Health literacy and depression in seniors aged 65 and over
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12923/pielxxiw-2026-0007Keywords:
health literacy, seniors, health care, depressionAbstract
HEALTH LITERACY AND DEPRESSION IN SENIORS AGED 65 AND OVER
Aim. The aim of the research was to describe the level of health literacy among seniors aged 65+ in the South Bohemian regarding depression. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional.
Material and methods. The survey included 403 individuals selected by quota sampling.. The study sample is representative in terms of gender, age, and region. The interview structure was derived from the standardized questionnaire HLS-EU-Q16, supplemented by socio-demographic questions.
Results. The level of health literacy among seniors was considered suffi cient for 59.9%, problematic for 24.1%, and inadequate (insufficient) for 16.1%. Seniors who were measured to have inadequate health literacy were identified to suff er from mild depression to a significantly great extent.
Conclusions. Research should focus on the role of low health literacy in people suffering from depression.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sylva Bártlová, Věra Hellerová, Iva Brabcová, Petra Bejvančická, Miluše Vítečková, Miroslav Procházka, Jiří Sissak (Autor)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
