Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
What Factors Are Associated with Health Literacy Among Family Caregivers of Older Adults?
Niaskara de Souza Cavalcante1,2, Bruna Moretti Luchesi2,3, Adrieli Oliveira Raminelli4
1University of Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Objectives:
To identify factors associated with different levels of health literacy among family caregivers of older adults.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 family caregivers recruited while care recipients attended appointments at a tertiary hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Caregivers were classified into three groups (i.e. inadequate, marginal, and adequate health literacy) according to the total score on a health literacy measure. In addition to health literacy, caregivers were assessed for burnout, depressive symptoms, social support, and satisfaction with caregiving and completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and caregiving characteristics.
Results:
In the ordinal logistic regression analysis, higher educational attainment, a greater number of days per week devoted to caregiving, lower levels of burnout, and the absence of depressive symptoms were associated with increased odds of having higher levels of health literacy.
Conclusions:
Sociodemographic, caregiving-related, and psychological factors were associated with health literacy among family caregivers of older adults.
Clinical Implications:
Although nearly half of the caregivers were classified as having adequate health literacy, interventions aimed at promoting health literacy while also reducing psychological distress, particularly burnout symptoms and depressive symptoms, are warranted for family caregivers recruited from tertiary hospital settings.
Related Concept Videos
Health Literacy
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...
Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching I: Assessment and Diagnosis
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data from the...