Social Network Analysis of Adults’ Obesity-Related Health Behaviors According to Life Cycle Stage

Purpose: This secondary data analysis study examined adults’ levels and networks of obesity-related health behaviors according to the life cycle stage. Methods: Participants included 5,203 adults aged 19–79 years who participated in the third year of the eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2021). Life cycle stages were divided into young, middle-aged, and older adult groups. Obesity status was classified based on a body mass index of 25 kg/m2. Selected obesity-related health behaviors included alcohol abstinence, not smoking, proper sleep, eating breakfast, fruit intake, vegetable intake, not eating out, aerobic physical activity, walking, and weight training. Obesity-related health behavior networks were analyzed for density, inclusiveness, degree, and degree/closeness/betweenness centrality using social network analysis. Results: Participants’ obesity rate was 37.6%, with the highest rate observed in the older adult group (39.2%). In all life cycle stages, the non-obese group had a higher density and average degree in the obesity-related health behavior network than the obese group. The young adult group showed higher centrality for vegetable intake, not smoking, alcohol abstinence, and proper sleep. The middle-aged group generally had higher centrality for health behaviors, whereas the older adult group had lower overall centrality for health behaviors, especially proper sleep and physical activity-related behaviors. Conclusion: There were differences in the levels and network structures of obesity-related health behaviors according to the life cycle stage, indicating a need for differentiated obesity-management strategies according to the life cycle stage.