Sophie Bostock|Andrew Steptoe
Association between low functional health literacy and mortality in older adults: longitudinal cohort study
University College London|University College London
investigate association low functional health literacy ability read understand basic health related information mortality older adultspopulation based longitudinal cohort study based stratified random sample householdsengland7857 adults aged 52 participated second wave 20045 english longitudinal study ageing survived 12 months interview participants completed brief four item test functional health literacy assessed understanding written instructions taking aspirin tablettime death based cause mortality october 2009health literacy categorised high maximum score 672 medium one error 203 low one error 125 followup mean 53 years 621 deaths occurred 321 61 high health literacy category 143 90 medium category 157 160 low category adjusting personal characteristics socioeconomic position baseline health health behaviours hazard ratio cause mortality participants low health literacy 140 95 confidence interval 115 172 medium health literacy 115 094 141 compared participants high health literacy adjustment cognitive ability reduced hazard ratio low health literacy 126 102 155a third older adults england difficulties reading understanding basic health related written information poorer understanding associated higher mortality limited health literacy capabilities within population implications design delivery health related services older adults england