The rates of walking and moderate physical activity, as well as experiences of depression and perceived stress among Koreans, improved compared to last year. Smoking and high-risk drinking also saw slight improvements. On the other hand, the rate of obesity and diagnoses of hypertension and diabetes continued to rise. Notably, the obesity rate has steadily increased since 2015 and has reached its highest level this year.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced the main results of the '2024 Community Health Survey,' conducted among approximately 230,000 adults aged 19 and older nationwide, on the 22nd. The Community Health Survey is conducted annually by 258 public health centers across the country to assess the health status of local residents based on Article 4 of the Local Health Act. Since 2008, it has been providing health statistics at the city, county, and district levels for comparative analysis between regions.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency analyzed the results of a survey conducted from May 16 to July 31 this year on the health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and physical activity among about 230,000 adults aged 19 and older nationwide. The results showed an improvement in rates of walking and moderate physical activity; however, the obesity rate and attempts to control weight worsened.
First, both the rates of walking and moderate physical activity have improved. The walking rate had been declining until 2021, but since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it has been on the rise. This year, it recorded a 1.8 percentage point increase to 49.7% compared to last year. The rate of moderate physical activity also increased by 1.5 percentage points to 26.6% compared to the previous year.
However, the disparities between regions have also widened. The gap in the walking rate between regions increased by 6.1 percentage points compared to last year, and the disparity in the rate of moderate physical activity increased by 2.2 percentage points.
The experience rates of diagnosis for hypertension and diabetes have maintained a steady upward trend. It increased by 0.5 percentage points compared to last year, reaching 21.1%.
However, among those diagnosed, the percentage receiving treatment has remained at around 80% for about the past 10 years since it was first surveyed in 2008. Since 2018, this figure has exceeded 90%, maintaining a high level each year. This year, the management level of chronic diseases has also remained above 90%.
However, the obesity rate has increased and has reached its highest point this year. The obesity rate based on body mass index (㎏/㎡) of 25 and above is 34.4%, up 0.7 percentage points from last year (33.7%). The annual attempt rate for weight control, indicating the percentage of those who have tried to lose or maintain weight over the past year, is 65.0% this year, down 1.9 percentage points from the previous year.
The current smoking rate is 18.9%, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. The use of traditional cigarettes stands at 18.9%, down 1.4 percentage points year-on-year, maintaining a steady decline. The rate of e-cigarettes (liquid or regular) is 8.7%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to last year.
Drinking decreased temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The monthly drinking rate increased to 58.3% this year compared to last year's 58.0%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points; however, the high-risk drinking rate decreased to 12.6%, down 0.6 percentage points from last year's 13.2%.
The rates of experiencing depression and perceived stress have decreased compared to the previous year. The percentage of individuals who experienced significant depressive symptoms affecting daily life for two weeks or more in the past year decreased by 1.1 percentage points to 6.2%. The perceived stress rate also dropped to 23.7%, a decrease of 2.0 percentage points from last year.
Ji Young-mi, Administrator of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, noted, "The results of the 2024 Community Health Survey show that physical activity among adults aged 19 and older has increased, and experiences of depression have decreased." She added, "Conversely, obesity has increased compared to the previous year, and the trends in these health indicators appear to vary significantly by region." The Administrator further stated, "Next year, we plan to conduct a pilot mixed survey in some local governments to establish procedures and correction measures, and based on this, we will expand the mixed survey nationwide to reduce the burden on participants and enhance reliability."