Exploring the health of female spouses from multicultural families: Examining the differences by their country of origin

This study examined the health status of female foreign spouses of multicultural families in Korea. More specifically, this study examined whether within-group difference exists depending on their country of origin in health status as well as determinants of their health status. For the analyses, data from the 2012 National Survey of Multicultural Families was used and a total of 165,451 spouses from China (both Korean-Chinese and Han Chinese), Vietnam, and The Philippines were included. The result showed that Vietnamese and Filipino women were healthier than Korean-Chinese and Han Chinese. The determinants and their size of the effect also varied across four groups of women. The results of this study highlight the importance of understanding immigrant women in the context of their ethnic background for interventions of their health. In addition, understanding their status and experiences in Korea must be in place for immigrant health studies, and potential differences by their country of origin must be considered in the development of health policies and practice.