Steven P Verney1, Laura E Gibbons2, Natalia O Dmitrieva3, Alexandra M Kueider4, Michael W Williams5, Oanh L Meyer6, Jennifer J Manly7, Shannon M Sisco8, Michael Marsiske9. 1. Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA. 2. University of Washington, UW Medicine Memory and Brain Wellness Center Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA. 3. Northern Arizona University, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Flagstaff, AZ, USA. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC, USA. 5. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baltimore, MD, USA. 6. Alzheimer's Disease Center Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA. 7. Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. 8. Department of Veterans Affairs Danville, IL, USA. 9. Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Health literacy is critical for understanding information from health-care providers and correct use of medications and includes the capacity to filter other information in navigating health care systems. Older adults with low health literacy exhibit more chronic health conditions, worse physical functioning, and poorer mental health. This study examined the relationship between sociodemographic variables and health literacy, and the impact of cognitive training on change in health literacy over 10 years in older adults. METHODS: Participants (N = 2,802) aged 65 years and older completed assessments, including reading and numeracy health literacy items, as part of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study. We evaluated baseline sociodemographic variables and change in health literacy over a 10-year period in individuals exposed to cognitive training in reasoning, processing speed, memory, or a no-contact control condition. RESULTS: Age, sex, race, education level, and general cognitive functioning at baseline were all associated with baseline health literacy in older adults. Predictors of change in health literacy over the 10-year follow-up were age, race, education level, general cognitive functioning, and neighborhood income; disparities in health literacy because of race attenuated over time, while the effect of age increased over time. Health literacy was generally stable across the ACTIVE intervention groups over 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed important disparities in health literacy level and change over 10 years. Cognitive training did not significantly impact health literacy, suggesting that alternative approaches are needed to reduce the disparities.
OBJECTIVE: Health literacy is critical for understanding information from health-care providers and correct use of medications and includes the capacity to filter other information in navigating health care systems. Older adults with low health literacy exhibit more chronic health conditions, worse physical functioning, and poorer mental health. This study examined the relationship between sociodemographic variables and health literacy, and the impact of cognitive training on change in health literacy over 10 years in older adults. METHODS:Participants (N = 2,802) aged 65 years and older completed assessments, including reading and numeracy health literacy items, as part of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study. We evaluated baseline sociodemographic variables and change in health literacy over a 10-year period in individuals exposed to cognitive training in reasoning, processing speed, memory, or a no-contact control condition. RESULTS: Age, sex, race, education level, and general cognitive functioning at baseline were all associated with baseline health literacy in older adults. Predictors of change in health literacy over the 10-year follow-up were age, race, education level, general cognitive functioning, and neighborhood income; disparities in health literacy because of race attenuated over time, while the effect of age increased over time. Health literacy was generally stable across the ACTIVE intervention groups over 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed important disparities in health literacy level and change over 10 years. Cognitive training did not significantly impact health literacy, suggesting that alternative approaches are needed to reduce the disparities.
Authors: Michael L Alosco; Yorghos Tripodis; Inga K Koerte; Jonathan D Jackson; Alicia S Chua; Megan Mariani; Olivia Haller; Éimear M Foley; Brett M Martin; Joseph Palmisano; Bhupinder Singh; Katie Green; Christian Lepage; Marc Muehlmann; Nikos Makris; Robert C Cantu; Alexander P Lin; Michael Coleman; Ofer Pasternak; Jesse Mez; Sylvain Bouix; Martha E Shenton; Robert A Stern Journal: Front Hum Neurosci Date: 2019-12-20 Impact factor: 3.169