Relationship between Health Literacy and Knowledge, Compliance with Bowel Preparation, and Bowel Cleanliness in Older Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy

Compared to young adults, it is difficult for the older people with relatively low health literacy to perform proper bowel preparation for a colonoscopy. This study aims to identify the relationship between knowledge, compliance with bowel preparation, and bowel cleanliness with health literacy in older patients undergoing colonoscopy. The participants were 110 older people undergoing colonoscopy, recruited from an endoscopy hospital in G metropolitan city, South Korea. Data obtained from a structured questionnaire that included items on health literacy and knowledge of and compliance with bowel preparation, and the Aronchick bowel cleanliness scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ-test, Pearson’s correlation, t-test, and ANCOVA. Participants who were younger and those with a higher education level and better economic status had a statistically significantly higher health literacy level. Older people with a health literacy level of 7 points and above had a higher knowledge level and bowel cleanliness index, a showed better compliance with bowel preparation. The results highlight the need for developing a customized education intervention program that can improve health literacy for successful bowel preparation and examination of the older population undergoing colonoscopy.