Cognitive Function and Health Literacy Decline in a Cohort of Aging English Adults

BACKGROUND: Low health literacy is common among aging patients and is a risk factor for morbidity and mor-tality. We aimed to describe health literacy decline during aging and to investigate the roles of cognitive function and decline in determining health literacy decline. METHODS: Data were from 5,256 non-cognitively im-paired adults aged ≥ 52 years in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Health literacy was assessed using a four-item reading comprehension assessment of a ficti-tious medicine label, and cognitive function was assessed in a battery administered in-person at baseline (2004– 2005) and at follow-up (2010–2011). RESULTS: Overall, 19.6 % (1,032/5,256) of participants declined in health literacy score over the follow-up. Among adults aged ≥ 80 years at baseline, this proportion was 38.2 % (102/267), compared to 14.8 % (78/526) among adults aged 52–54 years (OR=3.21; 95 % CI: 2.26–4.57). Other sociodemographic predictors of health literacy decline were: male sex (OR=1.20; 95 % CI: 1.04