• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.75-89
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to identify the level of health literacy and to investigate the relationship between the health literacy and preventive health care use in middle-aged adults in Korea. Methods: A total of 315 adults aged 40 to 64 years living in Seoul participated in the study. Data were collected from December 15-24, 2010 from outpatient hospitals, clinics, workplaces and other locations in the community. Health literacy was measured using the Functional Health Literacy and Self-rated Health Literacy Questionnaires. Preventive health service use was defined as receiving screening (general health checkups, gastric and colorectal cancer, mammogram, and pap smear) and influenza vaccination. Descriptive analysis, t-test, and ANOVA were used. Results: The mean of functional health literacy was 3.87 (score range 0-6) and the self-rated health literacy was 60.08 (score range 16-80). The most difficult items of the self-rated questionnaires were patient educational materials provided by health care providers and medical forms. The most difficult items of functional health literacy were information-based, including nutritional facts and clinical schedules. Association between health literacy and preventive health service use was not found. Conclusions: Further study is necessary with larger samples and with considerations for their education level, age, and preventive health care use.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.195-203
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the level of functional health literacy and its influence on perceived health status in Korean older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Daegu, Kyungpook and Susan province. A total of 103 older adults aged 65 yr or older were interviewed in person between July 1 to August 30, 2007. Results: A high proportion of older adults were unable to read and understand written basic medical instructions. Only 40-50% were able to comprehend directions for taking medication four times a day or on an empty stomach. Only 11-38% were able to understand information regarding treatment procedure, informed consent, or educational material for elderly fall prevention. Individuals who were older, single, and had less education and income were more likely to have lower functional health literacy. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, individuals with lower health literacy had poorly perceived health status. Conclusion: Many Korean older adults have a very low level of fuctional literacy. Low health literacy was independently associated with poorly perceived health status.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to identify affecting factors on health behaviors among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 161 participants between May and June 2020. The authors assessed functional health literacy, health self-efficacy, and health behaviors. Mean score of functional health literacy and health self-efficacy was 10.14±1.39 and 3.96±0.60, respectively. Of the subjects, 9.9% were smokers, 23.0% were problem drinking, 96.9% were those who needed monitoring of their eating habits, 63.4% were those with low or moderate physical activity, and 29.8% were those who were overweight or obesity. Gender and functional health literacy had an effect on smoking and eating habits, respectively. Gender and health self-efficacy were affecting factors on physical activity. Researchers should be sought strategies to promote health behavior considering gender, functional health literacy and health self-efficacy.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.322-331
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify health literacy levels of elementary school students. Methods: Participants were 331 fifth and sixth graders in nine elementary schools located in Gyeongsangnam-do. Instruments were 42 health-related words derived from fifth-grade textbook 'Health in Daily Life' for linguistic health literacy, modified Korean Health Literacy Assessment Tool (KHLAT) for numeracy section of functional health literacy, items from a snack box and newspaper article for reading comprehension section of functional health literacy. Data were collected from July 15 to August 15, 2013. Results: The mean score for linguistic health literacy was $24.02{\pm}7.16$ of 42 (57.2% were correct answers). The mean score for functional health literacy was $9.27{\pm}2.30$ of 12 (77.3% were correct answers). There were significant differences in health literacy by grade and academic performance. Conclusion: This study results show that both linguistic and functional health literacy among elementary school students were not high enough to use health-related information and make appropriate health-related decisions. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies aimed at increasing health literacy levels, especially focused on underperforming students. It is also necessary that studies be done on the factors affecting the health literacy of elementary-school students.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1427-1438
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• 2015

This study identified the level of functional health literacy and health promotion behavior and their relationship among middle-aged women. Data were collected from 163 middle-aged women between 40 and 64 residing D city and K province from December 1th to 26th, 2014 with a convenient sampling method. The average score of functional health literacy and health promotion behavior were $4.75{\pm}2.98$ and $2.30{\pm}0.55$, respectively Health promotion behavior was positively associated with functional health literacy. The full model accounted for 43.2% of the variance in health promotion behavior in middle-aged women. Therefore, strategies that effectively improving the level of functional health literacy are necessary to promote health behaviors in middle-aged women so that they have better health status and quality of life in later stage of life.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the levels of and the related factors to health literacy and health behavior compliance in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 121 hospitalized patients with coronary artery disease. The structured questionnaires were used to measure the levels of health literacy and health behavior compliance. Results: The average linguistic health literacy score was $32.23{\pm}21.46$, the functional health literacy score was $6.51{\pm}5.08$, and the health behavior compliance score was $61.66{\pm}15.53$. The levels of education (${\beta}$=.35), income (${\beta}$=.27), and perceived health status (${\beta}$=.21) were found significant, explaining 41.8% of the variance in linguistic health literacy. The levels of education (${\beta}$=.23), income (${\beta}$=.27), age (${\beta}$=-.24), and family support (${\beta}$=.22) were found to be significant, explaining 50.9% of the variance in functional health literacy. The levels of education (${\beta}$=.27), family support (${\beta}$=.20), and linguistic health literacy (${\beta}$=.40) were found to be the significant factors, which explained 45.1% of the variance in health behavior compliance. Linguistic health literacy specifically explained 9.5% of health behavior compliance. Conclusion: Health literacy was associated with health behavior compliance, influencing the factors of health behavior compliance. These findings suggest that the interventions for improving health literacy are necessary to enhance health behavior compliance in patients with coronary artery disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.71-81
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the trends in domestic research related to health literacy in children and adolescents. Methods: Six journal articles and four dissertations or theses related to health literacy in children and adolescents were analyzed according to the following criteria: study aim, research design, study population and sample size, sampling method, health literacy variables, and characteristics of health literacy measurement instruments. Result: The majority of studies focused on general children and adolescents. Correlational studies were most prevalent, while no experimental study was identified at all. The variable most frequently explored in relation to health literacy was health promoting behaviors. Functional health literacy instruments, assessing numeracy and reading comprehension, were most commonly used to evaluate child and adolescent health literacy. Conclusion: Considering the emphasis on health literacy improvement in order to achieve health equity across the entire life cycle, there is a need for both quantitative and qualitative growth in domestic health literacy studies for children and adolescents. School-based interventions are essential for enhancing health literacy. Furthermore, it is also necessary to develop an instrument to measure health literacy of children and adolescents that can be utilized and monitored at the national level.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.256-265
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify levels of health literacy and reported health behaviors among older adults with cardio-cerebrovascular disease residing in rural areas. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 134 older people (mean age=75.5 years, 71.6% Female) registered at seven health centers. The structured questionnaires were used to measure levels of health literacy and health behaviors. Results: The average functional health literacy score was $6.08{\pm}3.04$, and the health behavior score was $62.92{\pm}6.45$. Respectively health behavior was positively associated with health literacy. Education, economic status, number of family members, number of social activities and health literacy were contribution factors explaining 40.64% of the variance in health behavior. Health literacy specifically explained 12.5% of health behavior. Conclusion: These findings suggest that strategies for improving health behaviors and reducing health inequalities may benefit from adopting a stronger focus on health literacy within prevention, patient education, and other public health interventions. Further longitudinal studies are needed to help confirm that improving health literacy in the elderly may be effective in changing health behaviors.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.494-507
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide a clear definition of the health literacy for patients with cardiovascular disease by analyzing the dimensions and properties using Hybrid concept analysis. Methods: The concept of health literacy of patients with cardiovascular disease was analyzed according to the cyclic process of theoretical phase-field work phase-final analysis phase presented in the Hybrid model. We reviewed 26 literatures and conducted in-depth interviews with 13 patients with cardiovascular disease. Results: The concept of health literacy in cardiovascular patients is derived from two dimensions and five attributes. Literacy skills, health information search ability and health information utilization skills were derived as attributes in the individual functional dimension, while active communication with the medical team and utilization of health information support resources were derived at the interrelational dimension. It is defined as the individualized and integrated ability of an individual to explore and utilize the various health information needed to make appropriate health decisions during the chronic course after diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, to communicate proactively with medical staffs and to utilize support resources. Conclusion: This study will contribute to the development and related research of health literacy measurement tools that can be used in cardiovascular nursing practice based on the attributes and indicators of health literacy for patients with cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of eHealth literacy on health promoting behaviors, thereby providing basic data for the development of interventions for health promoting behaviors among university students. Methods: Data were collected from 242 university students aged 19 and over in a university located in K province in South Korea. Participants responded to structured questionnaires in September 2018. eHealth literacy and health promoting behaviors were measured by eHealth Litaracy (EHL) and a translated version of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II), respectively. The correlation between eHealth literacy and health promoting behaviors were analyzed using Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis was carried out to examine the influence of eHealth literacy on health promoting behaviors. Results: The participants had a moderate level of eHealth literacy with the greatest score recorded in the sub-domain of functional eHealth literacy and the lowest in the sub-domain of critical eHealth literacy. Female students and students who majored in healthcare had higher levels of eHealth literacy than male students and those with non-healthcare majors. The degree of health promoting behaviors was moderate or lower with the highest score being in the sub-domain of interpersonal support and the lowest in the sub-domain of health responsibility. Health promoting behaviors had significant relationships with eHealth literacy, exercise hours, subjective health status, and health concerns. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the participants engaged more in health promoting behaviors when they had greater eHealth literacy (β=.18, p<.001), interest in their own health (β=.33, p<.001), exercise hours (β=.18~.23, p<.001), and subjective health status (β=.17~.18, p=.007~.031). Conclusion: In order to facilitate health promoting behaviors of university students, interventions for health promoting behaviors need to be developed including strategies to improve competencies relevant to critical eHealth literacy and to increase exercise hours.