9 out of 10 Koreans Say "Preventive Health Care is Important"... Paying More Attention to Health After COVID-19

Philips Announces Results of 'Survey on Personal Health Management in Asian Countries'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Nine out of ten Koreans believe that 'preventive health care' is important, and a survey revealed that interest in health has noticeably increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philips announced the results of the "Personal Health Care Status Survey in Asian Countries" on the 22nd, conducted with research specialist Kantar Profiles Network targeting 4,000 people in four countries: Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.

In this survey, 89% of Korean respondents considered preventive health care important. Especially after COVID-19, interest and practice of healthy lifestyle habits increased; 35% reported an increase in taking health supplements, and 30% said they read more materials related to health and disease prevention. Additionally, 25% ate healthier meals, and 25% prioritized health over work.

Although interest and practice of healthy lifestyle habits have increased, half of all respondents in the Asian surveyed countries, including 51% of Korean respondents, answered that they could do more than their current efforts to maintain their health. This is interpreted as indicating a gap in the level of personal health care. Among domestic respondents, 43% cited lack of time to take care of themselves due to work, family, and personal errands as the main obstacle to personal health care.

Park Hee-je, head of Philips Korea's Personal Health Business Division, said, "It is very encouraging that the majority of people in our country recognize the importance of maintaining health and managing underlying diseases," adding, "Developing smarter personal health care technologies could be one way to encourage disease prevention."

Meanwhile, regarding personal health care technology, most responses indicated the possibility of development beyond the commonly used methods today. 56% of Korean respondents said they would likely use personal health care technologies and devices over the next three years to manage their overall health, and 57% said they would use them to monitor underlying diseases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.