8 out of 10 people in their 20s and 30s don't know COPD...Still Awareness of Elderly Diseases
Oct 23, 2025
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The survey revealed a clear generational gap in awareness of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and the level of lung health care practice. COPD awareness among the 2030 generation was 18.4%, with 8 out of 10 respondents saying they did not even know the name of the disease. On the other hand, awareness was 35.5% among those in their 60s and older, and the difference in perception between generations more than doubled.
COPD is a typical chronic respiratory disease in which breathing becomes increasingly difficult due to airway inflammation, and not only smoking but also fine dust, environmental pollution, and occupational exposure are considered major risk factors. However, in this survey, the younger generation had a strong tendency to recognize COPD as an elderly disease, and a high percentage of people did not feel the risk.
According to the survey, most of the people are well aware of major lung diseases such as lung cancer (83.1%), pneumonia (78.4%), and asthma (77.6%). However, it turned out that life practice was insufficient compared to the level of awareness. Wearing masks (64.7%) and ventilation and cleaning (63.5%) on fine dust days were relatively well observed, but the practice rate of regular health checkups was only 36.6%. In particular, only 17.9% of the four questions were correct in common sense related to lung disease, confirming a gap between cognition and behavior that is high in awareness but not supported by basic knowledge and practice.
Yoo Kwang-ha, chairman of the Korean Society for Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, said "Lung Day is 'How old is your lung?Under the theme of ', we wanted to provide an opportunity for the people to check their own lung health and make early checkups a part of their daily lives. "As lung health is an important issue that not only the elderly but also the youth and the elderly should be interested in, it is necessary to be aware of the care and management from the younger generation."
Since 2003, the Korean Society for Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases has been steadily campaigning by designating the second Wednesday of October as 'Lung Day'. It has continued activities to raise awareness of various lung diseases, including COPD, and effectively informed lung health-related information so that the public can protect lung health in daily life. This year, we are also promoting the risk of lung disease through programs such as a handwriting contest about our family's lung disease, a campaign to protect lung health in daily life, a public awareness survey, radio advertisements, and interactive quizzes, and emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and prevention.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
