LIFELONG LEARNING: HOW HEALTH LITERACY SHIELDS OLDER ADULTS FROM THE MORTALITY RISKS OF LOWER EDUCATION
2024
Health Literacy and Mortality Risks in Older Adults
Sample size: 3381
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Lee Hee, Song Jieun, Do Jonghwa
Primary Institution: The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States
Hypothesis
Does health literacy moderate the relationship between education and mortality in older adults?
Conclusion
Adequate health literacy can significantly reduce the mortality risks associated with lower education levels in older adults.
Supporting Evidence
- Older adults with limited health literacy and only high school education faced 22% higher mortality risks.
- Those with limited health literacy and some college education had 49% higher mortality risks compared to college graduates.
- High school graduates with adequate health literacy had a 20% lower risk of mortality compared to those with limited health literacy.
Takeaway
If older people know how to understand health information, it can help them live longer, even if they didn't go to college.
Methodology
The study used data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and conducted survival analysis with Cox Proportional Hazard models.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 60 and older, with a mean age of 70.8.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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