title: A comparison of quality of life and depression between female married immigrants and native married women in Taiwan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immigration to Taiwan is often connected with marriage, resulting in the presence of so-called married immigrants or foreign brides.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the quality of life (QOL) and prevalence of depression between female married immigrants and native married women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trained assistants used the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) and the disaster-related psychological screening test (DRPST) to interview 1,602 married women who were 16-50 years of age. Half (801) of the participants were female immigrants, whilst the remainder comprised the age-matched control group that consisted of 801 native married women. Participants who scored C2 (probable major depressive episode) on the DRPST were assessed according to DSM-IV criteria by a senior psychiatrist. The MOS SF-36 measures QOL and has two dimensions: the physical component summary (PCS) and the mental component summary (MCS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Married immigrants had a lower prevalence (3.5%) of major depressive episodes than native women (8.9%) in Taiwan. Variables such as an increased severity of psychosocial impact were the best predictors of a lower PCS and MCS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to Taiwanese native married women, fewer married immigrants had stressful life events or depression, and they reported higher QOL. After controlling for putative confounding factors, the married immigrants still had better mental QOL and a lower prevalence rate of depression
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Meiho Institute of Technology, Pintung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Frank Huang-Chih
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Pei-Chun
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Renyi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chi-Kung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Kuan-Yi
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Wen-Wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Shin-Shin
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Kung-Shih
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shih-Pei
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Cheng-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003663:Decision Trees; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D044382:Population Groups / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology