Table 1 Health literacy score and Percentage of adequate health literacy by Participant characteristics

Gender

male

5344

15.1

4.11

<0.001

2112

39.5

0.002

female

5701

15.44

4.02

2417

42.4

Han majority

10246

15.28

4.09

0.582

4219

41.2

0.244

The minority

806

15.36

3.76

315

39.1

Age group

18–29

2239

15.90

3.82

<0.001

1042

46.5

<0.001

30–39

2180

16.09

3.85

1069

49

40–49

2195

15.53

3.68

910

41.5

50–59

2278

15.02

4.08

870

38.2

60-

2160

13.86

4.49

643

29.8

illiteracy

295

9.88

4.16

<0.001

17

5.8

<0.001

primary school

1084

12.28

4.08

162

14.9

junior high school

3008

14.34

3.77

867

28.8

senior high school

3194

15.71

3.63

1390

43.5

college or above

3462

17.12

3.47

2098

60.6

students

378

15.86

3.96

<0.001

190

50.3

<0.001

peasants

2973

13.81

4.14

779

26.2

manual workers

289

13.94

3.97

75

26

employee of enterprise

1888

16.53

3.49

1008

53.4

migrant workers

325

14.49

4.05

104

32

service workers

887

15.26

3.79

355

40

civil servants and public

institutions’ staff

1116

16.92

3.59

652

58.4

healthcare workers

303

18.96

3.25

236

77.9

retirees

1854

15.32

3.91

747

40.3

people waiting for employment

826

14.33

4.10

265

32.1

others

213

16.46

3.45

123

57.7

excellent

2478

16.26

3.86

<0.001

1279

51.6

<0.001

good

3980

15.59

3.92

1728

43.4

normal

4009

14.71

4.02

1374

34.3

bad

503

12.94

4.72

132

26.2

very bad

78

12.83

4.39

18

23.1

Region

urban

5729

15.97

3.90

<0.001

2767

48.3

<0.001

suburb

5323

14.54

4.12

1767

33.2

Overall

11052

15.28

4.07

4534

41