David W. Baker|Julie A. Gazmararian|Joseph J. Sudano|Marian B. Patterson
The Association Between Age and Health Literacy Among Elderly Persons
MetroHealth Medical Center|Case Western Reserve University
examine older age groups worse functional health literacyhome interviews conducted communitydwelling elderly persons n 2774 determine demographics years school completed newspaper reading frequency chronic diseases health status participants completed short test functional health literacy adults stofhla range 0100 mini mental state examination mmsemean stofhla scores declined 14 points 95 ci 1315 every year increase age p 001 adjusting sex race ethnicity education stofhla score declined 13 points 95 ci 1214 every year increase age even adjustment performance mmse stofhla score declined 09 points 95 ci 0810 every year increase age p 001 differences newspaper reading frequency visual acuity chronic medical conditions health status explain lower literacy older participantsfunctional health literacy markedly lower among older age groups even adjusting differences mmse performance newspaper reading frequency health status visual acuity future studies prospectively examine whether functional literacy declines age whether explained declines cognitive function