Health Literacy Disparities across Conventional and Korean Medicine based on Primary Institutions

Objectives: While health literacy is recognized as a crucial determinant of health outcomes, research on its disparities among individuals visiting different types of primary medical institutions remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association between health literacy and the type of medical institution individuals primarily visited.Method: Using data from the Korea Health Panel Survey, this study analyzed the Health Literacy (HLS-EU-Q16 score) in relation to the type of medical institution visited. Furthermore, the study examined the difference in the primary source used to acquire medical information across institution types. Sub-analyses were also conducted based on age and the presence of chronic disease.Results: Among the 5,361 participants, women represented the majority of visitors to all groups (p<.0001). Older individuals were more likely to visit all types of medical institutions, but this tendency was less pronounced for Korean Medicine Clinics/Hospitals (KMC) (p=0.0002). Visitors to KMC showed an even distribution in education level; conversely, visitors to Public Health Centers/Clinics (PHC) tended to have a lower education level (p<.0001). The mean household annual income of KMC visitors was higher than that of other groups, while the income of PHC visitors was lower (p<.0001). The HLS-EU-Q16 score was significantly higher among visitors to KMC compared to other institutions (p=0.0003). Visitors to PHC relied mainly on television, whereas other visitors primarily utilized search engines for medical information.Conclusions: Health literacy varies by the type of medical institution visited. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for this variation and to improve health literacy across different healthcare settings.