Evaluation of the effects of health literacy levels on patient care and rehabilitation perceptions of elderly inpatients in a university hospital

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of health literacy levels of elderly patients receiving inpatient treatment at the Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Hospital Chest Diseases Department on their perceptions of patient care and rehabilitation.The sample of the study consists of 242 elderly patients receiving inpatient treatment at the Chest Diseases Department of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Hospital.The research data were collected using the Introductory Information Form, Türkiye Health Literacy Scale-32 (Tsoy-32) and Patient Care and Rehabilitation Perception Scale.SPSS 20 package program was used to evaluate the data obtained from the research. Normality, reliability, validity tests and factor analysis were performed and the data were made suitable for analysis. Of the elderly individuals participating in the study, 46.7% (n=113) were between the ages of 65-74, 51.7% (n=125) were female, 32.2% (n=78) were illiterate, 51.2% (n=124) had an income equal to their expenses, 21.1% (n=51), lived with their spouse and children, 30.6% (n=74) were widows and 46.3% (n=112) lived in the city center. The average Health Literacy Scale score of the elderly individuals participating in the study was 31.17±4.12 and it was determined that the elderly individuals had a problematic-limited health literacy level. The average total score of the Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Perception Scale for the elderly participants in the study was found to be 53.34±9.01. In the results of the regression analysis, "age, cohabitant, educational status, receiving help with literacy, and the first healthcare facility visited" were identified as significant predictors of health literacy, while "health literacy level, cohabitant, and receiving help with literacy" were found to be significant predictors of patient care and rehabilitation (p<0.05). There is a significant, positive and direct high-level relationship between health literacy level and patient care and rehabilitation perception (p: 0.000; r: 0.744). Keywords: Health Literacy, Old Age, Patient Care, Rehabilitation, Public Health