Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The Relationship Between Duration of Stay and Self-rated Health Among International College Students in South Korea

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined relationships between duration of stay and self-rated health among international students in South Korea and compared participants’ health-related characteristics according to duration of stay. The study recruited a convenience sample of 165 international students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs. For this cross-sectional, descriptive study, participants were recruited at one South Korean university. Data were subjected to ordinal logistic regression analyses. After controlling for covariates, a stay of 6 months or less was a significant predictor of better self-rated health. Compared to those in their first semester, international students staying more than 6 months more frequently experienced short sleep duration, physical health symptoms, healthcare utilization, unmet healthcare needs, and perceived discrimination. Study findings indicate that international students’ health tends to deteriorate after their first semester. To promote the health and academic success of international students, universities should provide timely health promotion programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Code Availability

Not applicable.

References

  1. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2020). Number of international students in tertiary education, by destination country, in 2017, Retrieved May 08, 2022, from http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=EDULIT_DS

  2. Bohm, A., Davis, D., Meares, D., & Pearce, D. (2002). The global student mobility 2025 report: Forecasts of the global demand for international education. IDP.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ministry of Education. (2019). Basic educational statistics in 2019. Retrieved May 08, 2022, from https://www.moe.go.kr/boardCnts/view.do?boardID=294&boardSeq=78378&lev=0&searchType=null&statusYN=W&page=1&s=moe&m=020402&opType=N

  4. Banjong, D. N. (2015). International students’ enhanced academic performance: Effects of campus resources. Journal of International Students, 5(2), 132–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hussain, M., & Shen, H. (2019). A study on academic adaptation of international students in China. Higher Education Studies, 9(4), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v9n4p80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Minutillo, S., Cleary, M., Hills, A. P., & Visentin, D. (2020). Mental health considerations for international students. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 41(6), 494–499. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2020.1716123

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Skromanis, S., Cooling, N., Rodgers, B., Purton, T., Fan, F., Bridgman, H., Harris, K., Presser, J., & Mond, J. (2018). Health and well-being of international university students, and comparison with domestic students, in Tasmania, Australia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6), 1147. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061147

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Poyrazli, S., Kavanaugh, P. R., Baker, A., & Al-Timimi, N. (2004). Social support and demographic correlates of acculturative stress in international students. Journal of College Counseling, 7(1), 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2004.tb00261.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Rosenthal, D. A., Russell, J., & Thomson, G. (2008). The health and wellbeing of international students at an Australian university. Higher Education, 55(1), 51–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-006-9037-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Alakaam, A., & Willyard, A. (2020). Eating habits and dietary acculturation effects among international college students in the United States. AIMS Public Health, 7(2), 228–240. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2020020

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Du, C., Luo, N., Wu, L., Gadd, S., Zhang, X., & Tucker, R. M. (2021). Health behavior changes associated with weight gain among first-year international students studying at an American university. Journal of American College Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1891082

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kim, Y. K., & Cronley, C. (2020). Acculturative stress and binge drinking among international students in the United States: Resilience and vulnerability approaches. Journal of American College Health, 68(2), 207–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2018.1538998

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Liu, X., Chen, H., Zhou, Q., Zhang, H., Asawasirisap, P., & Kearney, J. (2020). Knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards diet and health among international students in Dublin: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), 3182. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093182

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Kim, C. J., Park, J., & Kang, S. W. (2015). Health-promoting lifestyles and cardio-metabolic risk factors among international students in South Korea. Collegian, 22(2), 215–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2014.09.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Chen, J. A., Stevens, C., Wong, S., & Liu, C. H. (2019). Psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses among U.S. college students: A comparison by race and ethnicity. Psychiatric Services, 70(6), 442–449. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201800388

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Hyun, J., Quinn, B., Madon, T., & Lustig, S. (2007). Mental health need, awareness, and use of counseling services among international graduate students. Journal of American College Health, 56(2), 109–118. https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.56.2.109-118

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. DeSalvo, K. B., Bloser, N., Reynolds, K., He, J., & Muntner, P. (2006). Mortality prediction with a single general self-rated health question: A meta-analysis. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 21(3), 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.00291.x

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Lommel, L. L., & Chen, J. L. (2016). The relationship between self-rated health and acculturation in Hispanic and Asian adult immigrants: A systematic review. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 18(2), 468–478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0208-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Chae, D., & Kang, K. H. (2021). Factors associated with the self-rated health of married immigrant women in South Korea. Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing, 35(2), 224–238. https://doi.org/10.5932/JKPHN.2021.35.2.224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Gubernskaya, Z. (2015). Age at migration and self-rated health trajectories after age 50: Understanding the older immigrant health paradox. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 70(2), 279–290.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. John, D. A., de Castro, A. B., Martin, D. P., Duran, B., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2012). Does an immigrant health paradox exist among Asian Americans? Associations of nativity and occupational class with self-rated health and mental disorders. Social Science & Medicine, 75(12), 2085–2098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.01.035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kim, B., & Son, K. B. (2020). Factors affecting the self-rated health of immigrant women married to native men and raising children in South Korea: A cross-sectional study. BMC Women’s Health, 20(1), 210. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-020-01073-8

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Rodríguez-Álvarez, E., González-Rábago, Y., Borrell, L. N., & Lanborena, N. (2017). Perceived discrimination and self-rated health in the immigrant population of the Basque Country, Spain. Gaceta Sanitaria, 31(5), 390–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2016.12.014

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Helgesson, M., Johansson, B., Nordquist, T., Vingård, E., & Svartengren, M. (2019). Healthy migrant effect in the Swedish context: A register-based, longitudinal cohort study. British Medical Journal Open, 9(3), e026972. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026972

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Vang, Z. M., Sigouin, J., Flenon, A., & Gagnon, A. (2017). Are immigrants healthier than native-born Canadians? A systematic review of the healthy immigrant effect in Canada. Ethnicity & Health, 22(3), 209–241. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2016.1246518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. El Ansari, W., Suominen, S., & Draper, S. (2017). Correlates of achieving the guidelines of four forms of physical activity, and the relationship between guidelines achievement and academic performance: Undergraduate students in Finland. Central European Journal of Public Health, 25(2), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.21101/cejph.a4387

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Hsieh, H. H., Chang, C. M., Liu, L. W., & Huang, H. C. (2018). The relative contribution of dietary habits, leisure-time exercise, exercise attitude, and body mass index to self-rated health among college students in Taiwan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(5), 967. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050967

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Li, L., Lok, K. I., Mei, S. L., Cui, X. L., Li, L., Ng, C. H., Ungvari, G. S., Ning, Y. P., An, F. R., & Xiang, Y. T. (2019). Sleep duration and self-rated health in Chinese university students. Sleep and Breathing, 23(4), 1351–1356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-019-01856-w

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Ohtsuki, M., Wakasugi, Y., Narukawa, T., Uehara, S., & Ohkubo, T. (2021). Are lifestyle factors significantly associated with self-rated health among Japanese female healthcare students? BMC Public Health, 21(1), 505. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10435-2

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Steptoe, A., Peacey, V., & Wardle, J. (2006). Sleep duration and health in young adults. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(16), 1689–1692. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.16.1689

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Arsandaux, J., Michel, G., Tournier, M., Tzourio, C., & Galéra, C. (2019). Is self-esteem associated with self-rated health among French college students? A longitudinal epidemiological study: The i-Share cohort. British Medical Journal Open, 9(6), e024500. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Lysgaand, S. (1955). Adjustment in a foreign society: Norwegian Fulbright grantees visiting the United States. International Social Science Bulletin, 7, 45–51.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Park, K., Cho, Y., & Yoon, I. J. (2009). Social inclusion and length of stay as determinants of health among North Korean refugees in South Korea. International journal of public health, 54(3), 175–182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-8048-y

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Lubbers, M., & Gijsberts, M. (2019). Changes in self-rated health right after immigration: A panel study of economic, social, cultural, and emotional explanations of self-rated health among immigrants in The Netherlands. Frontiers in Sociology, 4, 45. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2019.00045

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Curcio, G., Ferrara, M., & De Gennaro, L. (2006). Sleep loss, learning capacity and academic performance. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 10(5), 323–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2005.11.00

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Allen, H. K., Barrall, A. L., Vincent, K. B., & Arria, A. M. (2021). Stress and burnout among graduate students: Moderation by sleep duration and quality. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28(1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-020-09867-8

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Lee, D., Kim, K., & Kwon, S. (2021). The determinants of health care utilization of international students in Korea. The Korean Journal of Health Economics and Policy, 27(2), 121–148.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Kwak, Y. (2022). Asian international students’ health status and its policy implications for South Korea. Health and Welfare Policy Forum, 2022(2), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.23062/2022.02.4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Chae, D., Kim, J., Asami, K., & Kim, J. (2019). Factors associated with the self-rated health of migrant workers in Korea. Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion, 36(3), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.14367/kjhep.2019.36.3.37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Siddiqi, A., Zuberi, D., & Nguyen, Q. C. (2009). The role of health insurance in explaining immigrant versus non-immigrant disparities in access to health care: Comparing the United States to Canada. Social Science & Medicine, 69(10), 1452–1459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.08.030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Gherghina, S. (2021). Work and stay: Explaining perceived discrimination among Romanian labor migrants. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 22(3), 887–905. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-020-00777-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Vang, Z. M., & Chang, Y. (2019). Immigrants’ experiences of everyday discrimination in Canada: Unpacking the contributions of assimilation, race, and early socialization. International Migration Review, 53(2), 602–631. https://doi.org/10.1177/0197918318764871

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Quaglia, V., Terraneo, M., & Tognetti, M. (2022). Perceived ethnic discrimination as a determinant of migrants’ health in Italy. International Migration, 60(2), 107–125. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12863

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Kööts-Ausmees, L., & Realo, A. (2015). The association between life satisfaction and self-reported health status in Europe. European Journal of Personality, 29(6), 647–657. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Cummins, R. A. (2003). Normative life satisfaction: Measurement issues and a homeostatic model. Social Indicators Research, 64(2), 225–256. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024712527648

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jon S. Mann of the University of Illinois at Chicago and Kyra Freestar of Bridge Creek Editing for their English language editing support for this manuscript.

Funding

This research was not funded.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, and Project administration: DC (equal) and HY (equal) and KA (supporting). Analysis: HY (equal) and CGP (equal) and KA (supporting). Validation: DC (equal) and AD (equal). Writing original draft, review and editing: DC (lead) and HY (equal) and AD (equal) and CGP (supporting) and KA (supporting).

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hyunju Yang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Ethical Approval

Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Chonnam National University Institutional Review Board (1040198-191205-HR-122-03).

Consent to Participate

Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Consent for Publication

All authors have approved of the final version of the manuscript being submitted and it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 41 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chae, D., Yang, H., Doorenbos, A.Z. et al. The Relationship Between Duration of Stay and Self-rated Health Among International College Students in South Korea. J Community Health 48, 67–78 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-022-01145-w

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-022-01145-w

Keywords

Navigation