Immigrants ; Acculturation ; Social network ; Quality of life
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify relationships between acculturation, social network, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among Korean-Chinese immigrants.
Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 147 Korean-Chinese immigrants who were residing more than 1 year in Korea. Physical and mental dimensions of HRQOL were assessed by Short Form-12 Health Survey that consisted of a physical component summary (PCS) and a mental component summary (MCS). Data were analyzed with Pearson's correlation and multiple regression.
Results
The mean PCS score was 41.14±10.72 and the mean MCS score was 49.09±11.31 (possible range 10-70). Depression (β=-6.43) and Social network frequency (β=2.44) explained 28.4% of the variance in PCS while depression (β=-11.54) and visiting clinic/hospital (β=-4.00) explained 34.3% of the variance in MCS. Acculturation was not significantly associated with HRQOL.
Conclusion
This study confirmed that the social network frequency influences HRQOL among Korean-Chinese Immigrants. The findings suggest that social network analysis should be considered in the process of developing health intervention strategies for Korean-Chinese immigrants.