Association between low functional health literacy and mortality in older adults: longitudinal cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate the association between low functional health literacy (ability to read and understand basic health related information) and mortality in older adults.

Design

Population based longitudinal cohort study based on a stratified random sample of households.

Setting

England.

Participants

7857 adults aged 52 or more who participated in the second wave (2004-5) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and survived more than 12 months after interview. Participants completed a brief four item test of functional health literacy, which assessed understanding of written instructions for taking an aspirin tablet.

Main outcome measure

Time to death, based on all cause mortality through October 2009.

Results

Health literacy was categor

SUBMITTER: Bostock S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3307807 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature