AUTHOR=Shin Jieun , Baek Seunghui 

TITLE=Determinants of self-reported health literacy among older adults in South Korea: a cross-sectional study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1628245

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1628245

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=BackgroundThis study aimed to identify the determinants of self-reported health literacy among older adults aged 65 years and above in South Korea.MethodsData were obtained from the 2021 Korean Health Panel Survey, including 4,220 participants aged 65 and above. Statistical analyses such as t-tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression were conducted to examine the effects of personal characteristics and health behaviors on self-reported health literacy.ResultsThe analysis revealed that men, younger participants, those with spouses, higher education levels, and individuals engaging in positive health behaviors-including non-smoking, non-drinking, and regular exercise-had significantly higher levels of self-reported health literacy.ConclusionThese findings suggest the importance of developing targeted strategies to improve health literacy among older adults, particularly focusing on personal characteristics and health behaviors that are associated with higher health literacy.