Hyunmi Ahn

Psychosocial Factors and Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Southeastern Asian Female Workers Living in Korea

Objectives A rapid increase in the population of migrant workers in Korea has brought new challenges regarding the possible effects of acculturation on health. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of acculturation- and work-related psychosocial factors on work-related musculoskeletal disorders among migrant female workers living in Korea. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used. A translated, structured questionnaire was administrated to 156 southeastern Asian female full-time workers living in Korea. Results About 35% of the participants experienced some type(s) of work-related musculoskeletal disorder(s), which were more prevalent in Vietnamese women than in Thai and Filipino women. Women who preferred to maintain their own heritage and to reject the host country heritage were at risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion Acculturation strategy and nationality were found to be significant factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Health professionals need to accommodate acculturation contexts into risk assessment and intervention development for work-related musculoskeletal disorders separately for different nationalities.

Factors Affecting Secondhand Smoke Avoidance Behavior of Vietnamese Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the stage of secondhand smoke avoidance behavior of adolescents in rural areas of Vietnam and the related factors affecting such behavior. The participants were recruited from two middle schools located in Hai Thuong and Trieu Trach commune, Vietnam. Data were collected in January 2016 by distributing and collecting a self-administrated questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed (n = 166) using SPSS 21.0 for frequency, percentage, and ordinal logistic regression. The largest proportion of secondhand smoke avoidance behavior was classified in maintenance (41.6%), followed by action (19.9%), preparation (15.1%), pre-contemplation (13.3%), and contemplation (10.2%) stages. The factors related to higher secondhand smoke avoidance behavior were higher self-efficacy (p = 0.003) and more frequent discussion with parents about dangers of smoking (p = 0.001). The findings indicated that self-efficacy of avoiding secondhand smoke and discussion with parents were associated with secondhand smoke avoidance behavior of adolescents. These findings can be used for developing education programs to prevent secondhand smoke for adolescents in Vietnam.

Analysis of Health Related Intervention Research for Married Immigrant Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the trends of health related intervention researches for married immigrant women in order to develop health promotion programs for married immigrant women. Among ninety six health related research papers published between 2000 and 2015, nine intervention researches were reviewed and analyzed. Among these researches, three were related to pregnancy and delivery and one was related to the prevention of infections in children and women’s diseases respectively. Four researches provided information pertaining to the intervention and handling of mental and social or physical health issues, two researches pertained to only mental health and three researches covered only physical health. The researches related to physical health for married immigrant women needed to take into consideration various issues related to life span including child birth and child rearing. Also, researches that focused on social and mental health issues required additional planning to enhance relationships with others in addition to personal coping skills.