Association between health literacy and risk of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

作者：X. Li, Xiaoxv Yin, Zhongyang Guan, Yun Qian, Travis Loux · 发表于：Public Health · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.puhe.2025.03.001 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Health Literacy and Information Accessibility、Mental Health Treatment and Access、Mental Health via Writing

OBJECTIVES: Depression, one of the most prevalent mental disorders, constitutes a pressing threat to global population health. In recent years, an increasing number of observational studies have explored the association between health literacy (HL) and depression risk; however, their results are inconsistent. Furthermore, no study has yet systematically synthesized this association based on findings from observational studies. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed to identify eligible studies from five databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library). The overall odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to evaluate the role of HL in the development and progression of depression using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Eleven observational studies, including nine cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies, were included in the current review. Meta-analysis revealed that higher levels of HL were associated with lower risk of depression (OR = 0.90, 95 % CI: 0.86-0.94). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that studies of adolescent individuals using the Chinese Adolescent Interactive Health Literacy Questionnaire (CAIHLQ) to quantify HL exhibited stronger associations (OR = 0.43, 95 % CI: 0.34-0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant negative associ...