Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Low-income older adults often face higher rates of poor health and significant challenges in understanding health information, which can affect their ability to make healthy choices. Functional health literacy (FHL) refers to the skills needed to read, write, and use numbers to understand and apply health information. This study explored sex and gender differences in FHL and its impact on chronic health conditions and health behaviours among older adults in the Philippines and Canada. We recruited low-income older adults aged 50 and older from rural and urban settings in both countries using validated surveys to measure FHL: FHL-5TEST in the Philippines and Newest Vital Sign in Canada. Data on demographics, chronic conditions, and health behaviours were also collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and FHL prevalence. Binominal logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine sex and gender differences in the impact of FHL on chronic conditions and health behaviours. In the Philippines, 93% of participants, regardless of sex, had inadequate FHL. In Canada, 83% of participants had inadequate FHL, with men having lower scores than women. While FHL was not significantly linked to chronic health conditions, older adults in the Philippines with adequate FHL were more likely to engage in regular physical activity and consume less sugary food. These associations were stronger among women, suggesting that women with better FHL may be more empowered to adopt healthier behaviours. Improving FHL, particularly among men in Canada and women in the Philippines, could promote healthy behaviours and reduce health inequities among low-income older adults. These findings underscore the importance of integrating health literacy and sex- and gender-specific considerations into effective health promotion strategies.