Abstract
Excerpt: Older adults have higher rates of chronic disease, and because of an increasingly complex health care system, they are expected to assume more responsibility for their health. Health literacy is the ability to read, understand, and use health information to self-manage health. Older adults are particularly at risk for low health literacy, which can lead to less knowledge of health conditions, increased medication errors, and poorer health outcomes. This study examined relationships among the variables of health literacy, social support, and patient activation. A convenience sample of 90 elderly, community-residing adults participated in the study and completed 3 survey instruments: the Short Form of Functional Health Literacy; the Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS) Social Support Survey; and the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) Short-Form. A correlational design was used to test the hypotheses that social support and health literacy are positively related to patient activation. Health literacy was significantly and positively related to patient activation. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether health literacy explained a significant proportion of the variance in patient activation. Neither health literacy nor social support explained a significant proportion of the variance. Age, level of education, sex, marital status, and self-rated health accounted for a small, but statistically significant, proportion of the variance. Implications of these findings include that social support did not have significant effects on patient activation. Gerontological health professionals should continue to explore additional directions to ameliorate the negative effects of low health literacy and activate older adults.