This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between health literacy, cancer-related knowledge, and preventive health behaviors among community-dwelling adults in Korea. Data were collected from 542 adults aged ≥ 18 years living in five big provinces in Korea (Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsang-do, Chungcheong-do, and Gangwon-do). Socio-demographic and health-related characteristics were determined using structured questionnaires. Health literacy, cancer-related knowledge, and engagement in preventive health behaviors were measured using validated instruments. These three variables differed according to socio-demographic and health-related characteristics, such as education, sex, age, and marital status. In the hierarchical regression analysis, health literacy (β = 0.26, p < .001) and cancer-related knowledge (β = 0.21, p < .001) were significant predictors of preventive health behavior after adjusting for confounding variables. Cancer-related knowledge partially mediated the effect of health literacy on preventive health behaviors. Health literacy can play a key role in cancer prevention. It is important for healthcare providers to know how to deliver cancer-related knowledge and how to help people with low health literacy to engage in preventive health behaviors, using a variety of health information resources. Further research is needed to develop the instruments to assess comprehension of spoken and written health messages for cancer prevention and screening.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Son et al. (2017) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: