Stress Factors in Multicultural Adolescents
1
Department of Nursing, Daegu Haany University, Hanuidae-ro, Gyeongsan-si 38610, Korea
2
College of Nursing, Changshin University, 262 Palyongro, MasanHoewon-gu, Changwon 51352, Korea
3
Department of Nursing, Daedong College, 88, Dongbugok-ro 27 beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46270, Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Adolescents 2022, 2(2), 326-335; https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents2020025
Submission received: 29 March 2022
/
Revised: 8 June 2022
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Accepted: 9 June 2022
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Published: 14 June 2022
Abstract
:This study aimed to identify the level of stress in teenagers from multicultural families in Korea and examine the factors influencing this stress. This cross-sectional study utilized the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Bsehavior Web-based Survey. Of the 57,303 survey participants, 749 reported that their father, mother, or both parents were born outside of Korea. These 749 multicultural individuals were selected as study participants. We examined general characteristics (sex, grade, parental education level, academic performance level, foreign nationality, residence type, economic status, exposure to violence, and frequency of physical activity), health risk behaviors (sexual activity, drug use, and drinking), and mental health factors (sleep, depression, and presence of suicidal thoughts) to determine whether these factors may contribute to multicultural adolescent stress. Multicultural adolescents who reported insufficient sleep, depression, or suicidal thoughts were more likely to experience stress than those who did not report these factors. Moreover, participants with insufficient sleep were 3.73 times more likely to feel stress than those with good sleep. Among general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health factors, mental health factors were observed to significantly predict an increase in multicultural adolescents’ stress levels. Considering the increase in the number of multicultural adolescents in Korea, it is important to address the difficulties they experience to provide appropriate interventional programs. Such programs should include techniques to help with the management of stress.
1. Introduction
Adolescence is a transitional and an emotionally sensitive period for many individuals. Negative perceptions of life, unstable health conditions, and uncertainty about the future can lead to depression and anxiety in adolescents [1]. Currently, the global exchange of human resources has increased, leading to a multicultural society. For example, South Korea has rapidly turned into a multicultural society due to the increase in international marriages and the continued influx of foreign workers [2]. According to Statistics Korea (2020), the number of multicultural residents in Korea has increased significantly over ten years: in 2019, South Korea had 137,000 multicultural students, which has tripled over the last 12 years. This number continues to grow while the total number of monocultural teenagers in Korea decreases [3].
These residents have reported that their ability to adapt to life in Korea has improved over time due to long-term residency; however, a lack of social networks has posed more of a challenge as they have experienced a lack of discussion partners. The academic performance levels of adolescents from multicultural families are lower than adolescents from monocultural family. Furthermore, multicultural adolescents experience more discrimination than monocultural adolescents [3].
The number of migrant adolescents is continuously growing across the world. It has been reported that 5–10% of European immigrant adolescents, regardless of their gender and whether they were born in the country or had moved from another country at young age, experience mental difficulties such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts [4]. Multicultural adolescents who came to the host country at a young age or were born in that country, or with parents born in another country, are a vulnerable group because they are in a transitional period. They need to adapt to the host culture [5]. In addition, a study conducted in Turkey showed that multicultural adolescents who came from other countries or have parents born in another country have demonstrated mental difficulties such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders [6]. Multicultural adolescents may experience psychosocial maladjustment due to insufficient educational support, discrimination, and issues with peer relationships at school. Furthermore, teenagers from multicultural families may experience challenges due to conflicts, language difficulties, identity changes, and confusion caused by cultural differences [6]. Given all of these factors, multicultural adolescents may suffer from increased stress levels in comparison with monocultural teenagers [4].
South Korea is a country that has historically been a homogeneous society, and its national identity has been regarded as the same as its ethnic identity for its long history. “Real” Koreans are defined as ethnically, culturally, and genetically descended from Korean parents [7]. Currently, the number of multicultural families in Korea is rising due to an increase in international marriages and foreign workers, which has led to an increase in the number of multicultural students [8]. Although some of these individuals were born in Korea, their language development may have been delayed due to the influence of a parent who is not a native speaker of Korean, which affects learning as well as interpersonal relationships in the adolescent period, resulting in stress, depression, and anxiety [9]. In addition, when parents’ nationalities are different, it is difficult for children to accept either one of the languages, values, and lifestyle, making it difficult for them to effectively communicate with their parents. Therefore, these challenges are believed to cause increased stress for children from multicultural families in comparison with children from monocultural families, and it has been reported that such increased stress in adolescence is also associated with increased instances of depression and suicide [8].
Sleep is a significant concern among adolescents globally and adolescents in many countries are reported to have sleep disturbances. Asian adolescents’ sleeping hours are particularly less than adolescents from North America and Europe. Lack of sleep contributes to poor academic performance, impaired functioning, and more emotional problems such as depression and stress [10]. Furthermore, sleep problems often co-occur in adolescents with mental health problems and are associated with depression, stress, and anxiety. Thus, more research is needed to understand the relationship between sleep issues and the mental health of adolescents [11].
A study on multicultural teenagers who moved to Korea reported that the younger they were when they entered Korea and the more unfamiliar they were with their friends, the more difficulties they had with mental stress that needed to be addressed [12].
Overall, as adolescents undergo a period of changes, they experience mental stress. Furthermore, multicultural adolescents are expected to experience increased stress during the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. Although they may have been born in South Korea, they are different from adolescents whose national identity is considered equivalent to their ethnic identity. While they are at home, they interact with parents who may speak a language different from Korean. It has been reported that mental health including stress during adolescence affects mental health later in life, and mental illness in most adults suffering from chronic mental illness starts in adolescence [13]. If adolescents fail to cope with such mental stressors, they may be at a higher risk of succumbing to drugs, dropping out of school, and, in severe cases, participating in antisocial behavior, which can affect their quality of life even during adulthood [14].
Thus, stress in adolescents needs to be considered seriously. With globalization, many people have started moving from one country to another country, and the situation is the same in South Korea. Adolescents, including multicultural adolescents, are the future of our society. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the factors that contribute to stress in multicultural adolescents and help them to be a healthy citizen. With improved understanding, more effective interventions can be developed to help decrease stress in multicultural adolescents. Ultimately, these interventions could result in happier adolescents.
Purpose of Study
This study sought to identify the level of stress in teenagers from multicultural families in Korea and examine the factors influencing their stress. The study’s specific purposes were as follows: (1) to identify the participants’ general characteristics (sex, grade, education levels of father and mother, academic performance level, foreign nationality, residence type, economic status, exposure to violence, and physical activity), health risk behaviors (sexual activity, drug use, and drinking), mental health (sleep, depression, and suicidal thoughts), and stress; (2) to explore the differences in stress according to the participants’ general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health; and (3) to identify the factors that influence their stress.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
This study used a cross-sectional survey to identify the factors influencing stress among multicultural adolescents. It utilized raw data from the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) [15].
2.2. Participants
Of the 57,303 participants in the 15th KYRBS [15], 749 answered “No” to the question “Was your father born in Korea?” and/or to the question “Was your mother born in Korea?” Hence, these 749 respondents became our study participants. Responses to the online survey about youth health behaviors were organized using unique numbers that could not be used to determine the respondents’ identities; thus, no personal information was disclosed, and anonymity and confidentiality were guaranteed. In addition, the researchers conducted the study after receiving a review exemption from Daegu Haany University, with which the first researcher was affiliated (No. 2021-1-05).
2.3. Instruments
The study’s dependent variable was multicultural adolescent stress, whereas the independent variables included general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health related to multicultural adolescent stress, according to previous studies.
2.3.1. General Characteristics
General characteristics analyzed included sex, grade, father’s education, mother’s education, academic performance level, foreign nationality, residence type, economic status, exposure to violence, and physical activity. Sex could be answered as either “male” or “female”; grade with “middle school” or “high school”; father’s and mother’s education with “above college”, “high school”, “under middle school”, or “unknown”; academic performance level with “high”, “average”, or “low”; foreign nationality with “both parents”, “mother”, or “father”; residence type with “with family”, “with relatives”, “boarding or self-boarding”, “dormitory”, or “child-care”; economic status with “high”, “moderate”, or “low”; and exposure to violence with “yes” or “no”. Physical activity was assessed with the question “In the last 7 days, on how many days did your heart rate increase more than usual, or did you complete a total of 60 min or more of physical activity that made you short of breath?” Participants could respond with “0”, “1–6 days”, or “7 days”.
2.3.2. Health Risk Behaviors
Health risk behaviors included sexual activity, drug use, and drinking. Participants were asked to respond with either “yes” or “no” to each of the following questions: (1) Have you ever had sex? (2) Have you ever habitually or deliberately taken drugs or inhaled butane gas or glue? (3) Have you ever had more than one drink?
2.3.3. Mental Health
In this study, mental health components included sleep, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Participants were asked “In the last 7 days, do you think the amount of time you have slept is sufficient to recover from fatigue?” Response options included “very sufficient”, “sufficient”, “normal”, “insufficient”, or “not sufficient at all”. Participants responded “yes” or “no” to the question “In the last 12 months, have you felt sad or hopeless enough to stop your everyday life for 2 weeks?” In addition, participants responded either “yes” or “no” to the question “In the last 12 months, have you seriously thought about suicide?”.
2.3.4. Stress
To identify stress levels, participants were asked “How much stress do you usually feel?” Participants were classified as having stress if they responded with “too much” or “much”. If the participants answered the question with “a little”, “not much”, or “not at all”, they were classified as having no stress.
2.4. Data Analysis
The data (15th (2019) KYRBS) [15] of the 749 respondents used in this study were evaluated using a composite sample analysis that reflected strata, cluster, weight (W), and a finite population modification coefficient. Since it is reflected in weighted conditions, effect size could not be determined. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. The following parameters were analyzed:
- (1)
- The frequency and percentage of the general characteristics, health risk behaviors, mental health, and stress levels of multicultural adolescents.
- (2)
- The differences in stress according to general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health among multicultural adolescents by using the Rao–Scott chi-square test.
- (3)
- The factors affecting stress in multicultural adolescents using multiple logistic regression.
3. Results
3.1. General Characteristics, Health Risk Behaviors, Mental Health, and Stress in Multicultural Adolescents
As shown in Table 1, the study’s population consisted of more females than males (391 [50.7%] vs. 358 [49.3%]). There were twice as many middle school students as high school students (523 [63.7%] vs. 226 [36.3%]). Regarding paternal education level, 258 [33.8%] answered “unknown”, followed by “high school”, “above college”, and “under middle school” (215 [30.2%], 156 [23.8%], and 86 [12.1%], respectively). For maternal education level, 301 (37.3%) answered “unknown”, followed by “above college”, “high school”, and “under middle school” 219 (30.9%), 160 (22.9%), and 65 (8.8%), respectively). The academic performance level was “low” (304 [42.1%]), “high” (222 [31.4%], and “average” (223 [26.5%]). Most participants reported maternal foreign nationality (616 [78.7%]), whereas 95 (15.1%) reported foreign nationality of both parents, and 38 (6.2%) reported only paternal foreign nationality. A majority of the participants (704 [93.1%]) lived with their families. A total of 381 (47.9%) participants had a moderate economic status, 192 (27.1) had a high economic status, and 176 (25%) had a low economic status. Moreover, 726 (96.6%) participants had not experienced violence. Physical activity was “7 days” per week among many of the participants (449 [58.8%]), whereas 251 (34.7%) participants reported “0” days of activity and 49 (6.5%) reported “1–6 days” of activity. Health risk behaviors were also examined. A total of 51 (8.2%) participants reported that they had engaged in sexual activity, 19 (3.2%) had used prohibited drugs, and 248 (36.3%) had experienced drinking alcoholic beverages. Finally, data were recorded to assess mental health. Participants reported sleep duration as “normal”, followed by “insufficient”, “sufficient”, “not sufficient at all”, and “very sufficient” (252 [32.3%], 166 [22.8%], 160 [19.4%], 111 [17.1%], and 60 [8.3%], respectively). A total of 205 (29.9%) participants were depressed and 116 (16.3%) had experienced suicidal thoughts. Overall, 309 (43.4%) participants were considered to be under stress.
3.2. Differences in Stress According to Multicultural Adolescents’ General Characteristics, Health Risk Behaviors, and Mental Health
Foreign nationality (Modified F [Fm] = 866.13, p < 0.001), sleep (Fm = 10.31, p < 0.001), depression (Fm = 44.60, p < 0.001), and suicidal thoughts (Fm = 41.57, p < 0.001) were found to be significantly related to the presence of stress in multicultural adolescents.
Stress was higher in participants with fathers of foreign nationality (52%) than in those with foreign mothers (43.6%) and those with both parents of foreign nationalities (38.4%). The level of stress was 70% in participants who reported that their sleep was “not sufficient at all”, 48% in those who reported “insufficient” sleep, 36.3% in those who reported “normal” sleep, 32.4% in those who reported “very sufficient” sleep, and 30.8% in those who reported “sufficient” sleep. Lastly, in those with depression (64.7%), stress was found to be higher than in those without depression (34.3%). Furthermore, stress was found to be higher in those with suicidal thoughts (74.2%) than in those without these thoughts (37.3%). These results are presented in Table 1.
3.3. Factors Influencing Stress among Multicultural Adolescents
We considered the statistically significant variables of general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health to determine the factors influencing stress in multicultural adolescents. We analyzed these factors using multiple logistic regression and found that the resulting model was significant (Wald F = 5.383, p < 0.001). The explanatory power was 21%. Mental health—including levels of sleep, depression, and suicidal thoughts—influenced stress among multicultural adolescents. The risk of stress was 3.73 times higher for individuals who reported their sleep was “not sufficient at all” (B = 1.32, 95% confidence level [CI] = 1.77–7.87, p = 0.001), 2.27 times higher for those with depression (B = 0.82, 95% CI = 1.46–3.54, p < 0.001), and 2.93 times higher for those with suicidal thoughts (B = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.68–5.11, p < 0.001). These results are shown in Table 2.
4. Discussion
This study used the 15th (2019) KYRBS [15] to determine the factors influencing stress among multicultural adolescents in South Korea. Of the 57,303 survey participants, 749 reported that either one or both of their parents were not born in Korea; hence, they became our study participants. Among them, 309 (43.4%) participants reported that they had stress. In 2019, four out of 10 adolescents in South Korea (39.9%) reported having stress associated with depression [3]. The results of our study show that multicultural adolescents’ stress level is slightly higher than all adolescents in South Korea.
This study showed that multicultural adolescents were more likely to have stress when getting insufficient sleep, while dealing with depression, and when having suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, participants who did not get enough sleep were 3.73 times more likely to experience stress than those who slept well. Lastly, 52% of multicultural adolescents who reported having stress had fathers who were not born in Korea.
The importance of teenagers having a healthy amount of sleep is becoming more known around the world, as this issue affects their future physical and mental health. It is known that teenagers in Asian regions tend to fall asleep later and wake up earlier than teenagers in North America, resulting in shortened total sleep time [10]. This lack of sleep is also known to impact daily routine functioning, academic performance, and emotional problems, such as depression, anxiety, and stress [10]. Quon et al. found that sleep difficulties had a greater impact on adolescents, and sleep problems in adolescents were found to be closely related to depression, anxiety, and stress [11]. For South Korean adolescents, their sleeping deficiency was serious, although limited to a few regions. It was reported that average sleep hours were 4.9–5.7 h. Serious sleep deprivation could lead adolescents to have poor academic performance and stress. Furthermore, researchers recommend promoting awareness of adolescent sleep deprivation and its negative effects on Korean society [16]. Adolescents’ sleep deprivation could be related to their mental health such as depression and stress. From the study exploring the direct relationship between sleeping hours and stress of multicultural adolescents, an insufficient number of sleeping hours increases their level of stress. The group of adolescents who had sufficient sleep had the lowest stress level [17]. Thus, it can be inferred that when adolescents do not sleep enough, their subjective happiness is low, and a lack of sleep contributes to stress and affects mental health. Furthermore, according to a study of cortisol levels related to sleep disorders, sleep time, and stress, the level of cortisol caused by stress in adolescents with sleep disorders has increased, and their stress levels affect their academic performance, behavior, and overall health, including mental health [18]. Sleeping time for Korean adolescents is a significant factor in improving mental health, and lack of sleep increases depression and emotionally instability, while it also contributes to more thoughts about suicide [19]. For adolescents, there is a relationship between sleep duration and mental health. In the case of adolescents with less than 5 h of sleep suicidal thoughts were 1.2 times higher than in the group with more than 8 h of sleep. Furthermore, while their sleeping time is not sufficient, it contributes to increased levels of depression, suicidal thoughts, and stress [20]. While the sleeping hours of adolescents increased, their suicidal thoughts and stress decreased [21]. Thus, based on the results of our current study, we can infer that insufficient sleep can negatively impact the mental health of multicultural adolescents and increase the likelihood of these individuals having stress. However, we did not directly explore the mediating effect of sleep problems of multicultural adolescents on stress. Therefore, further research should assess the impact of sleep disorders on multicultural adolescent stress levels and methods for mitigating this impact.
In addition, the current study suggests that depression and the presence of suicidal thoughts affect the stress levels of multicultural adolescents. According to a survey that examined the mental health and health risk behaviors of adolescents with Korean parents and multicultural families, adolescents from multicultural families demonstrated increased stress, higher levels of depression, and more suicidal thoughts than participants whose parents are both Korean [22]. The study found a relationship between depression and stress for multicultural adolescents; their depression is strongly associated with stress levels [23]. A previous study reported a relationship between mental health status and health behavior in adolescents living in Korea: 1 in 2.8 adolescents is exposed to stress, 1 in 4.2 is depressed, and 1 in 8.5 complains of mental health problems. Mental health problems subsequently lead to unhealthy behavior in adolescents, such as drinking and smoking; therefore, it is crucial to develop and expand intervention measures to manage mental health, including stress, among youth [24].
According to a multicultural youth panel survey, depression in multicultural adolescents is related to the stress of cultural adaptation, in addition to general stress, and adolescent depression decreases as social support increases [25]. Factors influencing depression in school-age children from multicultural families include low self-esteem, low Korean language proficiency, and lack of social support systems [26]. In addition, it was reported that having a social support system increases social adaptation and the well-being of multicultural youth, becoming a major predictor of mental health and lowering the risk of depression [27]. Decreasing the level of depression while increasing social support for adolescents may help to lower stress levels.
Based on the results of these studies, we can infer that an increase in social capital, including social support at school and support in the community outside of school, can lower multicultural adolescents’ depression level and result in the reduction of stress levels.
More suicide attempts have been reported in multicultural adolescents due to increased suicidal thoughts [22]. From the study identifying factors that affect suicide attempts in multicultural adolescents in South Korea, 41 (weighted prevalence 6.2%) out of 727 multicultural adolescents attempted suicide during the last 12 months, which was strongly associated with their perceived stress [28]. Furthermore, suicide ideation of multicultural adolescents was positively associated with stress [29]. In addition, according to a study conducted in South Korea that investigated the risk of suicide in relation to family type in multicultural adolescents, adolescents born in foreign countries have a higher risk of suicide than other adolescents [30]. In the present study, the stress of multicultural adolescents with suicidal thoughts was 2.93 times higher than that of multicultural adolescents without suicidal thoughts, and it was reported that multicultural adolescents whose fathers were born in foreign countries had higher levels of stress. Multicultural adolescents have a confused self-identity due to differences in language and the cultural lifestyles of their parents. This confusion may cause mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress [19]. This suggests that further research is needed to investigate the effects of stress on multicultural adolescents according to family type.
Multicultural adolescents are particularly vulnerable to stress because of language difficulties, conflict between foreign-born parents and peer groups, and discrimination at school. In addition, multicultural adolescents are more likely to drink and smoke to avoid stress [31]. Individuals who struggle to properly control their stress levels may participate in more deviant behaviors. It has been reported that in order to improve the mental health of multicultural adolescents, it is necessary to provide protective mechanisms not only for multicultural adolescents but also for their family and community [5]. When multicultural adolescents’ Korean language proficiency is low, their stress level increases. Furthermore, this ultimately leads them to be maladjusted to society [32]. A study on the improvement of mental health in multicultural adolescents in South Korea found that improving their adjustment in school was effective [33]. Considering the increase in multicultural adolescents in South Korea, it is important for Korean society to address their difficulties and provide interventional programs to help these adolescents better manage their stress levels.
This study has a few limitations. This study was analyzed by applying weights to large-scale raw data that was self-reported. Hence, this study cannot be generalized to teenagers who currently have different cultures, nationalities, and degrees of Korean language skills.
This study employed a cross-sectional design, and we analyzed the secondary data. Since the data were collected via self-reported questionnaire, the study’s results are vulnerable to bias because they could be under- or over-reported. In addition, it is not possible to demonstrate the causality of variables related to the study’s results. We only had limited information from the data, and we are also limited in interpreting adolescents’ stress. Therefore, additional longitudinal studies need to be conducted nationwide in South Korea. In addition, further study needs to compare casual variables and stress levels between multicultural and monocultural adolescents. In addition, our study relied upon research data, and does not reflect multicultural adolescents’ own voices. Thus, we recommend having focused interviews or a qualitative analysis of multicultural adolescents for further study.
5. Conclusions
Among the 749 multicultural adolescents who participated in this survey, 309 (43.4%) reported having stress. Multicultural adolescents were more likely to experience stress when they did not get sufficient sleep (compared with those getting good sleep), suffered from depression (compared with those who were not depressed), and had suicidal thoughts (compared with those who did not have suicidal thoughts). In fact, participants who reported getting insufficient sleep were 3.73 times more likely to feel stress than those who reported getting good sleep.
Among general characteristics, health risk behavior, and mental health factors, the significant predictors of increasing multicultural adolescent’s stress level were the mental health factors. Thus, our society should closely monitor and provide mental healthcare to support this group of adolescents.
An increase in social support, such as parental support, programs to improve Korean language skills, school adaptability to promote the building of healthy peer relationships, and after-school curricula may help to reduce depression levels and ultimately reduce stress levels in multicultural adolescents. A combination of these efforts could result in improvements in stress management and mental health.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, J.-H.P., M.-J.K. and S.-E.K.; methodology, M.-J.K.; formal analysis, M.-J.K.; data curation, M.-J.K.; writing—original draft preparation, J.-H.P. and S.-E.K.; supervision, J.-H.P. and S.-E.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and the Institutional Review Board (or Ethics Committee) of Daegu Haany University (2021-1-05, 29 July 2021) approved the study.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Table 1.
Differences in stress according to multicultural adolescents’ general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health (n = 749).
Table 1.
Differences in stress according to multicultural adolescents’ general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health (n = 749).
| Characteristics | Categories | n (%) * | Stress | Fm † | Num. d.f. ‡ (Denom. d.f) § | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No n (%) * | Yes n (%) * | ||||||
| Sex | Male | 358 (49.3) | 232 (61.5) | 126 (38.5) | 5.79 | 1.00 (314) | 0.017 |
| Female | 391 (50.7) | 208 (51.9) | 183 (48.1) | ||||
| Grade | Middle school | 523 (63.7) | 324 (60.2) | 199 (39.8) | 4.71 | 1.00 (314) | 0.031 |
| High school | 226 (36.3) | 116 (50.4) | 110 (49.6) | ||||
| Father’s education | (n = 715) | ≥College | 156 (23.8) | 98 (61.2) | 58 (38.8) | 0.42 | 3.00 (941.01) | 0.739 |
| High school | 215 (30.2) | 124 (55.1) | 91 (44.9) | ||||
| ≤Middle school | 86 (12.1) | 45 (57.2) | 41 (42.8) | ||||
| Unknown | 258 (33.8) | 156 (56.5) | 102 (43.5) | ||||
| Mother’s education | (n = 745) | ≥College | 219 (30.9) | 133 (59.5) | 86 (40.5) | 0.85 | 2.97 (931.83) | 0.466 |
| High school | 160 (22.9) | 84 (50.9) | 76 (49.1) | ||||
| ≤Middle school | 65 (8.8) | 36 (59.6) | 29 (40.4) | ||||
| Unknown | 301 (37.3) | 185 (57.5) | 116 (42.5) | ||||
| Academic performance level | High | 222 (31.4) | 133 (59.4) | 89 (40.6) | 0.66 | 1.99 (625.71) | 0.516 |
| Average | 223 (26.5) | 133 (57.9) | 90 (42.1) | ||||
| Low | 304 (42.1) | 174 (53.8) | 130 (46.2) | ||||
| Foreign nationality | Both parents | 95 (15.1) | 61 (61.6) | 34 (38.4) | 866.13 | 1.91 (599.47) | <0.001 |
| Mother | 616 (78.7) | 361 (56.4) | 255 (43.6) | ||||
| father | 38 (6.2) | 18 (48) | 20 (52.0) | ||||
| Residence type | With family | 704 (93.1) | 418 (57.1) | 286 (42.9) | 1.78 | 3.51 (1101.44) | 0.140 |
| With relatives | 5 (0.5) | 2 (41.2) | 3 (58.8) | ||||
| Boarding/self-boarding | 4 (0.8) | 1 (15.9) | 3 (84.1) | ||||
| Dormitory | 19 (2.5) | 12 (77.1) | 7 (22.9) | ||||
| Child-care | 17 (3.0) | 7 (40.8) | 10 (59.2) | ||||
| Economic status | High | 192 (27.1) | 120 (60.4) | 72 (39.6) | 4.26 | 2.00 (627.65) | 0.015 |
| Medium | 381 (47.9) | 233 (60.1) | 148 (39.9) | ||||
| Low | 176 (25.0) | 87 (45.9) | 89 (54.1) | ||||
| Violence | Yes | 23 (3.4) | 7 (28.7) | 16 (71.3) | 7.88 | 1.00 (314) | 0.005 |
| No | 726 (96.6) | 433 (57.6) | 293 (42.4) | ||||
| Physical activity (days) | 0 | 251 (34.7) | 150 (59.3) | 101 (40.7) | 0.79 | 2.00 (626.70) | 0.455 |
| 1–6 | 49 (6.5) | 25 (49.0) | 24 (51.0) | ||||
| 7 | 449 (58.8) | 265 (55.9) | 184 (44.1) | ||||
| Sexual activity | Yes | 51 (8.2) | 29 (53.7) | 22(46.3) | 0.16 | 1.00 (314) | 0.693 |
| No | 698 (91.8) | 411 (56.9) | 287 (43.1) | ||||
| Drug use | Yes | 19 (3.2) | 9 (49.0) | 10 (51.0) | 0.26 | 1.00 (314) | 0.611 |
| No | 730 (96.8) | 431 (56.9) | 299 (43.1) | ||||
| Drinking | Yes | 248 (36.3) | 133 (51.1) | 115 (48.9) | 4.15 | 1.00 (314) | 0.042 |
| No | 501 (63.7) | 307 (59.8) | 194 (40.2) | ||||
| Sleep | Very sufficient | 60 (8.3) | 42 (67.6) | 18 (32.4) | 10.31 | 3.95 (1239.87) | <0.001 |
| Sufficient | 160 (19.4) | 118 (69.2) | 42 (30.8) | ||||
| Normal | 252 (32.3) | 164 (63.7) | 88 (36.3) | ||||
| Insufficient | 166 (22.8) | 83 (52.0) | 83 (48.0) | ||||
| Not sufficient at all | 111 (17.1) | 33 (30.0) | 78 (70.0) | ||||
| Depression | Yes | 205 (29.9) | 73 (35.3) | 132 (64.7) | 44.60 | 1.00 (314) | <0.001 |
| No | 544 (70.1) | 367 (65.7) | 177 (34.3) | ||||
| Suicidal thought | Yes | 116 (16.3) | 27 (25.8) | 89 (74.2) | 41.57 | 1 (314) | <0.001 |
| No | 633 (83.7) | 413 (62.7) | 220 (37.3) | ||||
| Total | 749 (100) | 440 (56.6) | 309 (43.4) | ||||
* n is the unweighted sample size, and percent (%) is the weighted percent, which was calculated by complex sample analysis; † Fm was Modified F, calculated by complex sample analysis; ‡ Numerator: degrees of freedom; § Denominator: degrees of freedom; | Skipped responses were excluded.
Table 2.
Factors influencing stress among multicultural adolescents (n = 749).
| Characteristics | Categories | B | OR | 95% CI | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign nationality (ref. both parents) | Mother | 0.42 | 1.52 | 0.82–2.81 | 0.187 |
| Father | 0.60 | 1.83 | 0.67–5.02 | 0.242 | |
| Sleep (ref. very sufficient) | Sufficient | −0.14 | 0.87 | 0.41–1.86 | 0.725 |
| Normal | 0.07 | 1.07 | 0.55–2.09 | 0.835 | |
| Insufficient | 0.34 | 1.41 | 0.74–2.68 | 0.301 | |
| Not sufficient at all | 1.32 | 3.73 | 1.77–7.87 | 0.001 | |
| Depression (ref. no) | Yes | 0.82 | 2.27 | 1.46–3.54 | 0.000 |
| Suicidal thought (ref. no) | Yes | 1.08 | 2.93 | 1.68–5.11 | 0.000 |
Nagelkerke R2 = 0.210, Cox and Snell R2 = 0.156, Wald F = 5.383, p < 0.001. CI, confidence interval; OR odds ratio; ref., reference.
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Kim, M.-J.; Park, J.-H.; Kim, S.-E. Stress Factors in Multicultural Adolescents. Adolescents 2022, 2, 326-335. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents2020025
AMA Style
Kim M-J, Park J-H, Kim S-E. Stress Factors in Multicultural Adolescents. Adolescents. 2022; 2(2):326-335. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents2020025
Chicago/Turabian StyleKim, Mi-Jin, Jin-Hee Park, and Sung-Eun Kim. 2022. "Stress Factors in Multicultural Adolescents" Adolescents 2, no. 2: 326-335. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents2020025
