HEALTH LITERACY WITHIN AND FOR THE ELDERLY PEOPLE: RESULTS FROM QUANTITATIVE STUDY IN THE OPORTO DISTRICT
Journal Article
The concept of health literacy has caught the attention and
interest of many scientific fields, such as Medicine, Nursing,
Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, and Economics. Research in
the ? eld of Health has shown that individuals that are literated
in health are more able to develop behaviors that effectively
promote their health, because they easily understand the
information provided by professionals regarding preventive care
and treatment options. In contrast, people with a lower level
of literacy tend to show a greater dif? culty in prevention and
management of health problems, adopting various risk behaviors.
Elderly people are among the most vulnerable population groups
in terms of health literacy degree, and are also those with lower
academic quali? cations. This study aimed to assess the level of
health literacy among elderly people, through a quantitative
method. The sample consisted of 456 elderly people, from the
Oporto district, with an average age of 75 years old, mostly
female, and with heterogeneous levels of education. The
instrument used was a battery of tests in order to assess the
degree of health literacy (Newest Vital Sign), and the quality
of life (WHOQOL). The results have shown inadequate health
literacy, although the male and the married participants had
higher average levels compared to females and widowers. These
results depend also on age and on the educational level. This
research concludes that it is urgent to enhance health literacy
within the elderly population in general, and among the most
vulnerable groups in particular, by changing both elderly people’s
attitudes and professional practices.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Publicação
Ano da publicação: 2014
Identificadores
ISSN: 0212-6567