Evaluation of the Differences of Household Income and Physical Fitness Variables in Elderly Koreans

Abstract

Background and Objective Physical activity and fitness are complementary to each other, but they are independent concepts with regard to health. Although there are some studies about the relationship between one’s physical activity and economic level, there are very few studies about the relationship between one’s fitness level and economic level. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the fitness level of elderly Koreans according to their economic level. Material and Methods In 2015, 1,068 elderly Koreans (men=452, women=616) over 65 years of age participated in the Korean national fitness assessment. Their household income was collected using a self-report survey, and physical fitness variables (grip strength, sit-up, sit to stand, sit and reach, back scratch, one-leg standing with eyes open, and 6-minute walk) were measured directly. Then the differences between household income and physical fitness variables were evaluated by conducting one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test (post-hoc testing). Results Elderly men showed significant differences in grip strength (p=0.009), sit-up (p<0.001), and sit to stand (p<0.001) according to the four household income groups (under 70,000 won group, 700,000 to under 2,030,000 won group, 2,030,000 to under 3,500,000 won group, and over 3,500,000 won group) by one-way ANOVA. Elderly women showed significant differences in grip strength (p=0.001), sit-up (p<0.001), one-leg standing with eyes open (p=0.048), and 6-minute walk (p<0.001) according to the four groups by one-way ANOVA. Conclusion Physical fitness variables related to muscular strength and muscular endurance can be affected by household income in elderly Koreans.