Relationship between Health Literacy and Multi-Infections Based on Gender Differences in the Elderly

Aims With age, a person faces many threats, such as developing chronic diseases. Health literacy plays a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the relationship between health literacy and multiinfection based on gender differences in the elderly. Instrument Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on the elderly population over 60 years in Comprehensive Health Center and Health Post at Malekan City, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2018. Four hundred eighty-seven people were sampled by the stratified random sampling method. Demographic and standard health literacy questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test, chi-square, and linear regression model by SPSS 26 software. Findings The mean participants’ age was 64.9±6.5 years. The health literacy level of 63.86% of the participants was insufficient, and only 1.23% of the subjects had excellent health literacy. The rate of multi-infection in women was significantly higher than in men. Conclusion The level of health literacy and multi-infection rate in women is higher than in men.