Assessing Health Literacy among Older Adults in Japan A Cross-Sectional Study

Population aging is occurring faster globally than ever before. By 2030, the population of people aged 60 and over will increase from one billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion, and one in six people in the world will be 60 years old and over according to World Health Organization [WHO]. Facing the pressing challenge, countries are renewing their health and social systems to accommodate this demographic shift. Consequently, health literacy (HL) of older adults becomes an important navigator to maximize healthy lifestyle and access to health care services. However, studies assessing the reality of HL in older adults in a super-aged society are limited, and the factors that have influenced HL over many years remain unclear. This study aims to identify characteristics related to HL by gender and age group and factors influencing HL for older adults in Japan. Using the 47-item Japanese version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, a cross-sectional survey was conducted recruiting adults aged 65 and older, living in an urban community in Japan from December 2019 to January 2020. Descriptive, univariate, and multiple regression analyses were used. A total of 367 participants who were members of senior clubs was analyzed in the study. This study found HL was significantly lower in the group aged 75 years and older than in the group aged 65 to 74 years. There was no significant difference in HL between men and women. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that in order to sustain HL among the older adults in a super-aged society, an environment that promotes HL should be created by capturing characteristics such as skills in using health information media and social skills in the community by gender and age group.