Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of physical activity on the medical expenditure a well-defined general South Korean population.
Methods: We analyzed data from 14,349 adults aged 20 years or older from the Korea Health Panel Survey 2009 to 2011. Physical activity was measured using a Korean version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form. Medical expenditures were also determined using receipts of medical care spending or household financial record books.
Results: The physical activity levels were significantly associated with medical cost (P<0.05), after adjusted for age, sex, BMI, house-hold income, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption and chronic disease condition.
Conclusions: Our prospective study suggest that a higher level of physical activity is associated with the decreased medical expenditure among the Korean general population.