Seoul Residents Take Better Care of Their Health

An increasing number of Seoul resident are taking better care of their health, a survey shows. According to the survey of 4,600 people aged over 15 based on self-evaluation of their health by Statistics Korea, the percentage of those who exercise regularly rose 5.8 percent over four years, from 29.5 percent in 2006 to 35.3 percent in 2010.

The proportion of those who had regular medical check-ups increased 18.3 points from 30 percent in 2006 to 48.3 percent in 2010.

The older they are, the more eager to look after their health. In 2010, 43.6 percent of those in their 50s said they exercise regularly, up 10.9 percent from four years ago, and 56.8 percent of respondents in their 40s said they had routine medical check-ups, up a whopping 21.5 percent from 2006.

Among respondents aged 20 or older, 25.5 percent drink alcohol at least once a week, and 23.9 percent smoke at least once a week. Some 42.6 percent of men and 9.5 percent of women replied that they drank at least once a week last year. Of those in their 50s, 27.1 percent attempted to quit drinking last year, followed by 24.4 percent in their 30s, 23.3 percent in their 40s, and 21.5 percent in their 60s or over.

Some 52.3 percent in their 50s tried to quit smoking, as did 48.4 percent in their 40s, 44.6 percent in their 30s, and 44.5 in their 60s or over. Respondents felt that the biggest reason they failed to stop drinking is social gatherings (65.6 percent), followed by stress (32.1 percent). Smokers cited stress (48 percent) and habit (41.9 percent) as the main reasons they failed to quit.

Compared to 2006, people had a more positive perception of their health as more than half of the respondents or 55.2 percent evaluated their health as good, compared to 46.1 percent in 2006.