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http://dx.doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2012.13.5.2189

Difference in Health-related Quality of Life among Social Classes and Related Factors in Korea  

Lim, Gyeong-Tae (Department of Health, Chungnam National University Graduate School)
Kwon, In-Sun (Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Chungnam National University School of Medicine and Research Institute for Medical Sciences)
Kim, Soon-Young (Department of Nursing, Joongbu University)
Cho, Young-Chae (Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Chungnam National University School of Medicine and Research Institute for Medical Sciences)
Nam, Hea-Sung (Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Chungnam National University School of Medicine and Research Institute for Medical Sciences)
Publication Information
Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society / v.13, no.5, 2012 , pp. 2189-2198 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study was designed to measure the difference in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among social classes and explore the factors that may explain it. Study subjects were 7,992 Korean adults aged 20-69 from the 4th (2007-2009) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys data. We described mean value of EQ-5D index as a HRQOL by class and performed hierarchical multiple regression analysis to find the factors. The result was as follows. In the distribution of EQ-5D index level among social classes, new middle class (class II) had the highest score (0.966 in men and 0.955 in women); upper and middle-upper class (class I) 0.965 in men and 0.936 in women; working class (class IV) 0.958 in men and 0.936 in women; old middle class (class III) 0.955 in men and 0.932 in women; low class (class VI) 0.941 in men and 0.908 in women; and rural self-management class (class V) the lowest score (0.918 in men and 0.866 in women). In men, chronic disease, job stress, education and income level were found to make the difference in the health-related quality of life among social classes; in women, those factors and health behavior explained the difference. In conclusion, the lower social class has lower HRQOL. Except for education and income level, chronic disease may be the major factor to explain the difference in the health-related quality of life among social classes.
Keywords
Social class; Health-related quality of life; Health Behavior; Chronic disease;
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