Health literacy and its dimensions in elderly people in Farsan city, Iran

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is an important variable in the promotion and improvement of the health of all social groups, especially the elderly people. It indicates cognitive and social skills that specify the individuals’ motivation and ability to access and perceive information using methods for health retention and improvement. The present research aimed to study health literacy and its relevant dimensions in a population over 60 years of age in Farsan city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study on 384 older people in Farsan city was conducted, using a standard health literacy questionnaire including 33 items and 5 dimensions on a 5-point Likert scale for collecting data. Data analysis was done using descriptive and analytical statistics, using the multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the dimensions, the highest and lowest scores belonged to decision-making and reading skill dimensions, respectively. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that among the demographical variables, education level, age, sex, and job were the best predictors of total scores of health literacy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The health-related institutions should make effort to improve the elderly people's health literacy based on general literacy, using suitable methods with less need to read and paying attention to personal characteristics.