• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.252-262
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• 2021

Purpose: To define the concept of digital health literacy and identify its attributes. Methods: Walker and Avant's approach was employed for concept analysis. Attributes, antecedents, consequences, and the definition of digital health literacy were derived from a review of 28 studies. Results: Digital health literacy was identified to possess the following five attributes: health information seeking, health information processing, health information communication, health-related knowledge translation, and utilizing digital technology. Basic literacy skills, health concerns, motivation to use technology for health information, and access to digital technologies were all antecedents of the concept. The consequences of the concept were health behaviors, patient engagement, health status, and quality of life. Digital health literacy is the ability to seek relevant health information utilizing digital technology to solve health problems and improve quality of life. Furthermore, it refers to the translation of health-related knowledge obtained through health information processing-finding, understanding, and evaluating health information and health information communication-into the context in which individual and social factors interact. Conclusion: This study presented a new definition of digital health literacy that goes beyond existing internet-based eHealth literacy, by incorporating the context of emerging digital technologies. This proposed definition can serve as a foundation for the development of instruments and educational programs to improve individuals' digital health literacy.

• 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.26 no.3
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• pp.199-208
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the association between health literacy and health behavior and the effect of health literacy on health behavior in late school-age children. Methods: Data were obtained from 333 participants who were $5^{th}$ and $6^{th}$-grade students sampled from 8 elementary schools in Busan. Rapid Estimate of Adolescent Literacy in Medicine (REALM-Teen) and Newest Vital Sign (NVS) was used for assessing linguistic and functional health literacy, and the health promotion behavior score was measured for health behavior. Results: The percentage of those with limited linguistic and functional health literacy was high (47.1%, 56.8%). Linguistic health literacy (r=.38, p<.001) and functional health literacy (r=.11, p=.048) had a correlation with health behavior. Health behavior was significantly associated with perceived health status (${\beta}=1.94$, p<.001), number of times of health education (${\beta}=0.18$, p<.001), academic achievement (p<.001), home literacy environment (${\beta}=0.13$, p=.016), perception of changes after health education (p=.011), and linguistic health literacy (${\beta}=0.23$, p<.001). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that children with adequate health literacy are more likely to do health behaviors. Therefore, it is important to develop educational strategies to raise children's health literacy level and consequently to induce them to perform more health behaviors in daily life.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.75-85
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the status of the functional health literacy of the elderly living in a rural community and to identify the influencing factors on the functional health literacy. Methods: Subjects(n=238) aged over 60 years were selected for data collection. Functional health literacy was measured by Korean Health Literacy, which consisted of 15 items including eight numeracy and seven comprehension items. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA with Scheffe test, and stepwise multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean score of total functional health literacy was $6.66{\pm}3.31$, numeracy was $3.52{\pm}1.76$, and comprehension was $3.41{\pm}2.10$. Of the subjects, 39.1% showed a low score below the median split. In the results of stepwise multiple regression, the factors affecting functional health literacy were basic literacy, age, number of chronic diseases, self-reported health status, and gender. These factors accounted for 33.0% of functional health literacy. Conclusion: These results suggest that interventions for improving functional health literacy are necessary to enhance elders' ability of self-care management. In addition, it is needed to take into account the individual characteristics of the subjects depending on their gender, age, and health status.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.189-198
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify levels of health literacy and examine the effects of health literacy and self-care activities on quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A cross sectional design was used. Questionnaires were administered via the Gallup to 500 Korean patients with diabetes in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t tests, one way ANOVA, and hierarchical regression. Results: Of 500 patients, 12.4% (n=62) indicated 'inadequate' health literacy, and 43.8% (n=219) reported 'marginal' or 'adequate' health literacy. Levels of health literacy significantly differed by demographic characteristics, self-care activities, and quality of life. The factors that had a significant effect on quality of life included inadequate health literacy (B=3.63, p=.042) and marginal health literacy (B=3.84, p=.002); however, no significant relationship was found for self-care activities (B=0.01, p=.827). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate a need for further research with large samples using Korean Health Literacy Scale for Diabetes Mellitus to establish the relationships between health literacy, diabetes self-care activities, and quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.269-277
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• 2013

Purpose: The purposes of the study were to identify level of health literacy and factors influencing health literacy of migrant workers. Methods: Data were collected using a cross sectional correlational design. Participants were 128 migrant workers in Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA, Scheff$\acute{e}$ test, and hierarchical multiple regression with the SPSS 18.0 program. Results: The health literacy level of migrant worker was low and they had difficulty in understanding patient education materials and medical forms. Factors influencing health literacy were residential areas (city or rural), education level, length of stay in Korea, and ability to understand spoken Korean. Regression model accounted for 14.2% of the variance in health literacy. Conclusion: Lower levels of health literacy make it difficult for migrant works to visit medical facilities and perform health behaviors appropriately. Therefore, diverse strategies should be developed by nurses to enhance the health literacy level of migrant workers.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.53-61
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• 2012

Objectives: Improving public capability to obtain, understand, and use health information is important for decision-making and communication. This study attempts to measure adults' literacy of the information provided by a public health institution. Factors affecting different health literacy level are also investigated. The relation between public risk perception and health literacy is examined as well. Methods: A total of 800 korean adults were surveyed. To provide the participants health literacy questions, health messages of heavy metals released by KFDA as well as literacy questions developed by NIKL were used. A total of eight questions were developed to measure health literacy. The dimensions of risk perception proposed by Brewer et al.(2008) were modified to measure risk perception. Results: The average percentage of correct answer for all literacy questions was only 65.57%. Individuals at the older age, and with lower education/ income level were more likely to be low literate. In addition, health literacy was strongly associated with risk perception. Conclusions: Public literacy of health information is influenced by socio demographic factors. This study suggested a possibility that low health literacy may affect unrealistically high risk perception. Further studies with sophisticated methodologies to measure health literacy need to be developed.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.558-570
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• 2013

Purpose: In these days, the concept of health literacy becomes important because it is essential to have a clear grasp of patients' basic ability to understand health-care information. Therefore, we intended to discover attributes, antecedents and consequences of health literacy through contextual analysis. Method: Following Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis, we did a literary review. The databases KMBase, KoreaMed, Kstudy, NDSL, and RISS were searched for articles. Among published literature about health literacy, twenty articles which satisfied the inclusion criteria were chosen. Results: Health literacy consists of three attributes: information seeking, information understanding, and information utilizing. Furthermore antecedents are as follows: health status, health belief, socioeconomic status, and information quality. Finally, we were able to explain the consequences of health literacy by showing improvement of self-care and interaction, and a decrease of social costs. Conclusion: We expect this study to guide the direction of future studies, and as a concept analysis that examines the conceptual attributes in the context of health literacy. Based on the result of this study, the design of a standardized tool and the program of health literacy promotion education need to be developed.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.94-104
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• 2022

Objectives: This study attempted to examine the association between health literacy and health-promoting behavior, and identify the major variables that affect the health-promoting behavior of university students. Methods: This was a descriptive correlation study that identified the degree of health literacy and health-promoting behavior of 248 university students (119 male and 129 female) and examined the correlation between the two and factors influencing them. The questionnaire covering health literacy comprised 66 questions, and that for health-promoting behavior comprised 10 questions covering eating habits, 3 questions about physical activity, and 10 questions involving stress. Results: The score for health literacy was 41.56 ± 18.38 out of 66 points, and that for health-promoting behavior was 65.27 ± 11.21 points (27.61 ± 6.72 points for eating habits, 7.23 ± 2.56 points for physical activity, and 30.44 ± 5.61 points for stress). Health literacy and health-promoting behavior had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.175, P < 0.01). The perceived health status (β = 0.391, P < 0.001) was the most important variable in health-promoting behavior, followed by health literacy (β = 0.236, P < 0.001). Conclusions: It is necessary to develop a systematic educational strategy and implement educational programs to improve health literacy as well as encourage health-promoting behavior and thus increase the perceived health levels of university students.

• 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.