Validating a health literacy proxy measure in community-dwelling, low-income, older adults in Ontario, Canada and Khon Kaen, Thailand 

In Canada, 88% of older adults, aged 65 years and older, have low health literacy (HL) which is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions”. Low HL negatively impacts health behaviours, chronic disease outcomes, self-efficacy, engagement, shared decision-making, and understanding of health messages. As a result, low HL is associated with poorer health status, higher mortality, greater use of emergency services, and more hospitalizations.

This project’s objectives are to:

1. Synthesize existing information on HL proxy measures used in research;
2. Develop and validate HL proxy measures in a cohort of community-dwelling, low-income, older adults who reside in Khon Kaen, Thailand and in social housing in Ontario, Canada; and
3. Apply the HL proxy measure in two large cohorts to describe the prevalence of low HL and its effects on chronic disease and health behaviour outcomes.