Beyond Age: Exploring Health Literacy, Well-Being, and Stress Management Among the Elderly.

BACKGROUND

Aging can increase stress, making effective stress management strategies essential for promoting healthy aging. However, many older adults face difficulties because of low health literacy, which negatively impacts their well-being. Few studies have explored the relationship between health literacy, well-being, and stress management.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to examine relationships between health literacy (including digital health literacy), well-being, and stress management among older adults. Specifically, we sought to: (1) assess levels of health and digital health literacy; (2) examine differences according to age, gender, education, and senior university attendance; and (3) analyze the associations between health literacy, stress management, and well-being, including the potential role of stress management in this relationship.

METHODS

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 579 participants aged 65 to 98 years, of whom 64.1% were women.

RESULTS

Older adults with lower education levels and those who do not attend a senior university had lower levels of health literacy. Internet use for health-related purposes was also limited. Stress management skills fully mediated the relationship between both traditional and digital health literacy and well-being, indicating that higher health literacy is associated with better well-being through improved stress management.

CONCLUSION

Strengthening health literacy can promote well-being by improving stress management. Interventions should include informational sessions, tailored educational materials, and skill-building workshops. Senior universities can play a key role by offering technology and health-related classes that empower older adults to access reliable online health information and improve their overall health knowledge.