Korean J Fam Med.  2019 Jan;40(1):31-38. 10.4082/kjfm.17.0059.

Relationship between Health Behaviors and Marital Adjustment and Marital Intimacy in Multicultural Family Female Immigrants

• Lee JY
• Kim JS
• Kim SS
• Jeong JK
• Yoon SJ
• Kim SJ
• Lee SM

• KMID: 2431621
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.17.0059

Abstract

BACKGROUND
This study analyzed the relationship between health behaviors and marital adjustment in multicultural couples to evaluate their health status.
METHODS
Married couples (70 Korean men and their immigrant wives) completed a structured interview on health behaviors and sociodemographic factors, the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), and the Marital Intimacy Scale. Based on the cutoff value of the RDAS, respondents were classified into two groups: high or low dyadic adaptation groups. The collected data were compared with health behavior regarding smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, and weight.
RESULTS
The odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) by logistic regression with adjustment for age, educational level, career, occupation, length of residence in Korea, nationality, religion, age difference between couple, number of children, monthly income, and proficiency in Korean was 1.279 (1.113-1.492) for unhealthy exercise and 1.732 (1.604-1.887) for unhealthy body weight in female immigrants with low marital adjustment. In Korean husbands with low marital adjustment, the OR (95% CI) was 1.625 (1.232-2.142) for smoking and 1.327 (1.174-1.585) for unhealthy exercise. No significant relationship was found between marital intimacy and health behaviors in female immigrants or Korean husbands.
CONCLUSION
More desirable health behaviors were observed in highly adapted couples. Therefore, family physicians should be concerned with marital adjustment and other associative factors to evaluate and improve multicultural couples' health status.

Keyword

Family; Health Behavior; Emigrants and Immigrants; Cultural Diversity; Marital Status

MeSH Terms

Alcohol Drinking
Body Weight
Child
Cultural Diversity
Emigrants and Immigrants*
Ethnic Groups
Family Characteristics
Female*
Health Behavior*
Humans
Korea
Logistic Models
Male
Marital Status
Occupations
Odds Ratio
Physicians, Family
Smoke
Smoking
Spouses
Surveys and Questionnaires
Smoke