Factors Associated with General Health Screening Participation among Married Immigrant Women in Korea

Background: The number of married female immigrants living in Korea has been increasing and is expected to increase further. This study was performed to identify factors associated with national general health screening participation among married immigrant women living in South Korea. Methods: The Korean National Health Insurance System's (NHIS) customized database for the years 2014 and 2015 was used. The targets of this study were women aged 19 years old and above. To identify factors associated with national general health screening participation, the following analyses were employed: frequency, chi-square, simple regression, and multiple regression. Results: A total of 11,213 women were identified in the NHIS database. Overall, 67.4% participated in national general health screenings, lower than the 74.6% participation rate of the entire women's health screening program. Married immigrant women with a job had higher health screening participation than those without a job (OR = 2.822, p < 0.0001). Age, socioeconomic status, and duration of stay were related to health screening behaviors among employed married immigrant women. Nationality, socioeconomic status, duration of stay, and disease status were associated with general health screening behaviors among unemployed immigrant women. The odds ratios decreased as the length of stay increased, regardless of employment status. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that employment status and duration of stay in Korea are significantly associated with general health screening participation. Accordingly, to improve awareness about health screening and health care disparities, programs promoting health screening participation for socially vulnerable classes, including immigrant women and unemployed women, should be instigated.