The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Cognitive Ability in Older Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this pilot correlational study was to determine the association of health literacy with cognitive ability and level of education. A cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 33 English-speaking adults (M = 78 years). Data was collected using the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) and the Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE) and analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and bivariate correlation analysis. A significant relationship was found between health literacy and education level, but the relationship between health literacy and MMSE scores and age were not significant. It is likely that the low N and decrease in subject variability influenced this pilot study’s overall findings, nevertheless the significant relationship between health literacy and education level is compelling to health care providers to provide health information at a level of understanding appropriate to each individual.