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 the Korean 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.