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Associations among health literacy, anxiety symptoms, and health-related quality of life in Korean adults: A cross-sectional study with age-stratified analyses

Author

Listed:
  • Gyuri Seol
  • Young Hwangbo
  • Yongbae Kim
  • Youngs Chang
  • Mee-Ri Lee

Abstract

Background: Health literacy (HL) is a key determinant of physical and mental health outcomes; however, the relationships among HL, anxiety symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remain unclear, and whether the effects of HL vary by age is unknown. We aimed to examine the associations among HL, anxiety symptoms, and HRQoL in Korean adults and assessed age-related differences in these associations. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from the 2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including 5,017 adults aged ≥ 19 years. HL was assessed using a validated 10-item instrument (score range: 10–40) and categorized as low, middle, or high. Anxiety symptoms and HRQoL were measured using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and the 8-item Health-related Quality of Life Instrument, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate associations between HL and anxiety symptoms and between HL and good HRQoL. Age-stratified analyses were conducted for participants aged 19–39, 40–64, and ≥ 65 years. Results: The low (odds ratio [OR]: 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52–2.46; p

Suggested Citation

  • Gyuri Seol & Young Hwangbo & Yongbae Kim & Youngs Chang & Mee-Ri Lee, 2026. "Associations among health literacy, anxiety symptoms, and health-related quality of life in Korean adults: A cross-sectional study with age-stratified analyses," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(2), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0342239
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0342239
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Inmyung Song, 2024. "Relationship between health literacy and health-related quality of life in Korean adults with chronic diseases," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Palumbo, Rocco & Annarumma, Carmela & Adinolfi, Paola & Musella, Marco & Piscopo, Gabriella, 2016. "The Italian Health Literacy Project: Insights from the assessment of health literacy skills in Italy," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(9), pages 1087-1094.
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