Lindsay C. Kobayashi|Stephanie G. Smith|Rachel O’Conor|Laura M. Curtis|D. Park|Christian von Wagner|I. J. Deary|Michael S. Wolf
The role of cognitive function in the relationship between age and health literacy: a cross-sectional analysis of older adults in Chicago, USA
University College London|University College London|Queen Mary University of London|The University of Texas at Dallas|University College London|University of Edinburgh
investigate 3 measures health literacy correlate age explanatory roles fluid crystallised cognitive abilities relationships among older adultscrosssectional baseline analysis litcog cohort study1 academic internal medicine clinic 5 federally qualified health centres chicago usaenglishspeaking adults n828 aged 5574 years recruited august 2008 october 2011health literacy measured test functional health literacy adults tofhla newest vital sign nvs assess reading comprehension numeracy health contexts rapid estimate adult literacy medicine realm assesses medical vocabulary fluid cognitive ability assessed cognitive domains processing speed inductive reasoning working prospective longterm memories crystallised cognitive ability verbal ability domaintofhla nvs scores lower ages 7074 years compared age groups p005 tests inverse association age tofhla score attenuated 039 95 ci 055 022 006 95 ci 020 008 ages 7074 vs 5559 years fluid cognitive ability added model 85 attenuation similar results seen nvs scores 68 attenuation realm scores differ age group p0971 crystallised cognitive ability stable across age groups influence relationships age tofhla nvs performancehealth literacy skills show differential patterns agerelated change may explained cognitive ageing researchers select health literacy tests appropriate purposes assessing health literacy older adults clinicians aware issue ensure health selfmanagement tasks older patients appropriate cognitive literacy demands