Child Health Nurs Res.  2020 Jan;26(1):23-34. 10.4094/chnr.2020.26.1.23.

Factors Affecting Health Behaviors in Late School-aged Children from Multicultural Families

• Lee S

• KMID: 2501249
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4094/chnr.2020.26.1.23

Abstract

Purpose
This study was conducted to investigate factors affecting health behaviors in late school-aged children from multicultural families.
Methods
This study included 401 children (112 from multicultural families and 289 from non-multicultural backgrounds) in grades 4~6 in 11 elementary schools. Data on health behaviors and related factors (school adjustment, the mother-child relationship, self-efficacy, etc.) were collected from the children using self-reported questionnaires between May and June in 2019. The collected data were analyzed through a univariate analysis and multiple regression analysis.
Results
The health behavior score of multicultural children was lower than that of non-multicultural children (t=3.32, p=.001). In multicultural children, school adjustment (β=.55, p<.001), mother-child relationship (β=.25, p=.001), and perceived health status (very healthy=1; β=.19, p=.011) were significant factors affecting their health behavior and explained 47.0% (F=30.93, p<.001) of the variance.
Conclusion
Multicultural late school-aged children are at risk to engage in a lower level of health behaviors than their non-multicultural counterparts. More attention should be paid to ways of improving multicultural children’s perceptions of their health status, maternal relationships, and school adjustment in order to promote health behaviors.

Keyword

Health behavior; Child; Mother-child relations; Cultural diversity; Family