Health literacy supports active aging

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Active aging is defined as older adults engaging in desired activities based on their goals, functional capacity, and opportunities.
• The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions in aging populations necessitates understanding factors that support well-being and engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between health literacy and active aging in older adults.
• To examine the role of health literacy in active aging, considering the impact of the number of chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 948 individuals aged 75, 80, and 85 in Jyväskylä, Finland.
• Health literacy was measured using the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q16).
• Active aging was assessed using the University of Jyväskylä Active Aging Scale (UJACAS), with chronic conditions self-reported.

Main Results:

• Both health literacy (r=0.40) and a lower number of chronic conditions (r=-0.21) were correlated with higher active aging scores.
• Health literacy emerged as a stronger predictor of active aging (β=0.18) than the number of chronic conditions (β=-0.06).
• The predictive significance of health literacy remained robust after adjusting for cognitive capacity, depressive symptoms, physical performance, and education.

Conclusions:

• Elevated health literacy is crucial for enabling older adults, including those with multiple chronic conditions, to sustain higher levels of active aging.
• Health literacy can facilitate coping with illnesses and functional limitations, promoting a fulfilling life for an aging population with increasing chronic conditions.
• These findings provide a basis for future research into the interplay between health literacy and active aging.