The Factors Influencing Health Literacy of Elderly Caregivers in Phitsanulok Province
Keywords:
attitudes, Caregivers, elderly, health literacy, social supportAbstract
Long-term caregivers for the elderly require health literacy to effectively care for dependent older adults in the community. This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to investigate factors influencing health literacy among elderly caregivers in Phitsanulok Province. The sample consisted of 327 elderly caregivers selected through multi-stage sampling. Data were collected between June and July 2024 using a questionnaire with five parts: personal factors, knowledge of elderly healthcare, attitudes toward elderly healthcare, social support, and health literacy of elderly caregivers. The instrument’s content validity ranged from 0.67 to 1.00. The knowledge section’s reliability (KR-20) was 0.56, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for attitudes, social support, and health literacy were 0.70, 0.89, and 0.90, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple linear regression. The results revealed that overall health literacy among elderly caregivers was at a high level. Social support (β=.45, p<.001) and attitudes toward elderly healthcare (β=.15, p=.003) together predicted 27.5% of the variance in health literacy among elderly caregivers (R2=.275, p<.001). Therefore, to promote and enhance health literacy among elderly caregivers, emphasis should be placed on providing social support and fostering positive attitudes toward elderly healthcare.
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บทความและรายงานวิจัยในวารสารพยาบาลกระทรวงสาธารณสุข เป็นความคิดเห็นของ ผู้เขียน มิใช่ของคณะผู้จัดทำ และมิใช่ความรับผิดชอบของสมาคมศิษย์เก่าพยาบาลกระทรวงสาธารณสุข ซึ่งสามารถนำไปอ้างอิงได้
