Development and validation of a health literacy measure for community-dwelling, low-income older adults in Thailand, the Philippines and Canada

In Canada, 88% of older adults have low health literacy (HL), with higher rates among those experiencing social disparities such as low-income. Similarly, low HL is also highly prevalent among older adults in low- and middle-income countries, such as Thailand and the Philippines. Consequently, low-income older adults in these countries face significant challenges in accessing and understanding health information and services.
HL is commonly measured using direct face-to-face administered surveys. An indirect measure of HL could address existing challenges and provide a more comprehensive measure; however, no indirect HL measure exists.
This research aims to develop and validate an indirect HL measure for community-dwelling, low-income older adults in Thailand, the Philippines, and Canada. This project will include a systematic review, collection of HL scores based on an indirect HL measure and regression analysis examining the relationship between HL, health behaviours