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. 2020 Jun 30;29(2):124-132.
doi: 10.7570/jomes20058.

Obesity Fact Sheet in Korea, 2019: Prevalence of Obesity and Abdominal Obesity from 2009 to 2018 and Social Factors

Ga Eun Nam  1 , Yang-Hyun Kim  1 , Kyungdo Han  2 , Jin-Hyung Jung  3 , Eun-Jung Rhee  4 , Seong-Su Lee  5 , Dae Jung Kim  6 , Kwan-Woo Lee  6 , Won-Young Lee  4 ; Korean Society for the Study of Obesity
Affiliations

Obesity Fact Sheet in Korea, 2019: Prevalence of Obesity and Abdominal Obesity from 2009 to 2018 and Social Factors

Ga Eun Nam et al. J Obes Metab Syndr. .

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity has rapidly increased in countries across the world in recent decades. The 2019 Obesity Fact Sheet released by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity addressed the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity during the period of 2009 to 2018 and obesity-related social factors.

Methods: Data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service health checkup database between 2009 and 2018 and the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2010 and 2017 were analyzed. The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was calculated after standardizing for age and sex based on the 2010 population and housing census.

Results: From 2009 to 2018, the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity increased to 35.7% and 23.8%, respectively, in 2018. Upward trends in the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was observed among both sexes and nearly all age groups. The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was higher among individuals with lower education and household income levels. Among occupations, managers exhibited the highest prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity. Further, the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity became higher among individuals working longer hours and split and night shift workers.

Conclusion: The 2019 Obesity Fact Sheet provides information on changes in obesity dynamics during the past decade and obesity-related social factors in the Korean adult population. This report might constitute a cornerstone by which to establish targets for future interventions for reversing the rise in the prevalence of obesity and reducing the burden of obesity in Korea.

Keywords: Abdominal obesity; Fact sheet; National Health Insurance Service; Obesity; Prevalence; Social factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure. 1
Figure. 1
Prevalence of obesity (A) and abdominal obesity (B) from 2009 to 2018.
Figure. 2
Figure. 2
Age-specific prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity in males (A, B) and females (C, D) from 2009 to 2018.
Figure. 3
Figure. 3
Prevalence of obesity (A) and abdominal obesity (B) by education level.
Figure. 4
Figure. 4
Prevalence of obesity (A) and abdominal obesity (B) by household income level.
Figure. 5
Figure. 5
Prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity by occupational condition. Prevalence of obesity (A) and abdominal obesity (B) by occupational classification. Prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity by the number of working hours per week (C) and by working type (D).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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