Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Social anxiety, lifestyle behavior and quality of life in disadvantaged migrant adolescents: A case-control study

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Migration causes various drawbacks. The study aimed to determine the social anxiety, lifestyle behavior and quality of life of disadvantaged migrant adolescents compared to non-migrant adolescents. The study involved case-control research conducted with 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students in the central district of a province in Turkey. The scales used in the study were accepted as dependent variables. The participants were expected to have the literacy level required to read and understand the questions. Descriptive, comparative and correlation screening analyses were made in the evaluation of the data (p < 0.05). Social anxiety levels of the disadvantaged migrant adolescents were higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05), while perception of quality of life and health-promoting behaviors were lower in both groups, with no difference found between the groups (p < 0.05). Socio-demographic qualities and social support system perceptions of the disadvantaged migrant adolescents made a difference for all dependent variables (p < 0.05), but did not affect health histories (p < 0.05). There was a correlation between the scale total and sub-group dimension scores for all dependent variables (p < 0.05). The quality of life and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors of disadvantaged migrant adolescents must be developed and improved and their social anxiety levels lowered and it is the responsibility of educational institutions to monitor and control this process in a sustainable way.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alasagheirin, M. H., & Clark, M. K. (2018). Skeletal growth, body composition, and metabolic risk among north Sudanese immigrant children. Public Health Nursing, 35, 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12386.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ardıc, A., & Esin, M. N. (2015). The adolescent lifestyle profile scale: Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the instrument. The Journal of Nursing Research, 23(1), 33–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aydın, A., & Sutcu Tekinsav, S. (2007). Validity and reliability of social anxiety scale for adolescents (SAS-A). Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 14(2), 79–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Betancourt, T. S., Newnham, E. A., Birman, D., Lee, R., Ellis, B. H., & Layne, C. M. (2017). Comparing trauma exposure, mental health needs, and service utilization across clinical samples of refugee, immigrant, and U.S.-origin children. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 209–218. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22186.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bhugra, D. (2004). Migration and mental health. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 109(4), 243–258. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0001-690X.2003.00246.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, C. D. (2019). Social determinants of health and health disparities among immigrants and their children. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 49(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2018.11.009 Epub 2018 Dec 28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, N., Skull, S., Chaney, G., Frydenberg, A., Isaacs, D., Kelly, P., et al. (2004). Comprehensive health assessment for newly arrived refugee children in Australia. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 40, 562–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du, H., Li, X., & Lin, D. (2014). Individualism and sociocultural adaptation: Discrimination and social capital as moderators among rural-to-urban migrants in China. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 18, 176–181. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12085.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Emin, M.B. (2019). Construction of the Syrian future education of children in Turkey.1st edition, Istanbul seta books.

  • Esin, N.M., Ardıc, A., Nar, S., Yıldırım, B., & Sunal, N. (2014). Living conditions of Syrian immigrants living in an area of Istanbul. 17th National Public Health Congress Edirne. Turkey.

  • Fan, X. H., Fang, X. Y., Liu, Y., Lin, X. Y., & Yuan, X. J. (2013). The effect of social support and social identity on the relationship between perceived discrimination and socio-cultural adjustment among Chinese migrant children. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 44, 647–663. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1041.2012.00647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller, J., & Ballantyne, A. (2000). Immigrants and equitable health-care delivery in rural areas. The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 8, 189–193. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1584.2000.00270.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geckil, E. (2018). Immigrant and minority groups’ family and child. Turkey Clinics Journal of Pediatric Nursing-Special Topics., 4(2), 133–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gumus, Y., & Bilgili, N. (2015). Effect of the immigration on health. Anatoly Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences., 18, 63–67. https://doi.org/10.5222/buchd.2017.008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hovey, J. D. (2000). Psychosocial predictors of acculturative stress in Mexican immigrants. The Journal of Psychology, 134(5), 490–502. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980009598231.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hyman, I. (2004). Setting the stage: Reweaving current knowledge on the health of Canadian immigrants.Can. Journal of Public Health, 95(3), I4–I8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalkım, A., & Toraman, A. U. (2014). Determination of risky health behaviours of immigrant and nonimmigrant adolescents. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin, 13(4), 289–294. https://doi.org/10.5455/pmb.1-1369833838.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kamperman, A. M., Komproe, I. H., & de Jong, J. T. (2007). Migrant mental health: A model for indicators of mental health and health care consumption. Health Psychology, 26, 96–104. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.26.1.96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J., Nicodimos, S., Kushner, S. E., Rhew, I. C., McCauley, E., & Stoep, V. A. (2018). Comparing mental health of US children of immigrants and non-immigrants in 4 racial/ethnic groups. Journal of School Health, 88(2), 167–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirmayer, L. J., Narasiah, L., Munoz, M., Rashid, M., Ryder, G. A., Guzder, J., Hassan, G., Rousseau, C., Pottie, K., & Canadian Collaboration for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CCIRH). (2011). Common mental health problems in immigrants and refugees: a general approach in primary care. CMAJ, 183(12), E959–E967. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.090292.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kocoglu, D., & Akın, B. (2009). The relationship of socioeconomic inequalities to healthy lifestyle behaviours and quality of life. DEUHYO ED., 2(4), 145–154 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12397/4535.

    Google Scholar 

  • La Greca, A., & Lopez, N. (1998). Social anxiety among adolescents: Linkages peer relations and friendships. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26(2), 83–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liebkind, K. (2000). Acculturation and psychological well-being among immigrant adolescentsin Finland: A comparative study of adolescents from different cultural backgrounds. Journal of Adolescent Research, 4, 446–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCann, P., Poot, J., & Sanderson, L. (2010). Migration, relationship capital and international travel: Theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Geography, 10(3), 361–387. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbp044.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Memik, N. C., Agaoglu, B., Coskun, A., Uneri, O. S., & Karakaya, I. (2007). The validity and reliability of the Turkish pediatric quality of life inventory for children 13-18 years old. Turkish Journal of Psychiatry, 18(4), 353–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery, E., & Foldspang, A. (2008). Discrimination, mental problems and social adaptation in young refugees. European Journal of Public Health, 18, 156–161. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckm073.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nørredam, M. (2015). Migration and health: Exploring the role of migrant status through register-based studies. Danish Medical Journal, 61(4), B5068.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peltokorpi, V. (2010). Intercultural communication in foreign subsidiaries: The influence of expatriates’ language and cultural competencies. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26, 176–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potts, N.L., & Mandleco, B.L. (2012). Pediatric nursing: Caring for children and their families, third edition. Delmar: Cengage Learning; 5-6.

  • Rubin, K. H., Bukowski, W., & Bowker, J. C. (2015). Children in peer groups. In M. H. Bornstein & T. Leventhal (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology and developmental science, Ecological settings and processes (Vol. 4, pp. 321–412). Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi, L., Chen, W., Bouey, J. H., Lin, Y., & Ling, L. (2019). Impact of acculturation and psychological adjustment on mental health among migrant adolescents in Guangzhou, China: A cross-sectional questionnaire study. BMJ Open, 9, e022712. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022712.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Shihao, M.A., Fengying, Z.H.I., & Xia DENG. (2019). A follow-up study of migrant Children's social adaptation and self-enhancement. Chinese journal of special education. 2019-01. http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-ZDTJ201901013.htm.

  • Sundquist, J., Bayard-Burfield, L., Johansson, L. M., & Johansson, S. E. (2000). Impact of ethnicity, violence and acculturation on displaced migrants: Psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints among refugees in Sweden. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 188, 357–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syrian children in Turkey. (2019). http://unicef.org.tr/files/bilgimerkezi/doc/T%C3%20%intheTurkey%20%C3%87%Children%20Note%20Part%202015.pdf. Accessed on: 20.02.2019.

  • Turkish Statistical Institute (TSI). (2019). International Migration Statistics. 2017. http://www.tuik.gov.tr/pretablo.MEAT.04.02.3019.

  • Uluocak, G. P. (2009). School adjustment of migrant and non-migrant children. Journal of Dokuz Eylül University, Buca Education Faculty, 26, 35–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNICEF (2016). The State of The World’s Children 2016. https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/UNICEF_SOWC_2016.pdf.

  • Varni, J. W., Burwinkel, T. M., Seid, M., & Skarr, D. (2003). The PedsQLTM 4.0 as a pediatric population health measure: Feasibility, reliability and validity. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 3, 329–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J. L., Hsieh, H. F., Assari, S., Gaskin, J., & Rost, D. H. (2015). The protective effects of social support and engagement coping strategy on the relationship between perceived discrimination and psychological distress among Chinese migrant children. Youth & Society, 50(5), 593–614. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118x15619804.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, J., Liu, X., Zhao, F., Wang, L., Liu, X., Zhou, H., & Shi, B. (2019). The effects of perceived discrimination and City identity on the social adaptation of migrant children in public and private schools. Stress and Health. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2869.

  • Zhou, Z., Xin, T., & Du, L. (2019). Floating childhoods: Psychological and educational adaptations of migrant children in China. International Journal of School and Educational Psychology, 7(2), 72–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2019.157088.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the parents who participated in the study.

Funding

This research was supported by Giresun University Scientific Research Projects coordination (SAĞ-BAP-A-230218-88).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey

    Fadime Ustuner Top

  2. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey

    Çagla Yigitbas

Authors
  1. Fadime Ustuner Top
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Çagla Yigitbas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fadime Ustuner Top.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethics

Ethics Committee consent (Giresun University 2017-08-05) received to perform the study.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ustuner Top, F., Yigitbas, Ç. Social anxiety, lifestyle behavior and quality of life in disadvantaged migrant adolescents: A case-control study. Curr Psychol 40, 93–101 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00677-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00677-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation