The relationship between health literacy and successful aging in elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes

Health literacy and successful aging in older adults: A predictive correlational design

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to measure health literacy and successful aging level and their predisposing factors among older adults.

METHODS

A predictive correlational design was performed. The study was completed with 450 older individuals, resulting in a participation rate of 94.9 %.

RESULTS

The risk of inadequate and limited health literacy was higher in older adults who were single (3.4 times), those with chronic diseases (2.93 times), and those with medium/poor health perception (3.1 times). A multiple regression model consisting of age, health perception, and health literacy level explained 22 % of the variance in successful aging.

CONCLUSION

The study concluded that health literacy and successful aging were predictive factors of each other. Marital status, education level, having chronic disease, regular medication use, and health perception predicted the health literacy level. Moreover, age, health perception, and health literacy level are significant predictors of successful aging.

Successful Aging and Self-Neglect Among Community-Dwelling Older People

OBJECTIVE

It was aimed to explore the relationship between successful aging and self-neglect and factors affecting successful aging among community-dwelling older people.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 316 participants aged 60 years and older in a Family Health Center (FHC). The data were collected by using the questionnaire form, Successful Aging Scale and Self-Neglect Scale. The questionnaire form includes sociodemographic characteristics, independence (Katz Daily Life Activities Scale) and well-being status (WHO-5 Well-Being Index), psychosocial support (Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale), and depressive symptoms (two questions-complaints such as feeling depressed or hopeless and loss of interest and inability to enjoy life).

RESULTS

Participants had a mean age of 67.5 (SD: 6.5) years, 55.4% were female. A strong positive correlation was determined between successful aging score and self-neglect score (r = 0.741, p < 0.001). Factors affecting successful aging were age, working status, education level, body mass index, physical activity, subjective health perception, health screening status, self-neglect level, depressive symptoms, independence in activities, well-being status, and psychosocial support. Gender, income status, chronic disease presence, cigarette and alcohol use, living alone, and family type did not affect it. According to multivariate linear regression, the factors affecting successful aging were age, psychosocial support presence, and self-neglect level (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Older people have low successful aging and self-neglect scores. Successful aging is better at a young age, in the presence of psychosocial support and a low level of self-neglect. It is recommended to increase the existence of psychosocial support for them and to plan interventions to reduce self-neglect.

Diabetic health literacy and associated factors among patients with diabetes attending follow-up in public hospitals of Northeastern Ethiopia: a multicentre cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the magnitude of diabetic health literacy (DHL) and associated factors among diabetes patients attending follow-up at public hospitals in Northeastern Ethiopia.

DESIGN

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 24 May to 24 June 2022.

SETTING

Diabetic clinics of four public hospitals in Northeastern Ethiopia.

PARTICIPANTS

611 adult diabetes patients who have been undergoing follow-up care for at least 6 months were systematically selected. Patients who were unable to communicate, were critically ill and with gestational diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study.

OUTCOMES

DHL was assessed using a 15-item tool developed from existing literature.

RESULTS

Of all the participants, 300 (49.1%) had low, 174 (28.5%) moderate and 137 (22.4%) had high DHL levels. The significant factors impacting DHL included age (<40 years old: AOR=3.48, 95% CI=2.11-5.77; 40-60 years: AOR=2.79, 95% CI=1.75-4.46), low education (AOR=0.29, 95% CI=0.16-0.56 for those who can't read and write; AOR=0.41, 95% CI=0.23-0.74 for those who can read and write; AOR=0.45, 95% CI=0.27-0.76 for primary education), exposure to diabetic education (AOR=1.84, 95% CI=1.31-2.58), having ≥2 information sources (AOR=2.28, 95% CI=1.57-3.32), moderate social support (AOR=1.94, 95% CI=1.32-2.87), strong social support (AOR=2.73, 95% CI=1.75-4.26) and urban residence (AOR=1.65, 95% CI=1.14-2.39).

CONCLUSION

The study showed that less than a quarter of the patients have high DHL, with almost half having low levels of DHL. Tailoring health education programmes to diverse educational levels, incorporating multiple information sources and fostering social support networks could enhance DHL.

Pathways of Media Contact to Health Literacy in Middle-Aged and Older People: The Chain Mediation Effect of Perceived Social Support and Self-Efficacy

Objective

To understand the status of media exposure, social support, self-efficacy, and health literacy among middle-aged and older adults in China, and explore the impact path of media exposure on the health literacy of this population, providing a reference for promoting their physical and mental health.

Methods

From July to November 2022, a multi-stage random sampling method was employed to survey 16,938 Chinese middle-aged and older adults aged 46 and above. Structural equation modeling and statistical analysis were conducted using LISREL 8.8 and Mplus 8.3 software.

Results

The average score for media exposure among Chinese middle-aged and older adults was (18.55±5.36), perceived social support was (60.68±12.51), self-efficacy was (28.76±5.40), and health literacy was (35.49±6.05). Statistical results revealed that media exposure has a positive impact on the health literacy of middle-aged and older adults, with a direct effect of 0.091 (p < 0.001). Mediation analysis showed that media exposure can affect the health literacy of this population through the independent mediating effects of perceived social support (β = 0.013, p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = 0.029, p < 0.001), as well as through a chain mediation effect involving perceived social support and self-efficacy (β = 0.015, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

As a pathway for health information dissemination, media exposure plays a crucial role in the intervention of health literacy among middle-aged and older adults. Perceived social support and self-efficacy not only have independent mediating effects but also significant chain mediating effects in the relationship between media exposure and health literacy among this population. Therefore, improving the health literacy of middle-aged and older people can be popularized through media and improved in a multi-path, all-round, and precise way with the help of related technologies and social forces from which media literacy can be improved.