Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29949579›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2018

Health literacy and use of preventive health services among North Korean defectors in the Republic of Korea.

In Gyu Song, Haewon Lee, Jinseon Yi, Min Sun Kim, Ichiro Kawachi, Sang Min Park

Abstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Experiences and challenges of North Korean defectors with cervical cancer: a qualitative study using thematic analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

In Gyu SongCentral Hospice Center, National Cancer Center, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Haewon LeeDepartment of Family Medicine, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jinseon YiDepartment of Community Health Nursing & Nursing Care System, Seoul National University College of Nursing, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Min Sun KimDepartment of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Ichiro KawachiDepartment of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America.
Sang Min ParkDepartment of Family Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-7498-4829

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

It is known that some groups of immigrants can have low health literacy and it may affect their health. Although the number of North Korean defectors in the Republic of Korea has increased, little is known about their health literacy and health behavior. Adult North Korean defectors (n = 399) in this study were surveyed on health literacy, using the Korean Health Literacy Scale, and on the use of preventive services. Those with better health literacy scores were more likely to have vaccination than the lower scoring group (adjusted OR = 2.44; 95% CI, 1.19-5.00). However, undergoing medical check-up may not be associated with health literacy. In subgroup analysis, among defectors who lived alone (P = 0.032) or who had longer time in other countries before entering (P = 0.007), the vaccination coverage was associated with their health literacy scores. This study provides evidence for an association between health literacy and influenza vaccination coverage among North Korean defectors even though they may have fewer language barriers than other immigrants. Further research is needed to develop interventions for improving health literacy and their preventive health behavior.

Indexed as

Health BehaviorInfluenza VaccinesLiteracyVaccination CoverageAdultAgedDemocratic People's Republic of KoreaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRepublic of KoreaInfluenza Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID29949579
PMCPMC6021060

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.