Health Literacy Situation and Impacts on Health Status of the Older Adults

Abstract

The older adults are becoming a large population in Thai society, who confronts with many health problems and chronic diseases. Since physical deterioration along with mental and social changes found in the elderlies, they are also classifies as an underprivileged group in receiving direct and indirect health information as well as lack opportunity to access social welfare and health care services. Although the Thai Ministry of Public Health recognizes the significance in promoting health literacy for all ages and establishes an obvious action plan, previous studies found that Thai elderly had inadequate level of health literacy, especially health cognition, health communication, and health information and health services accessibility. Despite the elderly has good level of decision-making and discrimination skills, inadequate health information received including lack of health communication skill may result in error of self-care decisions. To promote health literacy in aging population through creating health cognition via effective communication and age-friendly environment will assist them to be self-reliant, reduce dependency, and be able to continue living life based on their own potentials.