Characteristics of Body Composition and Muscle Strength of North Korean Refugees during South Korean Stay

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the changes of body composition and muscle strength of North Korean refugees (NKRs) according to their duration of stay in South Korea.MethodsNKRs who volunteered and were living in South Korea, aged 20 to 75 years were recruited. Body compositions were analyzed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Muscle strength was measured with the hand grip test. Demographic and migration information was obtained with a questionnaire.ResultsA total of 158 volunteers were recruited at a mean age of 48.3±11.4 years. The mean time from when they escaped from North Korea and arrived in South Korea was 5.8±4.3 years. Height, weight, and body surface area were significantly smaller in all NKRs compared to South Korean controls, except for women aged over 50 years. In females of younger ages (<50 years), NKRs with more than a 4-year stay in South Korea had a higher weight and fat mass than that of those who had a shorter stay (less than 4 years) in South Korea. All NKRs had a weaker grip strength than that of the age-matched controls from South Korea.ConclusionThe NKRs showed relatively smaller physiques and weaker muscle strength than that of the South Korean controls. In younger female NKRs, shorter South Korean stay group showed small body weight and fat mass than that of longer South Korean stay group. Specific health support programs might be needed.

Prevalence of General and Central Obesity and Associated Factors among North Korean Refugees in South Korea by Duration after Defection from North Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The difference in proportion of underweight between two studies may be due to the fact that mean duration after defection from NK in previous study was shorter than in this study (2.8 years vs. 7.0 years, respectively) [ 18 ]. In our study, the prevalence of obesity among NKRs in SK is about five times higher than those of North Koreans in their home country, suggesting that NKRs experienced a significant increase in body weight after defection from NK (22.6% vs. 4.1%, in SK vs. in NK for males, 19.7% vs. 4.7%, in SK vs. in NK for females, respectively) [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 19 ].…”

“…Therefore, comparison between the two Koreans offers a good opportunity to study the effect of environment on human health. However, few studies on chronic diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disease among NKRs have been performed [ 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

Critical Review of North Korean Women and Children's Health, 2000-2019: Physical and Mental Health Challenges with a Focus on Gender

“…An examination of defector children and adolescents upon their entry to South Korea shows similar results (Pak 2010). North Korean defectors also appear to have weaker muscle strength (Cho et al 2015).…”

“…North Korean defectors showed that their stature was smaller than South Korean counterparts even after spending years in South Korea, since most have defected when they were adults (Cho, Lee, Koh, Kim and Kim 2015;Choi, Park and Joung 2010;Pak 2010;Pak 2004). Height, weight, and body surface area were found to be significantly lower across gender and age, except among female defectors over 50 years old (Cho et al 2015). An examination of defector children and adolescents upon their entry to South Korea shows similar results (Pak 2010).…”

“…However, not much information was provided of the length of stay if it was interrupted with transit through a third country. In some studies, defector women's mental health improved with a stay of over four years in South Korea (Cho et al 2015), while other studies showed that mental health variables are negatively correlated with the length of stay (Shin, Lee and Park 2016;Jeon et al 2005).…”