IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i17p3188-d262834.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Relationship between Functional Health Literacy, Self-Rated Health, and Social Support between Younger and Older Adults in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Padmore Adusei Amoah

    (School of Graduate Studies; Asia Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies; Centre for Social Policy & Social Change, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (SAR))

Abstract

It is well established that health literacy positively affects health outcomes, and social support influences this association. What remains unclear is which aspect of social support (instrumental, informational, and emotional support) is responsible for this effect and whether the influence differs from one population group to another. This study addresses these lacunae. It examines the impact each type of support makes on the relation between functional health literacy (FHL) and self-rated health status among younger and older adults in Ghana. Data were pooled from two cross-sectional surveys, together comprising 521 participants in the Ashanti Region. The results indicated that young adults were more likely to possess sufficient FHL and perceive their health more positively than older adults. While FHL was positively associated with health status, the relation was stronger when young adults received a high level of emotional support. Among older persons, informational support substantially moderated the association between FHL and health status. Thus, social support modifies the relations between FHL and health status among younger and older adults in different ways and to different degrees. Therefore, interventions to improve FHL and health amongst younger and older adults should pay due regard to relevant aspects of social support.

Suggested Citation

  • Padmore Adusei Amoah, 2019. "The Relationship between Functional Health Literacy, Self-Rated Health, and Social Support between Younger and Older Adults in Ghana," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:17:p:3188-:d:262834
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/17/3188/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/17/3188/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nutbeam, Don, 2008. "The evolving concept of health literacy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(12), pages 2072-2078, December.
    2. Chi-Ming Hsieh & Bi-Kun Tsai, 2019. "Effects of Social Support on the Stress-Health Relationship: Gender Comparison among Military Personnel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Isabella Aboderin, 2004. "Decline in Material Family Support for Older People in Urban Ghana, Africa: Understanding Processes and Causes of Change," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 59(3), pages 128-137.
    4. Padmore Adusei Amoah & Joseph Edusei & David Amuzu, 2018. "Social Networks and Health: Understanding the Nuances of Healthcare Access between Urban and Rural Populations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tetine Sentell & Sandra Vamos & Orkan Okan, 2020. "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Health Literacy Research Around the World: More Important Than Ever in a Time of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Jiafeng Gu & Ruiyu Zhu, 2020. "Social Capital and Self-Rated Health: Empirical Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-15, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maricel G. Santos & Anu L. Gorukanti & Lina M. Jurkunas & Margaret A. Handley, 2018. "The Health Literacy of U.S. Immigrant Adolescents: A Neglected Research Priority in a Changing World," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Apiradee Nantsupawat & Orn‐Anong Wichaikhum & Kulwadee Abhicharttibutra & Wipada Kunaviktikul & Mohd Said Bin Nurumal & Lusine Poghosyan, 2020. "Nurses' knowledge of health literacy, communication techniques, and barriers to the implementation of health literacy programs: A cross‐sectional study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(3), pages 577-585, September.
    3. Chiao Ling Huang & Shu-Ching Yang & Chia-Hsun Chiang, 2020. "The Associations between Individual Factors, eHealth Literacy, and Health Behaviors among College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-13, March.
    4. Yuji Kanejima & Kazuhiro P. Izawa & Masahiro Kitamura & Kodai Ishihara & Asami Ogura & Ikko Kubo & Hitomi Nagashima & Hideto Tawa & Daisuke Matsumoto & Ikki Shimizu, 2022. "Health Literacy Is Associated with Activities of Daily Living of Patients Participating in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Multicenter Clinical Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Sangeetha Madhavan & Shelley Clark & Sara Schmidt, 2021. "Single mothers coping with food insecurity in a Nairobi slum," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(13), pages 2703-2720, October.
    6. Constanze Hübner & Mariya Lorke & Annika Buchholz & Stefanie Frech & Laura Harzheim & Sabine Schulz & Saskia Jünger & Christiane Woopen, 2022. "Health Literacy in the Context of Implant Care—Perspectives of (Prospective) Implant Wearers on Individual and Organisational Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-36, June.
    7. Setti Rais Ali & Paul Dourgnon & Lise Rochaix, 2018. "Social Capital or Education: What Matters Most to Cut Time to Diagnosis?," Working Papers halshs-01703170, HAL.
    8. Sasha A. Fleary & Carolina Gonçalves & Patrece L. Joseph & Dwayne M. Baker, 2022. "Census Tract Demographics Associated with Libraries’ Social, Economic, and Health-Related Programming," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Samuel G Smith & Laura M Curtis & Jane Wardle & Christian von Wagner & Michael S Wolf, 2013. "Skill Set or Mind Set? Associations between Health Literacy, Patient Activation and Health," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-7, September.
    10. Davillas, Apostolos & de Oliveira, Victor Hugo & Jones, Andrew M., 2023. "Is inconsistent reporting of self-assessed health persistent and systematic? Evidence from the UKHLS," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    11. Virginia Vettori & Chiara Lorini & Chiara Milani & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi, 2019. "Towards the Implementation of a Conceptual Framework of Food and Nutrition Literacy: Providing Healthy Eating for the Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-21, December.
    12. Ying Wu & Lu Wang & Zhongyuan Cai & Luqi Bao & Pu Ai & Zisheng Ai, 2017. "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Low Health Literacy: A Community-Based Study in Shanghai, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-10, June.
    13. Mitja Vrdelja & Sanja Vrbovšek & Vito Klopčič & Kevin Dadaczynski & Orkan Okan, 2021. "Facing the Growing COVID-19 Infodemic: Digital Health Literacy and Information-Seeking Behaviour of University Students in Slovenia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-16, August.
    14. Shyam Sundar Budhathoki & Melanie Hawkins & Gerald Elsworth & Michael T. Fahey & Jeevan Thapa & Sandeepa Karki & Lila Bahadur Basnet & Paras K. Pokharel & Richard H. Osborne, 2022. "Use of the English Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) with Health Science University Students in Nepal: A Validity Testing Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-14, March.
    15. Patrizio Zanobini & Chiara Lorini & Alberto Baldasseroni & Claudia Dellisanti & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi, 2020. "A Scoping Review on How to Make Hospitals Health Literate Healthcare Organizations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-16, February.
    16. Linda Stein & Maud Bergdahl & Kjell Sverre Pettersen & Jan Bergdahl, 2018. "Effects of the Conceptual Model of Health Literacy as a Risk: A Randomised Controlled Trial in a Clinical Dental Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-11, August.
    17. Yoon K Loke & Ina Hinz & Xia Wang & Gill Rowlands & David Scott & Charlotte Salter, 2012. "Impact of Health Literacy in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Disease–Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(7), pages 1-8, July.
    18. Ana Cristina Cabellos-García & Enrique Castro-Sánchez & Antonio Martínez-Sabater & Miguel Ángel Díaz-Herrera & Ana Ocaña-Ortiz & Raúl Juárez-Vela & Vicente Gea-Caballero, 2020. "Relationship between Determinants of Health, Equity, and Dimensions of Health Literacy in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-13, March.
    19. Suwida Rakpaitoon & Sasithorn Thanapop & Chamnong Thanapop, 2022. "Correctional Officers’ Health Literacy and Practices for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Prevention in Prison," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    20. Rafaela Rosário & Inês Fronteira & Maria R. O. Martins & Cláudia Augusto & Maria José Silva & Melanie Messer & Silvana Martins & Ana Duarte & Neida Ramos & Katharina Rathmann & Orkan Okan & Kevin Dada, 2022. "Infodemic Preparedness and COVID-19: Searching about Public Health and Social Measures Is Associated with Digital Health Literacy in University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-9, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:17:p:3188-:d:262834. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.