Predictors of health literacy in community-dwelling elderly

Abstract

Introduction: Health literacy is an essential factor for self-care of chronic conditions and maintenance of health and wellness. This research examines whether or not sociodemographic factors predict health literacy in community-dwelling elderly adults. Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 250 elderly individuals residing in Qazvin, Iran, who were selected by cluster sampling method. Data were collected using the sociodemographic and Health Literacy for Iranian Adults questionnaires. A multivariate regression model was used for analyzing the data. Results: The mean age of 250 elderly people participated in the study was 69.42 ± 6.81 years. Based on the findings of the current study, the majority of the elderly participants had insufficient (n = 79, 31.6%) or not enough (n = 69, 27.6%) health literacy. The results also indicated that good economic status (B = 5.75, standard error (SE) = 2.19, P = 0.009) and living with a spouse (B = −8.75, SE = 3.36, P = 0.010) were associated with higher health literacy. However, having no formal education (B = −26.73, SE = 3.42, P < 0.001) or under diploma education (B = −8.03, SE = 2.53, P = 0.002) and being homemaker (B = −10.58, SE = 3.02, P = 0.001) or unemployed (B = −5.22, SE = 3.13, P = 0.036) were associated with lower health literacy. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the importance of using appropriate strategies for promoting the health literacy of elderly people.

Keywords

• chronic condition
• elderly
• health literacy