Correlation between Socio-demographic Variables and Health-promoting Life Style in Korea

Kim, Hyun Sil

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the differences of scores in overall health-promoting behavior between residents in the Seoul area and rural inhabitants : and to examine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and the level of practical performance of the six dimension subscales of the Health-Promoting Lifestyles Profile (HPLP). Data were collected by questionnaire survey over a period of 2 months from July 1st to August 31st, 1997. Subjects chosen for this study consisted of 170 individuals, including 85 Seoul dwellers and 85 rural occupants in Korea. These were sampled from the Seoul and the local adult populations, using a random sampling method. However, the actual number of subjects put into the analyses was 151, including 68 Seoul residents and 83 rural inhabitants. Data were analysed by the SAS program. Statistical methods employed for this study were frequency, t-test, one/two-way ANOVA and MANOVA. The results were as follows : 1. It was revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between Seoul dwellers and rural inhabitants in the scores of health promoting life style activities, that is, Seoul area and rural inhabitants ; and to examine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and the level of practical performance of the six dimension subscales of the Health-Promoting Lifestyles Profile (HPLP). Data were collected by questionnaire survey over a period of 2 months from July 1st August 31st, 1997. Subjects chosen for this study consisted of 170 individuals, including 85 Seoul dwellers and 85 rural occupants in Korea. These were sampled from the Seoul and the local adult populations, using a random sampling method. However, the actual number of subjects put into the analyses was 151, including 68 Seoul residents and 83 rural inhabitants. Data were analysed by the SAS program. Statistical methods employed for this study were frequency, t-test, one/two-way ANOVA and MANOVA. The results were as follows : 1. It was revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between Seoul dwellers and rural inhabitants in the scores of health promoting life style activities, that is, Seoul occupants had higher scores in overall health promoting life styles than did the local residents. 2. The male population showed higher scores in overall health promoting life styles including self-actualization, health responsibility, interpersonal support and stress management than did the female. 3. The middle aged group (40-49 year old) showed higher scores in overall health promoting life styles than any other age group. 4. The married sample showed higher scores in health responsibility and nutrition than did the unmarried, the divorced, or the widowee/widower. The scores were almost the same between the married and the unmarried group, even though the unmarried group had slightly higher scores in self-actualization, exercise, interpersonal support, and stress management of the HPLP than did the married. 5. Public officials and clerical workers showed higher scores in overall health promoting lifestyles than did the others including house wives, farmers, business-men, or professionals. But in the analysis of mutual interactions of both age and occupation, business-men, merchants, public officials and clerical workers in 40-49 years of age with their health responsibility showed higher scores in overall health promoting lifestyles than did the others, while professionals showed lower scores relatively. While professionals showed lower scores relatively. 6. A person who earned over 1,500,000 Won as a monthly income showed higher scores in overall health promoting life styles than the person who earned under 1,500,000 Won, 7. A statistical significance was not found in the difference between the socio-demographic variables, such as levels of education and HPLP scores in overall health promoting life styles. These findings differed from the existing previous study's results in which the higher educational levels contributed to the health promoting behaviors. Therefore, the author suggested that the level of formal education can not playn and important role in the practical performance of health promoting behaviors, at present, because of the more effective community-based health education through the mass media such as TV and video.