COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study

Introduction: Health literacy is crucial in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV2 and preventing infection, as well as preparing healthcare systems for situations that require immediate response. The aim of this study was to evaluate older people's health literacy towards disease prevention, as w...

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Main Authors: Xin-Jie Lim, Kok-Leong Tan, Gaik-Kin Teoh, Maw-Pin Tan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-06-01
Series:Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950307824000110
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author Xin-Jie Lim
Kok-Leong Tan
Gaik-Kin Teoh
Maw-Pin Tan
author_facet Xin-Jie Lim
Kok-Leong Tan
Gaik-Kin Teoh
Maw-Pin Tan
author_sort Xin-Jie Lim
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Health literacy is crucial in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV2 and preventing infection, as well as preparing healthcare systems for situations that require immediate response. The aim of this study was to evaluate older people's health literacy towards disease prevention, as well as the motivators and barriers they experienced when adopting preventative measures. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 participants aged 65 and beyond. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants, accounting for variability in gender, age and educational level. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis methods. The interview guide was developed using Sørensen's conceptual model of health literacy. Results: Five main themes and 16 sub-themes were identified in this study. Knowledge and perception on preventive measures (with two sub-themes), sources of Covid-19 information (with two sub-themes), appraise the health information (with two sub-themes), perceived practice (with five sub-themes), barriers and motivators (with five sub-themes) were the major themes. This study discovered aspects of SEM may influence preventive measure adoption and the impact of different levels of SEM on seniors' decision-making for preventive measure adoption. Conclusion: This study examined older adults' experiences with CoviD-19-related health literacy (access, comprehend, assess, and apply), as well as their preventative behaviours, barriers, and motivators. Future disease outbreak mitigation measures should consider the SEM approach in order to improve health communication and promote healthy behaviour.
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spelling doaj-art-5f7c479215a3490c90fe277981a572172025-08-20T02:02:57ZengElsevierArchives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus2950-30782024-06-011210001410.1016/j.aggp.2024.100014COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative studyXin-Jie Lim0Kok-Leong Tan1Gaik-Kin Teoh2Maw-Pin Tan3Clinical Research Centre, Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Raja Ashman Shah, Ipoh, Perak State 30450, Malaysia; Corresponding author.Department of Community Medicine, International Medical University, Jln Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, MalaysiaDepartment of Psychology, International Medical University, Jln Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, MalaysiaDivision of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Jln Profesor Diraja Ungku Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaIntroduction: Health literacy is crucial in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV2 and preventing infection, as well as preparing healthcare systems for situations that require immediate response. The aim of this study was to evaluate older people's health literacy towards disease prevention, as well as the motivators and barriers they experienced when adopting preventative measures. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 participants aged 65 and beyond. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants, accounting for variability in gender, age and educational level. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis methods. The interview guide was developed using Sørensen's conceptual model of health literacy. Results: Five main themes and 16 sub-themes were identified in this study. Knowledge and perception on preventive measures (with two sub-themes), sources of Covid-19 information (with two sub-themes), appraise the health information (with two sub-themes), perceived practice (with five sub-themes), barriers and motivators (with five sub-themes) were the major themes. This study discovered aspects of SEM may influence preventive measure adoption and the impact of different levels of SEM on seniors' decision-making for preventive measure adoption. Conclusion: This study examined older adults' experiences with CoviD-19-related health literacy (access, comprehend, assess, and apply), as well as their preventative behaviours, barriers, and motivators. Future disease outbreak mitigation measures should consider the SEM approach in order to improve health communication and promote healthy behaviour.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950307824000110Health literacyCovid-19PreventionOlder personQualitative
spellingShingle Xin-Jie Lim
Kok-Leong Tan
Gaik-Kin Teoh
Maw-Pin Tan
COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus
Health literacy
Covid-19
Prevention
Older person
Qualitative
title COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study
title_full COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study
title_fullStr COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study
title_short COVID-19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in Perak state, Malaysia: A qualitative study
title_sort covid 19 related health literacy and preventive behaviours of the older person in perak state malaysia a qualitative study
topic Health literacy
Covid-19
Prevention
Older person
Qualitative
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950307824000110
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