A study has shown that wealthy individuals live healthier and longer lives.
A research team led by Professor Yoon Seok-jun at Korea University College of Medicine analyzed the correlation between the income levels and health span of Koreans using health insurance data from 2008 to 2020. The findings were recently published in the Korean Journal of Medicine last year.
Health span refers to the period spent without illness or in good health. It is the lifespan minus the years lived with disease or disability.
According to the research team, the average health span of Koreans increased from 68.89 years in 2008 to 71.82 years in 2020. The health span for women was 73.98 years, which is 4.55 years longer than that of men (69.43 years).
Income was also related to the health span. The study compared and analyzed income levels divided into five quintiles based on health insurance premiums, finding that the health span for the highest income tier was 74.88 years, while the lowest income tier had a health span of 66.22 years, a significant difference of 8.66 years.
With the advancement of medical technology, the life expectancy has become longer than the health span, resulting in an increase in the duration spent in an unhealthy state. Life expectancy rose from 80.83 years in 2008 to 84.55 years in 2020, an increase of 3.72 years. As of 2020, life expectancy was 81.48 years for men and 87.39 years for women.
The gap between life expectancy and health span has widened from 11.94 years in 2008 to 12.73 years in 2020.
The researchers noted that "national-level policy support is needed to improve the health status of low-income groups and reduce inequality."
Reference materials
Korean Journal of Medicine (2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e46