Social acceptance and adjustment of spouses in multicultural families to reduce violent behavioral conflicts in the Mueang district, Yala province.

Currently, there is an increasing number of intercultural marriages in Thailand. Many Thai citizens, especially in various regions, tend to marry foreigners. In the southern region, particularly in the three southern border provinces, intercultural marriages mostly occur between Thai Muslim women and Thai Buddhist men. In these cases, the men usually convert to their wives' religion, Islam, which can lead to significant differences in beliefs and practices between the spouses. These differences often result in conflicts within the family and ultimately contribute to domestic violence issues. This situation has serious repercussions for both adults and children involved. This qualitative research examined the acceptance and adjustment of spouses in multicultural families to reduce violent behavioral conflicts in Muang District, Yala Province, Thailand. This study was the first research conducted in the region. To this end, data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and both participant and non-participant observations. Interview questions and group discussion topics were determined according to research objectives. Further, study samples were collected from multicultural Buddhist-Islamic families using the purposive sampling method. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze data. Results revealed that individuals' intolerance of each other's beliefs and attitudes was the major cause of violence in multicultural families. The values, beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of married couples are shaped by their primary and secondary socialization based on their cultural foundations. Therefore, spouses in multicultural families accept and adjust themselves holistically to reduce violent behavioral conflicts in their family life. Their acceptance includes: (1) physical acceptance and adjustment; (2) mental acceptance and adjustment; (3) social acceptance and adjustment; and (4) spiritual acceptance and adjustment. The findings have implications for intercultural marriages.

Chronic bullying victimization and life satisfaction among children from multicultural families in South Korea: Heterogeneity by immigrant mothers' country of origin.

BACKGROUND: Despite existing literature on the link between bullying victimization and psychological well-being, little is known about the potential lasting negative effects of chronic bullying victimization, especially among children from multicultural families (CMF). OBJECTIVE: This study examined the longitudinal association between chronic bullying victimization and life satisfaction among CMF in Korea, and further investigated whether this association differs by immigrant mothers' country of origin. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study utilized data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS) 2011-2019, a nationally representative longitudinal study of CMF in Korea who were between the ages of 9 and 12 at baseline (N = 1375). METHODS: Fixed effects models were employed to address potential bias resulting from unobserved time-invariant confounders. Three theoretical models were proposed to examine the trajectory patterns of change in life satisfaction among chronically bullied children: cumulative effects, immediate-sustained effects, and short-lived effects models. RESULTS: The longitudinal trajectories of change in life satisfaction associated with chronic bullying victimization were consistent with an immediate-sustained effects model. Heterogeneous patterns in the association by mothers' country of origin were observed. A cumulative effects model was supported for children with Southeast Asian mothers, indicating that chronic bullying victimization leads to a cumulative decrease in life satisfaction. For children with Chinese and Japanese mothers, the results supported either immediate-sustained or short-lived effects models. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to improve the psychological well-being of CMF should consider the potential long-term risk of chronic bullying victimization, particularly among youth with mothers from Southeast Asia.

Children's bullying victimization and maternal suicidal ideation among multicultural families in South Korea: Heterogeneity by family socioeconomic status.

RATIONALE: Children from multicultural families in Korea are vulnerable to bullying victimization. Despite growing evidence on the mental health consequences of bullying victimization for victims, little is known about the spillover effects on their immigrant mothers. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between children's bullying victimization and their immigrant mothers' suicidal ideation. The potential moderating role of family socioeconomic status was also investigated. METHODS: Using nine waves of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study spanning from 2011 to 2019 (N = 1466), this study estimated individual fixed effects models to control for unobserved individual-level heterogeneity. Interaction models were used to investigate potential heterogeneity by family socioeconomic status, including maternal education, household income, and maternal occupational status. RESULTS: Fixed effects estimates revealed that children's bullying victimization is associated with an increased likelihood of suicidal ideation among marriage migrant mothers (b = 0.012, p < 0.05), even after controlling for unobserved time-invariant confounders as well as a set of time-varying covariates. Family socioeconomic status moderated this association. The association between children's bullying victimization and immigrant mothers' suicidal ideation was stronger for those with low levels of education and household income. No such moderating effects were observed for maternal occupation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that efforts to address the mental health consequences of bullying victimization among multicultural family children should extend beyond the victim to their immigrant mothers. When developing interventions to reduce suicidal ideation among immigrant mothers whose children have been victimized, policymakers may wish to consider the moderating role of family socioeconomic status.

Factors Affecting the Life Satisfaction of School-Aged Children with Vietnamese Immigrant Mothers in Korea.

Low life satisfaction among multicultural children is an important issue related to children's mental health in Korea. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing the life satisfaction of children whose Vietnamese mothers migrated to Korea for marriage. Data from the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS) conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI) in 2020 were used. The participants were 586 elementary school students. The mean age was 11.01 years (SD 0.19), and 52.0% were girls. Based on Engel's biopsychosocial (BPS) model, biological factors (gender, physical health, and body mass index), psychological factors (mental health, acculturative stress, self-esteem, and general stress), and sociocultural factors (family economic status, social support, and parenting style) were measured and analyzed by using hierarchical multiple regression. In the final model, self-esteem (ß = 0.399, p < 0.001), parental social support (ß = 0.184, p < 0.001), and neglectful parenting style (ß = 0.085, p = 0.031) were positively related to children's life satisfaction, whereas general stress (ß = -0.213, p < 0.001) and acculturative stress (ß = -0.104, p = 0.002) were negatively related. The overall explanatory power was 41.7%. In conclusion, it is necessary to develop a specialized program that focuses on strengthening the bonds between parents and their children to enhance family functioning for multicultural families.

Adaptation Process of Korean Elderly Women to Foreign Daughters-in-Law in Multicultural Rural Families: A Grounded Theory Method.

INTRODUCTION: In South Korea, the number of multicultural families is steadily increasing. The purpose of the study was to examine and identify the process of adaptation of elderly women to foreign daughters-in-law in multicultural families in rural settings. METHOD: This is a qualitative study and applies a grounded theory method. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews between February and April 2019, involving 15 elderly women with foreign daughters-in-law, and analyzed employing Corbin and Strauss's grounded theory. RESULTS: The results are demonstrated through the "Chaotic," "Resistive," "Exploratory," "Transitional," and "Receptive" periods, based on the flow of time. DISCUSSION: The findings contribute to the practice and intervention of multicultural nursing by examining the adaptation process and providing future direction on the adaptation of elderly women who are part of multicultural families.

Efficacy of Parenting Programs to Reduce Parenting Burdens in Multicultural Families: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: We comprehensively investigated and summarized the current situation of parenting programs for multicultural families in South Korea. Methods: Two researchers independently searched and selected 16 studies on parenting programs for multicultural families and analyzed the major dependent variables, including parenting stress, parenting efficacy, parenting attitude, and parental satisfaction, in a meta-analysis of parenting stress and parenting efficacy (n=6 each). This study was dealt with a Bayesian meta-analysis to perform examine the effect sizes for parenting stress and parenting efficacy. Sensitivity to prior distributions was evaluated before the Bayesian meta-analysis, and an optimal prior distribution was selected based on the Watanabe-Akaike information criterion. Results: The combined effect sizes for parenting stress and parenting efficacy were found to be >1 in both the frequentist and Bayesian meta-analyses, indicating that the parenting programs for multicultural families in South Korea are highly effective. Conclusion: These basic data can facilitate the expansion of customized social services for reducing parenting burdens in multicultural families.

A Profile of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Variants and Deficiency of Multicultural Families in Korea.

Vivax malaria incidence in Korea is now decreased and showing a low plateau. Nowadays, vivax malaria in Korea is expected to be successfully eliminated with anti-malaria chemotherapy, primaquine, and vector control. The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is associated with potential hemolytic anemia after primaquine administration. This inborn disorder has a pivotal polymorphism with genetic variants and is the most prevalent X-chromosome-linked disorder. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency was previously reported negligible in Korea. As the population of multicultural families pertaining marriage immigrants and their adolescents increases, it is necessary to check G6PD deficiency for them prior to primaquine treatment for vivax malaria. The prevalence of G6PD variants and G6PD deficiency in multicultural families was performed in 7 counties and 2 cities of Jeollanam-do (Province), Gyeonggi-do, and Gangwon-do. A total of 733 blood samples of multicultural family participants were subjected to test the phenotypic and genetic G6PD deficiency status using G6PD enzyme activity quantitation kit and PCR-based G6PD genotyping kit. The G6PD phenotypic deficiency was observed in 7.8% of male adolescent participants and 3.2% of materfamilias population. Based on the PCR-based genotyping, we observed total 35 participants carrying the mutated alleles. It is proposed that primaquine prescription should seriously be considered prior to malaria treatment.

Suicide attempt and violence victimization in Korean adolescents with migrant parents: A nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: Suicide and violence exposure are important health related issues in adolescents. This study aimed to investigate suicide attempt and violence victimization in Korean adolescents with migrant parents. METHODS: Data from the 2016 to 2018 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) were used. The migration status of the participating students' parents was defined based on parental birthplace, classified into the 'both native Korean parents,' 'mother born abroad,' 'father born abroad,' and 'both parents born abroad' groups. Suicide attempt and violence victimization included events that occurred in the past 12 months. The general characteristics of the population were investigated using chi-square test. The association between dependent and independent variables was examined using multiple logistic regression analysis, expressed as Odds Ratio (OR) and their 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: Of the 170,575 study participants, 4,012 (2.4%) attempted suicide and 3,038 (1.8%) experienced violence victimization. Highest proportions of suicide attempt and violence victimization were found in adolescents with both migrated parents born abroad. Compared to adolescents with both native Korean parents, individuals with both migrated parents were more likely to attempt suicide (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.37-3.81) and experience violence victimization (OR 5.63, 95% CI 3.73-8.48). LIMITATIONS: This study was cross-sectional in design. Information was unavailable on which immigrant generation the study participants belonged to. CONCLUSION: Adolescents with both migrated parents were more likely to attempt suicide and experience violence victimization. The findings have important implications in the management of suicide and violence victimization in adolescents.

Resilience in Multicultural Families of Children With Disabilities in Korea: A Path Analysis Using National Data.

PURPOSE: The number of multicultural families has increased globally, and Korea has also witnessed a surge. Along with the various challenges experienced by these families, a child with a disability can pose additional challenges. In-depth knowledge about resilience factors among multicultural families of children with disabilities is important. The aim of this study was to examine relationships between family demands, family appraisals, family problem solving and coping, family resources, and family adaptation in multicultural families of children with disabilities in Korea as perceived by married immigrants. DESIGN: This study was based on a secondary analysis of national survey data in 2015 and 2018 in Korea. METHODS: A total of 256 multicultural families who have children with disabilities participated. Family demands were identified by examining marital conflict, cultural differences, marital status, and public assistance recipient households. Family appraisal was assessed by how the family perceived the married immigrant's culture. Family problem solving and coping were examined by how actively a married immigrant participated in social activities. Family resources were assessed by examining Korean language competency and the health status of immigrants. Family adaptation was identified by how immigrants perceived their life satisfaction. Path analysis was used to assess the factors. FINDINGS: Family demands had a direct impact on family resources and family adaptation. Family appraisal had a direct impact on family adaptation. Family resources mediated the effect of family demands on family adaptation. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that although a multicultural family of a child with a disability struggles with family demands, if the family receives positive resources from family members, they can adapt well. Current findings can be used to develop interventions that can foster greater resilience among families. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study provides evidence that nurses can target modifiable family aspects, including immigrants' health and family perceptions of immigrants' cultures identified in this study to enhance the immigrant and family adaptation.

Dietary and Lifestyle Factors Associated with Weight Status among Korean Adolescents from Multicultural Families: Using Data from the 2017–2018 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Surveys / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated dietary and lifestyle factors associated with the weight status among Korean adolescents in multicultural families.METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed 1,751 multicultural families' adolescents who participated in the 2017–2018 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Information on dietary and lifestyle factors was self-reported using a web-based questionnaire and this information included breakfast and foods consumption, perceived health status, alcohol drinking, smoking, physical activity, and weight control efforts. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on the self-reported height and body weight (kg/m²). Weight status was assessed according to the 2017 Korean National Growth Chart: underweight (weight-for-age <5(th) percentiles), overweight (85(th)≤ BMI-for-age <95(th) percentiles), and obese (BMI-for-age ≥95(th) percentiles). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the dietary and lifestyle factors associated with weight status after adjustment for covariates.RESULTS: Among Korean adolescents from multicultural families, the prevalence of overweight/obesity was 20.9%, whereas about 7% of adolescents were underweight. The weight status did not show differences according to gender, school level, area of residence, and household income. Compared to adolescents who did not have breakfast during the previous week, those who had breakfast 3–4 days/week and ≥5 days/week had a 42% (p=0.021) and a 37% (p=0.009) lower prevalence of overweight/obesity, respectively. The adolescents who frequently consumed carbonated soft drinks (≥5 times/week) showed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.69 (95% CI=1.01–2.83) for overweight/obesity relative to those adolescents who did not consume carbonated soft drinks. The OR of being underweight for adolescents who ate fast food ≥3 times/week was 1.97 (95% CI=1.04–3.71) compared to those adolescents who had not eaten fast food during the previous week.CONCLUSIONS: Dietary and lifestyle factors were associated with overweight/obesity as well as underweight among Korean adolescents in multicultural families. Our findings could be used to design and provide nutrition interventions for this specific population.

Health risk behaviors and psychological problems among South Korean, North Korean, and other multicultural family adolescents (2011-2016).

This study was aimed to investigate the health risk behaviors and psychological problems among North Korean, other multicultural, and South Korean family adolescents. The data were collected from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior web-based survey (2011-2016) data set. A total of 17,195 adolescents (mean age 14.65 ±â€¯0.01 years) were analyzed to compare health risk behaviors and psychological problems among the three groups. Concerning risk behaviors, multicultural family adolescents showed a higher rate of alcohol use, smoking, drug use and sexual relations compared to South Korean family adolescents. Moreover, North Korean family adolescents were more likely to experience those risk behaviors than other multicultural family adolescents. Concerning psychological problems, multicultural family youth displayed more depressed mood, and more suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts when compared with South Korean family youth. Among multicultural families, North Korean family adolescents were more depressed and showed higher suicidality. School-based education and preventive interventions are necessary to manage risk behaviors and psychological difficulties of adolescents in North Korean and other multicultural families.

Effects of regular Taekwondo exercise on mood changes in children from multicultural families in South Korea: a pilot study.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of regular Taekwondo training on mood state in children from multicultural families. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-four children participated in the study. Eight children from non-multicultural families were assigned to the non-multicultural family children group. The remaining 16 children from multicultural families were randomly assigned to the multicultural family children (control, n=8) or multicultural family children trained in Taekwondo (Taekwondo training, n=8) group. Mood state was measured using the Profile of Mood States (Tension-Anxiety, Depression-Dejection, Anger-Hostility, Vigor-Activity, Fatigue-Inertia, and Confusion-Bewilderment). [Results] Vigor-Activity scores increased significantly, whereas Tension-Anxiety and Anger-Hostility scores decreased significantly after intervention when compared with the pre-intervention scores in the multicultural family children trained in Taekwondo group. [Conclusion] It is suggested that regular Taekwondo training may be effective in improving the mood states of children from multicultural families living in Korea.

Taekwondo Training Improves Mood and Sociability in Children from Multicultural Families in South Korea: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Children from multicultural families face physical, social, mental, and intellectual hurdles; however, relative interventions are lacking in South Korea (hereafter Korea) in this regard. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of regular Taekwondo (TKD) training on physical fitness, mood, sociability, and cognitive functions in these children. METHODS: This study included 30 children from multicultural families in Korea who were randomly assigned to a TKD group (n = 15) and control group (n = 15). The children in TKD group underwent 16 weeks of TKD training once a week for 60 min. Each participant underwent a basic fitness test and sociability questionnaire before and after the intervention. Furthermore, we examined the changes in the mood and cognitive function by determining the profile of mood states (POMS), and Stroop color and word test, respectively. RESULTS: Results of the Stork test of balance were significantly higher in the TKD group after intervention (p < 0.05). In terms of sub-variables, POMS, tension, and depression scores were significantly lower (p < 0.05) after the intervention, while the vigor score was significantly higher in the intervention group than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, sociability and 'being left out' score, a sub-variable of sociability, was significantly lower (p < 0.05) after the intervention, while sociability score was significantly higher (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that participation in regular TKD training can be effective for balanced improvements in variables of basic fitness and that it exerts a positive effect on the mood and development of sociability.

Comparison of Clinical Features among Children of Multicultural Families, Ethnic Koreans and Native Koreans

PURPOSE: To explore whether genetic and environmental factors influenced ophthalmic disease among children of multicultural families, ethnic Koreans, and native Koreans. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 120 patients who visited the pediatric ophthalmology clinic of a university hospital were included. They were equally divided into three groups: a multicultural group, an ethnic Korean group, and a native Korean group. Parental nationalities, age, gender, chief complaint, visual acuity, refractive error, diagnosis at the initial visit and the extent of compliance with treatment were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the multicultural group, 14 (35%) of 40 patients were Chinese immigrants, and constituted the most common subgroup. None of the age at initial visit, gender, the prevalence of refractive error, or amblyopia status differed significantly among the three groups. In the multicultural and native Korean groups, the proportions of abnormal eye positioning as the chief complaint were higher than that of the ethnic Korean group (p = 0.005). The most common diagnosis in the two former groups was strabismus. Myopia was the most common diagnosis in the ethnic Korean group. The prevalence of strabismus in the multicultural group (55%) was significantly higher than that in the native Korean group (30%) and the ethnic Korean group (20%) (p = 0.003). The prevalence of strabismus in the multicultural group was significantly higher than in the other groups (p = 0.003). However, we found no significant difference in strabismus subtype among the three groups. In the general family group, the extent of loss to follow-up was significantly higher than in the other groups (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The chief complaint, the prevalence of ophthalmic disease, and the compliance rate differed significantly among the three groups. Both genetic and environmental factors may have played a role.

Regular physical education class enhances sociality and physical fitness while reducing psychological problems in children of multicultural families.

This study investigated the influence of physical education class (PEC) as an intervention method for aggression, sociality, stress, and physical fitness levels in children from multicultural families. The hypothesis was that participating in PEC would result in reduced aggression and stress and improved sociality and physical fitness in multicultural children. A three-item questionnaire, a body composition test, and physical fitness tests were given three times. Eighty-four subjects were divided into four groups: multicultural children who participated in PEC (multi-PEG, n=12), multicultural children who did not participate in PEC (multi-NPEG, n=13), single-cultural children who participated in PEC (sing-PEG, n=11), and single-cultural children who did not participate in PEC (sing-NPEG, n=12), respectively. Parametric and nonparametric statistical methods were conducted on the collected data with a significance level set a priori at P<0.05. After 8 weeks of PEC, fat mass (F=2.966, P=0.045) and body mass index (F=3.654, P=0.021) had significantly different interaction effects. In the aspect of interaction effects from physical fitness variables, cardiopulmonary endurance (F=21.961, P=0.001), flexibility (F=8.892, P=0.001), muscular endurance (F=31.996, P=0.001), muscular strength (F=4.570, P=0.008), and power (F=24.479, P=0.001) were significantly improved in the multi-PEG compared to those of the other three groups. Moreover, sociality (F=22.144, P=0.001) in the multi-PEG was enhanced, whereas aggression (F=6.745, P=0.001) and stress (F=3.242, P=0.033) levels were reduced. As conclusion, the PEC reduced aggression and stress levels, and improved sociality and physical fitness levels after 8 weeks. This study confirmed that PEC for children from multicultural families can improve psychosocial factors and physical health.

Relationship between School Violence and Depressive Symptoms among Multicultural Families' Offspring in South Korea.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of school violence on depressive symptoms among the offspring of multicultural families in South Korea. Data from the National Survey of Multicultural Families 2012, conducted by the Korean Women's Development Institute and Statistics Korea, were used in this study. Complex samples logistic regression was performed to determine the effect of school violence on depressive mood. The survey participants were 3999 students between the ages of 9 and 24. Of the participants, 22.1% reported experiencing depressive symptoms and 9.1% reported experiencing school violence within the last year. School violence was a strong risk factor (OR=5.142, 95% CI=4.067-6.500) for depressive symptoms after adjusting for personal, familial and school factors. School violence is a serious contributor to depressive mood among the offspring of multicultural families. There is a significant need to monitor school violence among this vulnerable group.

Relationship between School Violence and Depressive Symptoms among Multicultural Families' Offspring in South Korea

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of school violence on depressive symptoms among the offspring of multicultural families in South Korea. Data from the National Survey of Multicultural Families 2012, conducted by the Korean Women's Development Institute and Statistics Korea, were used in this study. Complex samples logistic regression was performed to determine the effect of school violence on depressive mood. The survey participants were 3999 students between the ages of 9 and 24. Of the participants, 22.1% reported experiencing depressive symptoms and 9.1% reported experiencing school violence within the last year. School violence was a strong risk factor (OR=5.142, 95% CI=4.067–6.500) for depressive symptoms after adjusting for personal, familial and school factors. School violence is a serious contributor to depressive mood among the offspring of multicultural families. There is a significant need to monitor school violence among this vulnerable group.

Dietary Behavior of Marriage Migrant Women according to Their Nationality in Multicultural Families / 대한지역사회영양학회지

OBJECTIVES: Nowadays, the multicultural families make up significant portion of Korean population and communities. Successful re-settling in a new country can be difficult, particularly when there are disparities in dietary behavior compared to home country. The objective of the study was to investigate the dietary behavior of marriage migrant women according to their nationality in multicultural families. METHODS: The primary research was conducted targeting 94 marriage migrant women who came from China (40.4%), Vietnam (26.6%), and other countries except for Japan (33.0%). We investigated their dietary behavior, such as eating attitude and food choice behavior for Korea acculturation. We also studied dietary behavior among 14 selected subjects who had high level of integration and assimilation acculturation patterns by administering the Focus Group Interview (FGI). RESULTS: The multicultural families had more integration acculturation patterns, which could have been influenced by their nationality. Vietnamese origin has the highest cultural adaptation as marginalization pattern. The common types of Korea acculturation were integration (3.03 +/- 1.08), separation (3.10 +/- 0.59), marginalization (3.10 +/- 0.58), followed by assimilation (2.84 +/- 0.51). There were significant differences in the four types of acculturation by marriage immigrant women's country of origin (p<0.05). According to dietary behavior, 'eliminating hunger' was the most important value in a meal. Chinese marriage migrant women, who had higher level of food intake attitude significantly, also considered 'being healthy' an important value. Regarding food choice behavior, Vietnamese had lowest frequency of homeland food intake. Most of marriage immigrant women were satisfied with the Korean food, and need for education was very high with interest for cooking, good nutrition, and managing their children's dietary life. CONCLUSIONS: Coping with a change in dietary behavior is one of the biggest transitional difficulties, and family members may need support to find their familiar food items and to continue their cultural food choice behavior in the local areas. Further researches with quantitative and qualitative analysis are needed to understand the effect of dietary behavior for acculturation in multicultural families.

Comparative Study of Adolescents' Mental Health between Multicultural Family and Monocultural Family in Korea

OBJECTIVES: With the observation of factors influencing depression, self-reported happiness, self-reported stress and suicidal attempt, this study compared and evaluated the mental health of adolescents from multicultural families and monocultural families in Korea. METHODS: This study compared the characteristics of adolescents from multicultural and monocultural families based on the analysis of data of The Tenth Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey and analyzed the factors influencing adolescent depression, self-reported happiness, self-reported stress and suicidal attempt. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the levels of depression, self-reported happiness, and self-reported stress between adolescents from multicultural and monocultural families. However, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt were significantly higher in adolescents from multicultural families. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the mental health of adolescents from multicultural and monocultural families. Because depression is the greatest factor for suicidal attempt, and violence has stronger relationship with depression of adolescents from multicultural families, further study is needed to prevent this trend.

Oral health beliefs and cultural specificity in multicultural families / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health beliefs and cultural specificity of multicultural families. METHODS: Subjects were 179 adults from multicultural families living in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. The surveys and interviews were performed between June and November 2014 in the subjects' native languages (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean). The surveys were conducted using a self-administration method and a face-to-face interviewing method with the assistance of translators. RESULTS: Perceived barrier of oral health belief scores were higher in Vietnamese and Korean spouses than those from other countries (P<0.05). Cultural specificity scores were highest among the Japanese and lowest among the Vietnamese (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Multicultural families showed different oral health beliefs and cultural specificities. Therefore, future oral health care programs for multicultural families should consider cultural differences and adaptations.