The Association between Socioeconomic Status and Adherence to Health Check-up in Korean Adults, Based on the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 가정의학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We investigated the association between socioeconomic status and adherence to health check-ups in a Korean population aged 40 years or older. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 12,311 participants who participated in the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess each participant's socioeconomic status (household income, occupation, and education) and adherence to health check-ups. RESULTS: Men with a higher income (highest vs. lowest odds ratio [OR], 1.799; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.296–2.497) and men with a higher education level (≥12 vs. < 6 years OR, 1.488; 95% CI, 1.078–2.054) and office workers compared with manual workers (men OR, 1.431; 95% CI, 1.077–1.902; women OR, 1.783; 95% CI, 1.256–2.532) appeared to undergo more health check-ups. In particular, men and women with a higher income and education appeared more likely to undergo opportunistic health check-ups (men highest vs. lowest income OR, 2.380; 95% CI, 1.218–4.653; ≥12 vs. < 6 years education OR, 2.121; 95% CI, 1.142–3.936; women highest vs. lowest income OR, 4.042; 95% CI, 2.239–7.297; ≥12 vs. < 6 years education OR, 2.475; 95% CI, 1.283–4.775). CONCLUSION: A higher socioeconomic status was associated with a higher rate of participation in health check-ups. More efforts are needed to identify the factors associated with disparity in adherence to health check-ups.