Biomolecules & Therapeutics

The Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology (한국응용약물학회)
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Comparing Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors in Asian Migrants and Native Koreans among the Asian Population

  • Piao, Heng (The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital) ;
  • Yun, Jae Moon (Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Shin, Aesun (Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Cho, Belong (Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kang, Daehee (The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital)
  • Received : 2022.03.12
  • Accepted : 2022.06.15
  • Published : 2022.11.01
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Abstract

Assessing the health of international migrants is crucial in the Republic of Korea, Asia, and even worldwide. We compared the risk factors for non-communicable diseases among Asian migrants in Korea and the Korean population. This cross-sectional (2015) and longitudinal (2009-2015) observational study comprised a population-wide analysis spanning 2009 to 2015. Asian migrants (n=987,214) in Korea and Korean nationals (n=1,693,281) aged ≥20 were included. The Asian migrants were classified as Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and other. The prevalence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases (current smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension) were analyzed. Regarding the age-adjusted prevalence, direct age standardization was conducted separately by sex using 10-year age bands; the World Standard Population was used as the standard population. Among the participants aged ≥20, the age-adjusted prevalence of current smoking was higher among Chinese and other Asian migrant men than among Korean men and women (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was higher among Chinese, Filipino, and other Asian migrant women than in Korean women (p<0.001, p=0.002, and p<0.001, respectively). Among the participants aged 20-49, the age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension was higher in Filipino migrant women than in Korean women (p=0.009 and p<0.001, respectively). Current rates of smoking and obesity were worse among Asian migrants of specific nationalities than among native Koreans. The health inequalities among Filipino migrant women in Korea, especially those aged 20-49, should be addressed.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was funded by Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Yuhan Pharmaceutical, Seoul, Republic of Korea; and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China. We thank Carol Brayne and Caroline Lee (University of Cambridge), Jae-Heon Kang (Sungkyunkwan University), Jian Li (University of California), Jong-Koo Lee and Young-Ho Khang (Seoul National University), and Shu-Zheng Liu (Zhengzhou University) for their constructive suggestions and comments. We also thank Editage (www.editage.cn), Luyao Zhang (Zhengzhou University), and Mohamed S. Bangura (Dalian Medical University) for their writing support.

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