title: Health Literacy and Older Adults: A Systematic Review.
abstract: Objective:The objective of this review was to assess published literature relating to health literacy and older adults.Method:The current review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses.Results:Eight articles met inclusion criteria. All studies were conducted in urban settings in the United States. Study sample size ranged from 33 to 3,000 participants. Two studies evaluated health-related outcomes and reported significant associations between low health literacy and poorer health outcomes. Two other studies investigated the impact of health literacy on medication management, reporting mixed findings.Discussion:The findings of this review highlight the importance of working to improve health care strategies for older adults with low health literacy and highlight the need for a standardized and validated clinical health literacy screening tool for older adults.
authors.affiliation: Wichita State University, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Amy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chesser
authors.affiliation: Wichita State University, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Nikki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keene Woods
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smothers
authors.affiliation: Wichita State University, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rogers
keywords: aging; cognition; health disparities; health literacy; health outcomes; medication adherence; older adults