Factors Associated with Self-Rated Health among Korean Elderly

BACKGROUND: South Korea has the fastest growing aging population in the world, and the Korean older adult population has been reported to have poor self-rated health (SRH). This cross-sectional descriptive survey aimed to examine the SRH and associated factors among the Korean older adult population using the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data. METHODS: The differences in SRH according to socioeconomic, health-related, and mental health-related factors and their relationships were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression, using data from 1,521 older adults in Korea from the 8(th) KNHANES. RESULTS: Self-rated health was higher among older adults with a high family income (odds ratio [OR]=1.58, 95% CI: 1.05–2.36), those who finished elementary school or lower as opposed to those with a middle school diploma (OR=0.52, 95% CI:0.29–0.95), those with a low body mass index (BMI) compared to those with a higher BMI (OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.21–0.88), those with no unmet health needs (OR=2.00, 95% CI: 1.31–3.06), those with better diet-related circumstances (OR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.15–3.39), those with lower stress (OR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.28–2.44), those with no suicidal ideation (OR=2.92, 95% CI: 1.75–4.87), and those without a history of psychiatric counseling (OR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.02–4.34). CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of health behaviors in promoting SRH among older adults in Korea, and emphasize the need for developing and implementing educational programs that reflect these findings.