ArticleGlobal health action2025
Health literacy and self-medication among older adults in rural Thailand: understanding inequities in a digital era.
Article in Global health action, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Health literacy training for older adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis.BMC geriatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Perceptions, Attitudes, and Expectations Toward Primary Health Care Service Provision and Their Association with Service Utilization in Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospitals in Northeastern Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Factors associated with fall prevention-related health literacy practices among community-dwelling older adults in Northern Thailand: a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- From 3T to HLAA: developing a participatory model for health literacy empowerment among older adults in Northeastern Thailand.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Quantile regression analysis of the heterogeneous association between digital cultural engagement and health literacy: evidence from rural China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The impact of digital disability on the well-being of older adults: the moderating role of cultural deprivation.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInappropriate self-medication and limited health literacy are pressing challenges that contribute to poor health outcomes among older adults. In rural, low-resource settings, these issues are worsened by digital exclusion, which restricts access to reliable health information and informed decision-making.
objectiveTo assess the prevalence and determinants of inappropriate medication and health product (M&HP) use among older adults in rural Thailand, reflecting wider disparities in Southeast Asia.
methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,461 older adults aged ≥60 years, selected through stratified multi-stage sampling from Thailand's Health Regions 7-10, which encompass 20 northeastern provinces. Structured interviews explored health-seeking behavior, digital literacy, and M&HP use. Inappropriate use was defined as the use of two or more items without professional consultation, as per national guidelines. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.
resultsOf participants, 84.5% reported using M&HPs without professional consultation, and only 14.0% were proficient in accessing health information via smartphones. Inappropriate use was significantly associated with rural residence (aOR = 6.33; 95% CI: 2.19-18.31), low education, chronic illness, unemployment, digital illiteracy, and financial hardship (
conclusionDigital and social exclusion strongly influence unsafe self-medication practices among older adults. Improving digital health literacy and access to credible information is crucial for enhancing medication safety. Thailand's experience may offer valuable guidance for developing inclusive aging strategies in other low- and middle-income countries.
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