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2 "Kyung-Hwa Park"
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Original Article
Cardiovascular disease risk disparities between immigrants and native Koreans: a population-based study in Gwangju, Korea
Jung-Ho Yang, Yerin Choi, Ran Lee, Seong Eun Kim, Kyung-Hwa Park, Seong-Woo Choi, BongKyu Sun, Kyunghak Kim, Sun-Seog Kweon
Epidemiol Health. 2025;47:e2025067.   Published online December 8, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025067
  • 1,581 View
  • 59 Download
AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDFSupplementary Material
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Korea is becoming a multiethnic society, with immigrants comprising nearly 5% of the population. Evidence on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among immigrants remains limited.
METHODS
We conducted a population-based study of 582 immigrants in Gwangju and 2,328 age-matched and gender-matched native Koreans (2022-2023). Immigrant data were obtained from direct health assessments, while native Korean data were drawn from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. CVD risk was estimated using the Framingham risk score (FRS) and pooled cohort equations (PCE). Logistic regression was employed to compare the odds of elevated risk (10-year CVD risk ≥7.5%), adjusting for socio-demographic and behavioral factors.
RESULTS
Immigrants had a higher prevalence of hypertension (37.3 vs. 16.1%), diabetes (11.5 vs. 5.6%), poor self-rated health (69.6 vs. 61.3%), and unmet medical needs (30.9 vs. 8.9%), as well as lower rates of health checkups and cancer screening (all p<0.001), compared to native Koreans. Elevated CVD risk was more frequent in immigrants (FRS, 31.4 vs. 20.8%; PCE, 33.6 vs. 22.8%). The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 1.47 (1.14 to 1.88) for FRS and 1.49 (1.07 to 2.08) for PCE. Disparities were greatest among women, adults ≥40 years, uninsured people, low-income groups, and migrants from Central Asia, Russia, and Africa.
CONCLUSIONS
Immigrants in Korea face substantially higher CVD risk than native Koreans, particularly within socioeconomically vulnerable subgroups. Targeted prevention and policies addressing structural barriers are urgently needed.
Summary
Korean summary
국내 거주 이민자는 한국인보다 불리한 건강 상태와 더 높은 심혈관질환 위험을 보였다. 특히 여성, 고령자, 저소득층 등 취약 집단에서 격차가 두드러졌으며, 이는 구조적·사회경제적 요인이 이민자 건강 불평등에 기여함을 보여준다. 이러한 결과는 포용적 보건의료 정책과 맞춤형 예방 전략 마련의 필요성을 시사한다.
Key Message
Immigrants in South Korea face unmet healthcare needs, such as limited screening access, low disease awareness, and undertreatment of dyslipidemia. Our study shows consistently higher cardiovascular risk among immigrants compared with native Koreans, especially among women, older adults, uninsured individuals, and Central Asian migrants. These findings underscore the epidemiological importance of structural and socioeconomic disadvantages in shaping immigrant health disparities and emphasize the need for culturally tailored interventions and inclusive health policies to achieve cardiovascular health equity.
Perspective
Measles susceptibility of marriage migrant women in Korea
Sooyeon Kim, Sun A Kim, Hanbich Hong, Seong Ryeong Choi, Hae-Young Na, Sung Un Shin, Kyung-Hwa Park, Sook In Jung, Min-Ho Shin, Sun-Seog Kweon, Seung Ji Kang
Epidemiol Health. 2022;44:e2022031.   Published online March 12, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022031
  • 16,816 View
  • 386 Download
  • 3 Web of Science
  • 5 Crossref
AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDF
Abstract
International migrants could be considered a risk group susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases. We conducted a measles seroprevalence study among 419 marriage migrant women living in Sinan-gun and Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, located in the southwestern part of Korea. The overall seroimmunity was 92.8%. The seroimmunity varied considerably according to the country of origin and increased with age. Our current analysis could be valuable in the context of discussions concerning vaccination policies for immigrants in Korea.
Summary
Korean summary
전라남도 신안군과 완도군에 거주하는 결혼이주여성 419명을 대상으로 홍역항체 양성률을 조사하였다. 전체적 항체양성률은 92.8% 로 높았으나, 나이로 나누어 분석하였을 때, 30세 미만에서는 83.1% 로 30세 이상의 95.5% 에 비해 통계적으로 유의미하게 낮았다. 출신국가에 따른 분석에서는 캄보디아 출신의 경우 30세 미만에서 항체 양성률이 40.0 % 에 불과하여, 타국가 들에 비해 통계적으로 유의미하게 낮았다.
Key Message
To prevent measles resurgence, continuous monitoring of immunity in communities, including foreign-born populations who may have different serostatus, is essential.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Features for the foreign labor migrants medical care organization
    A.S. Moskvicheva
    Russian Journal of Preventive Medicine.2026; 29(2): 97.     CrossRef
  • Cardiovascular disease risk disparities between immigrants and native Koreans: a population-based study in Gwangju, Korea
    Jung-Ho Yang, Yerin Choi, Ran Lee, Seong Eun Kim, Kyung-Hwa Park, Seong-Woo Choi, BongKyu Sun, Kyunghak Kim, Sun-Seog Kweon
    Epidemiology and Health.2025; 47: e2025067.     CrossRef
  • Exploring the interplay of migrant entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence and social integration of marriage migrant women in South Korea
    Mandari Pabasara Wijerathna, Yong-Byoung Chae
    Asian and Pacific Migration Journal.2024; 33(2): 377.     CrossRef
  • Seroprevalence of Measles Antibodies Among Migrant Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Somen K Pradhan, Ashutosh Panda, Ipsita Debata, Prem S Panda
    Cureus.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Seroprevalence of measles antibody among immigrants in Gwangju, South Korea
    Ran Lee, Sarah Kim, Hyerin Na, Ji In Seo, Jang Gwon Yoon, A Ram Park, So Hyun Bae, So Yeong Park, Jun Hwi Cho, Jin Kim, Seong-Woo Choi, Sun-Seog Kweon, Bongkyu Sun, Kyunghak Kim, Kyung-Hwa Park, Seong Eun Kim
    Frontiers in Public Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
Epidemiol Health : Epidemiology and Health
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