Neuropsychological and Health Literacy Correlates of Science Knowledge Among Older and Younger Healthy Adults.
Percept Mot Skills
; : 315125241284053, 2024 Sep 17.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39288078
ABSTRACT
Science knowledge refers to the depth and breadth of facts acquired within the life, social, and earth sciences, and it has implications for both public and personal health. Drawing from cognitive aging theory, we examine whether levels of science knowledge are associated with age, neuropsychological functioning, and personal health literacy. Fifty-two younger and fifty older healthy adults completed our telephone-based study that included a commonly used test of science knowledge, as well as measures of neuropsychological functioning, health literacy, and relevant descriptives (e.g., mood). Adjusting for other demographics and neuropsychological functioning, older adults had significantly lower science knowledge test scores than younger adults. In the full sample, lower science knowledge showed medium-to-large associations with episodic memory, executive functions, and health literacy, independent of years of education. These results suggest that older adults' science knowledge falls slightly below that of their younger counterparts and is independently associated with higher order neuropsychological functions and aspects of personal health, which may have implications for accessing, understanding, and using relevant public health information across the lifespan.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Percept Mot Skills
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos