Assessment of diabetes health literacy and its predictors among diabetic older adults attending geriatric clubs, 2024

Background The aging global population increasingly strains healthcare systems as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes mellitus (DM) become more prevalent. With diabetes prevalence of 15.5%, older adults face heightened risks of complications due to inadequate health literacy, which adversely affects self-care and health outcomes. This study aimed to assess diabetes health literacy among diabetic older adults attending geriatric clubs and to explore its predictors.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2023 to June 2024 among diabetic older adults attending five geriatric clubs. A total of 253 participants met inclusion criteria were interviewed using validated tools, including the Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy (FCCHL) Scale, diabetes knowledge, and self-care practices questionnaires. Data analysis was performed, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained, and verbal informed consent was secured from all participants.Results The study participants had a median age of 66 years (IQR: 9), with 82.2% females and 56.5% widowed. The majority (97.6%) of them were not currently working, and 53.8% reported insufficient income. Most participants (82.2%) did not receive prior diabetes-related health education. Diabetes health literacy was inadequate in 99.2% of participants, with a median relative FCCHL score of 1.5 (IQR:0.4). Diabetes knowledge was low (median score: 0.3, IQR:0.2), and self-care practices were suboptimal (median score: 1.6, IQR:0.3). Higher diabetes health literacy was significantly associated with female gender, being married, having university or higher education, sufficient income, living with a spouse, never smoking, and having T2DM (p ≤ 0.05). Diabetes knowledge and self-care practices were strongly correlated with health literacy (r = 0.603 and 0.514, respectively, p < 0.001 each), while age showed a negative correlation (r = –0.23, p < 0.001). Predictors of health literacy included education level, living arrangement, smoking habit, diabetes knowledge, and self-care practices.Conclusion Diabetic older adults exhibited inadequate health literacy, low diabetes knowledge, and poor self-care practices.