Health Issues Top Cause of Family Disputes

Researchers revealed that ‘family health’ was the main source of dispute among family members over the last 12 months. (image: Korea Bizwire)

SEOUL, May 4 (Korea Bizwire) — One in 2 South Koreans pick health issues as the top cause of concerns and disputes in the family, a survey said Saturday.

The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and the Seoul National University Institute of Social Welfare revealed that ‘family health’ was the main source of dispute among family members over the last 12 months.

The research team conducted a study of 6,331 households from February to May 2019, inquiring about the source of family issues and resolutions in the previous 12 months, which revealed that 47.6 percent of family disputes were caused by the health issues of a family member.

Other sources of family disputes included economic difficulties (21.6 percent) such as debt, and a family member’s employment status (10.3 percent).

Separated by level of income, 61.9 percent of lower income earners (less than 60 percent of median income) picked ‘family health’ as a source of family dispute, higher than the 40.1 percent recorded among average households.

Another 24.2 percent of low income earners picked economic difficulties as a source of family dispute, also higher than the 20.3 percent among average households.

Among average households, 11.3 percent and 12.7 percent picked child education and a family member’s job affairs, respectively, as sources of family disputes.

In contrast, only 1.7 percent and 5.8 percent of low income earners responded as such.

H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)