Relationship between Health Behaviors and Family Function in Multicultural Family Female Immigrants

Background: The number of multicultural families and female immigrants has been increasing rapidly. Female immigrants have major roles in developing health behaviors for themselves and their family members. In this study, we examined the relationship between health behaviors and family function in multicultural family female immigrants. Methods: The study subjects were 172 foreign women who had been married to Korean men and immigrated to Korea. All participants were registered in migration support centers. From March to June, 2010, they fi lled in a questionnaire about their health behaviors, socio-demographic factors, and family function by means of Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales III (FACES III), the family APGAR score. Results: In the FACES III classifi cation, balanced type was the most common feature of multicultural families, but 45.5% of multicultural families were characterized as the extreme type. The average APGAR score was 5.60, and above half of multicultural families were characterized as dysfunctional. As for association with health behaviors, maintenance of ideal body weight was related to extreme family type. Exercise, sleeping, and diet habits were associated with family function. Female immigrants in highly functioning families had more desirable health behaviors. Conclusion: More desirable health behaviors were observed in highly functioning families. Therefore, family physicians need to be concerned with family function and other associative factors.