Associations between health literacy and preventive health behaviors among older adults: findings from the health and retirement study

Objective To evaluate factors associated with COVID-19 preventive health behaviors among adults in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. Methods and findings We conducted a cross-sectional survey from June to October 2020 through a structured, internet-based questionnaire in a non-probabilistic sample of adults >18 years living in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. The independent variables included sociodemographic and clinical factors; health literacy; access to COVID-19 information; and perception of COVID-19 risk and of preventive measures’ effectiveness. The dependent variable was COVID-19 preventive health behaviors, defined as the number of preventive actions adopted by participants. The data were analyzed through multivariate negative binomial regression analysis. The survey was completed by 1,030 participants. Most participants were women (70.7%), had a high school or above level of education (98.8%), and had adequate health literacy and access to COVID-19 information. Only 18% perceived having a high susceptibility to COVID-19, though 83.8% recognized the disease’s severity and 87.1% the effectiveness of preventive measures. The median number of COVID-19 preventive actions was 13.5 (range 0–19). The factors associated with preventive health behavior were being female, of older age, a professional worker, a homemaker, or a retiree; engaging in regular physical exercise; having high health literacy and access to COVID-19 information sources; and perceiving COVID-19 as severe and preventive measures as effective. Conclusion People with high education and internet access in Mexico City and the State of Mexico reported significant engagement in COVID-19 preventive actions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A Population Study of Health Status Among Sexual Minority Older Adults in Select U.S. Geographic Regions

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198118818240 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 426-435 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hongying Dai ◽

Ilan H. Meyer

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Substance Use ◽

Health Disparities ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Sexual Minority ◽

Preventive Health ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Preventive Health Behaviors

Objective. This study seeks to examine the health disparities of sexual minority older adults. Method. We used a probability sample of adults older than 50 years in select U.S. regions from the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with administration of the sexual orientation question ( n = 350,778). Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were performed to examine health disparities in general health conditions, lifetime chronic health conditions, limitations in activities, substance use, access to care and preventive health behaviors by sexual minority status (straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual, other, and nonresponse), stratified by sex (male vs. female) and age group (50-64 vs. 65+ years). Results. Compared with their straight peers, sexual minority older adults had disparities in some health outcomes, including a higher prevalence of depressive disorder and substance use. However, the disparities were not uniform across gender and age groups. Both men and women sexual minorities had some advantages as well, related to preventive health behaviors (e.g., HIV testing), as compared with their straight peers. Nonrespondents in sexual orientation generally had better health outcomes than their straight peers. Conclusions. This study identifies health disparities among subgroups of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals older adults and highlights the need to assess variability related to gender, sexual identity, and age of this high-risk population.

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