Investigating the Relationship Between Health Literacy and Health-Promoting Behaviors: A Cross-sectional Study Among the Iranian Elderly Population

Background: Statistics predict an explosive rising figure in the elderly population in Iran. Therefore, it is considered a major health-related challenge in the coming decades. The purpose of the present study was to detect the relationships between health literacy and health-promoting behaviors among Iranian elderly people. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 402 Iranian elderly in 2020, who were enrolled using a convenience sampling method. The subjects’ health literacy and health-promoting behavior were separately measured with standard instruments. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for data analysis (P<0.05). Results: Most respondents were female (56.22%, n=226). The means±standard deviations of total health literacy and health-promoting behaviors were 60.14±15.45 and 115.4±14.07, respectively. There was a positive significant relationship between health literacy and health-promoting behavior (r=0.53, P<0.001). Responsibility toward health had the highest correlation with health literacy (r=0.60, P<0.001). Conclusion: According to these findings, it is necessary to increase and maintain health literacy at high levels to improve health behavior among the Iranian elderly.