Oral Health Awareness and Actual State of Immigrant Women in Multicultural Families

Objectives: This study aimed to provide basic data for the improvement and management of the oral health awareness and oral-health-related quality of life of immigrant women in multicultural families. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This study targeted a total of 130 immigrant women in multicultural families who participated in the South Korean society adaptation programs at the multicultural family centers. The direct interview methods were used, and a questionnaire translation for each of the subjects’ countries of origin was prepared so that the subjects can answer the questionnaires by themselves. The collected data was used the SPSS 19.0 (ver) statistical program. Findings: The subject immigrant women in multicultural families in this study were aware of the importance of oral health depending on whether or not they visited a dental clinic after their migration, but even though their migration period was long, as their opportunity to receive education through oral-health-related programs was limited, there were very few persons who received such education. In addition, for the path through which they obtained oral-health-related knowledge, the mass media was the most common. This means that it is difficult for people with economic difficulties to access the oral care institutions in South Korea; thus, the probability that they will obtain unverified related knowledge through the mass media and not through professional education is high. Improvements/Applications: Establishment of oral healthcare programs for immigrant women in multicultural families and regional linkage between the multicultural centers and the health centers and dental clinics are urgently needed.