Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women Workers

Little research has examined exercise-based interventions meant to alleviate depressive symptoms among Korean-Chinese migrant women workers living in Korea. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a 24-week walking program on reducing depressive symptoms and acculturative stress levels in th...

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Main Authors: Youlim Kim, Young-Me Lee, Mikyeong Cho, Hyeonkyeong Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-11-01
Series:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4385
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spelling doaj-c3c979ad93724f3db137eed3bb9e27d62020-11-25T01:55:55ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1660-46012019-11-011622438510.3390/ijerph16224385ijerph16224385Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women WorkersYoulim Kim0Young-Me Lee1Mikyeong Cho2Hyeonkyeong Lee3College of Nursing, Yonsei University, 50-1, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, KoreaSchool of Nursing, DePaul University, Chicago 60640, IL, USACollege of Nursing, Yonsei University, 50-1, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, KoreaCollege of Nursing, Yonsei University, 50-1, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, KoreaLittle research has examined exercise-based interventions meant to alleviate depressive symptoms among Korean-Chinese migrant women workers living in Korea. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a 24-week walking program on reducing depressive symptoms and acculturative stress levels in this population. This quasi-experimental sequential walking program was conducted with 132 Korean-Chinese women over a period of 24 weeks. Participants were divided into either a standard treatment group (n = 69) or enhanced treatment group (n = 63). All participants were instructed to walk using a pedometer. The enhanced treatment group also received mobile text messages designed to encourage walking adherence and improve acculturation. Participants were asked to complete two structured questionnaires, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Acculturative Stress Scale, to evaluate the intervention programs. At the end of the program, both groups exhibited decreased depression scores, but the decrease in the enhanced treatment group was more significant both at weeks 12 and 24. Acculturative stress was also found to have decreased at weeks 12 and 24. Our findings show the walking program reduced the depressive symptoms and acculturative stress levels among the Korean-Chinese women in this study. Further studies will be needed to analyze the relationship between walking step count and mental health considering exercise intensity.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4385physical activityphysical interventionhealth behaviorhealth promotioncognitive-behavioral therapy
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Youlim Kim
Young-Me Lee
Mikyeong Cho
Hyeonkyeong Lee
spellingShingle Youlim Kim
Young-Me Lee
Mikyeong Cho
Hyeonkyeong Lee
Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women Workers
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
physical activity
physical intervention
health behavior
health promotion
cognitive-behavioral therapy
author_facet Youlim Kim
Young-Me Lee
Mikyeong Cho
Hyeonkyeong Lee
author_sort Youlim Kim
title Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women Workers
title_short Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women Workers
title_full Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women Workers
title_fullStr Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women Workers
title_full_unstemmed Effect of a Pedometer-Based, 24-Week Walking Intervention on Depression and Acculturative Stress among Migrant Women Workers
title_sort effect of a pedometer-based, 24-week walking intervention on depression and acculturative stress among migrant women workers
publisher MDPI AG
series International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
issn 1660-4601
publishDate 2019-11-01
description Little research has examined exercise-based interventions meant to alleviate depressive symptoms among Korean-Chinese migrant women workers living in Korea. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a 24-week walking program on reducing depressive symptoms and acculturative stress levels in this population. This quasi-experimental sequential walking program was conducted with 132 Korean-Chinese women over a period of 24 weeks. Participants were divided into either a standard treatment group (n = 69) or enhanced treatment group (n = 63). All participants were instructed to walk using a pedometer. The enhanced treatment group also received mobile text messages designed to encourage walking adherence and improve acculturation. Participants were asked to complete two structured questionnaires, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Acculturative Stress Scale, to evaluate the intervention programs. At the end of the program, both groups exhibited decreased depression scores, but the decrease in the enhanced treatment group was more significant both at weeks 12 and 24. Acculturative stress was also found to have decreased at weeks 12 and 24. Our findings show the walking program reduced the depressive symptoms and acculturative stress levels among the Korean-Chinese women in this study. Further studies will be needed to analyze the relationship between walking step count and mental health considering exercise intensity.
topic physical activity
physical intervention
health behavior
health promotion
cognitive-behavioral therapy
url https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4385
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