Subjective Social Status and Unhealthy Behaviors among South Korean Adults

Abstract

Objectives: This study was an exploration of the associations between socioeconomic status (SES), particularly subjective social status (SSS), and unhealthy behaviors among South Korean adults. Methods: Data were taken from the 2013 Korea Health Panel survey data. SSS was measured using the MacArthur scale. Overweight/obesity was defined as body mass index of >= 25. Other behaviors were assessed using closed questions. Sex-stratified logistic regression analyses were conducted with 10,482 respondents (N = 6875 for nonadherence), including SSS, conventional socioeconomic measures and demographics. Results: A pattern of SSS gradients in unhealthy behaviors, except for medication nonadherence, were observed among women, but they were statistically significant only for current smoking and physical inactivity. Such patterns were rarely observed among men, except for current smoking. Education-related inequalities also were found in overweight/obesity and current smoking for both sexes, but with an inverse gradient in overweight/obesity for men. An independent role of income was limited only to physical inactivity among women. Conclusions: These findings highlight stronger socioeconomic gradients in unhealthy behaviors for women than for men in South Korea. SSS, together with education, may have greater implications than income in understanding unhealthy behaviors. A multifaceted approach is needed to understand the relationships more fully.