J Korean Acad Nurs.  2009 Jun;39(3):386-392. 10.4040/jkan.2009.39.3.386.

Health Literacy and Health Status of Korean-Chinese Elderly People Living in Yanbian, China

• Li CY
• Lee O
• Shin GS
• Li XW

• KMID: 999308
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2009.39.3.386

Abstract

PURPOSE: This descriptive study was done to identify the relationship between health literacy and health status and to provide basic data for developing nursing interventions for Korean-Chinese elders living in Yanbian, China.
METHODS
For data collection, intentional sampling of 300 elders was used. The questionnaire was composed of 5 items based on "Ministry of Health, the People's Republic of China (2008)" to measure health literacy, 33 health status items from the "Korean Health Status Measure for Elderly People" developed by Shin (2002), revised for use in China, and 9 general characteristics. Data were analyzed using SPSS Win 13.0 program.
RESULTS
Total level of health literacy was relatively high (68.7%). Elders had high scores for taking medicines according to doctor's instruction, but lower ones for full comprehension through communication with doctors. Health status was high for emotional, physical, and social function in that order. There were significant differences between general characteristics and health status for gender, age, marital status, education, family, smoking, and alcohol consumption in that order. Results of multiple regression analysis for factors influencing health status showed that self-report health level was the most influential, followed by health literacy, age, gender.
CONCLUSION
Health literacy is the main factor affecting health promotion among minority elders indicating a need to develop health promotion programs for elders who have low health literacy.

Keyword

Health literacy; Health status; Elderly

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
*Attitude to Health
China
Demography
Female
Health Promotion
*Health Status
Humans
Korea
Male
Minority Groups
Questionnaires

Reference

1. Choi E.J. Relationship between function and health status of elderly in home visiting health program. 2008. Busan: Kosin University;Unpublished master's thesis.

2. Cui L, Jin PX, Jin YZ, Fang JN. Comparative study on different types of hypertension among the Korean nationality and Han nationality. Journal of Medical Science Yanbian University. 2006. 29:190–194.

3. Gazmararian JA, Baker DW, Williams MV, Parker RM, Scott TL, Green DC, et al. Health literacy among medicare enrollees in a managed care organization. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 1999. 281:545–551.

4. Gu L, Du P. Differentia of the old people's self-assessment of their health condition: Based on the national survey of the elderly in 2002 and 2005. South China Population. 2007. 22(2):58–64.

5. Kim JS. Comparisons of health status and health care needs between institutionalized and community-living elders. 2007. Seoul: Ewha University;Unpublished master's thesis.

6. Kim KJ. Correlations among perceived health status, depression and physical health status in elderly. 2002. Busan: Catholic University of Pusan;Unpublished master's thesis.

7. Kim MT, Han HR, Kim KB, Duong D. The use of traditional and western medicine among Korean American elderly. Journal of Community Health. 2002. 27:109–120.

8. Li CY, Li SZ, Chen B, Jin YH, Jin YA. The survey of health status and home care services of Yanbian residents. Chinese Journal of Nursing. 2001. 36:628–629.

9. Lim CY, Kim KH. Research study on the national identity of Koreans in Yanbian autonomous prefecture, China. Korean Journal of Political Science. 2002. 10:1–17.

10. National civil affairs report. Ministry of Civil Affairs of People's Republic of China. 2007. May. 26. Retrieved September 10, 2007. from http://cws.mca.gov.cn/accessory/200806/1214811949213.doc.

11. National people's health literacy-Basic knowledge and function. Ministry of Health of The People's Republic of China. 2008. February. 6. Retrieved February 7, 2008. http://www.moh.gov.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/mohfybjysqwss/s7907/200804/18212.htm.

12. Paasche-Orlow MK, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nielsen-Bohlman LT, Rudd RR. The prevalence of limited health literacy. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2005. 20:175–184.

13. Park JM, Han SH. The effect of exercise program on health and depression in the elderly. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2003. 33:220–227.

14. People's Republic of China (PRC) national blood pressure survey cooperative group. A survey on the prevalence of hypertension in different ethnic groups in China. Chinese Journal of Hypertension. 1995. 3(A01):24–30.

15. Rebecca L, Sudore KM, Mebta EM, Simonsick TB. Limited literacy in older people and disparities in health and healthcare access. The American Geriatrics Society. 2006. 54:770–776.

16. Schillinger D, Grumbach K, Piette J, Wang F, Osmond D, Daher C, et al. Association of health literacy with diabetes outcomes. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002. 288:475–482.

17. Shin HC, Kim CH, Cho BL, Won JW, Song SW, et al. The development of a Korean health status measure for the elderly. The Journal of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine. 2002. 23:440–457.

18. Shin KR, Kang YH, Jung DK, Choi KA. A study on the depression, somatic symptom, activities of daily living for the elderly women in an urban area. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2007. 37:1131–1138.

19. Song RY, June KJ, Ro YJ, Kim CG. Effects of motivation-enhancing program on health behaviors, cardiovascular risk factors, and functional status for institutionalized elderly women. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2001. 31:858–870.

20. Health promotion glossary (WHO/HPR/HEP/98.1). World Health Organization. 1998. Retrieved fromwww.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/hp_glossary_en.pdf.

21. Wu SY, Fang JN, Quan ZY, Cui LH, Jin CJ. Analysis of the mortality between Korean-Chinese and Han-Chinese in Yanji City. Chinese Journal of Health Statistics. 2004. 21:46–47.

22. Xuan JL, Jin H, Han CJ. Comparison of depression and anxiety of Korean and Han climacteric residents in community. Journal of Chinese Mental Health. 2008. 22:40–42.

23. Yao JH. On community health service from healthy aging. Chinese Primary Health Care. 2000. 14(12):12–14.

24. Zhu CB. The research progress of essential hypertension epidemiology in minority of China. Bulletin of Medical Research. 2005. 34(5):57–59.