Perceived social status and unhealthy habits in Korea.

BACKGROUND: The association between socioeconomic status and unhealthy behaviors is well-documented in the literature. Less is known, however, about the role of subjective social status, but recent evidence shows that perceived standing in the social hierarchy has important roles in health.

METHODS: This paper studies the association between perceived social status and the consumption of alcohol and tobacco among the South Korean elderly. Using data from a large longitudinal survey in Korea, we empirically estimate these correlations while controlling for a large set of confounders that include measures of objective social status.

RESULTS: Respondents who view themselves as lower in the social hierarchy are more likely to be active smokers but equally likely to be drinkers as respondents who view themselves better off socially. We also find that among smokers and drinkers, the actual amounts of tobacco and alcohol consumed correlate well with perceived social status. In terms of drinking, the higher the subjective social status, the lower the amount of alcohol consumed. In terms of smoking, people at the two extremes of the social hierarchy smoke more than people in the middle.

CONCLUSIONS: South Korea is facing unique problems regarding aging, economic and social inequality, and high rates of tobacco and alcohol consumption. Understanding the role of perceived social status on these unhealthy habits is therefore extremely important for designing policies that address these health issues from multiple perspectives.