Literacy, Numeracy, and Health Information Seeking Among Middle- Aged and Older Adults in the United States
Loading...
Author/Creator
Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2018-09-27
Type of Work
Department
Program
Citation of Original Publication
Takashi Yamashita, Anthony R. Bardo, Darren Liu, Phyllis A. Cummins, Literacy, Numeracy, and Health Information Seeking Among Middle- Aged and Older Adults in the United States, Journal of Aging and Health, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264318800918
Rights
This item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
Access to this item will begin on Sept. 19, 2019.
Access to this item will begin on Sept. 19, 2019.
Subjects
Abstract
Objectives: Health literacy is often viewed as an essential skill set for successfully seeking health information to make health-related decisions. However, this general understanding has yet to be established with the use of nationally representative data. The objective of this study was to provide the first nationally representative empirical evidence that links health information seeking behaviors with health literacy among middle-age to older adults in the United States. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2012/2014 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Literacy (PIAAC). Our analytic sample is representative of adults age 45 to 74 years (N = 2,989). Results: Distinct components of health literacy (i.e., literacy and numeracy) were uniquely associated with the use of different health information sources (e.g., health professionals, the Internet, television). Discussion: Findings should be useful for government agencies and health care providers interested in targeting health communications, as well as researchers who focus on health disparities.