Objective  To explore impact of health information literacy on self-management behaviors and quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods  A total of 223 patients with CHF were selected as study objects by convenient sampling method. The patients were investigated by general information questionnaire, European Five Dimensional Health Scale (EQ-5D), Chinese Resident HIL Self-assessment Scale and Heart Failure Self-care Index (SCHFI). The correlations of the total HIL score and its dimensional scores with the total self-management behavior score and quality of life score were analyzed, and the influencing factors of self-management behavior and quality of life were analyzed.

Results  The total score of CHF patients' health information literacy (HIL) was 16.83(12.92, 21.92), self-managementbehavior was (136.38±46.65), and quality of life was 0.937 (0.856, 0.973). Correlation analysis showed that the total HIL score and its dimensional scores were positively correlated with the total self-management score and quality of life score (P < 0.001). The results of multivariate analysis showed that educational level, smoking history, exercise habits or not, health information ethics and health information cognition were independent influencing factors of self-management behavior (P < 0.05), and cardiac function grade and health information cognition were independent influencing factors of quality of life (P < 0.05).

Conclusion  The level of HIL, self-management behaviors and quality of life of CHF patients need to be improved and the level of HIL of CHF patients can affect self-management behaviors and quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary for medical staff to strengthen HIL training for patients with CHF so as to promote the implementation of self-management behaviors and improve the quality of life.