Health literacy and smoking among young adult women in South Korea: Evidence from the 2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between health literacy and current smoking among young adult women in South Korea. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis using the 2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 692 women aged 19–39 years were analyzed. Health literacy, assessed using a validated 10-item self-report tool, was used to classify participants into adequate and inadequate groups. Complex samples logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between health literacy and current smoking, adjusting for sociodemographic, ‘health-related behavioral’ and psychological variables. Results: Women with inadequate health literacy had significantly higher odds of being current smokers compared to those with adequate health literacy (OR=1.95, 95% CI: 1.05–3.63). Conclusion: Health literacy was significantly associated with current smoking among young adult women. These findings highlight the importance of improving health literacy as a potential strategy for tobacco control efforts in this population.