Factors associated with the frequency of physician visits among North Korean defectors residing in South Korea: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Since the mid-1990s, a growing number of North Korean defectors have been arriving in South Korea, many of whom have various somatic and mental disorders. The health status of defectors is an important predictor of their successful resettlement. Therefore, this study examined the frequency of physician visits among North Korean defectors residing in South Korea, as well as the factors associated with this frequency. METHODS: The data used in this study were collected through survey questionnaires and interviews conducted from April 6 to May 20, 2009, and involving 500 North Korean defectors who entered South Korea in 2007. This study used three domains of independent variables: ‘health-related factors,’ ‘special characteristics of North Korean defectors,’ and ‘demographic and socio-economic factors’. Nested multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the factors related to the frequency of physician visits between January 1 and December 31, 2008. RESULTS: The average number of physician visits made by the participants during 2008 was 15.3; 14.5% of participants did not have physician visits. The number of physician visits was largely associated with health-related variables including disability, chronic disease and self-rated health status. The frequency of physician visits was higher among those with a disability, chronic disease, lower self-rated health score, a greater number of traumatic experiences during their escape, lower annual family income, and among females. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that the number of defectors’ physician visits was related with objective and subjective health status, traumatic experiences during their migration, economic, and demographic variables. The results serve useful understanding of medical utilization characteristics among North Korean defectors in South Korea. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0736-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.