Health Promoting Behaviors and Related Cost: Data from the Korea Health Panel Study 2019

Abstract

This paper examines the current status of health promoting behaviors and smoking cessation and physical activity and related costs among adults using data from the Korea Health Panel Study 2019. Among current smokers as of 2019, 19.4% tried to quit smoking at least for a day in 2019. Only 13.7% of those who had tried to quit smoking spent on average 54 thousand won a year on smoking cessation. About 21.3% of the subjects spent money for physical activity, and their annual expenditure was an average of 797 thousand won. The amount spent on physical activity varied according to socio-demographic characteristics and whether or not the physical activity was performed on a regular basis. An understanding of the status of health promoting behaviors and related costs could be used to develop health promotion programs and policies. Policy considerations should be made so that the cost of practicing health behaviors does not become a barrier to health behavior.