Acculturation and body mass index among marriage-based immigrant Vietnamese women in Korea
10.5468/ogs.2018.61.1.118
- Author:
Da Eun LEE
1
;
Ji Eun LEE
;
So Yun PARK
;
Hye Won CHUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea. hyewon@ewha.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Immigrants;
Women's health;
Acculturation;
Body mass index
- MeSH:
Acculturation;
Asian Continental Ancestry Group;
Body Mass Index;
Cohort Studies;
Education;
Emigrants and Immigrants;
Emigration and Immigration;
Female;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Korea;
Prospective Studies;
Social Class;
Socioeconomic Factors;
Transients and Migrants;
Women's Health;
Writing
- From:Obstetrics & Gynecology Science
2018;61(1):118-126
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the association of socioeconomic factors, acculturation, and body mass index (BMI) as the first large prospective cohort study to determine the state of health of Vietnamese-born migrant women residing in Korea. METHODS: Participants were Vietnamese marriage-based immigrant women living in Korea. Data (n=1,066) was collected during both periods of baseline (2006–2011) and follow-up (2012–2014) in 34 cities in Korea. RESULTS: The results show that acculturation stress is relatively low among participants. Current BMI showed a significant difference according to the current age, monthly family income, and psychophysical stress. Depending on age, education level, monthly family income, we identified a significant difference in the annual BMI change. In correlation analysis, current BMI was significantly associated with age at arrival, reading and writing in Korean language adaptation, and psychophysical stress. Annual BMI change was significantly associated with age at arrival and years since immigration. CONCLUSION: Our analysis revealed that acculturation measured by Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students had no association with current BMI or annual BMI change, but had an association with several socioeconomic statuses. This study had the advantage that subjects had a homogenous background of marriage-based immigrant women, so we could see the association of BMI and acculturation, without considering cofounding factors.
