Health Literacy and Socioeconomic Characteristics among Older People in Transitional Kosovo

Aims: Health literacy among older people has received little attention in transitional countries of Southeast Europe. Our aim was to assess the level and socioeconomic correlates of health literacy among older people in Kosovo, a post-war country in the Western Balkans.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Kosovo, between January-March 2011.
Methods: This nationwide survey, conducted in Kosovo in 2011, included 1753 individuals aged ≥65 years (886 men, 867 women; mean age 73.4±6.3 years; response rate: 77%). Participants were asked to assess, on a scale from 1 to 5, their level of difficulty with regard to access, understanding, appraisal, and applicationof health information. Subscale scores and an overall health literacy score were calculated for each participant. Information on socioeconomic characteristics was also collected.
Results: Subscale scores of health literacy were strongly correlated with each-other (range of Spearman’s rho: 0.8-0.9). Mean values of the overall health literacy scores were significantly higher in men, urban residents, married individuals, the highly educated, and the better off participants.
Conclusions: This may be the first report from the Western Balkans addressing health literacy in a population-based sample. Future studies in Kosovo and other settings in the region should provide further insight into the magnitude and socioeconomic determinants of health literacy which is an under-researched topic in countries of Southeast Europe.