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Health Literacy among Older Adults in Portugal and Associated Sociodemographic, Health and Healthcare-Related Factors

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Listed:
  • Andreia Costa

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    CIDNUR—Centro de Investigação, Inovação e Desenvolvimento em Enfermagem de Lisboa, Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa, 1600-190 Lisboa, Portugal
    CRC-W—Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Rodrigo Feteira-Santos

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    EPI Task-Force FMUL, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Área Disciplinar Autónoma de Bioestatística (Laboratório de Biomatemática), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Violeta Alarcão

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Iscte), 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Adriana Henriques

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    CIDNUR—Centro de Investigação, Inovação e Desenvolvimento em Enfermagem de Lisboa, Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa, 1600-190 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Teresa Madeira

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório de Nutrição, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Ana Virgolino

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Miguel Arriaga

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    CIDNUR—Centro de Investigação, Inovação e Desenvolvimento em Enfermagem de Lisboa, Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa, 1600-190 Lisboa, Portugal
    CRC-W—Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Paulo J. Nogueira

    (Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Laboratório Associado TERRA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    EPI Task-Force FMUL, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
    Área Disciplinar Autónoma de Bioestatística (Laboratório de Biomatemática), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

Although the health literacy level of the general population was described recently, little is known about its specific levels among older adults in Portugal. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the levels of health literacy demonstrated by older adults in Portugal and explore associated factors. Using a randomly generated list of telephone numbers, adults aged 65 years or more living in mainland Portugal were contacted in September and October 2022. Sociodemographic, health and healthcare-related variables were collected, and the 12-item version of the European Health Literacy Survey Project 2019–2021 was used to measure health literacy. Then, binary logistic regression models were used to investigate factors associated with limited general health literacy. In total, 613 participants were surveyed. The mean level of general health literacy was (59.15 ± 13.05; n = 563), whereas health promotion (65.82 ± 13.19; n = 568) and appraising health information (65.16 ± 13.26; n = 517) were the highest scores in the health literacy domain and the dimension of health information processing, respectively. Overall, 80.6% of respondents revealed limited general health literacy, which was positively associated with living in a difficult household financial situation (4.17; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.64–10.57), perceiving one’s own health status as poorer (7.12; 95% CI: 2.02–25.09), and having a fair opinion about a recent interaction with primary healthcare services (2.75; 95% CI: 1.46–5.19). The proportion of older adults with limited general health literacy in Portugal is significant. This result should be considered to inform health planning according to the health literacy gap of older adults in Portugal.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreia Costa & Rodrigo Feteira-Santos & Violeta Alarcão & Adriana Henriques & Teresa Madeira & Ana Virgolino & Miguel Arriaga & Paulo J. Nogueira, 2023. "Health Literacy among Older Adults in Portugal and Associated Sociodemographic, Health and Healthcare-Related Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4172-:d:1080730
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miguel Arriaga & Rita Francisco & Paulo Nogueira & Jorge Oliveira & Carlota Silva & Gisele Câmara & Kristine Sørensen & Christina Dietscher & Andreia Costa, 2022. "Health Literacy in Portugal: Results of the Health Literacy Population Survey Project 2019–2021," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Yong-Bing Liu & Liu Liu & Yan-Fei Li & Yan-Li Chen, 2015. "Relationship between Health Literacy, Health-Related Behaviors and Health Status: A Survey of Elderly Chinese," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-12, August.
    3. Sarah Gibney & Lucy Bruton & Catherine Ryan & Gerardine Doyle & Gillian Rowlands, 2020. "Increasing Health Literacy May Reduce Health Inequalities: Evidence from a National Population Survey in Ireland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-17, August.
    4. Jürgen M. Pelikan & Thomas Link & Christa Straßmayr & Karin Waldherr & Tobias Alfers & Henrik Bøggild & Robert Griebler & Maria Lopatina & Dominika Mikšová & Marie Germund Nielsen & Sandra Peer & Mitj, 2022. "Measuring Comprehensive, General Health Literacy in the General Adult Population: The Development and Validation of the HLS 19 -Q12 Instrument in Seventeen Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-31, October.
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