title: Health literacy in old age: results of a German cross-sectional study.
abstract: Health literacy is especially important for older people to maintain or enhance remaining health resources and self-management skills. The aim of the study was to determine the level of health literacy and the association between health literacy, demographic and socio-economic factors in German older adults aged 65 years and above stratified by age group. Health literacy was assessed via computer-assisted personal interviews using HLS-EU-Q47 on a representative sample of the German-speaking population. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regression modelling stratified by age group were conducted to assess health literacy of 475 respondents aged 65 years and above. Overall, 66.3% of all respondents aged 65 years and above had limited health literacy. Limited health literacy was especially prevalent among respondents above 76 years of age (80.6%). Limited health literacy was associated with financial deprivation (OR: 3.05; 95% CI: 1.99-4.67) and limited functional health literacy (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.29-3.61). Financial deprivation was strongest predictor for limited health literacy in the total sample and stratified by age group. Limited health literacy is a frequent phenomenon in German adults aged 65 years and above. Research on health literacy in old age and the role in health disparities is urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and Nursing Science, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and Nursing Science, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schaeffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and Nursing Science, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messer
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and Nursing Science, School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Berens
authors.affiliation: Professor of Public Health and Education, Hertie School of Governance, Friedrichstraße 180, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hurrelmann
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires