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Show Introduction Socioeconomic Status, Stress, and Social and Behavioral Factors Numerous researchers around the world have studied the correlation of socioeconomic status (SES), stress, and psychosocial health behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and diet, and despite small variances, most studies found similar correlation between the socioeconomic stress and unhealthy behaviors. According to Nandi and his colleagues’ study on adults in the United States (Nandi, Glymour, & Subramanian, 2014), people in the most-disadvantaged quartile of SES showed almost three times the increased chance of health risk behavior, particularly smoking, along with mortality than the people in the least-disadvantaged quartile of SES. Likewise, in a research by Stringhini and his colleagues (2011) with English and French data displayed strong correlation, almost one-half to three-quarters, between health risk behaviors, SES, and mortality, showing significant connection between unhealthy behaviors and “social disparities” (as cited in Nandi et al., 2014). In Australia, McKenzie and other psychologists (2011) studied more exclusively the relationship between psychological distress and risk behaviors and found that stress, anxiety, and depression had strong association with risk behaviors. However after controlling for SES or neuroticism, it was concluded that although psychological distress and risk behaviors showed high correlation, socioeconomic status, along with personality trait, seemed to have more significance in relation to unhealthy behaviors (McKenzie, Jayasinghe, Fanaian, Passey, Lyle, Davies, & Harris, 2011). Conversely, some researches indicated slight differences according to countries. Even within the United States, according to the Blaxter hypothesis (1990) that studied health-risk behaviors in different social classes, Blacks and Hispanics, compared to Whites, use social, cultural, and/or psychosocial resources more to cope with social disadvantage, health-risk behaviors, and stress, despite having higher mortality due to social disadvantage (as cited in Krueger, Saint Onge, & Chang, 2011). In other words, Blacks and Hispanics might perceive more stress than Whites but are more resistant due to various support systems/resources; the results did not support the hypothesis of socioeconomic status affecting stress or the risk of developing unhealthy behaviors. Some researches showed strong correlation between socioeconomic status, psychological stress, and health behaviors. However there were studies that showed different correlation and explanations for people’s health behaviors in other populations, which may suggest that there are cultural differences that affect such relationships. Psychological Stress in South Korea Most students in South Korea, driven by the idea of elitism, are pressured to study and to become the top students to become “successful,” often referring to monetary success. Unless you are in the top percentile, whether it is education or in workplace, there is no opportunity to achieve high socioeconomic status. Because of such environment, many people suffer from social pressures, such as extreme competitiveness and pressure to reach higher SES. Reflectively, among the OECD countries, Korea’s “health status, work-life balance and subjective assessment of well-being were ranked 33rd, 31st and 29th” (as cited in Yoon, 2015). Students suffer from extreme stress regarding employment even after earning bachelor’s degree. According to Kim (2014), only 54.8% of college graduates were able to get a job, and it was estimated that most of the people who did get a job were graduates from universities of higher educational ranks in Seoul (as cited in Cho & Jeon, 2015). Furthermore employment stress was found to have positive relationship with depression and urge to commit suicide, which demonstrates its detrimental influence. |
