EHealth literacy of older adults: Findings from winter visitors to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas

By 2030, adults aged 65 years and older, will account for 20% of the population. Given this group's more challenging health care needs and lower health literacy relative to other age groups, this study explored the determinants of eHealth literacy in older adults.

Population surveyed included retirees who spend the winter months in South Texas. Winter Texans are predominantly Caucasian and enjoy better health than their counterparts in the general population. Surveys were distributed as an insert in the Winter Texan Times; participants could return the survey by mail or complete it online. Questions targeted trust in physician, trust in health websites, health-information orientation, eHEALS, and demographics. Bivariate statistics and structural equation modeling will be completed to assess affects of antecedent variables on eHealth literacy.

Preliminary findings (n=298) revealed that older adults with higher eHealth literacy had higher levels of Internet knowledge (p<.001), trust in health websites (p<.001), health-information orientation (p=0.002), and were more likely to have verified health information online (p=0.001). No significant differences by gender, education level, or trust in physician were found.

Identifying the determinants of eHealth literacy in older adults allows for the design of more effective online health communication programs, which provide access to information that may 1) aid in uptake of preventative measures, 2) increase life saving actions (e.g., use of daily aspirin, stroke knowledge), 3) decrease unnecessary health care use, and 4) promote patient-provider communication. Future research will examine the eHealth literacy of older adults from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and varied health profiles.