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Birth Outcomes among Native-born and Foreign-born Women in Korea: Focusing on Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight

외국인 여성과 한국인 여성의 출산결과 비교: 조산아 및 저체중아를 중심으로

  • Ryu, Jungkyun (The Center for SSK Multi-cultural Research, Hanyang University) ;
  • Choi, Yool (Department of Social Studies Education, Korea National University of Education)
  • 유정균 (한양대학교 SSK 다문화연구센터) ;
  • 최율 (한국교원대학교 일반사회교육과)
  • Received : 2018.08.07
  • Accepted : 2018.09.27
  • Published : 2018.11.30

Abstract

Objectives: This study compared the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight between native-born and foreign-born women. Methods: By Using the birth registration data, every woman who gave birth between 2010 and 2016 in Korea was included in the analysis. Duration from marriage to pregnancy was measured by month and multiple socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were controlled. Preterm birth (<37 weeks) and low birth weight (<2.5 kg) were used for outcome variables. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used for data analysis with Stata. Results: The risks of preterm birth and low birth weight for native-born and foreign-born women differed according to the duration of marriage or birth order. For the first infant, foreign-born women were more likely to have pereterm birth or low birth weight than the native-born in the early stage of marriage but nativeborn women had higher risks than the foreign-born in the middle and later stage of marriage. For the second infant, foreign-born women were less likely to have pereterm birth or low birth weight than the native-born regardless of the duration of marriage. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrates that the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight for foreign-born women is concentrated on the early stage of marriage. Institutional and cultural supports should be given to foreign-born women to help their early settlement in the Korean society.

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Acknowledgement

Supported by : National Research Foundation of Korea

Cited by

  1. Comparison of infant mortality and associated factors between Korean and immigrant women in Korea: an 11-year longitudinal study vol.27, pp.4, 2021, https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2021.12.12.2