Factors Affecting Health Behaviors in Late School-aged Children from Multicultural Families

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate factors affecting health behaviors in late school-aged children from multicultural families.Methods: This study included 401 children (112 from multicultural families and 289 from non-multicultural backgrounds) in grades 4~6 in 11 elementary schools. Data on health behaviors and related factors (school adjustment, the mother-child relationship, self-efficacy, etc.) were collected from the children using self-reported questionnaires between May and June in 2019. The collected data were analyzed through a univariate analysis and multiple regression analysis.Results: The health behavior score of multicultural children was lower than that of non-multicultural children (t=3.32, <i>p</i>=.001). In multicultural children, school adjustment (β=.55, <i>p</i><.001), mother-child relationship (β=.25, <i>p</i>=.001), and perceived health status (very healthy=1; β=.19, <i>p</i>=.011) were significant factors affecting their health behavior and explained 47.0% (F=30.93, <i>p</i><.001) of the variance.Conclusion: Multicultural late school-aged children are at risk to engage in a lower level of health behaviors than their non-multicultural counterparts. More attention should be paid to ways of improving multicultural children’s perceptions of their health status, maternal relationships, and school adjustment in order to promote health behaviors.