MEDIA AND HEALTH INFORMATION LITERACY AMONG SENIOR CITIZENS IN ICELAND

• Published in: Innovation in Aging
• Main Author: Pálsdóttir, Á.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2017
• Subjects: Abstracts; Iceland
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6241708/; https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx004.294

The paper explores various aspects of media and health literacy among senior citizens in Iceland by comparing two age groups, those who are 60 to 67 years old and those who are 68 years and older. Health literacy refers to the ‘cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health.’ It is closely related to a joint definition by UNESCO and of media and information literacy, which allows individuals to ‘…access, retrieve, understand, evaluate and use, create, as well as share information and media content in all formats…’ The term media and health information literacy combines these two concepts. Thus, competency in media and health information literacy is important as a tool for lifelong learning, which provides people with better opportunities to fight age discrimination and make informed decisions.