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Determinants of Health Literacy and Its Associations With Health-Related Behaviors, Depression Among the Older People With and Without Suspected COVID-19 Symptoms: A Multi-Institutional Study.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.Division of Military Science, Military Hospital 103, Hanoi, Vietnam.International Center for Health Information Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.Department of Healthcare Information and Management, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.Faculty of Public Health, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hai Phong, Vietnam.President Office, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hai Phong, Vietnam.Director Office, Thai Nguyen National Hospital, Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam.President Office, Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam.International Master/Ph.D. Program in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.Department of Anesthesiology, Thu Duc District Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Director Office, Thu Duc District Health Center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Health Management Training Institute, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue, Vietnam.Department of Health Economics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary.Department of Infectious Diseases, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.Director Office, Military Hospital 103, Hanoi, Vietnam.Department of Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Diseases, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Hai Phong, Vietnam.Director Office, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Hai Phong, Vietnam.Director Office, Hospital District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Nursing Office, Tan Phu District Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.President Office, Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hai Phong, Vietnam.Department of Internal Medicine, Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam.Department of Health Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Behavior and Health Education, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.Department of Healthcare Information and Management, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.President Office, Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam.Graduate Institute of Data Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Frontiers in public health. 2020;:581746
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Abstract

Purpose: We examined factors associated with health literacy among elders with and without suspected COVID-19 symptoms (S-COVID-19-S). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at outpatient departments of nine hospitals and health centers 14 February-2 March 2020. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess patient characteristics, health literacy, clinical information, health-related behaviors, and depression. A sample of 928 participants aged 60-85 years were analyzed. Results: The proportion of people with S-COVID-19-S and depression were 48.3 and 13.4%, respectively. The determinants of health literacy in groups with and without S-COVID-19-S were age, gender, education, ability to pay for medication, and social status. In people with S-COVID-19-S, one-score increment of health literacy was associated with 8% higher healthy eating likelihood (odds ratio, OR, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI, 1.04, 1.13; p < 0.001), 4% higher physical activity likelihood (OR, 1.04; 95%CI, 1.01, 1.08, p = 0.023), and 9% lower depression likelihood (OR, 0.90; 95%CI, 0.87, 0.94; p < 0.001). These associations were not found in people without S-COVID-19-S. Conclusions: The older people with higher health literacy were less likely to have depression and had healthier behaviors in the group with S-COVD-19-S. Potential health literacy interventions are suggested to promote healthy behaviors and improve mental health outcomes to lessen the pandemic's damage in this age group.

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Publication Type : Multicenter Study

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