The effect of unusual social experience on the global health of North Korean asylum seekers

Abstract

This study examined the risk factors associated with a negative self-rating of subjective health among North Korean asylum seekers, paying particular attention to the unusual social experiences of this population. This study utilized the North Korean Health Care System Data Set (NKHCS). This data set is comprised of information on 221 North Korean asylum seekers (aged 20 years and over) who were housed in Hanawon, a South Korean government facility. We specifically examined the effect of three separate risk factors (major country of residence after exiting North Korea, duration of stay in country, and whom they were accompanied by during their migration event) associated with the unusual social experiences of North Korean asylum seekers on their global health. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out in order to assess the consistency and validity of extant hypotheses and general expectations. North Korean asylum seekers who entered South Korea within one year of their defection or were accompanied by non-family members tended to negatively self-report their health status. However, major intermediate country of residence after exiting North Korea showed no effect. Higher educational attainment and membership of the Labour Party of North Korea were negatively associated with the global health of this population, though this was not statistically significant. We found that the unusual social experiences of North Korean asylum-seekers, particularly intermediate country duration and companionship characteristics, were significantly associated with their health. Future studies need to examine the relationship between diverse social experiences during residence in intermediate countries and the health of this population.