Abstract
In this study, the researchers investigated the factors influencing regional disparities in the practice of healthy living for the elderly in Busan and Gyeongnam. A cross-sectional study was utilized to integrate raw data from the Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS) in 2015, 2017, and 2019. The KCHS included respondents from the Busan Metropolitan and Gyeongnam regions. Based on the socioecological model, healthy living practices were selected as the dependent variable, and other factors, such as personal, interpersonal, and community factors, were selected as independent variables. Bivariate chi-square test, independent t-test, and logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS/WIN version 26.0. According to the results, community factors were significant predictors of healthy living practices in Busan, while interpersonal factors were the predictors in the Gyeongnam region. Moreover, personal factors impacted healthy living practices but differed significantly between regions. In particular, the living environment and unmet healthcare needs were significant predictors for Busan and Gyeongnam regions, respectively, indicating the need to improve the environment and physical access to healthcare resources in the urban community. Through the results of our study, we highlight the need to implement policies and strategies tailored to personal and environmental factors to improve healthy living practices in older adults.
Highlights
The differences in healthy lifestyle practices according to the individual, interpersonal, and community factors based on the socioecological model are as follows (Table 2)
In Gyeongnam, healthy living practices were higher in men (χ2 = 206.50, p < 0.001), in the 65–74 years age group (χ2 = 33.28, p < 0.001), middle-school graduates or higher (χ2 = 42.01, p < 0.001), and among those living with a spouse (χ2 = 8.10, p = 0.042)
The predictors of healthy living practices among older adults in Busan and Gyeongnam were analyzed with multiple logistic regression, and it was significantly associated with individual, interpersonal, and community factors depending on the region
Summary
In South Korea, older adults aged 65 and over accounted for 15.7% of the total population in 2020, and the average life expectancy as of 2018 was 83.7 and 87.8 years, respectively, for men and women [2]. In response to these statistics, the country’s health policies are shifting from disease-focused policies to health management policies that motivate changes in health behaviors, such as promoting exercise and abstinence from tobacco and alcohol consumption [3]. The government has strived to ameliorate the health behaviors of its people through establishing 255 public health centers nationwide and encouraging smoking cessation, drinking in moderation, exercise, and monitoring health-related lifestyle practices by region [4]
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