A study of depressive symptoms and health habit among North Korean defectors reside in Korea

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Objectives: To determine prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression and prevalence of depressive symptoms according to sociodemographic factors and health habit.Methods: 251 defectors who reside in Cheju, Busan, and Daegu were evaluated from April 2005 to February 2006. Sociodemographic questionnaire included gender, age, marital status(North Korea/South Korea), education leveKNorth Korea), occupation(North Korea/South Korea) and religion(North Korea/South Korea), socioeconomic status (North Korea/South Korea), history of party registration in North Korea, etc. Questionnaire for health habit included subjective sense of health status, smoking, drinking, etc. CES-D were used to evaluate depression severity, we defined total score of over 21 as depressive symptom, over 25 as depression.Results: 29.3% and 45.2% of males and females were feel their health status as poor. 77.7% and 2.6% of males and females were current smokers, current drinker were 82.8%, 33.1% of male and female, respectively. 67.4% of male and 26.0% were in high risk of alcohol dependence. The prevalence of depressive symptom and depression in male were 34.3% and 26.3%, respectively, in female 37.4% and 24.5%. In case of having religion in North Korea were significantly more higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression(x² =6.480, p=0.011), (x² =4.367, p=0.037). Prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression according to level of monthly income were significantly different(x² =6.630, p=0.036), (x² =7.301, p=0.026).There were also significant different of prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression according to level of subjective sense of health status(x² =11.195, p=0.004), (x² =13.560, p=0.001). The subject in high risk group of alcohol dependence were significantly higher prevalence of depressive symptoms(x² =5.336，p=0.021) than those who are not.Conclusions: It is needed to help secure settlement of North Korean defectors that not only provide living accommodation and occupation but also feeling of acceptance of them as true Korean and help them to care their own psychic trauma.