Health literacy among older persons in Turkey

Figures & data

Table 1. Socio-demographic status and general health features of the participants.

	Frequency (n)	Percentage (%)
Gender
Male	176	44
Female	224	56
Educational level
Illiterate	51	12.8
Primary school	285	71.3
Secondary school	22	5.5
High school	30	7.5
College	12	2.9
Economic status
Poor	30	7.5
Moderate	276	69
Good	94	23.6
Marital status
Married	303	75.7
Single	97	24.3
Employment
Housewife	176	44
Retired	222	55.5
Farmer	1	0.3
Self-employment	1	0.3
Chronic disease
Yes	358	89.5
No	42	10.5
Smoking
Yes	94	23.5
No	306	76.5
Alcohol
No	400	100

Table 2. Data related to co-morbid diseases of the participants.

	Frequency (n)	Percentage (%)
Cardiovascular disease
Yes	87	21.8
No	313	78.2
Hyperlipidemia
Yes	111	27.8
No	289	72.2
Diabetes mellitus
Yes	142	35.5
No	258	64.5
Hypertension
Yes	277	69.2
No	123	30.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Yes	64	16
No	336	84
Asthma
Yes	19	4.8
No	381	95.2
Nephropathy
Yes	9	2.2
No	391	97.8
Hepatopathy
Yes	2	0.5
No	398	99.5
Stroke/paralysis
Yes	39	9.8
No	361	90.2
Rheumatic diseases
Yes	2	0.5
No	398	99.5
Cancer
Yes	17	4.3
No	383	95.7
Psychiatric disease
Yes	11	2.8
No	389	97.2
Other diseases
Yes	54	13.5
No	346	86.5

Table 3. Internal reliability coefficients of the health literacy and sub-indexes.

Health literacy domain	Cronbach alpha
General health literacy	0.980
Health care	0.932
Disease prevention	0.954
Health promotion	0.954

Table 4. Answers to the Health Literacy European Union Survey Questions.

					Difficult and fairly difficult (%)
Questions	Fairly easy (%)	Easy (%)	Difficult (%)	Fairly difficult (%)	Europe	Turkey	Results of the present study
Q.1. Find information about symptoms of illnesses that concern you?	8.5	35.9	49.9	5.8	22.8^a	32.2^a	55.7
Q.2. Find information on treatments of illnesses that concern you?	9	37	48.4	5.5	26.9^a	32.3^a	53.9
Q.3. Find out what to do in case of a medical emergency?	12.2	71.4	15.7	0.6	21.8^a	39.1^a	16,3
Q.4. Find out where to get professional help when you are ill?	46.4	51	2.6	0	11.9^a	19.4^a	2.6
Q.5. Understand what your doctor says to you?	18.7	73.2	7.9	0.3	15.3^a	22.5^a	8.2
Q.6. Understand the leaflets that come with your medicine?	9	34.7	53.6	2.6	28.0^a	42.9^a	56.2
Q.7. Understand what to do in a medical emergency?	10.2	67.9	20.7	1.2	21.7^a	42.0^a	21.9
Q.8. Understand your doctor’s or pharmacist’s instruction on how to take a prescribed medicine?	44.9	51.9	2.9	0.3	6.5^a	11.9^a	3.2
Q.9. Judge how information from your doctor applies to you?	7.3	43.6	47.1	2	18.0^a	19.6^a	49.1
Q.10. Judge the advantages and disadvantages of different treatment options?	3.8	12	70.8	13.4	42.6^a	43.1^a	84.3
Q.11. Judge when you may need to get a second opinion from another doctor?	3.5	18.7	73.1	4.7	38.6^a	32.3^a	77.8
Q.12. Judge if the information about illness in the media is reliable?	5.3	27.4	62.3	5	49.7^a	48.2^a	67.3
Q.13. Use information the doctor gives you to make decisions about your illness?	10	64.2	24.9	0.9	23.1^a	28.4^a	25.8
Q.14. Follow the instructions on medication?	56	43.7	0.3	0	6.8^a	11.9^a	0.3
Q.15. Call an ambulance in an emergency?	56.3	41.4	2	0.3	8.8^a	13.0^a	2.3
Q.16. Follow instructions from your doctor or pharmacist?	54.7	42.1	2.9	0.3	5.6^a	8.7^a	3.2
Q.17. Find information about how to manage unhealthy behaviour such as smoking, low physical activity and drinking too much?	8.5	42	44	5.5	14.7^a	30.3^a	49.5
Q.18. Find information on how to manage mental health problems like stress or depression?	8.7	34.1	52.5	4.7	33.5^a	41.1^a	57.2
Q.19. Find information about vaccinations and health screenings that you should have?	8.7	38.5	47.8	5	24.0^a	38.4^a	52.8
Q.20. Find information on how to prevent or manage conditions like being overweight, high blood pressure or high cholesterol?	9.1	44.1	42.1	4.7	18.1^a	34.1^a	46.8
Q.21. Understand health warnings about behaviour such as smoking, low physical activity and drinking too much?	15.2	72	12.2	0.6	10.3^a	21.0^a	12.8
Q.22. Understand why you need vaccinations?	11.4	68.7	19.3	0.6	16.6^a	22.6^a	19.9
Q.23. Understand why you need health screenings?	11.4	69.7	17.8	1.2	10.4^a	20.5^a	19.0
Q.24. Judge how reliable health warnings are, such as smoking, low physical activity and drinking too much?	14.3	71.4	11.7	2.6	14.4^a	31.2^a	14.3
Q.25. Judge when you need to go to a doctor for a check-up?	4.1	24.2	62.3	9.4	16.3^a	27.8^a	71.7
Q.26. Judge which vaccinations you may need?	1.2	4.1	60.2	34.5	32.7^a	47.2^a	94.7
Q.27. Judge which health screenings you should have?	1.5	5	60.2	33.3	25.1^a	45.9^a	93.5
Q.28. Judge if the information on health risks in the media is reliable?	3.5	18.7	67.6	10.2	42.1^a	49.2^a	77.8
Q.29. Decide if you should have a flu vaccination?	9.3	56.3	30.6	3.8	26.2^a	33.4^a	34.4
Q.30. Decide how you can protect yourself from illness based on advice from family and friends?	5.2	61.8	30	2.9	22.2^a	28.9^a	32.9
Q.31. Decide how you can protect yourself from illness based on information in the media?	6.4	47.7	42.7	3.2	36.9^a	36.0^a	45.9
Q.32. Find information on healthy activities such as exercise, healthy food and nutrition?	7.6	48.4	38.2	5.8	14.3^a	27.8^a	44.0
Q.33. Find out about activities that are good for your mental well-being?	7.3	31.5	56.3	5	22.6^a	34.0^a	61.3
Q.34. Find information on how your neighbourhood could be more health-friendly?	7.3	26.3	61.1	5.3	40.3^a	33.6^a	66.4
Q.35. Find out about political changes that may affect health?	5.3	17.5	70.4	6.8	53.2^a	50.9^a	77.2
Q.36. Find out about efforts to promote your health at work?	7.6	26.6	60.8	5	34.8^a	36.5^a	65.8
Q.37. Understand advice on health from family members or friends?	13.7	77.8	7.9	0.6	13.0^a	16.7^a	8.5
Q.38. Understand information on food packaging?	7.6	27.7	61.8	2.9	36.2^a	32.9^a	64.7
Q.39. Understand information in the media on how to get healthier?	9.3	70.8	18.1	1.7	23.3^a	30.8^a	19.8
Q.40. Understand information on how to keep your mind healthy?	8.2	68.9	21.4	1.5	26.1^a	31.7^a	22.9
Q.41. Judge where you live affects your health and well-being?	7.3	61.1	29.8	1.8	24.6^a	27.5^a	31.6
Q.42. Judge how your housing conditions help you to stay healthy?	6.7	53.9	37.6	1.7	19.5^a	19.7^a	39.3
Q.43. Judge which everyday behaviour is related to your health?	7.6	65.6	24.8	2	12.6^a	21.3^a	26.8
Q.44. Make decisions to improve your health?	4.7	48.4	41.6	5.3	21.7^a	21.7^a	46.9
Q.45. Join a sports club or exercise class if you want to?	1.7	10.5	58.3	29.4	24.1^a	44.3^a	87.7
Q.46. Influence your living conditions that affect your health and wellbeing?	1.5	19	55.1	24.5	25.5^a	38.6^a	79.6
Q.47. Take part in activities that improve health and well-being in your community?	1.8	26.1	49.9	22.3	38.9^a	44.7^a	72.2

^a Berkman et al. [17].

Table 5. Prevalence values of general health literacy and sub-literacy indexes.

	Inadequate HL (%)	Problematic HL (%)	Sufficient HL (%)	Excellent HL (%)
General HL	44.6	40.5	8.7	6.1
Health care	23	40.5	28.6	7.9
Disease prevention	53.1	33.8	6.7	6.4
Health promotion	56.9	31.2	7	5

HL: health literacy.

Serper M, Patzer RE, Curtis LM, et al. Health literacy, cognitive ability, and functional health status among older adults. Health Serv Res. 2014;49:1249–1267.

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