Socioeconomic inequality in compliance with precautions and health behavior changes during the COVID-19 outbreak: an analysis of the Korean Community Health Survey 2020

OBJECTIVES: This study examined socioeconomic inequalities in compliance with precautions and health behavior changes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak using a representative Korean sample. METHODS: This exploratory study utilized around 210,000 participants aged ≥ 25 years in the Korean Community Health Survey 2020. Socioeconomic status was measured with educational attainment and household income. Outcomes included non-compliance with 8 precaution measures and deterioration in 6 health behaviors. The relative inequality index (RII) was calculated to quantify the degree of inequality by education and income level. RII values > 1.0 indicate that deprived people have a higher frequency of health problems, and RII values < 1.0 conversely indicate a higher frequency of health problems in more advantaged groups. RESULTS: People with lower education or income levels tended to have higher rates of non-compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions (RII range, 1.20 to 3.05). Lower education and income levels were associated with an increased smoking amount (RII = 2.10 and 1.67, respectively) and sleep duration changes (RII = 1.21 and 1.36, respectively). On the contrary, higher education and income levels were associated with decreased physical activity (RII = 0.59 and 0.77, respectively) and increased delivery food consumption (RII = 0.27 and 0.37, respectively). However, increased alcohol drinking was associated with lower education and income levels in younger men (RII = 1.73 and 1.31, respectively), but with higher levels in younger women (RII = 0.73 and 0.68, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the need to develop customized strategies, considering the characteristics of the target population, to decrease the burden and impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.