Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing (한국보건간호학회지)

Korean Society of public Health Nursing (한국보건간호학회)
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Health Literacy and Its Associated Factors in Korean-Chinese and Other Asian Immigrant Women in Korea

조선족과 다른 출신국 여성결혼이민자의 건강문해력과 영향 요인 비교

  • Yang, Sook Ja (Division of Nursing Science, Ewha Womans University) ;
  • Chee, Yeon Kyung (Department of Child Development, Ewha Womans University) ;
  • An, Jisook (Division of Nursing Science, College of Health Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Department of Nursing Science, Kyungnam University) ;
  • Park, Min Hee (Department of Nursing Science, Wonkwang University) ;
  • Jung, Sunok (Division of Nursing Science, College of Health Sciences, Ewha Womans University)
  • 양숙자 (이화여자대학교 건강과학대학 간호학부) ;
  • 지연경 (이화여자대학교 사회과학대학 아동학과) ;
  • 안지숙 (이화여자대학교 건강과학대학 간호학부, 경남대학교 간호학과) ;
  • 박민희 (원광대학교 간호학과) ;
  • 정선옥 (이화여자대학교 건강과학대학 간호학부)
  • Received : 2014.04.30
  • Accepted : 2014.08.25
  • Published : 2014.08.31
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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare health literacy levels of Asian immigrant women and factors associated with health literacy focusing on Korean-Chinese and other Asian immigrants in Korea. Methods: Data were drawn from 258 immigrant women, comprising 56 Korean-Chinese and 202 other immigrants from the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Taiwan, and Han-Chinese. The Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine - Short Form (REALM-SF) was used to assess health literacy, which consisted of seven medical words in Korean (behavior, exercise, menopause, rectal, antibiotics, anemia, and jaundice). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA with $Sch{\acute{e}}ffe$ post hoc test, and hierarchical regression. Results: Korean-Chinese women showed significantly higher levels of health literacy ($M=6.41{\pm}1.07$), compared to their other immigrant counterparts ($M=4.55{\pm}2.15$). While Korean-Chinese women with longer time since immigration (p=.048) reported higher health literacy, for other immigrants, those living with children (p<.001), longer time since immigration (p=.011), and greater Korean language proficiency (p=.004) showed an association with higher health literacy. Conclusion: When providing health care services and health education, health care professionals should consider differences in levels of health literacy and factors associated with health literacy among Korean Chinese and other immigrants.

Keywords

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