Health Risk Behavior and Oral Symptoms in Adolescents in Multicultural Families

Abstract

This study used the raw data of the 15th (2019) Korean Youth Health Risk Behavior Survey to investigate the risk factors of the health-risk behaviors of Korean multicultural adolescents on the subjective oral symptoms. The scope of the multicultural family was limited to children of immigrant women's families married to Korean men and immigrant male families married to Korean women, and 572 were selected as the final study subjects. The sociodemographic variables were surveyed as gender, grade, economic level, and school performance. The health risk behaviors included drinking, smoking, medication, stress, sleep satisfaction, suicidal thoughts, depression, and brushing before bedtime. The oral symptoms examined were toothache, gum pain, and halitosis. As a result, toothache was related to drinking, toothbrushing before sleep, stress, sleep satisfaction, suicidal thoughts, and depression. Gum pain was associated with drug use, sleep satisfaction, suicidal thoughts, and depression. Halitosis was associated with medication, brushing before sleep, stress, suicidal thoughts, and depression. In terms of health risk factors, drinking, stress, and sleep satisfaction were risk factors for toothache. Smoking, sleep satisfaction, and suicidal thoughts were risk factors for gum pain. The presence of toothbrushing and stress were risk factors for halitosis. In conclusion, a policy system is needed to support oral health education programs nationally at times, such as after-school activities or club activities, to promote oral health for teenagers.