By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Linda Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida
Are you “health literate”? That is, can you obtain, understand, and process the health information you require to get the care and services you need? These days, I often feel like this is a tall order. But low “health literacy” can have a number of negative consequences, up to and including a higher risk of death.
Activities Linked to Better Health Literacy
Low health literacy is a particular danger for older adults, who may begin to struggle with this just as their health care needs are increasing. Now, new research suggests that there are some simple things people can do to help make sure their health literacy stays strong as they approach their retirement years. And while some suggestions might seem intuitive, others may surprise you.
British researchers assessed the health literacy of about 4300 men and women over the age of 52 by asking them reading comprehension questions about the information on a pill bottle label. They also surveyed them about their Internet use and their participation in civic activities (such as church or political groups), leisure activities (such as exercise classes or social clubs), and cultural activities (such as movie, concert, and play attendance). Their health literacy was then reassessed five years later.
Internet Use and Cultural Activities Were Protective
The average age of the participants in this study was about 65 years. Those who reported consistently using the Internet over the time period covered in the study were less likely to experience declines in health literacy. The same was true for the older adults who more frequently attended cultural activities and events. Social and civic activities, however, did not seem to have much protective effect against health literacy decline.
It’s very important to note that the researchers took education, income level, and general health into account, so this isn’t simply a case of wealthy people being more likely to have greater access to the Internet, which might help them maintain higher health literacy. It’s also worth mentioning that some people’s health literacy increased over time, suggesting that decline is far from inevitable.
Intellectual Stimulation is Key
Why might these particular activities improve the ability to understand health information? The researchers propose that Internet use and varied cultural events may be particularly intellectually stimulating, and could give older adults frequent opportunities to exercise their research and reasoning skills.
We all want to ensure that we are able to understand and process the complex health information that we and our family members receive in today’s society. Ensuring that older adults have access to current technology and to stimulating cultural activities may be one way to help make sure those abilities stay strong.
(Photo credit: L1005908_v1 by Sigfrid Lundberg. CC BY 2.0. Cropped.)
References:
Kobayashi, L.C., Wardle, J., & von Wagner, C. (2014). Internet use, social engagement and health literacy decline during ageing in a longitudinal cohort of older English adults. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2014-204733
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