Health behaviors and related factors concerning international university students in Japan: A pilot study / 国際保健医療

ABSTRACT

Purpose  This study aimed to explore the health behaviors and identify its related factors in international university students in Japan.Methods  A self-administered questionnaire was used, targeting 274 international students enrolled at one Japanese university. It included demographic information on financial status, social support, behaviors toward health promotion and healthcare seeking, and health literacy (HLS-EU-Q16). Those who consulted a doctor or had such intentions for diseases or injury were defined as a group characterized by healthcare seeking action. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis.Results  Of the 274 students, 70 (25.5%) responded to the questionnaires. Almost half of them were Chinese (44.3%), had been staying in Japan for more than a year but less than five years (54.3%) and had concerns about financial issues (50.0%). With reference to the number of Japanese friends they could consult, 44.3% had fewer than five. The latter was significantly associated with health promoting behaviors (p = 0.026). Further, duration of stay in Japan was significantly associated with health care seeking behaviors (p = 0.034). Financial status and health literacy were not significantly associated with either behavior.Conclusions  Numbers of Japanese friends and duration of their stay may contribute to improve the health behaviors of international students in Japan. However, regardless of language ability, the health literacy of international students may not be utilized well enough in the host country. Providing more opportunities to international students to socialize with Japanese peers and to learn about Japanese health care systems earlier on their arrival could be highly beneficial to improve their health behaviors.