Objective: The objective of this review was to assess published literature relating to health literacy and older adults. Method: The current review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses. Results: Eight articles met inclusion criteria. All studies were conducted in urban settings in the United States. Study sample size ranged from 33 to 3,000 participants. Two studies evaluated health-related outcomes and reported significant associations between low health literacy and poorer health outcomes. Two other studies investigated the impact of health literacy on medication management, reporting mixed findings. Discussion: The findings of this review highlight the importance of working to improve health care strategies for older adults with low health literacy and highlight the need for a standardized and validated clinical health literacy screening tool for older adults.

The purpose of this study was to describe population knowledge and beliefs about COVID-19 and current social media coverage to address a gap in what is known about risk communication during health crises. A survey with 27 questions was developed. Twenty-three percent ( N = 1,136) of respondents started the survey. Less than half of the students reported a high health literacy level (43%, n = 365/855). When asked where students have heard about COVID-19, the majority reported the Internet and social media. Students reported a basic level of COVID-19 knowledge, but few students (18%, n = 173/966) correctly identified all three signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19. Results highlight the need for an increased public health presence on social media and the urgent need to remain diligent in educating community members about COVID-19 myths.

A comprehensive and integrated primary care and public health community effort is needed to support and improve adolescent breastfeeding. Further examination of integrated interventions focused on adolescent breastfeeding behaviors through an environmental approach is needed.

Objectives: Health Literacy skills are important for people of all ages. Older adults have the lowest health literacy rates. The purpose of this study was to assess health literacy rates and validate the use of a screening tool with older adults. Methods: Participants included a convenience sample, age 65 years or older, English speaking with corrected vision of 20/100 or better and typical cognitive skills. Participants completed the 36-item Short Test of Functional Health Literacy Assessment (STOFHLA) and a single item screening (SIS) tool. Results of STOFHLA and SIS were compared using nonparametric statistics. Results: Of the 64 participants, 94% had adequate scores on the STOFHLA, while 64% self-reported confidence in filling out medical forms, p = .006, χ2 = 7.606, df(1). Conclusion: Results suggest that use of health literacy screening tools for older adults may be of value. Additional studies are needed to expand the study sample and validate the findings of this study.

Community capacity may be enhanced through intermediary supports that provide training and technical assistance (TA). This study used a randomized pre/posttest design to assess the impact of training and TA on coalition capacity. Seven community coalitions from the Midwest participated in the 2-year study, which included 36 hours of training, followed by monthly TA calls to support action planning implementation for prioritized processes. Collaborative processes most commonly identified as high-need areas for TA were Developing Organizational Structure, Documenting Progress, Making Outcomes Matter, and Sustaining the Work. Based on a coalition survey, the average change for processes prioritized through TA across all seven coalitions was .27 (SD = .29), while the average change for non-prioritized processes was .09 (SD = .20) (t(6) = 4.86, p = .003, d = 1.84). The findings from this study suggest that TA can increase coalition capacity for implementing collaborative processes using a participatory approach.