Citation

Jee YH, Cho Y. Epidemiol. Health 2019; ePub(ePub): e2019019.

Affiliation

Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Korean Society of Epidemiology)

DOI

10.4178/epih.e2019019

PMID

31096748

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have indicated that marital status is associated with household compositions and living arrangements, which partially explain the differences in health status by marital status. However due to the rapid socio-economic, demographic transformations during the last few decades, and the distribution of marital status among middle aged become diverse, therefore this study aims to compare how the current association between marital status and health changed regarding the conventional explanation on marital effects of health.

METHODS: The data for this study was gained from the Korean Community Health Study of 2015. We compared four modifiable lifestyle behaviors: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, self-rated health status as an outcome by marital status (Married, divorced/widowed/separated) in Korean middle aged men (age40-44) who lived in Seoul and other regions.

RESULTS: Married men showed lowest cigarette smoking prevalence, highest subjective health status both before and after adjusting education and income. Alcohol consumption was highest in men before adjustment, but the association weakened after adjustment. Prevalence of physical activity rate was highest among divorced/widowed/separated before adjusting income and education level, however the results were reversed after adjustment.

CONCLUSION: In married men, the prevalence of cigarette smoking was lowest and subjective health status was highest, which were similar with the previous studies. However, alcohol drinking was highest in married men, and the prevalence of practicing physical activity was highest in divorced/widowed/separated men. Health behaviors and health status of Korean middle-aged should be more closely followed since they represent the demographic change in Korean population.

Language: en

Keywords

Marital status; health behavior; health status; middle aged men