The Association of Perception of Health Status with Lifestyle of Yanbian Koreans and Yanbian Chinese

Ahn, Hyun Ock; Kim, Ki Soon; Ryu, So Yeon; Lee, Chul Gab; Park, Jong; Kim, Yang Ok; Ro, Hee Kyung

Abstract

To find the association of perception of health status with lifestyle of different ethnic groups living in north-eastern part of China, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was done by 10 local health workers for 375 Korean immigrants and 217 Chinese whose age was 30 years old or more. Because Korean immigrants showed higher mortality than Chinese, we expected to find significant lifestyle related with perception of health status which was known to be a predictor of mortality by different ethnic groups. The results were as follows: 1. We found that 59.7% of Yanbian Koreans and 42.9% of Yanbian Chinese felt unhealthy (p=0.000). 2. For Yanbian Koreans, significant variables associated with perception of health status were selected through logistic regression analysis and they were sex; female to male with an OR=2.45 (95% confidence interval[CI]: 1.06, 5.64), prevalence of chronic illness with an OR=8.48 (95% CI: 4.62, 15.56), amount of meal; small or moderate to full with an OR=2.67 (95% CI: 1.40, 5.09), preference of spicy food with an OR=1.78 (95% CI: 1.04, 3.04), and less amount intake of vitamin B2 with an OR=2.29 (95% CI: 1.33, 3.93). 3. For Yanbian Chinese, significant variables associated with perception of health status were prevalence of chronic illness with an OR=4.97 (95% CI: 2.11, 11.68), history of taking ginseng with an OR=3.72 (95% CI: 1.33, 10.43), and less intake of vitamin C with an OR=0.18 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.46). In conclusion, sex, presence of chronic illness, dietary habit, and amount of vitamin- B1 intake were associated with perception of health status in Yanbian Koreans. Presence of chronic illness, experience of ginseng intake, and amount of vitamin C intake were associated with perception of health status in Yanbian Chinese. To prove cause-effect relation between perception of health status and lifestyle, further study is needed for these different ethnic groups.