TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of cognitive dysfunction on the relationship between age and health literacy
AU - Kaphingst, Kimberly A.
AU - Goodman, Melody S.
AU - MacMillan, William D.
AU - Carpenter, Christopher R.
AU - Griffey, Richard T.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank the participating patients and team of data collectors. This work was supported by the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center , the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation and the Divisions of Public Health Sciences and Emergency Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine .
PY - 2014/5
Y1 - 2014/5
N2 - Objective: Age is generally an inverse predictor of health literacy. However, the role of cognitive dysfunction among older adults in this relationship is not understood. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 446 adult patients in a large urban academic level one trauma center, assessing health literacy and cognitive dysfunction. Results: Removing older patients (60 years of age and older) who screened positive for cognitive dysfunction attenuated the relationship between age and health literacy (r= -0.16, p= 0.001 vs. r= -0.35, p< 0.0001). Older patients screening positive for cognitive dysfunction had significantly lower health literacy than older patients screening negative and patients less than 60 years; health literacy scores did not generally differ significantly between the latter groups. Conclusion: Much of the relationship between age and health literacy was driven by cognitive dysfunction among a subset of older adults. Practice implications: Our findings suggest that older patients with cognitive dysfunction have the greatest need for health literacy interventions.
AB - Objective: Age is generally an inverse predictor of health literacy. However, the role of cognitive dysfunction among older adults in this relationship is not understood. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 446 adult patients in a large urban academic level one trauma center, assessing health literacy and cognitive dysfunction. Results: Removing older patients (60 years of age and older) who screened positive for cognitive dysfunction attenuated the relationship between age and health literacy (r= -0.16, p= 0.001 vs. r= -0.35, p< 0.0001). Older patients screening positive for cognitive dysfunction had significantly lower health literacy than older patients screening negative and patients less than 60 years; health literacy scores did not generally differ significantly between the latter groups. Conclusion: Much of the relationship between age and health literacy was driven by cognitive dysfunction among a subset of older adults. Practice implications: Our findings suggest that older patients with cognitive dysfunction have the greatest need for health literacy interventions.
KW - Age
KW - Cognitive dysfunction
KW - Cognitive status
KW - Health literacy
KW - Patient intervention
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U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2014.02.005
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2014.02.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 24629836
AN - SCOPUS:84897112511
SN - 0738-3991
VL - 95
SP - 218
EP - 225
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
IS - 2
ER -