The Association Between Health Literacy and Quality of Life in the Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Purpose: The older adult population is increasing overall worldwide. According to previous studies, most of the elderly don't have an adequate health literacy level, which can affect their self-care and quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the level of health literacy and its relationship with the older adult's quality of life. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted on 200 elderly people referred to retirement centers in Hamadan city in 2019. The sampling method was multi-stage random sampling. To collect data, the Iranian adult health literacy questionnaire and elderly quality of life questionnaire (LIPAD) were used as self-reports. Data were analyzed using STATA 13 statistical software and independent t- tests, one- way analysis of variance and, linear regression at the statistical level of 95%. Results: The mean age of participants in the study was 66.36 +/-. 6 years. More than one-third of the elderly (36.5%) had adequate health literacy. The mean overall score of quality of life was 70.20 +/- 11.47. Based on the result linear regression analysis dimensions of health literacy included that decision (ss=0.303), appraisal (ss=0.770) and reading (ss=0.241) predicted the quality of life of the elderly. Conclusion: Considering the increasing population of the elderly in Iran and the challenges arising from it, it is very important to pay attention to promoting the level of the older adult's health literacy.