Factors Associated with Health Literacy among the Elderly People in Vietnam

What is it about?

Background. There is a lack of information regarding health literacy (HL) in elderly people in Vietnam. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy and the associated factors in elderly people in Vietnam. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 300 elderly people aged 55 years and above. Data were obtained from study participants using face-to-face interviews using designed questionnaires on sociodemographics, behaviors, and health literacy. Multiple linear regression models were performed to identify potential determinants of health literacy. Results. HL scores were for the general HL dimension, for the healthcare dimension, for the disease prevention dimension, and for the health promotion dimension. In the final model, age was negatively associated with HL (, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) (-0.17 to -0.008), ). Occupation (, 95% CI (3.18 to 6.36), ), taking care of children (, 95% CI (0.21 to 3.15), ), social activity (, 95% CI (2.86 to 6.37), ), doing exercises (, 95% CI (1.07 to 3.96), ), television watching (, 95% CI (0.75 to 3.45), ), using the Internet (, 95% CI (1.29 to 4.57), ), and social connection (, 95% CI (1.23 to 5.78), ) were positively associated with HL, respectively. Conclusion. Age, occupation, and a number of behaviors were significantly associated with HL in elder people. Health education campaigns should take into account the above factors as facilitating access to the Internet and providing opportunities for social networks for the elderly.

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Why is it important?

Health literacy (HL) is a new concept in Vietnam as in many other Asian countries. It can be defined as “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions” [1]. HL is a term introduced in the 1970s [2]; in addition to basic literacy skills (reading, writing vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension), HL requires knowledge on health topics. It refers to the capacity of people to answer their health needs in a modern society [3]. As a complex concept, it has had been defined in many different ways. This study uses a broad and inclusive definition proposed in 2012 by the European Health Literacy consortium (HLS-EU). This definition considers that HL is linked to literacy. It entails people’s knowledge, motivation, and competencies to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information [4]. Low HL is a significant problem everywhere in the world, even in developed countries. For example, in the United States in 2003, approximately 80 million adults (36%) were estimated to have limited health literacy [5]. Rates of limited health literacy in certain population subgroups were higher [5]. This has been shown to be the case of the elderly, minorities, individuals who have not completed high school, adults who speak a language other than English before starting school, and people living in poverty [5]. In Europe, at least 1 out of 10 individuals (12%) was found in 2015 to have inadequate health literacy. However, the differences between states can be substantial: only 2% of Dutch people have an inadequate health literacy, compared to 27% in Bulgaria, for example [6]. The impact of HL is nontrivial. HL is associated with better health status, healthier behavior, and better accessibility and use of healthcare facilities [7].