• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.118-131
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to provide essential data for the development of a prenatal healthcare intervention program tailored to Vietnamese migrant women. This study assessed the knowledge and the practice of prenatal health management, and the levels of depression among Vietnamese women of childbearing age residing in Korea and Vietnam. Methods: Using a descriptive research design, a structured questionnaire was administered to Vietnamese women of childbearing age, with 113 participants residing in Korea and 196 participants residing in Vietnam. Data was collected from Februay to April 2021. Data was analyzed using t-test and chi-square test. Result: The analysis of knowledge regarding prenatal health management revealed significant differences between married women in both locations, with higher knowledge scores. Regarding prenatal health management practices, no significant differences were found based on marital status or place of residence. Particularly in the item "Will receive regular prenatal check-ups at the hospital." married Vietnamese women in Vietnam had lower scores than unmarried women, and rural women had lower scores than urban women. The lowest score was observed among Korean-residing women in the item "Will seek pregnancy and childbirth information." Regarding depression, married women in Vietnam and women living in rural areas demonstrated significantly higher depression scores. Conclusion: When designing perinatal management interventions for Vietnamese immigrant women, special attention should be given to those originating from rural areas in Vietnam. It is recommended to incorporate the importance of perinatal healthcare and factors related to mental well-being into the intervention program.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. The purposes of this study were to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid supplements along with their associated factors among non-pregnant Korean women of childbearing age. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From August 2012 to March 2013, 704 women aged 19-45 years completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid as well as questions to identify risk of inadequate folate intake. RESULTS: Approximately 67% of women reported that they had heard of folic acid, and 23.7% had knowledge of both the role of folic acid in preventing birth defects and appropriate time for taking folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects. However, only 9.4% of women took folic acid supplements at the time of the survey. Women aged 19-24 years, unmarried women, and women who had never been pregnant were less likely to be aware and knowledgeable of folic acid or take folic acid supplements. In addition, women at high risk of inadequate folate intake were less likely to take folic acid supplements. In a multivariate analysis, women aged 19-24 years, women with a high school diploma or lower education level, and unmarried women were less likely to be aware and have knowledge of folic acid. The percentage of women taking folic acid supplements was significantly higher among knowledgeable women than among unknowledgeable women. CONCLUSIONS: These results support our hypothesis that women with knowledge of folic acid are more likely to take folic acid supplements. Therefore, educational programs or campaigns to improve knowledge regarding the importance of folic acid and to promote consumption of folic acid supplements as well as folate-rich foods are needed to target young, less educated, and unmarried women.

• The Korean Nurse
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.46-62
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• 1995

The purpose of this study was to identify the level of HIV/AIDS related knowledge and attitudes of Korean childbering women. The subject were 1152 Korean women who were living in the Seoul area and whose age was between 17-50 years. Data was collected by self reporting with a questionnaire of 57 items developed by the researcher. The reliability of the instrument for the HIV/AIDS related knowledge and attitudes were Cronbach's alpha. .6954 and .7987 respectively. The results were as follows: The mean age of the subjects was 26 years and 46.8% of them were married. The mean score for HIV/AIDS related knowledge was 14.7 out of a possible maximum score of 22. The correct answer rate for HIV/AIDS related knowledge was between 87.0-94.1% for the risk factors. and 36.4-54.8% for the transmission mode. Even though 87% of the subjects knew that homosexuals are risk group for HIV/AIDS. only half(55.8%) of the subjects answered that anal sex is the transmission mode. And only 57% of the subjects knew that HIV/AIDS transmission is possible through heterosexual contact. Their agreement level for attitudes was in order of communal coping (95%). pregnant women protection (94%). Problem appraisal (82%). patients isolation(68%). and disclosure of infection(67%). It was shown that the group who had a pregnancy (t=2.07, p=.039), used contraceptives (t=2.57, p=.OO1). and the group of college level graduates(t=3.61, p=.000) had a higher level of HIV/AIDS related knowledge. The agreement level of pregnant women protection. patient isolation. and problem appraisal were higher in the group of having had a pregnancy, having used contraceptives. and the group over 30 years of age. It was concluded that Korean childbearing women were quite knowledgeable about the risk factors but confused about the transmission mode. especially heterosexual contact. and they showed responsive attitudes to the HIV/AIDS issues considering the 339 infected cases in Korea. They preferred isolation of patients and communal coping as behavioral attitudes. Therefore it can be suggested that a HIV/AIDS prevention program should be focused on transmission mode.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.19-23
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• 2013

Purpose : Automatic exposure system(AOP mode) in DR Mammography of the STD and DOSE apply to women of childbearing age, the average glandular dose(AGD) and image quality by comparing was to demonstrate the usefulness of DOSE. Materials and Methods : Of the under 40 age 108 patients who visit to our hospital and examined STD and DOSE mammography from January 2008 to July 2013. AGD was obtained by DICOM header information provided by GE Senographe DS. STD and DOSE images were evaluated with obtained patients, Image J program was compared by calculating the SNR. Results : The average AGD of DOSE mode was 0.99mGy, and which decreased by 19% comparing to that of STD mode which was 1.18mGy. The two the average AGDs indicated statistically significant difference(p< .01). The average SNR of STD was 40.26, DOSE displayed, and to 39.68 in, there was no statistical significance. Results : The average AGD using DOSE mode which is one of DR mammography AOP modes decreased by comparing to that of STD mode showing no difference in image quality. The use of DOSE is considered to be useful.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.55
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• pp.129-156
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• 2017

The study was conducted to identify factors that affect the first childbearing decisions among married working women in South Korea and thereby to gain insight into effective ways to improve relatively low fertility and unfavorable workplace conditions for women of childbearing age. This study used the merged data(1st-5th waves) from Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF), which were measured by the Korean Women's Development Institute. With 1,020 married business women, cross tab and binary logistic regression were conducted to determine which factors were significantly associated with the first childbearing decisions.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.401-407
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• 2023

This study is a descriptive study to identify the patterns of use of menstrual sanitary products among community women of childbearing age. The participants were 1,571 women between the ages of 19 and 40, and data collection was conducted through online and mobile surveys from September 2020 to August 2021. As a result, 88.9% of the participants were using disposable menstrual pad, 5.6% tampons, 3.1% cloth menstrual pad, and followed by others(2.4%), including menstrual cups. The differences of type of menstrual sanitary products according to general characteristics showed significant in age(p=.006), marital status(p=.005), education level(p=.002), annual salary(p=.018), experience of pregnancy(p=.036), and menstrual regularity(p=.022). More than half of the participants(53.8%) responded that cloth menstrual pads were 'very safe' or 'safe,' but 27.9% and 20.1% of disposable menstrual pads and tampons, respectively. The difference in menstrual distress according to the type of menstrual sanitary products showed that tampon users had a higher menstrual discomfort score for the most recent menstruation(F=4.092, p=.017) and 4 days before menstruation(F=4.178, p=.016) than users of disposable menstrual pad or cloth menstrual pad. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously investigate the use of menstrual sanitary products by women of childbearing age and its relationship with reproductive health.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.142-150
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• 2024

Objective: Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is a disorder characterized by impaired ovarian function. Sleep disorders are disruptions of the circadian rhythm, which appears to be closely linked to reproductive systems. This study aimed to investigate the impact of poor sleep quality on the ovarian reserve of childbearing-age women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in China from June 2021 to March 2023. In total, 102 participants diagnosed with chronic insomnia disorder were included in the study. Questionnaires were administered to assess participants' menstrual patterns, insomnia severity, anxiety, and depression. The anti-Müllerian hormone level and the basal antral follicle count were measured for ovarian reserve evaluation. Correlation analysis and ordinal logistic regression analysis were conducted. Results: The women with insomnia presented high percentages of hypomenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and dysmenorrhea (78.4%, 74.5%, and 46.1%, respectively). Severe sleep disorder in the past month was identified as an independent risk factor for hypomenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome (odds ratio [OR], 2.64 and OR, 2.688; p<0.05). The prevalence of DOR among women with insomnia (33.3%) was significantly higher than the average reported in previous studies for young women. Insomnia duration exceeding 1 year was determined to be an independent risk factor for DOR in women aged 36 to 40 years (OR, 4.5; p=0.033). Conclusion: This study highlights the association between sleep disorders and menstrual problems. Prolonged poor sleep quality in women aged 36 to 40 years was identified as a significant risk factor for DOR. We should pay more attention to improving sleep quality in order to maintain normal ovarian function.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.447-456
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• 2017

Objectives: Pregnant women and those of childbearing age are a well-known sensitive population for human mercury exposure. Therefore, this study was conducted to reveal and enrich basic information for effective risk communication to reduce the adverse health effects of mercury exposure. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 432 women aged 19-44 years, recruited conveniently from three different regions (Busan, Ulsan, and Gumi City). Questionnaires were developed by referring to the existing literature and through expert meetings. They consisted of questions on knowledge and awareness of mercury exposure risks, health information literacy, and relevant information. Results: The rank of perceived mercury health risk score was 5 out of 16 environmental risk factors, and 41.7% of participants thought that even a very little mercury could lead to an adverse health effect. Although 90.3% of participants had knowledge that childbearing age women must pay attention to fish intake, only 38.9% of participants knew the national fish intake guidelines for pregnant women. Conclusions: Although risk perception and knowledge of pregnancy-specific features of mercury were relatively high, the national fish intake guidelines were still not well recognized. It could be an effective strategy to provide evidence-based and targeted information articulated by professionals using internet based communication channels.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.21-27
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• 2022

Background: While the application of procedural methods to solve the infertility problem has increased, the decline in the quality of life of women who experience infertility has been disregarded. Methods: This qualitative study used phenomenological analysis of data collected from 13 women with infertility in South Korea to reveal the subjective meaning of physical experiences perceived by women over the course of treatment. Results: Upon analyses of the treatment experiences of women with infertility in South Korea via a phenomenological analysis method, 10 themes were extracted and integrated into four theme clusters ("Perceiving infertility," "The body that gives birth," "A process in an endless tunnel," "Caring for my marginalized identity"). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that women with infertility in South Korea perceived their own bodies as givers of birth living in traditional and patriarchal societies. A contextual flow proceeded to the final stage of women caring for their marginalized identity, which had suffered throughout the course of their infertility journey.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.2 s.57
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• pp.279-292
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• 1997

The vaccinations of susceptible children and postpubertal females are the major means to prevent congenital rubella syndrome(CRS). Another means for reducing the CRS is therapeutic abortion or fetal monitoring for women who are infected in the first four months of pregnancy. We could not estimate the incidence of CRS in Korea, because there was no surveillance system for rubella and CRS. Nationwide vaccination program for 15months infant had been started early 1980s. So, most women at childbearing age during study period were not received rubella vaccination. We set forth CRS management system for pregnant women in two rural county of Kyonggi province, Korea. In this system, the presence of rubella IgG and IgM antibodies for early pregnant women were examined with MEIA(Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay) method by IMx automated analyzer $Abbott^(R)$. The infected pregnant women followed up in order to confirm their childrens CRS. This study was carried out from Mu. 1993 to Jun. 1994, and pregnant women examined were 874 persons. The results were summarized as follows. The overall positive .ate of rubella IgG antibody was 94.5%(826/874). The positive rate was significantly increase as the age increased, and reached 100% in pregnant women who were over 35 years old. This results suggest that a meaningful number of women are infected during childbearing years. The geometric mean titer of IgG of sero-positive subjects was significantly declined as the age increased. On the question about history of URI symptoms and rash in pregnancy, 20.7% of respondents checked on URI symptoms with .ash, 13.5% only URI symptoms without .ash, and 65.8% no symptoms. However there was no demonstrable association between the rubella like infection history in pregnancy and the rubella IgG and IgM antibody status. Rubella infection .ate in pregnant women was 0.9%(95% CI 0.4-1.8%). Two of these 8 infected pregnancies were terminated by therapeutic abortion. One of them was not followed. Five babies had no gross anomalies at birth. In Dec. 1996, three of five babies were normal appeared infants. Two of them were not followed. Throughout this study results, we confirmed the need of CRS management system for pregnant women, in Korea.