Dyadic Profiles of Health Behaviors Among Korean Baby Boomer Couples

Abstract

Objectives:To address the issue of whether health behaviors are concordant within couples, this study identified dyadic profiles of health behaviors among Korean baby boomer couples (born 1955-1963).Methods: We analyzed a sample of 1,092 middle-aged couples from theKorean Baby Boomer Panel Study(2014). Latent class analysis and multinomial regression models were conducted to describe underlying health behavior profiles.Results: Four dyadic profiles of health behaviors emerged: (a)concordant-high health-promoting(26%), (b)moderate concordant-compensating(21%), (c)moderate concordant-low engaging(22%), and (d)less concordant-high health-promoting(31%). In addition, couples with higher levels of education, worse health, or better marital quality were more likely to belong to two high health-promoting profiles.Discussion: Encouraging husbands to engage in fewer health-compromising behaviors and acknowledging barriers to health-promoting behaviors for both spouses may contribute to healthier lifestyles among Korean couples.