Internet use, social engagement and health literacy decline during ageing in a longitudinal cohort of older English adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Health literacy skills tend to decline during ageing, which is often attributed to age-related cognitive decline. Whether health literacy skills may be influenced by technological and social factors during ageing is unknown.

Methods

We investigated whether internet use and social engagement protect against health literacy decline during ageing, independent of cognitive decline. We used prospective data from 4368 men and women aged ≥52 years in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing from 2004 to 2011. Health literacy was measured at baseline (2004-2005) and at follow-up (2010-2011) using a reading comprehension test of a fictitious medicine label. The influences of consistent internet use and engagement in each of the civic, leisure and cultural activities on hea

SUBMITTER: Kobayashi LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4345520 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature