Assessment of Dental Care Utilization Based on Health Information Literacy in Korean Adults

TL;DR

This study shows that higher health information literacy in Korean adults is linked to better dental care utilization, including preventive treatments like scaling.

Contribution

The study establishes a novel link between health information literacy and specific dental care behaviors in Korean adults using national survey data.

Findings

Higher health information literacy is associated with nearly twice the likelihood of undergoing oral examinations in the past year.

Individuals with better health information understanding are 2.2 times more likely to receive preventive dental scaling.

Statistically significant associations were found between health information literacy and preventive dental care engagement.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to examine the utilization of dental care services according to the health information literacy among Korean adults. Methods: This study used secondary raw data from the 9th National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2023), which included 3356 adults aged 20 years and older. Frequency analysis, cross-analysis, and logistic regression were performed (p < 0.05). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software (ver. 22.0). Results: Using cross-analysis to identify the relationship between health information understanding and oral examinations within the last year, statistically significant differences were confirmed for all questions (p < 0.05). A statistically significant association was identified between individuals’ level of health information literacy and their engagement in preventive dental care, particularly the utilization of scaling procedures (p < 0.05). The higher their understanding of health information, the more likely they were to have undergone an oral examination in the previous year (nearly twice as likely higher; p = 0.003). The higher the understanding of health information regarding preventive treatment (scaling), the more likely the participant was to receive it (i.e., 2.2 times higher; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Educational interventions and policy support to improve the ability to understand health information can be important strategies for promoting the practice of preventive oral health and improving oral health level in people.