ArticleBMC public health2025
Patterns of health literacy and influencing factors differ by age: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Health literacy training for older adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis.BMC geriatrics · 2026Pooled it
- Lower Health Literacy Is Associated with Poorer Diet Quality in Korean Adults: An Association Masked by Age.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Article
- High Prevalence of Problematic Health Literacy and Its Associated Sociodemographic Factors Among Community-Dwelling Individuals in Northern Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Health Literacy is a Rising Star in Policy and Research, also in Slovenia.Zdravstveno varstvo · 2026Article
- Associations of health literacy with rational drug use awareness and sleep hygiene in older adults: a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Article
- Health literacy and digital health service use among community residents in Taiwan: implications from a pilot assessment using the HLS-SF12.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Assessment of quality of care in a pediatric emergency unit of a tertiary hospital, Ethiopia.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Barriers to Regular Eye Examination in Individuals with Diabetes at a Tertiary Diabetes Centre in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Prevalence, predictors, barriers and facilitators of self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes: A multicentre cross-sectional study.Malaysian family physician : the official journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia · 2026Article
- Promotion or suppression? Does internet use by the Chinese public affect physician trust?Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The latent profile of health literacy among older adults patients with chronic disease comorbidity and its association with self-management behaviors.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The role of digital health literacy in shaping nurses' self-efficacy and innovative work behavior: A cross-sectional study.Belitung nursing journal · 2026Article
- Article
- Psychometric validation of the Spanish HLS-EU-Q16 in Ecuador: evidence for health literacy assessment and public health education.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Health literacy among residents in communities implementing healthy community initiatives: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Patterns of proactive health behaviors and associated factors among middle-aged and older women in China: a latent class analysis.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Utilization of usual source of care and health literacy among older adults with hypertension: a retrospective study.Innovation in aging · 2025Article
- The impact of neighborhood environment on physical activity among older adults: chain mediating roles of self-efficacy and outcome expectations.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
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2 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundIndividuals with better health literacy communicate more effectively with healthcare providers, adhere better to medical instructions, and manage their health more successfully. While interest in health literacy is increasing, there is still a lack of comprehensive analysis that includes all age groups. In this study, we examine differences in health literacy and in health literacy-related factors between the elderly and other age groups.
methodsThis study used data from the 2020-2021 Korea Health Panel and the 2021 health literacy supplementary survey. The survey included 7,910 participants aged 19 and older and employed the HLS-EU-Q16 tool to measure health literacy. Sociodemographic, health behavior, and healthcare utilization variables were analyzed. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests, t-tests, and multiple regression analyses, explored the relationships between health literacy and factors influencing it across different age groups.
resultsHealth literacy scores decreased with age, with the average score for all participants being 10.96. Specifically, the young group scored higher (14.10), the middle-aged group scored moderately (12.43), and the older group scored the lowest (8.34). We identified several factors influencing health literacy that were consistently significant across age groups, including education, income, self-rated health, and quality of life. Notably, in the elderly group, health-promoting behaviors like walking were associated with health literacy, and those with low education or chronic diseases faced the most significant challenges in health literacy.
conclusionsWe found that health literacy declined significantly as adults grew older. In addition, factors related to health literacy differed by age group. These results highlight the need for tailored interventions to meet the specific needs of each age group.
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