Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the difference in health-promoting behavior of Han-Chinese to Korean-Chinese university students in Korea. Methods: Subjects were 111 Han-Chinese and 105 Korean- Chinese university students. The data was collected using structured questionnaires from January 5 to May 30, 2009. The data analysis was carried out using the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. Results: The average score of health- promoting behavior for Chinese students was 2.55, 2.49 for Korean-Chinese students and 2.61 for Han-Chinese students. The mean score of health-promoting behavior of Korean-Chinese students was lower than that of the Han-Chinese group (t=2.048, p=.042). There were significant differences in health- promoting behaviors according to socio-demographic characteristics between Han-Chinese and Korean-Chinese university students. The mean score of health-promoting behavior showed significant differences according to marital status (t=2.019, p=.046) in Han-Chinese students while there were significant differences in health-promoting behaviors according to motivation for studying abroad (t=2.732, p=.033) in Korean-Chinese students. Conclusion: Health-promoting programs should be developed for both Han-Chinese and Korean-Chinese students by considering socio-demographic characteristics. Korean-Chinese may be targeted as a priority group for promoting health behaviors.