The Health Behavior and Status according to Household Income Level in Korean Women Aged 35 Years or Older: the 2013 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Article information

Korean J Health Promot. 2017;17(1):20-30

Publication date (electronic) : 2017 March 31

doi : https://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2017.17.1.20

Min-Jeong Oh ¹, Yun-Jin Kim ², Jeong-Gyu Lee ², Yu-Hyeon Yi ¹, Young-Jin Tak ¹, Hye-Rim Hwang ¹, Seung-Hoon Lee ¹

¹Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.

²Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea.

Corresponding author: Yun-Jin Kim, MD, PhD. Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, 49 Busandaehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan 50612, Korea. Tel: +82-51-240-7834, Fax: +82-51-242-8671, yujkim@pusan.ac.kr

Received 2016 December 07; Accepted 2017 March 20.

Abstract

Background

Income is a major socioeconomic index, and low household income is known to negatively affect health. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research on the health status and health behavior of middle-aged and older women with low-income. This study aims to provide basic information on the health status and health behavior of low-income women, using data representative of South Koreans.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among the total of 8,018 respondents, 2,713 women aged 35 years or older were enrolled in the study. The subjects were classified by income status based on standard household income quartiles.

Results

The low-income group showed the lowest education levels and the highest unemployment rate (P<0.001). The percentage of smokers was the highest, while the frequency of exercise was the lowest in this group (P<0.001). The incidence of hyperlipidemia was highest (P=0.028), and they showed the highest body mass index, waist circumference (P<0.001), blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (P=0.018), and triglyceride level (P=0.03), as well as the lowest high density lipoprotein level (P=0.039), and the highest risk of cardiovascular diseases (P=0.002). Additionally, perceived health status was negative and quality of life was lowest among the groups (P<0.001). Although the enrollment rate for free health check-up services was highest (P=0.007), subscription to private health insurance, adult health check-ups, cancer screening rate were all lowest of the groups.

Conclusions

This study confirmed a health gap among middle-aged and elderly women of low income, compared to higher income groups.

Keywords: Income; Female; Health behavior; Health status

Notes

This study was supported by the clinical research fund of Pusan National University Hospital in 2016.

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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Funded by : Pusan National University Hospitalhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008130

Table 1

General characteristics and health behaviors according to house hold income groups aged over 35 years women.

Values are presented as unweighted number.

Continuous variables: estimated mean±SE, Categorical variables: % (SE).

P values are obtained by cross tabulation analysis (Rao-Scott chi-square test) in complex sample design.

^aP values are obtained by general linear regression model in complex sample design.

^bHigh risk drinking for women is defined as more than twice a week.

^cExercise is defined as high intensity exercise 20 minutes more than 3 times per week or moderate intensity exercise 30 minutes more than 5 times per week or walking 30 minutes more than 5 times per week.

Table 2

Morbidity, health status, health care utilization according to house hold income groups aged over 35 years women.

Values are presented as unweighted number (% SE).

P values are obtained by cross tabulation analysis (Rao-Scott chi-square test) in complex sample design.

^aAssessed by logistic regression analysis.

^bDiagnosed by a doctor.

Table 3

Anthropometric measurement and biochemical factors according to house hold income groups aged over 35 years women.

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; GOT, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase; GTP, glutamic pyruvate transaminase; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; LDL-chol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL-chol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol; FBS, fasting blood sugar.

Values are presented as unweighted number (estimated mean±SE).

P values are obtained by general linear regression model in complex sample design.

^aAssessed by logistic regression analysis.

Table 4

Number of cardiovascular disease risk according to house hold income groups aged over 35 years women.

Abbreviation: HTN, hypertension; BMI, body mass index; HDL-chol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Values are presented as unweighted number.

Continuous variables: estimated mean±SE, Categorical variables: % (SE).

P values are obtained by cross tabulation analysis (Rao-Scott chi-square test) in complex sample design.

^aAssessed by logistic regression analysis

^bP values are obtained by general linear regression model in complex sample design.

^cLack of exercise is defined as not doing high intensity exercise 20 minutes more than 3 times per week or moderate intensity exercise 30 minutes more than 5 times per week or walking 30 minutes more than 5 times per week.

Table 5

Self-perceived health status and quality of life according to house hold income groups aged over 35 years women

Values are presented as unweighted number (% SE).

P values are obtained by cross tabulation analysis (Rao-Scott chi-square test) in complex sample design.

^aAssessed by logistic regression analysis.