TRENDS IN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND HYPERTENSION PREVALENCE IN SOUTH KOREA: A 2007–2018 NATIONWIDE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: Hypertension (HTN) is a significant public health concern globally and is influenced by socioeconomic status (SES). SES factors, including education and income, play a crucial role in the distribution of HTN prevalence. This study aims to examine the trends in HTN prevalence in South Korea from 2007 to 2018, focusing on SES disparities. Understanding these trends can help inform targeted interventions and health policies to address disparities in cardiovascular risk.Design and method: We analysed 47,745 economically active adults aged 30 to 65 years from 97,622 participants in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2007 and 2018. This survey employs a cross-sectional design with a new independent sample each year. Participants were classified into four groups based on education level and income. Education level was categorized as high (high school graduate or above) or low (less than high school graduate), and income was divided into high and low based on the median household income. HTN prevalence was evaluated over three time periods: 2007–2010, 2011–2014, and 2015–2018. The trend analysis accounted for age, sex, and lifestyle factors, including smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity, which were adjusted to reduce confounding. Results: Over the study period, the prevalence of HTN exhibited divergent trends across SES groups. Group D (low education, low income) showed a continuous and significant increase in HTN prevalence from 35% in 2007–2010 to 43% in 2015–2018, surpassing all other groups. Conversely, Group A (high education, high income) maintained the lowest HTN prevalence throughout the period, with minimal change from 20% to 22%. Groups B (high education, low income) and C (low education, high income) displayed intermediate trends but did not experience significant increases. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that HTN prevalence has increased disproportionately in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations in South Korea over the past 12 years. The widening gap between SES groups underscores the need for targeted public health interventions and policies to reduce health disparities and improve cardiovascular outcomes in vulnerable populations.