting

Abstract: Minimal research has focused on the health literacy status of adolescents, and few measures have been validated among specific subgroups of youth. One such group is youth living in residential treatment centers. It is currently unknown how well this group is able to read, understand, and use health-related information. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of three widely-used health literacy measures among a group of youth at a large residential care facility located in Omaha, NE. Results indicate that all measures are psychometrically adequate for use among this population. Study limitations and implications are provided.