Background
The availability of health information through media has raised public awareness of health literacy (HL). HL is essential for medication adherence and self-management in individuals with chronic diseases, and for those without chronic conditions, HL is important for promoting health and engaging in preventive behaviors. This study examined the role of having a regular physician in improving HL among Korean adults, both with and without chronic diseases.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis using data from 8,322 participants in the 2021 Korea Health Panel Study. HL was measured with the 16-item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire. To identify factors associated with HL categories and to calculate adjusted mean HL scores, we used multiple logistic regression and weighted linear regression.
Results
Among participants with chronic diseases (n=4,627), 56.6% reported having a regular physician, with the largest group (42.7%) showing inadequate HL. After adjustment, age 75 years or older and lower education were significantly linked to lower HL levels, regardless of chronic disease status. Having a regular physician was significantly associated with higher HL levels in participants with chronic diseases (adjusted odds ratio, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.42–2.63), but not in those without chronic diseases. Participants with chronic diseases who had a regular physician showed higher mean HL scores across all HL competencies and domains.
Conclusion
Although access to health information has increased, the risk of encountering conflicting or misleading content has grown. These findings emphasize the importance of regular physicians in guiding patients and improving HL, especially among individuals with chronic diseases.

Background
The Web is an important source of health information, but the quality of such online information is highly variable. This study evaluates the quality of health articles published on Naver News, Korea’s most popular portal, using the Health Information Quality Assessment Tool (HIQUAL).
Methods
We collected 712 health-related articles published on Naver News from May 1 to 7, 2023. After applying exclusion criteria, we selected 116 articles for analysis. Two clinicians independently assessed the quality of these articles using the HIQUAL, which scores articles based on five domains: “reliability,” “usefulness,” “understandability,” “sufficiency,” and “transparency.”
Results
Overall article quality was generally considered recommendable (mean±standard deviation: 7.52±2.00). “Usefulness,” one item of “reliability,” and “understandability” were the three items with the highest levels of satisfaction. “Sufficiency” criteria for costs, risks, and benefits received low scores. Quality scores for articles focused on health risk factors and intervention showed a statistically significant difference.
Conclusion
While the overall quality of health information in Korean online newspaper articles is acceptable, room for improvement remains in some areas, particularly with regard to the fair presentation of costs, risks, and benefits. The study highlights the need for ongoing quality improvement and evaluation initiatives for online health information.

Background
Studies have shown the health literacy effects on the general state of health and its related factors, as well as health outcomes, physical and mental health, and health-related quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the effect of training based on health literacy through social networking strategies to promote health-related quality of life among students of Islamic Azad University, Shahr Rey Branch, Iran.
Methods
This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 120 students with poor or average quality of life score. Participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (60 participants each). Health literacy and quality of life data were collected at baseline, immediately after, and 3 months after intervention. The educational intervention was conducted online using social networking services. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Results
The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of health literacy and quality of life at baseline (P=0.979 and 0.269, respectively). The mean score of health literacy and quality of life in the experimental group, compared with the control group, significantly increased immediately after and 3 months after the intervention (P<0.001).
Conclusion
The educational intervention administered by applying health literacy strategies online, through social networking services, can be effective in improving the quality of life of students.

Citations

• Trends in health literacy discussions within primary health care research: A topic analysis using machine learning techniques
  Muhammet Damar, Andrew David Pinto, Benita Hosseini, Thiago Gomes da Trindade, Ömer Aydın, Fatih Safa Erenay, Ümit Cali
  Atención Primaria.2026; 58(3): 103441.     CrossRef
• Self-efficacy intervention on health literacy and quality of life in menopausal women of suburban areas
  Mansooreh Khandehroo, Nooshin Peyman, Mahdi Gholian-Aval, Hadi Tehrani
  Scientific Reports.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Intervenções em qualidade de vida com universitários
  Marina de Moraes e Prado Morabi, Sebastião Benício da Costa Neto
  Revista Internacional de Educação Superior.2024; 12: e026007.     CrossRef
• Promoting Health Literacy: Preparing for Future Health Crises
  Dalmacito A. Cordero Jr.
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2023; 44(2): 124.     CrossRef
• Adolescent women's perspective of pregnancy in Iran: a qualitative study
  Maryam Moridi, Farkhondeh Amin Shokravi, Farzaneh Pazandeh
  British Journal of Midwifery.2023; 31(6): 336.     CrossRef
• Community health literacy outcome measurement practices: A scoping review of recent interventions
  Luke Sawyers, Claire Anderson, Parisa Aslani, Gregory Duncan, Sobia S. Janjua, Li Shean Toh
  Health Science Reports.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Application of the eHealth Literacy Model in Digital Health Interventions: Scoping Review
  Mariam El Benny, Tamar Kabakian-Khasholian, Fadi El-Jardali, Marco Bardus
  Journal of Medical Internet Research.2021; 23(6): e23473.     CrossRef
• Mental and physical health-related quality of life and their associated factors among students of a comprehensive allied health institution
  Khader A. Almhdawi, Saddam F. Kanaan, Yousef Khader, Zeid Al-Hourani, Muhammed D. Al-Jarrah, Fidaa Almomani, Mazin T. Alqhazo
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