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 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.