A growing number of office workers in South Korea view personal health not merely as the absence of illness, but as a "health asset" capable of driving economic and social value—and a majority say they are willing to pay out of pocket to manage it. Surprisingly, a recent study indicates that this willingness to invest in health is driven more by mental and spiritual well-being than by income levels.
A research team led by Professor Yoon Young-ho of the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) and the SNU Health Culture Project Group recently published these findings in the international journal Scientific Reports. The study examined awareness and potential applications of Health Asset Value (HAV) among 1,000 office workers aged 20 to 49 across South Korea’s 17 cities and provinces.
Health assets encompass all factors and resources that enable individuals, communities, and social systems to maintain health. Moving beyond traditional medical definitions, the concept includes genetic factors, healthcare services, lifestyle choices, social networks, and environmental conditions.
The researchers evaluated respondents across five key dimensions: willingness to estimate economic value, usefulness for health management, willingness to use an assessment program, willingness to participate in customized health activities, and willingness to pay.
An overwhelming 80.4% of respondents agreed that assessing health assets aids in practical, real-world health management. Additionally, 79.8% expressed willingness to join tailored health-improvement programs, while 76.1% recognized the economic valuation of health assets and agreed with using ongoing evaluation tools. Overall, 63.4% of workers stated they would actually pay for personal health management services.
Inner Well-Being Drives Health Investment
Positive attitudes toward health assets were particularly pronounced among individuals reporting higher levels of mental and spiritual health. Workers who coped effectively with stress and maintained emotional stability were 1.42 times more likely to pay for health-improvement services than those with lower mental health scores.
Similarly, those with strong spiritual health—defined as finding life purpose through activities like volunteering, religion, or meditation—were 1.45 times more likely to acknowledge the economic value of health assets, 1.42 times more likely to find assessments useful, and 1.51 times more likely to pay for management programs.
These findings suggest that financial capability is not the sole driver of health spending. Individuals who manage stress well, maintain emotional stability, or hold a clear sense of purpose tend to view health as a long-term asset worth investing in. However, the researchers noted that the survey identifies associations rather than direct causality.
By contrast, physical health, social health, and overall self-reported health status showed no significant correlation with attitudes toward health assets.
Socioeconomic background did exert some influence: respondents with a college degree or higher were 2.21 times more likely to participate in customized health programs. Higher-income earners were also relatively more likely to value health assets economically and utilize ongoing assessment tools. Factors such as gender, age, and company size showed no statistically significant differences.
The researchers emphasized that these insights could help tailor real-world health management services and public policies.
"Because workplace environments directly impact worker health, governments and corporations must view employee health not as a simple welfare expense, but as a critical asset worth investing in," said Yoon, who also serves as director of SNUH’s Gangnam Center. "We hope these findings guide the creation of tailored health initiatives and policies aimed at reducing health disparities."
This asset-focused perspective mirrors broader global shifts. The World Health Organization (WHO) similarly defines health beyond the absence of disease, advocating a "health assets" approach that leverages individual and community strengths amid an expanding global focus on preventive healthcare.
