신수정1, 송윤미1, 고현영1, 최윤호2, 이우용2, 정선미2, 박선영1, 김인섭1, 신진영3

성균관대학교 의과대학 삼성서울병원 1가정의학과, 2건강의학본부, 3건국대학교 의과대학 가정의학교실

Background: Based on scientific evidence, the Korean
National Health Examination recommends age 40 as an
appropriate time for screening. However, awareness of the
health examination itself or of the appropriate age
for screening has not been discussed extensively with
examinees. This study aims to evaluate the perception
about age at the start and end of periodic health
examinations (PHE).
Methods: A self-administered survey was completed by 887
subjects who visited either the health promotion
center or the outpatient clinic at a university hospital in Korea
between February 15 and May 18, 2016.
Participants were divided into two groups: 587 were periodic
health examinees, and 300 were visitors to the
family medicine clinic. Their awareness of PHE was
compared using the Chi-square test and multiple logistic
regression.
Results: Both groups had similar (P>0.05) perceptions
regarding the awareness, knowledge and usefulness of
the PHE. Both groups preferred to continue taking a PHE
with no upper limit on the age when it could be taken.
This tendency was more prominent among subjects with
higher levels of education and household income. In
both groups with individuals under age 50 said that the
appropriate age to begin screening is 40 or younger.
Conclusions: The perception regarding the ages at which to
start and end the PHE was confirmed according to
the subject of visit; a wider range of appropriate ages was
preferred than is included in the current recommendations.
Korean J Health Promot 2017;17(3):161-167
Keywords: Health service, Age factors, Socioeconomic
factors