Cognitive predictors of limited health literacy in adults with heterogeneous socioeconomic backgrounds.
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between health literacy and specific cognitive abilities in hospital users. A neuropsychological battery was administered and the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults was used to classify individuals as having adequate or limited functional health literacy. Of the 322 participants, 102 (31.7%) presented limited health literacy. Even after adjusting for demographics, years of education, and quality of education, health literacy was strongly associated with measures of cognitive performance, but the strength of association was variable across different cognitive abilities.
University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil daniel.apolinario@usp.br.
Daniel
D
Apolinario
University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Leticia L
LL
Mansur
University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Brazil.
Maria T
MT
Carthery-Goulart
University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil.
Sonia M D
SM
Brucki
University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil.
Ricardo
R
Nitrini
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001076:Aptitude / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
cognition; cognitive impairment; education; health literacy; memory