Association between health literacy and self-management among middle-aged women: A systematic review.

Abstract

We aimed to review and synthesize the literature on the association between health literacy (HL) and self-management in middle-aged women aged 35-64 years and examine the definitions and measurements of HL. Eleven electronic databases were used for searching specific terms. Experimental and non-experimental studies in English or Korean were included based on the eligibility criteria. Two authors independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. One experimental and 13 non-experimental studies were included. Of the 11 studies that defined HL, nine conceptualized it as reflecting multidimensional HL. Four studies measured HL capturing all dimensions of the concept (i.e., accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying) and two studies used context-specific HL measurements. Women with greater HL challenges generally had lower self-management context, process, and outcomes across the health continuum. Enhancing HL is a critical strategy for improving self-management in middle-aged women. Future research should investigate the effectiveness of HL interventions on self-management considering multidimensional definitions and measures of HL. Health professionals should be alert to middle-aged women's HL and implement HL interventions that provide them with opportunities to access, understand, analyze, and utilize health-related information to effectively improve HL and engage in self-management.