Translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Slovene version of the Heart Failure-Specific Health Literacy Scale in patients with heart failure

In this study, we translated and culturally adapted the Heart Failure-Specific HealthLliteracy Scale (HFsHLS) and psychometrically evaluated it among Slovenian patients with heart failure (HF). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 126 outpatients with chronic HF (mean age 69 ± 11 years; 71% male; 63% had LVEF ≤ 40%). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the HFsHLS, the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS), the Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scale, and the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original three-factor structure (Functional, Communicative, and Critical HL subscales) with acceptable model fit (CFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.07). The HFsHLS total scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.71) and a moderate correlation with the BHLS (ρ = 0.49, p < 0.001), while correlations with HF knowledge and self-care were weak and non-significant (ρ = 0.12, p = 0.184; ρ = 0.16, p = 0.182). The Functional HL subscale performed best. Overall, the Slovenian version of the HFsHLS is a valid tool for assessing disease-specific HL in patients with HF.