• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.164-174
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical growth and developmental status of infants and children of married immigrant women. Methods: The participants were 92 infants and children aged from birth to 6 yr whose mothers were married immigrant women living in one rural area. Physical growth and developmental status were evaluated by using anthropometric assessment, and Korean Denver II developmental screening test. Results: Of the participants, 10.8% were below the 3rd percentile for weight, 13.0% for length, 5.4% for head circumference, and from 69.6% to 79.3% were distributed below the 50th percentile on growth charts. Further, 18.5% were classified as having questionable development. Factors related to low physical growth in infants and children were mother's weight and mother's level in Korean language classes. Conclusion: The physical growth and developmental status of children is vulnerable and serious. The study results suggest a need for regular growth and developmental evaluations. Political support is important for these mothers. In addition, there also is a need to develop early intervention strategies to promote growth and development of the infants and children of these married immigrant women.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.395-410
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• 2010

This qualitative research on women in multi-cultural families aims to analyze their clothing weight, habit, management and purchasing of clothing as well as their children's in order to provide fundamental data or literature for their adjustment in Korean clothing culture and health management. The research was conducted by interviews to eleven married foreign women with nationality of various climates, and subsequently by categorical analysis and subject analysis. The final outcome in terms of subjects included 'heating/cooling system as to environmental temperature', 'scope of climate adaptation differences in the amount of clothing', 'sleepwear and bedding' and 'clothing purchasing behaviour'. The empirical survey showed that those who came from colder regions or warmer regions had difficulties adjusting to the climate. And their clothing weight & clothing habits, originated from their home countries, were found to be kept stable and to be systematically transferred to their children as well. When it comes to sleepwear and bedding, the women seemed to be less interested in them than normal outerwear, but they tended to like to cover the belly of their babies while they didn't have sufficient nightwear for themselves. And shopping and management of clothing were another area with differences between those women and Korean ones. These results imply that further research on the multicultural families, in particular on their clothing behavior, and on changeability of the behaviour through education or through evolution is needed.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.121-137
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• 2018

Objectives: This study examined the effects of perceived equity in decision-making and gender role attitudes on marital satisfaction among Chinese-Han and Korean-Chinese migrant women. Methods: Data were drawn from the 'National Survey on the Multi-Cultural Families in 2015' and 1,350 Chinese migrant women born after 1979 under the implementation of "one child policy" were selected. Chi-squared test, t-test, and multiple regression analysis were performed for analysis. Results: There were differences between Chinese-Han and Korean-Chinese in marital satisfaction and perceived equity in decision-making. For Chinese-Han, 'balanced group (perceived fairness in decision-making)' showed higher marital satisfaction than 'underbenefited group (husband is more dominant in decision-making)'. For Korean-Chinese, there was no significant difference between the groups. Conclusions: This study found how the perception of equity in decision-making would affect the quality of international marriage relationship. Especially, for Chinese-Han women, the equity plays an important role in marriage relationship.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.107-125
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• 2009

This paper analyzes the life and culture contents of the primary Korean textbook for female marriage immigrants and investigates ways to improve the textbook organization in future. The study results are as follows: 1. The textbook must reflect the demands of female marriage immigrants as learners that need to adapt to Korean society. 2. The textbook needs to adopt a circulating disposition in organizing such life and culture contents that female marriage immigrants can obtain and utilize while living in diverse life environments 3. The textbook should also provide multi-cultural elements in order to help female marriage immigrants with the internalization of the complex identity between their home countries and Korea.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.143-155
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of psychological well-being on married immigrant women's parenting efficacy. Methods: The participants consisted of 145 married immigrant mothers who were members of multi-cultural family support centers in Andong, Young-ju, Uiseung, and Munkyung cities in Gyeongsangbuk-do province. Results: The main results are as follows. First, the levels of language competence and education were significantly related to psychological well-being, suggesting that the level of language competence as well as the level of education could be main factors for psychological well-being. Further, numbers of children and monthly household income were significantly related to parenting efficacy. Second, psychological well-being was correlated with parenting efficacy of married immigrant women, demonstrating that psychological well-being was the most effective variable for parenting efficacy. Third, self-acceptance, environmental mastery, and personal growth in the psychological well-being significantly predicted parenting efficacy. Conclusion: These findings suggested that we should reconsider the importance of psychological well-being in supporting programs for parenting.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.93-101
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• 2016

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the factors influencing on the oral health-related quality of life of migrant women in multicultural families. Methods: An interview survey was conducted through the general characteristics, oral health behaviors, and OHIPs(oral Health Impact Profiles) of 200 migrant women in multicultural families registered in multicultural family support center in Pohang. The survey was carried out from March 2 to 29, 2011. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0 program. by frequency analysis, chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: Oral health promotion behavior showed statistically significant differences(p<0.01) in the number of tooth brushing and in those using oral health care supplementary device by each country. The oral health-related quality of life was significantly influenced by economic compensation, pregnancy, and the economic status of the native country(p<0.05). Conclusion: The nationwide oral health policy should be established for migrant women in multicultural family.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.109-122
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• 2010

The present study aims to investigate cultural similarities and differences that influence interracial couples (between Korean men and Vietnamese women) when adapting to Korean family culture in terms of interculturalism. The interviewees consisted of three generations. This study used in-depth interviews. Data was collected from January to August 2008. 15 families (45 people) were used for analysis. Results were as follows: (1) the patriarchal culture of the two nations had a positive influence on the adaptation of members during family interactions(2) the culture of filial piety is a value system that both nations believe is important. However, different rituals had a negative influence on the practice of filial piety (3) the community-oriented culture is regarded as important in the two nations. However, Vietnamese wives cannot lead a free community life because Koreans see them in negative terms (4) the Vietnamese traditional wedding custom called "NopJjeOh" had a negative influence on the adaptation to the Korean family culture (5) the preference for sons in Vietnam is not as high as in Korea. This difference had a negative influence on adaptation (6) clear differences between the daily lives of the two nations had a negative influence on adaptation to Korean family culture. In conclusion, Korea and Vietnam have many similarities in culture, which enable Vietnamese wives to adapt to Korean culture more easily than other foreign wives. If various programs are developed to promote the mutual understanding between both cultures based on these research findings, it would further contribute toward social integration in Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3689-3698
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• 2013

Breast cancer is the most common and leading cause of cancer mortality among Malaysian women. Despite good survival rates, the diagnosis of cancer still invokes the feeling of stress, fear and uncertainty. Because very little is known about the experiences of Malaysian women with breast cancer, a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experience of newly diagnosed breast cancer. Using a purposive sampling method, 20 Malaysian women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, including Malays (n=10) and Chinese (n=10) were recruited in two main public hospitals in Kelantan. Similarities and divergence in women's experience were identified through thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Three themes emerged from the data: uncertainty experience of the illness, transition process and fatalistic view of breast cancer. In many ways, these findings were parallel with previous studies, suggesting that the experience of breast cancer is to a certain extent similar among women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. This study adds to the sparse literature concerning the experience of illness following breast cancer diagnosis among the Malays and Chinese. More importantly, this study addressed areas that were previously lacking, specifically in depth information on breast cancer experience from a developing country with a multi-ethnic population. The results of this investigation provide preliminary information to healthcare professionals on the impact of illness and cultural influence on survivorship to plan for appropriate education and supportive programme in order to meet the needs of breast cancer women more effectively.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.409-417
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to figure out and establish the basic data that can help improve management of oral healthcare for the international marriage immigrant women. Methods : In this sense, we surveyed questions on 237 women out of 1,300 immigrant women, who have participated in the program by multi-cultural household supporting center, in a fashion of face-to-face investigation and on-the-spot direct cavity inspection simultaneously from May 1 to October 31, 2010. Collected data were electro-statistically computerized under SPSS 17.0 program and analyzed with frequency analysis, recurrence analysis and logistic regression analysis respectively. Results : The number of filled teeth got lower when they had lower number of dental visits. Women from the Philippines had the highest number of defect teeth, and the number of fixed prosthetic appliance became less when they had less number of dental visits. When they had no experience of oral health education, they had less fixed prosthetic appliances. There was higher percentage of periodontal disease when they did not have dental visit compared with the dental visit cases. Conclusions : Preparation of a policy for east Asian immigrant women for them to visit dentist comfortably and expansion of systematic oral health education are highly recommended.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.63-80
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• 2015

The purpose of this study to derstand the relationship between family support and self-esteem among middle-aged Korean women immigrants in Australia with a focus on the effects of depression, which seems to likely mediate these two variables. For the purpose of this study, 147 middle-aged Korean women who live and work in Sydney, Australia, were studied. A statistical method was carried out using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and reliability analysis by using SPSS ver.18.0. To verify the hypothesis of the research model that was suggested in this study, with the structural equation, AMOS ver.7.0 program was used. The analytical results are as follows. Firstly, family support had an influence on depression and self-esteem and depression had an effect on self-esteem. Secondly, family support had an influence on self-esteem by having depression as a mediation. This outcome not only offers information on self-esteem, which is the psychological welfare of Korean middle-aged women who live in Australia, but also enhances the self-esteem of all middle-aged Koreanwomen who abroad, not just in Australia. Therefore, the study provide basic data support a program related to the welfare of immigrant women who live overseas along with policies for those immigrant women to have successful lives as immigrants. In addition to this, an exploratory research on relevant variables that influence self-esteem will have significant implications even to policies on multi-cultural families that have immigrate into South Korea.