Res Community Public Health Nurs.  2023 Dec;34(4):281-293. 10.12799/rcphn.2023.00199.

A Multi-component Living Lab on Health Engagement for Advancing Self-care Agency among Migrant Workers in South Korea: A mixed methods study

• Kim Y
• Lee H
• Kim S
• Kim J

• KMID: 2551114
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/rcphn.2023.00199

Abstract

Purpose
Migrant workers battle to access health services and adapt to a new culture. Self-care agency can be essential for health self-management. This study examines the effects of a health engagement program to improve self-care agency using a living lab approach among migrant workers living in South Korea.
Methods
This study used a mixed-methods design, including a non-equivalent pre-post-test control group and three focus group interviews. Participants included 42 migrant workers from nine countries recruited via flyers, posters, and internet bulletins posted by a migrant community organization. During the 12 weeks, only the intervention group participants received four workshops addressing healthy physical activity, healthy dietary habits, effective cultural adaptation, stress management, and two outdoor cultural activities. They also participated in focus group interviews after the second, third, and fourth group activities and discussed the benefits of healthy behaviors and specific ways to implement them in real life.
Results
Participants in the intervention group showed an increase in self-care agency, health literacy, and acculturation after the 12- week intervention. Themes were derived based on the lessons from living lab activities, barriers to health behavior practices, and methods to overcome these.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that multi-component intervention using a living lab effectively increased migrants’ participation in health promotion activities by strengthening health in their self-care agency. The qualitative and living lab approach effectively obtained comprehensive results on strategies to enhance healthy behavior engagement.

Keyword

transients and migrants; health promotion; self-care; health behavior; community