Sociodemographic characteristics of the senior population and their impact on the level of health literacy: a literature review
Authors:
D. Beňadiková 1,2; I. Bóriková 1
Authors‘ workplace:
Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Jesseniova lekárska fakulta v Martine, Ústav ošetrovateľstva, Vedúca: prof. Mgr. Katarína Źiaková, PhD.
1; Nemocnica Zvolen a. s., Riaditeľ: MUDr. Ján Belanský, MPH
2
Published in:
Prakt. Lék. 2020; 100(3): 113-117
Category:
Of different specialties
Overview
Aim: The aim of the review study was to find out which socio-demographic characteristics of the senior population aged 65 years or more have a significant impact on the level of health literacy.
Methods: Relevant studies included in the final analysis were searched in the electronic databases ScienceDirect, PubMed and BiblioMedica CZ using the keywords health literacy, elderly, sociodemographic factors in the period from 2011 to 2019. The search was focused on empirical studies that looked at the sociodemographic characteristics of the senior population in relation to health literacy.
Results: From the total 43 studies, 12 were included in the final analysis. The sociodemographic variables monitored were gender, age, education, marital status, residence, and employment, financial and social status. Studies have shown that age, education, financial and social status significantly affect the level of health literacy of seniors. The impact of gender is disputable; employment, residence and marital status are among the less observed and less significant variables in relation to health literacy.
Conclusion: Studies confirm the present sociodemographic gradient of health literacy of the vulnerable senior population. The monitored variables need to be known when the elderly interacts with the health system, as they can initiate targeted health policy interventions to improve the level of health literacy.
Keywords:
health literacy – elderly population – sociodemographic factors
Sources
1. Brabcová I, Hajduchová H, Šedová L, a kol. Zdravotní gramotnost seniorů. Prakt. Lék. 2018; 98(4): 178–181.
2. Erdei RJ, Barth A, Fedor AR, Takács P. Measuring the factors affecting health literacy in East Hungary – health literacy in the adult population of Nyíregyháza city. Kontakt 2018; 4: 405–410.
3. Eronen J, Paakkari L, Portegijs E, et al. Assessment of health literacy among older Finns. Aging Clin Exp Res 2019; 31(4): 549–556.
4. Gibney S, Doyle G. Self-rated health literacy is associated with exercise frequency among adults aged 50+ in Ireland. Eur J Public Health 2017; 27(4): 755–761.
5. Hajduchová H, Bártlová S, Brabcová I, a kol. Zdravotní gramotnost seniorů a její vliv na zdraví a čerpání zdravotních služeb. Prakt. Lék. 2017; 97(5): 223–227.
6. Holčík J. Systém péče o zdraví a zdravotní gramotnost. Brno: Masarykova univerzita 2010.
7. Kickbusch I, Pelikan JM, Apfel F, et al. Health literacy. The solid facts. Copenhagen: WHO Regional office for Europe 2013.
8. Kickbusch I, Maag D. Health literacy. In: International encyclopedia of public health. Edited by Kris H, Stella Q. Academic Press 2008.
9. Kobayashi LC, Wardle J, Wolf MS, von Wagner C. Aging and functional health literacy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2016; 71(3): 445–457.
10. Lorini Ch, Ierardi F, Bachini L, et al. The antecedents and consequences of health literacy in an ecological perspective: results from an experimental analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018; 15(4): E798.
11. Manafo E, Wong S. Health literacy programs for older adults: a systematic literature review. Health Educ Res 2012; 27(6): 947–960.
12. Motlová L, Brabcová I, Šedová L, a kol. Pohybová aktivita u seniorů 65+ a její souvislosti se zdravotní gramotností. Prakt. Lék. 2018; 98(5): 209–213.
13. Palumbo R, Annarumma C, Adinolfi P, et al. The Italian health literacy project: insights from the assessment of health literacy skills in Italy. Health Policy 2016; 1087–1094.
14. Quaglio G, Sørensen K, Rübig P, et al. Accelerating the health literacy agenda in Europe. Health Promot Int 2017; 32(6): 1074–1080.
15. Schaeffer D, Berens EM, Vogt D. Health literacy in the German population – results of a representative survey. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2017; 114: 53–60.
16. Słońska ZA, Borowiec AA, Aranowska AE. Health literacy and health among the elderly: status and challenges in the context of the Polish population aging process. Anthropological Review 2015; 78(3): 297–307.
17. Sørensen K, Pelikan JM, Röthlin F, et al. Health literacy in Europe: comparative results of the European health literacy survey (HLS-EU). Eur J Public Health 2015; 25(6): 1053–1058.
18. Sørensen K, van den Broucke S, Pelikan JM, et al. Measuring health literacy in populations: illuminating the design and development process of the European health literacy survey questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q). BMC Public Health 2013; 13: 948.
19. Toçi E, Burazeri G, Sorensen K, et al. Health literacy and socioeconomic characteristics among older people in Transitional Kosovo. Br J Med Med Res 2013; 3(4): 1646–1658.
20. van der Heide I, Wang J, Droomers M, et al. The relationship between health, education, and health literacy: results from the Dutch adult literacy and life skills survey. J Health Commun 2013; 18(Suppl 1): 172–184.
21. WHO Regional office for Europe. Strategy and action plan for healthy ageing in Europe, 2012–2020. Malta, 2012.
22. Vogt D, Schaeffer D, Messer M, et al. Health literacy in old age: results of a German cross-sectional study. Health Promot Int 2018; 33: 739–747.
Labels
General practitioner for children and adolescents General practitioner for adultsArticle was published in
General Practitioner
2020 Issue 3
Most read in this issue
- Diagnosis and treatment of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults in everyday clinical practice
- Methods of non-pharmacological treatment in rheumatoid arthritis
- Current possibilities of diagnostics and treatment of cartilaginous lesions of weight-bearing joints
- The role of the nurse and secondary prevention of stroke