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

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.