Subjective life expectancy (SLE) is the predictive value of actual life expectancy. SLE has been notably associated with mortality. The 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) representative sample of 10,254 Koreans aged over 45 years to assess the associations between factors of SLE. Descriptive analysis, correlations, and age-adjusted regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between SLE and demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors. We also linked the 2018 KLoSA death statistics to the 2006 data to evaluate the association between actuarial life expectancy and SLE. We found that chronic illnesses and limitations in activities of daily living affect the life expectancy of individuals. Marriage, gainful employment, and high educational qualifications increase life expectancy. People who exercise expect to live longer, while those who smoke and drink expect to live somewhat shorter lives. Better self-rated health is associated with higher SLE. People who own a house expect to live longer than non-owners, and individuals living in metropolitan cities and urban areas assume a longer life expectancy than those living in rural areas. Participants who died between 2006 and 2018 had previously predicted a lower life expectancy than those who survived until 2018. The results of the study suggest that current health status, health behaviors, socioeconomic status, and actual life expectancy showed significant associations with SLE in the expected directions. These findings imply that we could use SLE as a database of health status, health behavior, and actual life expectancy. This information could help us intervene and improve policies related to SLE.

OBJECTIVES: Subjective life expectancy (SLE) has been found to show a significant association with mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the major factors affecting SLE. We also examined whether any differences existed between SLE and actuarial life expectancy (LE) in Korea. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1000 individuals in Korea aged 20-59 was conducted. Participants were asked about SLE via a self-reported questionnaire. LE from the National Health Insurance database in Korea was used to evaluate differences between SLE and actuarial LE. Age-adjusted least-squares means, correlations, and regression analyses were used to test the relationship of SLE with four categories of predictors: demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, and psychosocial factors. RESULTS: Among the 1000 participants, women (mean SLE, 83.43 years; 95% confidence interval, 82.41 to 84.46 years; 48% of the total sample) had an expected LE 1.59 years longer than that of men. The socioeconomic factors of household income and housing arrangements were related to SLE. Among the health behaviors, smoking status, alcohol status, and physical activity were associated with SLE. Among the psychosocial factors, stress, self-rated health, and social connectedness were related to SLE. SLE had a positive correlation with actuarial estimates (r=0.61, p<0.001). Gender, household income, history of smoking, and distress were related to the presence of a gap between SLE and actuarial LE. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, and psychosocial factors showed significant associations with SLE, in the expected directions. Further studies are needed to determine the reasons for these results.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Demography ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Housing ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Expectancy* ; Male ; Mortality ; Motor Activity ; National Health Programs ; Psychology ; Republic of Korea ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Socioeconomic Factors

Background: Systemic Clinic Outcome and Routine Evaluation (SCORE-15) is a compact scale that contains the most critical family function assessment tools including assessments of the strengths, adaptability, and communication among family members. It has been translated into other languages in the United States and Europe. This study aimed to verify the reliability and validity of SCORE-15 with a small research population and justify its applicability in Korea. Methods: SCORE-15 is a self-reporting family function measurement tool for each family member over the age of 11 years. This study used the Family Communication Scale (FCS) included in the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES) IV package and FACES in FACES-III to verify the validity of the Korean-translated SCORE-15. Cronbach’s α value was calculated to check the reliability of SCORE-15. Data were analyzed using STATA ver. 15.0 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA). Results: The study analyzed the correlation between FACES-III and SCORE-15 and FCS and SCORE-15 so that there was a significant static correlation in both comparisons (r=0.72 and r=0.81, respectively). Also, the research compared each subscale to analyze the correlation and the range was 0.47 to 0.95. The total SCORE-15 Cronbach’s α value was 0.92 and those values of the subscales for family strengths, family communication, and family difficulty were 0.89, 0.73, and 0.87, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusion Our study was the first to validate the Korean SCORE-15, which can be used as an appropriate shortform indicator for evaluating family function and changes in detecting therapeutic improvements in Korea.