Increase in Depression and Diabetes Since the COVID-19 Pandemic

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The number of people experiencing depression and diabetes has increased over the past two years since the outbreak of COVID-19.

On the 27th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced the results of an analysis using the 2019-2021 Community Health Survey, examining key health behavior and chronic disease indicators before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to this analysis, mental health and chronic disease indicators worsened during the two years following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportion of people experiencing depression increased from 5.5% in 2019 to 5.7% in 2020 and 6.7% in 2021. The perceived stress rate rose from 25.2% in 2019 to 26.2% in 2020 and remained at that level the following year.

The number of people aged 30 and older diagnosed with diabetes also increased after COVID-19. The diabetes diagnosis experience rate (aged 30 and above) rose from 8.0% in 2019 to 8.8% in 2021. Conversely, the proportion of those diagnosed with diabetes who are undergoing treatment decreased. The treatment rate among those diagnosed with diabetes aged 30 and above slightly declined each year from 91.9% in 2019 to 91.5% in 2020 and 91.2% in 2021.

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Indicators of chronic diseases such as obesity improved until 2020 but worsened in 2021. The obesity rate, which was 31.8% in 2018, decreased by 0.5 percentage points to 31.3% in 2020 but rebounded to 32.2% in 2021. The proportion of people aged 30 and above diagnosed with hypertension decreased from 19.4% in 2019 to 19.2% in 2020. However, it rose by 0.8 percentage points to 20.0% in 2021. The hypertension treatment rate steadily increased from 91.7% in 2019 to 93.1% in 2020 and 93.3% in 2021.

On the other hand, the walking practice rate and healthy lifestyle practice rate improved in 2021 compared to 2020. The walking practice rate dropped by 3.0 percentage points to 37.4% in 2020 compared to the previous year but increased to 40.3% in 2021. The healthy lifestyle practice rate decreased from 28.4% in 2019 to 26.4% in 2020 but rose to 29.6% the following year.

Jung Eun-kyung, director of the KDCA, stated, "As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, efforts to maintain health, such as the recovery of the walking practice rate, have been observed," adding, "However, to prevent further deterioration of indicators that worsened during the pandemic, the government needs to make focused choices and concentrate efforts in establishing and implementing health policies."

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