title: Is Health Literacy Associated With Depressive Symptoms Among Korean Adults? Implications for Mental Health Nursing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether health literacy is associated with depressive symptoms among Korean adults, when adjusting for relevant risk factors for depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from a sample of 585 community-dwelling Korean adults living in Seoul and Kwangju, South Korea, using a quota sampling strategy. A cross-sectional, multivariate regression analysis was used to investigate the association between health literacy and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When controlled for covariates, a lower level of health literacy was significantly associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health literacy may play an important role in preventing and treating depression. Future research is needed to determine if improving health literacy, through health promotion interventions, can enhance community-dwelling Korean adults' understanding of depressive symptoms and relevant treatment options.
authors.affiliation: PhD candidate, Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health System, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA.
authors.forename: Taeho Greg
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.affiliation: Professor, School of Social Work, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA.
authors.forename: Hee Yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Admissions Officer, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea, and PhD student, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA.
authors.forename: Nam Keol
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Professor, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Gyounghae
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Family Environment and Welfare, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeonghwa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Physician, Department of Family Medicine, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoungwoo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Depression; Korean; health literacy; intervention; mental health