농촌 노인의 건강정보 이해능력이 미충족 의료에 미치는 영향 = Health Literacy and Unmet Healthcare Needs among Rural Older Adults in Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study investigated the effect of health literacy on unmet healthcare needs among older adults residing in rural areas of Korea, using data from the 2022 Korea Health Panel Survey. A total of 2,775 rural adults aged 65 years or older were analyzed, and complex sample logistic regression was employed to ensure re presentativeness. The results showed that lower health literacy significantly increased the likelihood of experiencing unmet healthcare needs (OR = 1.011, p < .001). Older age, female gender, lower educational attainment, and lower household income were also significant predictors. These findings indicate that health literacy is a key determinant of healthcare accessibility among rural older adults, suggesting that limited comprehension of health information may impede timely use of necessary medical services. The study highlights the need for tailored health literacy interventions, reinforcement of community-based health education, and improvements in multi-channel health information delivery systems that reflect older adults’ cognitive and digital competencies. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs and conduct comparative regional analyses to further clarify the causal pathways linking health literacy to healthcare utilization.