{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T14:18:38Z","timestamp":1791296318004,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Korean Society of Epidemiology","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]],"date-time":"2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752019200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["e-epih.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Epidemiol Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess health literacy and identify vulnerable groups, providing a basis for developing health policies aimed at improving health literacy, using data from the 2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).METHODS: The health literacy measurement tool used in the 2023 KNHANES comprised a total of 10 items spanning the domains of disease prevention, health promotion, healthcare, and technology and resources. Health literacy was analyzed in relation to socio-demographic characteristics and major health behaviors among 5,906 adults aged 19 years or older, using the SAS program.RESULTS: As of 2023, the overall prevalence of adequate health literacy among adults was 60.4%. Adequate health literacy was higher in women (62.2%) than in men (58.6%). Younger individuals exhibited higher levels of health literacy, with those aged 19\u201364 years at 65.9%, compared to only 40.3% among those aged 65 or older. Higher income and education levels were also associated with greater health literacy. Regarding health behavior characteristics, individuals practicing healthy lifestyles, such as non-smoking, engaging in physical activity, and undergoing health checkups, demonstrated higher health literacy than those who did not engage in such behaviors.CONCLUSIONS: Six out of 10 Korean adults demonstrated adequate health literacy, but significant differences were observed according to socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age and education) and health behaviors (e.g., smoking and physical activity). Tailored education and policy initiatives are necessary to improve health literacy, particularly targeting older adults, low-income groups, individuals with lower education, and those who do not practice healthy lifestyles.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4178\/epih.e2025037","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,15]],"date-time":"2025-09-15T08:03:51Z","timestamp":1757923431000},"page":"e2025037","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4178\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Health literacy in Korea: findings from the 2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey"],"prefix":"10.4178","volume":"47","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2942-0290","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sunhye","family":"Choi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5173-4547","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Yukyeong","family":"Kang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8859-2095","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Hyejin","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8097-6078","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kyungwon","family":"Oh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2679","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"Health literacy","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-056294"},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"","author":"Choi","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref4","volume-title":"Promoting health in the SDGs: report on the 9th Global conference for health promotion, Shanghai, China, 21-24 November 2016: all for health, health for all; 2017 [cited 2024 Sep 12]"},{"key":"ref5","volume-title":"National action plan to improve health literacy; 2010 [cited 2024 Sep 12]"},{"key":"ref6","volume-title":"Healthy People 2020 midcourse review [cited 2024 Sep 12]"},{"key":"ref7","volume-title":"Making it easy: a health literacy sction plan for Scotland; 2014 [cited 2024 Sep 12]"},{"key":"ref8","volume-title":"Making it easier: a health literacy action plan 2017-2025; 2017 [cited 2024 Sep 12]"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03403703"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.56786\/PHWR.2024.17.1.2"},{"key":"ref11","volume-title":"Health Plan 2030; 2022 [cited 2024 Oct 5]"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4178\/epih.e2024061"},{"key":"ref13","volume-title":"Development of health literacy index for the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2022 [cited 2024 Oct 5]"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.23062\/2023.02.7"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.20926\/ETPIYC.2024.9.2.2"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/eurpub\/ckv043"},{"key":"ref17","volume-title":"Search healthy people for \u201chealth literacy\u201d [cited 2024 Dec 5]"},{"key":"ref18","volume-title":"Decrease the proportion of adults who report poor communication with their health care provider \u2014 HC\/HIT\u201102 [cited 2024 Dec 5]"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12799\/jkachn.2020.31.3.322"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/FCH.0000000000000314"}],"container-title":["Epidemiology and Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/e-epih.org\/upload\/pdf\/epih-47-e2025037.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/e-epih.org\/journal\/view.php?doi=10.4178\/epih.e2025037","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/e-epih.org\/upload\/pdf\/epih-47-e2025037.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T00:01:49Z","timestamp":1770768109000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/e-epih.org\/journal\/view.php?doi=10.4178\/epih.e2025037"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"references-count":20,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4178\/epih.e2025037","relation":{},"ISSN":["2092-7193"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2092-7193","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-01-23","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-06-15","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-07-09","order":2,"name":"published","label":"Published online","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}