Factors associated with health literacy among older adults: Results of the HLS-EU-Q16 measure
Heeran Chun, Ju Yul Lee
Abstract
Objectives: This study was performed to identify and investigate the factors associated with the level of health literacy among older adults in Seoul, using the European Health Literacy Survey Q16(HLS-EU-Q16) measure. Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional study conducted in Seoul of older residents, aged 60~79. A total of 302 elderly were recruited according to gender, age, and geography. Health literacy was assessed using the short version of the HLS-EU-Q16. The comprehensive health literacy measure consists of three domains: health care, diseases prevention, and health promotion. For explanatory variables, demographic(gender, age, marital status), socioeconomic(education level, subjective economic status, National Basic Livelihood Act recipients), and health-related factors (self-rated health, number of chronic diseases and, medical check-ups) were considered. Descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression models were used to identify variables associated with health literacy. Results: The mean score of health literacy was 11.4±3.7. Multivariate regression analyses found significant associations between health literacy and education, subjective economic status(higher), number of chronic diseases(over 3), and medical check-up(additional). Associated factors differed by domain-specific health literacy. Conclusion: Health promotion programs for elderly should pay more attention to vulnerable groups in regarding health literacy. The results call for further studies with utilizing longitudinal design and diverse measures.