Inadequate health literacy is a risk factor for poor health outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). So far, the impact of health literacy on HRQoL has been examined for only a few chronic conditions. In this contribution, the relationship between health literacy and HRQoL in Korean adults with chronic conditions is examined using data of the cross-sectional Korea Health Panel Survey from 2021. Health literacy was measured with the 16-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16) and HRQoL with the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D). Multiple linear regression model was run for the EQ-5D index as the dependent variable. Multiple logistic regression models were implemented for responses to the individual EQ-5D items. 30.8%, 24.6%, and 44.6% of participants had inadequate, marginal, and adequate levels of health literacy, respectively. The EQ-5D index increases with marginal (B = 0.018, p<0.001) and adequate literacy (B = 0.017, p<0.001) compared to inadequate literacy. People with adequate or marginal literacy were more likely to report no problem with mobility (odds ration [OR] = 1.5; p<0.001), self-care (OR = 1.6; p<0.05), and usual activities (OR = 1.6 for adequate; OR = 1.4 for marginal; p<0.01) than those with inadequate literacy. Adequate health literacy was associated with an increased likelihood of having no problem with anxiety and depression (OR = 1.4; p<0.05). In conclusion, inadequate health literacy is prevalent among Korean adults with chronic diseases. Adequate health literacy is associated with better HRQoL and a protective factor for four dimensions of EQ-5D (mobility, self-care, usual activities, and anxiety/depression).
Copyright: © 2024 Inmyung Song. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.