The Trends in Research on the Health of North Korean Refugees

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to identify the general characteristics, subjects, and methods of research on the health of North Korean refugees through a systematic literature review. Methods: A total of 140 studies on health were reviewed using the analytical framework developed by the researchers. Results: The quantitative research comprised 90.7% of the studies, whereas the qualitative research were 7.9% of them. Approximately 81.4% of those reviewed have publication dates spanning 2006 to 2015. Only 13.6% of the studies were conducted with the approval of an institutional review board. The subjects of studies were psycho-social health (151.8%), behavioral health (28.5%), cognitive health (15.0%), physical health (12.2%), integrated health (7.8%), and spiritual health (2.8%). Within the quantitative studies reviewed, the most commonly used study design was survey research (86.0%). The two sampling methods used most often were convenience sampling (53.5%) and snowball sampling (19.4%), and the most commonly used data-collection method were questionnaires (94.6%). As for the qualitative studies, the most commonly used study design was phenomenology. Conclusion: The results suggested that the reviewed studies focused on physical health more than psycho-social health, and physiological measurement more than questionnaires. Ethical considerations need to be expanded.

Trend of Disease Burden of North Korean Defectors in South Korea Using Disability-adjusted Life Years from 2010 to 2018

“…23 Therefore, disease burden of South Koreans due to premature death is decreasing and the comprehensive disease burden of South Korean increasing through increase in life expectancy due to the development of medical technology. 8 16 …”

“…Thus, there is a need for research on the physical health based on scientific evidence using big data to develop public health interventions directed toward these defectors. 7 8 9…”

Health-Seeking Patterns of Female North Korean Defectors in South Korea for Mental Health: Evidence from Nationwide Health Insurance Data

“…Similarly, Fazel et al (2005) find PTSD in seventeen and depression in fourteen out of twenty studies reviewed. An examination of 213 studies on the psychosocial health of North Korean refugees by Lim, Lee, and Yang (2017) reveals depression in fifty studies (35.7%), PTSD in twenty-five (17.9%), and anxiety in twenty-four (17.1%). This study also highlights depression and anxiety disorders as the main mental health issues among North Korean defectors.…”

An Analysis of Infectious Disease Research Trends in Medical Journals From North Korea

“…The previous studies discussed above focused on understanding the situation based on statistics provided by external organizations; however, they were limited due to the lack of primary sources of data and samples. As a result of the difficulties in securing credible data, many South Korean researchers have estimated the circumstances in North Korea on the basis of empirical data collected through testimonies or survey results from North Korean defectors; however, this methodology is also limited because it is difficult to arrive at generalizations based on those data, and this area of research has focused on mental and social health issues, rather than physical diseases [ 12 ]. To supplement the methodological limitations of previous healthcare research on North Korea, some studies have investigated the interests and needs expressed by the North Korean authorities based on the North Korean literature.…”