THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS AND PHYSICAL FITNESS VARIABLES AMONG KOREAN ADULTS

BACKGROUND The relationship between socioeconomic status and physical fitness level is unclear. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between socioeconomic factors and physical fitness among Korean adults. PARTICIPANTS A retrospective analysis of the physical fitness and demographic data extracted from the 2013 National Fitness Award project conducted in Korea. The data from 1690 men and 1982 women, 19-64-years-old, were included. Sampling strategy, using 14 clusters and stratification levels, ensured a national representation of the Republic of Korea. The following physical fitness variables were included in the analysis: time on the 50 metre dash run repetitions of shuttle run, distance of standing long jump, distance of sit-and-reach, number of sit-ups in 1 min, and grip strength. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine whether physical fitness levels were related to occupation (physically active, non-active and other), household income (divided into quartiles) and location of residence (rural or urban), adjusting for age and sex. RESULTS Participants with physically active occupations had higher fitness levels than those with non-active and other occupations. As the household income increased, the fitness levels also tended to increase. Participants living in a small city had higher fitness levels than those living in a large city, except on the 50 metre dash run. CONCLUSIONS Physical fitness variables could be affected by socioeconomic status.