• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.407-414
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare birth outcomes between Korean women and immigrant women. Methods: Medical records were reviewed retrospectively from 201 immigrant women and 201 Korean women who delivered babies at K women's hospital in U city from January 2006 to December 2009. Maternal outcomes related factors included nationality, age, obstetric history, delivery type, indications of cesarean section, and complications of pregnancy and delivery. Principal neonatal outcomes were birth weight, Apgar scores, and complications of newborns. Results: Immigrant women were younger and had fewer pregnancies, abortions, and surviving children than Korean women. The rate of primary cesarean section and its indication in immigrant women were not significantly different from Korean women. However, immigrant women's newborn were more likely to have low birth weight and meconium staining. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate less equity of immigrant women in women's health care, although immigrant women's babies had lower Apgar score and more meconium staining. Nurses should help immigrant women cope with labor process effectively to prevent adverse health outcomes for their newborns.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.99-107
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• 2015

This study purposed to analyze difference in experience of life in Korea among adolescents whose immigrant backgrounds were different (Korean-born children of multicultural families and foreign-born immigrant children) using the data of the 2012 National Survey of Multicultural Families (adolescent children aged between 9 and 24). According to the results of analysis, first, multicultural adolescents with immigrant backgrounds experienced 'difficulty in using the Korean language (speaking, listening, reading, and writing),' 'school dropout,' and 'school violence' more frequently than Korean-born multicultural adolescents. Second, with regard to social discrimination (friends, teachers, relatives, neighbors, and unknown people), multicultural adolescents with immigrant backgrounds experienced 'discrimination by teachers,' 'discrimination by relatives,' 'discrimination by neighbors,' and 'discrimination by unknown people' more frequently than Korean-born multicultural adolescents. By analyzing these differences, this study suggested directions for differentiated support policies and specific strategies for adjustment to life in Korea by multicultural family adolescents with different backgrounds.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.479-487
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was a grounded theory research aimed at generating a substantive theory that accounts for the explanatory social processes in which immigrant Korean single-mother families were engaged in the United States. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 immigrant Korean single mothers who were living with children under 18 years of age at the time of the interviews. Data collection guided by theoretical sampling and concurrent constant comparative analysis of the transcribed data was conducted to identify the core social process. Results: The emerged core social process was "living for the children," which represented the driving process by which these women made transition to their new lives as single-mother families. The major task throughout the entire transition was re-creating their families. The women's transition involved practical and psychological transitions. The practical transition involved three stages: assuring family survival, struggling between the father role and the mother role, and stabilizing. The psychological transition involved becoming strong and settling in with a new supportive network. Conclusion: Study results added to the literature by elaborating the women's emphasis on maternal identity and the resilience-provoking nature of the women's transitions.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.297-307
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the dietary attitudes and meal management of married immigrant women according to residence period in Korea. The study was conducted by administering a questionnaire survey to 220 married immigrant women in Korea. More than one third of the immigrant women who stayed in Korea less than 3 years tended to eat a limited variety of foods. Irregularity of meal time decreased as residence time period increased (P<0.05). As immigrant women stayed longer in Korea, they became more responsible for the diet of their family (P<0.001) and had more time to share breakfast and dinner with all family members (P<0.05). Nearly half of immigrant women in all residence periods indicated their husband's family as the most influential factor in acquiring Korean foods (P<0.05). Immigrant women became more familiar with Korean cooking and recognition of nutritious foods (P<0.001) the longer they lived in Korea and more enjoyable meal times with family (P<0.05). In summary, as the period of residence in Korea increased, the dietary attitudes of immigrant women became more positive towards Korean food and diet culture. Further, immigrant women became more responsible for guiding children's dietary habits and offering healthy foods to their family as residence period increased. Therefore, the government and social programs should conduct constant and organized lessons on Korean culture and cooking according to residence period for immigrant women to build up stable and positive dietary attitudes.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.69-90
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• 2014

This study focused on the adjustment of family living culture in relation to women who have immigrated for marriage. Specifically, it sought to determine how Vietnamese immigrant women understand and adapt to the culture of family life in Seoul, Korea. The investigation was conducted from 2 May to 30 May 2014, with 28 Vietnamese immigrant women as participants. Personal, family, social, and cultural factors affecting family life and culture were considered. It was determined that Vietnamese women can easily adapt to life in Korea to provide; the results of the material analysis are described below. First, Vietnamese immigrant women are satisfied with their economic life in Korea. In Vietnam, women have the right to marry Korean men if they want to. Vietnamese women are encouraged to marry want to marry a Korean man. Because they are satisfied with the present marriage. Second, migrant women learn to adapt to South Korean culture and food. However, cultural differences between a woman's husband and mother-in-law can become a source of conflict. Third, children of multicultural families easily accept Vietnamese people, since they are educated to do so through their Vietnamese mothers Vietnamese woman wants to teach their children the Vietnamese food and culture. Fourth, the Vietnamese immigrant women also participate in multicultural family support centers and communities. They want to become productive members of society through employment opportunities in South Korea. Fifth, the cultural and welfare policies of the government should be carried on so that migrant women are able to study cultural adaptation. This case study examined difficulties that Vietnamese immigrant women have in adjusting to life and culture in Korea. The findings could be used as a resource to help Vietnamese women living in Korea.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.46-60
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore married immigrant women's child-rearing experiences including parenting stress and parenting efficacy using parallel/simultaneous mixed method design. Method: Participants of this quantitative study were 53 immigrant women in G City. Data was collected from May 1 to July 31 and analyzed using the SPSS 14 program. Qualitative data was collected from 8 immigrant women through focus group discussions from April, 22 to August 5, 2008 in G City and G Province. The data was analyzed using a content analysis method. Results: The mean score of parenting stress scale and parenting efficacy were 63.49 and 43.11 respectively. Significant differences were found in parenting stress according to nationality, length of stay, religion, economic status, education level, Korean language skill, number of children, and program participation. Significant differences were found in the Parenting efficacy according to the nation, length of stay, economic status, education level, Korean language skill, children's health status, and program participation. Three themes emerged through this analysis: 1) Isolation from the maternal parent, 2) Insufficient support system, 3) Conflicts and Compromise of child-rearing practices. Conclusion: Married immigrant women experience double burdens of mothering. There is a need to develop educational and support programs for them.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.77-88
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• 2017

Objectives : To examine the factors associated with the use of the prenatal care services provided by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family by married migrant women in Korea. Methods : We employed data from the 2015 Nationwide Multiculturale Family Survey. We selected 19- to 39-year-old married immigrant women with children aged 5 years or less for the study (N=1,579). We included four predisposing factors, six enabling factors, and two need factors based on the Andersen's Health-care Utilization Model. Results : Only one third of married immigrant women(31.6%) used prenatal care service and 45.9% of them reported prenatal care service needs. Area of residence, country of birth, and Korean language proficiency were significantly associated with prenatal care service use. Further, age, country of birth, length of time in Korea, household income, and discrimination experience were significantly associated. Conclusions : Findings suggest the need to develop strategies to improve accessibility to prenatal care service use especially for married immigrant women from developing countries, low-income families, having poor Korean language proficiency or having discrimination experience.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.80-88
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• 2008

Purpose: By focusing on immigrant women's problems and considering human rights, resettlement plans and marital-life adaptation, health status is often overlooked. It was examined in this study. Method: The participants were 110 immigrant women who lived in Busan. Data were collected from September to November 2007 using a questionnaire. Results: One of five of the women had been hospitalized for a delivery, about 25% were pregnant, and most (80.9 %) have never had a pap-smear test. The average score for anxiety was 3.0 (${\pm}2.50$) and for depression 2.9 (${\pm}2.71$). Most were in the normal range for blood pressure, body mass index(BMI), blood sugar and urine test. There was a significant difference in level of anxiety according to education (F=3.42, p=.020) and in level of depression according to age (F=4.05, p=.020), number of children(t=-.444, p=.009), financial status (F=3.75, p=.027) and satisfaction with life (F=6.38, p=.002). There were significant differences in BMI according to age (F=7.73, p=.001), native nation (F=18.38, p=.000), period of stay in Korea (F=3.11, p=.049), education (F=3.82, p=.012), number of children (t=-4.26, p=.040). Conclusion: Although the health status of the immigrant women was good, procreative care protocols should be developed to support immigrant women who are pregnant.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.203-222
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• 2013

This study has been implemented under the two purposes. One is to critically explore how married immigrant women had experienced or experience conflicts, differentiation and so on occurred in their relations to family, neighbor, friend, organization and nation. The other is to understand married immigrant women and family through a new perspective based on a relational space of interacting trans-nation, local and nation. The results of the study are summarized as the followings. Firstly, transnational space is produced by international marriage between Korean man and foreign woman and kept (or activated ) by (non) everyday activities of married immigrant women and family. There are remittance, children's rearing and education, visits to mother's house, emotional interactions by phone and computer and so on. Secondly, multi-layered and relational local spaces have been (re)produced by married immigrant women's various activities related to family, neighbor, friend, nation and so on. Thirdly, married immigrant women's relations to nation state or government has been specifically presented (or expressed) through the acquiring of Korean nationality and government's activities of supporting multicultural family. Married immigrant women feel that their national identity between mother's nation and Korea is ambiguous and undecided.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.149-160
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing emotional and behavior characteristics among children in multicultural families. The factors include demographic and psychological characteristics of married immigrant women. Surveys were distributed to 200 married immigrant women and, 148 surveys were returned and analyzed. The findings are as follows: first, emotional and behavioral characteristics of children were significantly associated with the age of their mothers and household income. Second, acculturative stress in married immigrant women was significantly related to the overall behavior characteristics of their children. Third, children whose mothers experienced a higher level of acculturative stress and were of older age showed internalizing problems. The level of Korean language proficiency and marital satisfaction were also important factors influencing sub-categories of internalizing and externalizing problems aside from acculturative stress. Implications and suggestions to develop preventative programs for emotional and behavioral problems of children in multicultural families are discussed.