Table 2.

Multivariable-Adjusted Associations Between Age, Sociodemographic Factors, Cognition, and Health Literacy Decline, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, England, 2004–2011 (n = 5256)

	Odds ratios for health literacy decline
	OR* (95 % CI)	OR† (95 % CI)	OR‡ (95 % CI)
Age
52–54	1.00 (Reference)	1.00 (Reference)	1.00 (Reference)
55–59	0.92 (0.69–1.23)	0.95 (0.70–1.28)	0.93 (0.68–1.26)
60–64	1.07 (0.80–1.44)	1.04 (0.76–1.41)	0.98 (0.72–1.34)
65–69	1.34 (1.00–1.79)	1.21 (0.90–1.65)	1.08 (0.79–1.48)
70–75	1.53 (1.13–2.07)	1.26 (0.91–1.74)	1.07 (0.77–1.48)
75–79	1.94 (1.41–2.67)	1.43 (1.01–2.03)	1.09 (0.76–1.55)
≥ 80	3.21 (2.26–4.57)	2.26 (1.54–3.32)	1.65 (1.11–2.45)
Sex
Male	1.20 (1.04–1.38)	1.10 (0.94–1.27)	1.05 (0.90–1.22)
Ethnicity
Non-white	2.42 (1.51–3.89)	1.81 (1.10–2.99)	1.67 (1.01–2.77)
Occupational class
Managerial	1.00 (Reference)	1.00 (Reference)	1.00 (Reference)
Intermediate	1.35 (1.11–1.65)	1.26 (1.02–1.55)	1.24 (1.01–1.53)
Routine	1.67 (1.39–2.01)	1.50 (1.23–1.82)	1.43 (1.18–1.74)
Other	1.90 (1.02–3.53)	1.60 (0.83–3.06)	1.44 (0.75–2.77)
Educational attainment
Degree or equivalent	1.00 (Reference)	1.00 (Reference)	1.00 (Reference)
Up to degree level	1.04 (0.86–1.26)	1.06 (0.87–1.30)	1.07 (0.88–1.31)
No qualification	1.58 (1.29–1.95)	1.33 (1.07–1.66)	1.30 (1.04–1.62)
Baseline memory
Per 1-point score increase	–	0.96 (0.93–0.98)	0.94 (0.91–0.96)
Baseline executive function
Per 1-point score increase	–	0.93 (0.91–0.96)	0.92 (0.89–0.94)
Memory decline
Yes	–	–	1.59 (1.35–1.87)
Executive function decline
Yes	–	–	1.56 (1.32–1.85)

^*Adjusted for covariates (age, sex, ethnicity, occupational class, educational attainment)

^†Adjusted for covariates, and baseline memory & executive function; n = 4999

^‡Adjusted for covariates, baseline memory & executive function, and memory & executive function decline; n = 4999