Social Determinants of Health and Well-Being of Adolescents in Multicultural Families in South Korea: Social-Cultural and Community Influence

• Published in: Frontiers in public health 2021-03, Vol.9, p.641140
• Main Authors: Shin, Jungeun, Lee, Hyeonkyeong, Choi, Eun Kyoung, Nam, Chungmo, Chae, Sun-Mi, Park, Oksik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adolescents; cultural diversity; Public Health; social determinants of health; social environment; well-being
• ISSN: 2296-2565; 2296-2565
• DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.641140

Adolescents in multicultural families (AMFs) are exposed to numerous stressors and face environmental vulnerability within the family, school, and community systems, which may affect their health and well-being. Concrete discussion on policies is lacking due to insufficient data on the levels of well-being of AMFs in South Korea. This study aimed to investigate social-cultural and community factors affecting their well-being. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 206 AMFs (aged 13-18 years) from 16 general schools and three multicultural schools across eight large cities. AMFs completed a self-administrative questionnaire assessing well-being, individual factors (acculturative stress, health behavior), social and community factors (social support, sense of community), and environmental factors (school type, economic status). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Social support and sense of community significantly and directly affected well-being. The economic status and type of school had an indirect effect on well-being, whereas the effect of acculturative stress was not significant. Factors significantly affecting adolescents' well-being were social support, sense of community, economic status, and type of school. Addressing well-being may be the strategy leading AMFs to grow into healthy adults. These results could help educators, health professionals, and policymakers to identify ways to enhance the well-being of AMFs.