Health information literacy of senior citizens -a review

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyze the available literature on health information literacy of senior citizens from around the world and outline the major findings from this literature. A systematic review of literature from 2004 to 2014 was conducted using nine relevant databases, which yielded 42 quantitative studies, which were analyzed. The analysis revealed that information seeking behavior varied by age, gender, health status, education, socio-economic status and technology literacy. Over time, there has been a gradual increase in the use of the Internet by senior citizens seeking health information. Also, there has been a corresponding increase in a number of intervention studies in e-health literacy for senior citizens. Shortcomings in the literature include compromised methodological issues of inadequately powered sample size, absence of longitudinal and theory-based studies, and dearth of research on relevant outcomes. The article ends with a discussion of the relevance of the findings to IL researchers and practitioners, and suggestions for further research.