Table 2.
National trends in the prevalence of thyroid disease and odds ratios β-coefficients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, presented as weighted percentages with 95 % confidence intervals, using data obtained from KNHANES.
| Year | Pre-pandemic |
During the pandemic |
Trends in the pre-pandemic era, β (95 % CI) | Trends in the pandemic era, β (95 % CI) | βdiff between 1998-2019 and 2019–2021 (95 % CI) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–2005 | 2007–2009 | 2010–2012 | 2013–2015 | 2016–2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||
| Overall, weighted % (95 % CI) | 1.52 (1.41–1.64) | 3.02 (2.75–3.29) | 3.12 (2.84–3.4) | 3.10 (2.78–3.41) | 3.53 (3.27–3.79) | 4.10 (3.53–4.67) | 3.84 (3.30–4.39) | 0.38 (0.30 to 0.45) | 0.15 (−0.14 to 0.45) | −0.22 (−0.53 to 0.08) |
| Age group, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| 20-39 | 0.94 (0.80–1.08) | 1.78 (1.41–2.16) | 1.82 (1.42–2.23) | 1.85 (1.44–2.26) | 2.12 (1.73–2.50) | 2.51 (1.65–3.37) | 1.61 (0.91–2.31) | 0.23 (0.13 to 0.34) | −0.25 (−0.65 to 0.15) | −0.48 (−0.90 to −0.07) |
| 40-59 | 1.94 (1.71–2.16) | 3.82 (3.28–4.35) | 3.94 (3.43–4.46) | 3.90 (3.32–4.48) | 4.38 (3.92–4.85) | 4.44 (3.39–5.49) | 4.33 (3.36–5.30) | 0.45 (0.31 to 0.59) | −0.03 (−0.56 to 0.51) | −0.47 (−1.02 to 0.08) |
| ≥60 | 2.15 (1.83–2.47) | 4.11 (3.46–4.76) | 3.98 (3.43–4.54) | 3.71 (3.16–4.26) | 4.13 (3.66–4.60) | 5.69 (4.56–6.83) | 5.80 (4.68–6.92) | 0.29 (0.14 to 0.45) | 0.81 (0.19 to 1.44) | 0.52 (0.37 to 0.68) |
| Sex, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| Male | 0.49 (0.39–0.59) | 0.90 (0.67–1.12) | 0.80 (0.58–1.01) | 1.02 (0.75–1.29) | 1.37 (1.10–1.65) | 1.43 (0.94–1.92) | 1.48 (1.02–1.94) | 0.19 (0.11 to 0.26) | 0.05 (−0.21 to 0.32) | −0.13 (−0.41 to 0.14) |
| Female | 2.49 (2.30–2.69) | 5.10 (4.61–5.60) | 5.38 (4.88–5.89) | 5.08 (4.55–5.61) | 5.64 (5.18–6.10) | 6.79 (5.76–7.81) | 6.19 (5.16–7.22) | 0.57 (0.44 to 0.70) | 0.27 (−0.28 to 0.82) | −0.30 (−0.87 to 0.27) |
| Region of residence, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| Urban | 1.54 (1.41–1.67) | 3.04 (2.73–3.34) | 3.09 (2.77–3.41) | 3.15 (2.80–3.51) | 3.61 (3.32–3.90) | 4.06 (3.44–4.69) | 3.82 (3.22–4.42) | 0.40 (0.31 to 0.48) | 0.10 (−0.23 to 0.44) | −0.29 (−0.63 to 0.05) |
| Rural | 1.47 (1.21–1.73) | 2.95 (2.36–3.53) | 3.24 (2.60–3.88) | 2.83 (2.16–3.51) | 3.07 (2.52–3.63) | 4.30 (3.06–5.54) | 3.94 (2.74–5.14) | 0.28 (0.12 to 0.44) | 0.42 (−0.23 to 1.08) | 0.14 (−0.09 to 0.37) |
| BMI groupa, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| Underweight | 2.03 (0.82–3.24) | 1.81 (0.76–2.86) | 2.69 (1.44–3.94) | 2.23 (1.06–3.41) | 2.36 (1.35–3.37) | 4.48 (1.31–7.64) | 4.03 (1.10–6.95) | 0.12 (−0.28 to 0.52) | 0.81 (−0.74 to 0.23) | 0.69 (0.06 to 1.32) |
| Normal or overweight | 1.65 (1.33–1.97) | 3.26 (2.89–3.63) | 3.14 (2.79–3.49) | 3.29 (2.91–3.67) | 3.82 (3.47–4.17) | 4.11 (3.36–4.86) | 3.99 (3.24–4.74) | 0.27 (0.14 to 0.41) | 0.09 (−0.32 to 0.50) | −0.18 (−0.61 to 0.25) |
| Obese | 2.00 (1.53–2.47) | 2.78 (2.31–3.24) | 3.10 (2.63–3.58) | 2.85 (2.33–3.38) | 3.14 (2.71–3.58) | 4.10 (3.17–5.02) | 3.52 (2.62–4.42) | 0.13 (−0.04 to 0.31) | 0.18 (−0.31 to 0.67) | 0.04 (−0.48 to 0.57) |
| Education, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| High school or lower | 2.16 (1.93–2.39) | 4.43 (3.83–5.03) | 4.82 (4.19–5.45) | 3.54 (2.91–4.16) | 3.96 (3.42–4.50) | 5.52 (4.07–6.97) | 5.31 (3.87–6.75) | 0.25 (0.10 to 0.40) | 0.69 (−0.07 to 1.46) | 0.44 (0.26 to 0.63) |
| College or higher | 1.23 (1.10–1.36) | 2.44 (2.14–2.74) | 2.47 (2.17–2.78) | 2.96 (2.6–3.31) | 3.42 (3.12–3.72) | 3.8 (3.17–4.43) | 3.52 (2.95–4.09) | 0.47 (0.38 to 0.56) | 0.05 (−0.27 to 0.37) | −0.42 (−0.75 to −0.09) |
| Household income, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| Lowest and second quartile | 1.59 (1.43–1.76) | 3.24 (2.79–3.69) | 3.03 (2.60–3.45) | 2.88 (2.43–3.34) | 3.55 (3.15–3.96) | 4.26 (3.38–5.15) | 3.84 (2.96–4.73) | 0.34 (0.23 to 0.45) | 0.15 (−0.33 to 0.63) | −0.19 (−0.68 to 0.31) |
| Third and highest quartile | 1.47 (1.31–1.62) | 2.86 (2.50–3.23) | 3.19 (2.81–3.57) | 3.24 (2.82–3.65) | 3.52 (3.17–3.86) | 4.01 (3.27–4.74) | 3.84 (3.18–4.50) | 0.41 (0.31 to 0.51) | 0.16 (−0.21 to 0.52) | −0.25 (−0.63 to 0.13) |
| Perceived stress level, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| Hardly at all | 1.46 (0.95–1.98) | 2.77 (2.12–3.42) | 2.54 (1.84–3.23) | 2.99 (2.24–3.74) | 2.76 (2.20–3.32) | 2.66 (1.56–3.75) | 3.86 (2.63–5.08) | 0.14 (−0.08 to 0.36) | 0.55 (−0.14 to 1.24) | 0.41 (−0.31 to 1.13) |
| A little | 1.69 (1.38–2.00) | 2.86 (2.50–3.23) | 3.13 (2.76–3.49) | 3.10 (2.70–3.50) | 3.63 (3.28–3.97) | 3.53 (2.86–4.20) | 3.73 (3.00–4.46) | 0.30 (0.17 to 0.43) | 0.06 (−0.34 to 0.45) | −0.24 (−0.66 to 0.18) |
| Quite a lot | 1.55 (1.17–1.94) | 3.04 (2.47–3.62) | 3.33 (2.69–3.97) | 3.08 (2.44–3.72) | 3.65 (3.09–4.22) | 5.65 (4.28–7.01) | 4.02 (2.77–5.27) | 0.29 (0.09 to 0.49) | 0.19 (−0.49 to 0.88) | −0.10 (−0.81 to 0.61) |
| Greatly | 1.55 (0.73–2.38) | 5.13 (3.61–6.66) | 3.65 (2.18–5.11) | 3.14 (1.64–4.64) | 4.05 (2.66–5.45) | 6.92 (3.66–10.19) | 4.23 (1.29–7.18) | −0.02 (−0.52 to 0.47) | 0.11 (−1.51 to 1.74) | 0.13 (−1.57 to 1.83) |
| Weight change, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| No weight change | 1.40 (1.12–1.69) | 3.01 (2.67–3.35) | 3.06 (2.72–3.40) | 2.92 (2.54–3.29) | 3.48 (3.15–3.81) | 4.17 (3.44–4.90) | 4.04 (3.29–4.78) | 0.24 (0.11 to 0.36) | 0.28 (−0.12 to 0.68) | 0.04 (−0.38 to 0.46) |
| Weight loss | 1.83 (1.29–2.37) | 3.15 (2.36–3.93) | 2.64 (1.98–3.30) | 2.36 (1.69–3.03) | 2.90 (2.26–3.53) | 3.67 (2.06–5.28) | 3.26 (1.87–4.64) | 0.01 (−0.23 to 0.26) | 0.17 (−0.58 to 0.92) | 0.16 (−0.63 to 0.95) |
| Weight gain | 1.87 (1.46–2.28) | 2.93 (2.37–3.50) | 3.64 (2.89–4.40) | 3.95 (3.23–4.66) | 3.95 (3.36–4.55) | 4.16 (2.96–5.36) | 3.67 (2.57–4.77) | 0.41 (0.21 to 0.62) | −0.15 (−0.77 to 0.48) | −0.56 (−1.22 to 0.10) |
| Occupation category, weighted % (95 % CI) | ||||||||||
| White collar job | 1.30 (0.85–1.75) | 1.90 (1.38–2.42) | 2.18 (1.70–2.66) | 2.78 (2.16–3.40) | 2.88 (2.38–3.37) | 3.22 (2.21–4.23) | 3.69 (2.60–4.77) | 0.36 (0.17 to 0.56) | 0.40 (−0.18 to 0.99) | 0.04 (−0.58 to 0.66) |
| Blue collar job | 1.07 (0.90–1.25) | 2.11 (1.71–2.51) | 2.72 (2.30–3.15) | 2.44 (1.95–2.92) | 3.03 (2.64–3.42) | 3.42 (2.50–4.35) | 2.87 (2.10–3.63) | 0.38 (0.26 to 0.50) | −0.08 (−0.52 to 0.35) | −0.46 (−0.91 to −0.01) |
| Others | 1.21 (1.03–1.39) | 4.61 (4.08–5.14) | 4.21 (3.69–4.74) | 3.98 (3.42–4.55) | 4.57 (4.08–5.06) | 5.45 (4.32–6.57) | 4.94 (3.86–6.01) | 0.47 (0.32 to 0.61) | 0.17 (−0.41 to 0.76) | −0.30 (−0.90 to 0.30) |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; KNHANES, Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The numbers in bold indicate a significant difference (p < 0.05).
a
According to the Asian–Pacific guidelines, the BMI is divided into four groups: underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5–22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23.0–24.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥25.0 kg/m2).