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Hypertension Health Literacy Scale (HK-LS)3

Hypertension Health Literacy Scale (HK-LS) Test

In 5 minutes, see how well someone understands high blood pressure, from causes and treatment to healthy habits. This 22 item check spots knowledge gaps fast and helps tailor education and care.

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Questions: 225 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

25,710 views

2,356 completions

1,910 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

2/5

Complications (C)

Measures knowledge of the major health complications that can result from untreated arterial hypertension.

Limited awareness

Partial awareness

Strong awareness

0 – 1: Limited awareness | 2 – 3: Partial awareness | 4 – 5: Strong awareness

A score of 2 indicates partial awareness of potential complications of untreated hypertension, with some key risks not fully recognized.

example score

2/2

Diet (D)

Assesses knowledge of dietary practices relevant to managing arterial hypertension.

Limited knowledge

Strong knowledge

0 – 1: Limited knowledge | 2: Strong knowledge

A score of 2 indicates strong awareness of nutrition choices and dietary routines that support blood pressure control.

example score

3/5

Lifestyle (L)

Measures knowledge of lifestyle changes that support controlling arterial hypertension.

Limited

Moderate

Strong

0 – 1: Limited | 2 – 3: Moderate | 4 – 5: Strong

A score of 3 indicates a moderate understanding of lifestyle habits relevant to hypertension control, with some areas of knowledge still incomplete.

example score

2/4

Medication Adherence (MA)

Measures understanding of the importance of taking hypertension medications consistently as prescribed.

Low adherence knowledge

Moderate adherence knowledge

High adherence knowledge

0 – 1: Low adherence knowledge | 2 – 3: Moderate adherence knowledge | 4: High adherence knowledge

A score of 2 indicates moderate knowledge about the need for regular medication use in hypertension management.

example score

1/4

Treatment (T)

Measures how well a person understands core principles and options for managing arterial hypertension through treatment.

Limited understanding

Basic understanding

Strong understanding

0 – 1: Limited understanding | 2 – 3: Basic understanding | 4: Strong understanding

A score of 1 falls in the Limited understanding range, suggesting notable gaps in knowledge about hypertension treatment approaches.

example score

1/2

Interpretation (I)

Measures how well a person can understand and interpret blood pressure readings and what they mean.

Limited

Basic

Strong

0: Limited | 1: Basic | 2: Strong

A score of 1 suggests basic ability to interpret blood pressure numbers, with some gaps in understanding their meaning.

example score

14/22

Overall Health Literacy (OHL)

Measures overall hypertension-related health literacy, including understanding of the condition, its causes, treatment, and prevention.

Low literacy

Moderate literacy

High literacy

0 – 13: Low literacy | 14 – 20: Moderate literacy | 21 – 22: High literacy

A score of 14 indicates a moderate overall level of hypertension knowledge and understanding on the HK-LS.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People with high blood pressure

46%OF USERS

Adults diagnosed with hypertension take it to check how well they understand causes, treatment, and daily habits that keep blood pressure controlled.

At-risk adults and families

33%OF USERS

People with risk factors like obesity, smoking, diabetes, stress, or family history use it to spot knowledge gaps before complications develop.

Clinicians and researchers

21%OF USERS

Doctors, nurses, educators, and study teams use it to screen groups quickly and tailor education to the participant’s understanding.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Complications (C)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.7 — 2.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Diet (D)

Average

0.6

Normal range

0.3 — 0.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Lifestyle (L)

Average

1.9

Normal range

1.1 — 2.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Medication adherence (Ma)

Average

2.8

Normal range

2.2 — 3.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Treatment (T)

Average

1.1

Normal range

0.6 — 1.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Definition (D)

Average

0.5

Normal range

0.2 — 0.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

General literacy level (Gll)

Average

15.8

Normal range

12.3 — 19.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Yes
- No
- I don't know
- Yes
- No
- Not sure
- Yes
- No
- I don't know

These are 3 of the 22 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Hypertension Health Literacy Scale (HK-LS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

attitude towards illness

This measure assesses an individual’s health literacy related to hypertension. The Hypertension Health Literacy Scale (HK-LS) is designed to screen understanding of hypertension concepts relevant to self-management and clinical communication.

The instrument includes 22 items and typically takes about 5 minutes to complete. Items broadly cover knowledge of hypertension, contributing factors, treatment and control strategies, lifestyle recommendations, and potential complications when hypertension is not adequately managed.

In clinical and research contexts, the Hypertension Health Literacy Scale (HK-LS) can be used to identify gaps in patient knowledge and to inform targeted education or counseling. It is attributed to Mark V. Williams and David W. Baker.

Author: David W. Baker, Mark V. Williams

Literature: Baker, D. W. The meaning and the measure of health literacy. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2006.; Baliz Erkoc, S., Isikli, B., Metintas, S., & Kalyoncu, C. Hypertension knowledge-level scale (HK-LS): A study on development, validity and reliability. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2012.; Arthur, J. P., Mantovani, M. F., Ferraz, M. I. R., Mattei, A. T., Kalinke, L. P., & Corpolato, R. C. Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the hypertension knowledge-level scale for use in Brazil. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem. 2018.