Functional health literacy from the perspective of gerontological nursing: an integrative literature review

Objective: To perform an integrative review of literature on functional health literacy from the perspective of Gerontological Nursing.Method: a study was made of the MEDLINE, PubMed, LILACS, IBECS, BDENF and CidSaúde databases, and studies published in Brazilian and international publications during the period of 2005-2014 were included. The studies were selected by main subject, such as education of patient, health literacy, schooling, the elderly, health education and self-care.Results: 58 studies were found, of which 33 were pre-selected, but only 17 composed the final sample, 15 of which were international and two of which were Brazilian.Conclusions: the results indicate an integration of knowledge of the assessment of functional health literacy among the elderly. Inadequate literacy was evident, indicating an excessive impact on health management, especially among those with chronic disease. Additionally, inadequate understanding of times and doses when taking medicine highlights that new strategies can be designed to bring empowerment and greater control to health.