Factors that Affect the Subjective Health Status of Adolescents in Multicultural Families

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated general, psychological, and health-related factors related to subjective health status reported from adolescents in multicultural families. Methods: Data from the seventh Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (2001), collected by the Korean Center for Disease Control, was statistically analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression analysis. Results: The average points reported for subjective health status was 3.73(SD=0.87)out of 5 points. A major factor accounting for differences in the subjective health status reported was gender. In addition key differences related to psychological and health-related factors were cognition of stress, satisfaction with sleep amount, and moderate physical exercise. Conclusion: The findings suggest that tailored intervention programs should be provided to prevent adolescent problems in multicultural families. We also recommend the development of a program that can help control the variables identified in this study.