The purposes of this study were to identify level of health literacy and medical utilization status of migrant workers, and the factors influencing health literacy of migrant worker.
The study was conducted from Sep. 10, 2012 to Oct. 25, 2012. Using cross sectional correlational design, data were collected from 128 migrant workers working in 6 factories, 2 schools for teaching Korean, or 2 migration worker centers at Pohang city in Korea.
The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe′ test, and hierarchical multiple regression using the SPSS 18.0 program.
The result of this study were as follows. The level of health literacy migrant worker was 3.18. They have most difficulty in understanding the patient education materials and the medical forms. Mean number of medical facilities used in Korea was 3.37 times till now. They were satisfied with the quality of medical treatment in Korea, but they felt the medical costs were rather expensive for them. In the medical emergency situation, people who were high health literacy used 911 independently instead of depending on friends or colleagues for medical treatments. The level of health literacy was positively associated with health behaviors, Korean literacy, and satisfaction level of medical service. The factors influencing health literacy were residential areas(city or rural), education level, length of stay in Korea, and Korean listening abilities. Regression model accounted for 14.2% of the variance in health literacy.
In conclusion, lower level of health literacy makes the migrant works hard to visit medical facilities and perform health behaviors. Therefore, diverse strategies should be developed by nurses to enhance the health literacy level of migrant workers.