• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.13 no.10
• /
• pp.290-301
• /
• 2013

This study aimed to explore the effect of the intimacy with social workers on the use of social welfare services of marriage-based female immigrants. Also, this study verified the effect of the quantity of the welfare service-related information as a mediated variable on the use of social welfare services. For this purpose, this study collected data from a total of 304 immigrant women married to Korean men living in City of Busan, City of Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province, and the data was analysed by SPSS 21. As the result of study, the intimacy with social workers had significant influences on the use of social welfare services of the married immigrant women. The results also showed that the intimacy with social workers contributed to the quantity of the welfare service-related information. Based on these results, implications of the important roles of social workers and the directions of their effective roles for the marriage based female immigrants to use the social welfare services were suggested.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.234-245
• /
• 2015

This study aimed to investigate factors related to Chinese female marriage immigrants' dietary adaptation. An in-person survey was conducted by a research institute on Chinese female marriage immigrants married to Korean men, having one child or more aged 1~6 years old, and having resided in Korea for at least 1 year before the survey. Data were collected from 309 respondents comprising 151 Han Chinese and 158 Korean-Chinese during the summer of 2013. About two-thirds of respondents were in their 30s and had resided in Korea for 5 to 10 years. Based on the overall mean score for dietary adaptation level (3.50 out of 5 points), the respondents were classified into two groups: low dietary adaptation group (mean score 3.11) and high dietary adaptation group (mean score 3.81). The results of comparative analysis between the two groups showed that the levels of acculturation (p<0.01) and healthy dietary behavior (p<0.01) for the high dietary adaptation group were significantly higher than those of low dietary adaptation group. The number of respondents of the high dietary adaptation group reporting increased food diversity (p<0.01) and decreased frequency of skipping meals (p<0.01) was significantly higher compare to the low dietary adaptation group. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify factors related to dietary adaptation. General characteristics, levels of acculturation, and healthy dietary behavior were included as independent variables. As a result, levels of acculturation and healthy dietary behavior as well as education level, monthly household income, and length of residence in Korea were associated with dietary adaptation. In conclusion, Chinese female marriage immigrants showing acculturated and healthy dietary behaviors adapted well to Korean dietary life. The results from this study suggest that diet-related adaptation support programs for Chinese female marriage immigrants may positively affect their acculturation and dietary behaviors.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.32-42
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence married female immigrants' perceived health status. Methods: This study was a retrospective review of dataset from the 2012 National Multicultural Family Survey in Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, an analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression with the data of 3,014 married female immigrants. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that demographic factors (age, education level, nationality, period of residency in Korea, and residential area), socio-economical factors (monthly family income, employment, support from the government for basic living, and Medicaid), social support factors (marital conflict, satisfaction with family relationships, some one to talk about self or family matters, meeting with homeland friend, and participation in community meeting), and immigration factors (life satisfaction, experience of social discrimination, and difficulties with living and using medical care) were associated with perceived health status. Conclusion: It is important to pay closer attention to immigrant women who have low economic status, less social support, experience difficulties with living in Korea and using medical care. An effective support system for this population should be developed in order to help them successfully transition.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.5-11
• /
• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand spousal support, demand for health education, and quality of life for married female immigrants. Methods: A total of 120 subjects with adequate communication skills participated in this study from March 1, 2006 until January 30, 2007. Participants were female visitors at the Immigrant Consultation Center in "M City", "Y County" and "M County" in South Jeolla Province. The questionnaire used in this study consisted of a total of 42 items. Data were analyzed using SPSS/win 10.2 to describe subjects' characteristics by frequency, and descriptive statistics, and to test group differences by t-test and ANOVA. Results: The highest demand for health education was exercise, and followed by stress management and diet. The level of spousal support for subjects was below average, and the level of quality of life was above the medium. The most difficult thing in their life was the difficulty in language. There was a significant difference in quality of life by level of education, level of life satisfaction, number of childbirths, and age. There was also a significant difference in spousal support by level of life satisfaction. Conclusion: There is a need for a multidimensional strategy to improve the quality of life and spousal support for immigrant females in international marriages.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.317-327
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate Chinese female marriage immigrants' dietary life after immigration to Korea, focusing on comparison between Han-Chinese (traditional Chinese) and Korean-Chinese (Chinese of Korean descent). Methods: An in-person survey was conducted with women married to Korean men, having one child or more aged 1-6 years old, and having resided in Korea for at least one year before the survey. The data were collected from the 309 respondents comprising 151 Han-Chinese and 158 Korean-Chinese in the summer of 2013. Results: Overall, there was no significant difference in dietary practice, dietary acculturation, dietary behavior, dietary habits, and food intake between the Han-Chinese and the Korean-Chinese respondents. Over 50% of the respondents ate Korean food every day. The overall level of dietary acculturation was about 3.5 out of 5 points. The average score of healthy dietary behavior was a little bit higher than 3 out of 5 points. Approximately 3/4 of the respondents showed increasing frequency of eating out. The respondents reporting increase food diversity were over 70%. Decreased frequency of skipping meal was about 60% of the respondents. Over 50% of the respondents showed increasing consumption of Kimchi, vegetables, fruit, and meat. Conclusions: Dietary life of Korean-Chinese female marriage immigrants was similar to that of Han-Chinese female marriage immigrants after immigration to Korea. The results from this study suggest that not only Han-Chinese but also Korean-Chinese should be targeted in various diet-related acculturation support programs as important multicultural populations in Korea.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.63-77
• /
• 2008

This study was performed to develop the basic framework of multicultural art education programs for female foreign immigrants married to Korean males. First, these programs aim to lessen their cultural variance in acculturizing in Korea, and thereafter enhance their emotional stability and improve their creative ability to integrate cultural diversity into family life. The primary objective of this study was to offer a suitable education program and evaluation criteria for the program; the research has been done through person-to person interviews with 53 subjects using a series of questionnaires composed of 8 five-point Likert-Scaled items. As for the process of the interview, the subjects were asked about their satisfaction with each program item twice in order to comparetheir impressions before and after program participation. The satisfaction scores were analyzed using frequency distribution. In addition, the program effects were also evaluated by coordinators and developers from their subjective comments through periodical evaluation meetings. From the results, it is observed that art education programs are beneficial for improving female immigrants' emotionaland cultural integration. In addition, experts determined that the programs were helpful for improving their human relationship and acculturization in Korea. Finally, it is concluded that multicultural education programs are a primary fundamental infra-structural way of integrating diverse cultures and improving communication exchanges, and therefore, improve family stability among the multicultural families in Korea.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.326-336
• /
• 2015

This study intended to identify the factors of breast and cervical cancer screening behaviors in married female immigrants and provide information for the development of intervention programs to promote the behaviors. Pender's Health Promotion Model was the conceptual framework of this study. The subjects of this study were 157 female immigrants living in Daegu and Gyeongbuk area. It was found that 33.1% of subjects had mammography, 22.9% of them did breast self-examination, and 51% of them had cervical cancer screening test. The breast cancer screening behavior increased 1.25 times as the score of social support increased one point, 1.13 times as the score of perceived benefit increased one point, 3.58 times when the subjects had experiences of breast and cervical cancer education, and 1.24 times as the score of action plan increased one point. The cervical cancer screening behavior increased 2.89 times when the subjects had experiences of breast and cervical cancer education, and 1.23 times as the score of social support increased one point. However, the cervical cancer screening behavior decreased 0.82 times as the score of perceived barriers increased one point.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.789-805
• /
• 2014

This study is performed to verify immigrant wives' perceived conflicts with mother-in-laws and coping experiences. In order to understand in-depth conflicts between female immigrants and their mother-in-laws, we selected 8 foreign daughter-in-laws who have stayed over 5 years in Korea. We applied van Manen's phenomenological methods. After the data analysis, 7 fundamental themes were derived and these are as follows: First, mother-in-laws as a prison guard, second, living a conscious life of other's eyes, third, annoying words from mother-in-laws, fourth, treat married female immigrants as invisible woman not as family members, fifth, saying we are one finger which can overcome pains from biting, sixth, mother-in-laws can't let her son go, seventh, not distributing love. In addition, coping behaviors were as follows: they just deal with living a conscious life of other's eyes, making a feeble complaints, accepting it with understanding, resisting the situation, evading and enduring the circumstances. Husband was most reliable supporter and secured hiding place. Her friends were her spirit supporters.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.891-902
• /
• 2008

Some Korean men choose to marry a foreigner expecting that marriage will solve all their problems. Therefore, this case study is to provide basic information on how to prevent conflicts in the marriage and how to get used to the marriage life. first, it is apparent that these match-makings between Korean men and married Female Immigrants are commercialized and are based on the two parties' convenience. Second, it is more possible that the issues with the role of husband/wife and the allocation of household labor stem from the cultural differences from international racial differences rather than Korean men are authoritative or patriarchal. It seems that the foreign brides from the third world countries choose to many Korean men with only a single purpose to financially help their parents. While neither willing to share household labor nor providing what is expected to be a wife, they demand financial assists for their parents or choose to get a job at a factory to make money. Third, the husbands expect their wives to learn Korean since there is not much opportunity to learn the wives' language and the culture. Also, the textbooks are rare to find for the languages. Moreover, the husbands do not have the enthusiasm or the ability to team due to age Fourth, the Korean men are rather psychological, financial, social victims than domestic abusers.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.765-778
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate Japanese female marriage immigrants' dietary life and health-related characteristics after immigration to Korea. A survey was conducted with Japanese women married to Korean men and having one child or more aged 7 to 18 years old. Data were collected from 243 women during the summer of 2014. A total of 204 questionnaires were analyzed, after excluding 39 questionnaires with a high percentage of incomplete responses (84% analysis rate). Over 85% of respondents were the members of the Unification Church, and over 92% of respondents had stayed in Korea for longer than 10 years. Based on the overall mean score for dietary adaptation level (3.68 out of 5 points), respondents were classified into two groups: low dietary adaptation group (mean score 3.12) and high dietary adaptation group (mean score 4.19). The collected data were compared between the two groups. The high dietary adaptation group reported higher percentages of decreasing consumption in processed food, confectionary, and bread than the low dietary adaptation group after immigration to Korea. A higher percentage of respondents in the high dietary adaptation group perceived their health status as good and reported changes that led to a healthier dietary life after immigration to Korea compared with those in the low dietary adaptation group. In conclusion, Japanese female marriage immigrants well adapted to Korean dietary life tended to eat healthier and perceive health status better compared with those who were not well adapted. The results of this study could be useful for prospecting dietary life and health-related characteristics of immigrant women in the long term after immigration to Korea.