• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.219-229
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify awareness levels in regard to preconception care and gender differences targeting single undergraduate students in their 20s. Methods: The study participants were 867 single undergraduate students aged 20~29 (523 women, 344 men). This was a descriptive research, in which awareness levels of preconception care and pregnancy were identified the through questionnaire surveys. Results: Gender differences in the awareness of reproductive care before conception were found. Generally, women's awareness of issues related to preconception care and pregnancy was higher than that of men. Women recognized risk factors in pregnancy ($x^2$=22.85, p<.001) and positive behaviors ($x^2$=10.91, p=.012) better than men. Women's awareness of preconception care was significantly higher than that of men (t=8.37, p<.001). The awareness levels of the students who completed a reproduction related class (t=3.16, p=.002) and the students who knew about folic acid (t=-10.78, p<.001) in preconception care were statistically significantly higher. Conclusion: The results indicate that the ways to educate and alert students to major risk factors before pregnancy and other reproductive care content before conception is to provide education both single women and single men.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.71-82
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was 1) to examine levels of awareness on preconception care and pregnancy, and reproductive health promoting behavior among pre-honeymooners; and 2) to explore the relationship between awareness levels of preconception care and pregnancy, and reproductive health promoting behavior. Methods: This study was a correlation design with a total of 134 participants (67 couples of pre-honeymooners). Data were collected with questionnaire Results: Mean score of self-perception of awareness of preconception care and pregnancy was 2.82 out of 4. Content awareness level was 6.83 out of 13, and reproductive health promoting behavior score was 3.02 out of 4, indicating low to mid-level. Women reported higher scores in all variables than those in men. Self-perception awareness and content awareness of care and pregnancy had a weak positive correlation (r=.18, p=.038). Reproductive health promoting behavior was positively related to self-perception awareness of care and pregnancy (r=.33, p<.001) and content awareness of care and pregnancy (r=.23, p=.008). Conclusion: Based on this results, a variety of nursing intervention strategies may need to promote reproductive health behavior such as raising awareness of the preconception care and pregnancy.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.720-732
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was done to develop a Web-based preconception health promotion program to improve preconception health promotion awareness, perceived benefits, perceived self-efficacy and health behavior, and to reduce perceived barriers in couples about to be married. Methods: Participants were assigned to the experimental group (n=26 couples) or control group (n=25 couples). This program was comprised of a six hour Web-based lecture series which was given to the experimental group over a four week period. Results: Results for the two groups showed: 1) a significant difference in preconception health promotion awareness in men (self-perception: z=-3.62, p <.001 content: F=18.49, p <.001) and in women (self-perception: z=-2.89, p =.004 content F=36.93, p <.001), 2) a significant difference in perceived benefits in men (z=-3.09, p =.002), and in women (F=6.38, p =.004), 3) a significant difference in perceived barriers in men (F=3.64, p =.030), and in women (F=11.36, p <.001), 4) a significant difference in perceived self-efficacy in men (F=12.16, p <.001), but no significant difference in women (F=1.93, p =.166), 5) a significant difference in health promoting behavior in men (F=16.31, p <.001), and in women (F=10.99, p =.001). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the program is an effective nursing intervention in couples about to be married. Therefore, this program can be useful in encouraging health-promoting behavior for couples about to be married.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.122-168
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• 2017

I tried to understand a folk tale "The half-boy" in terms of analytical psychology. In the story, a lady without children prayed to the Buddha. The white old man came and gave three fishes, but the cat ate half of it. So, she ate two and a half. She gave birth to two perfect sons. The third son had one arm, one leg, and one eye. They grew well. Brothers went to take the civil service examinations, and the half-boy followed. But two brothers did not like the half-boy coming along. So, brothers tied the half-boy to the rocks and trees, and he picked them up with force and gave them down to the yard of the house. And the half-boy followed his brothers again, and brothers tied him with kudzu and put him in front of the tiger. The half-boy won the tiger by betting with cutting kudzu. The half-boy stripped off the tiger's skin. The host coveted the tiger skin and they played with janggi. The half-boy won the game and was permitted to take host's daughter. The half-boy went with a string, a drum, a flea, and a bedbug. He teased host's people with these. The half-boy brought a virgin and lived well. "The Half-Boy" folktale is an old story spread throughout the country. There are similar stories in India and Africa. Unilateral figures are universally distributed archetypal images. In numerous cultures gods and spirits are being portrayed as unilateral figures. In the creation mythology, half-figure beings have immortality. In Indonesian and African folk tales, the half-born boy goes to heaven and merges with its half and becomes perfect. Some of one-sided spirits are harmful to humans but some of one-sided birds, chickens, and spirits are helpful to people. Sometimes half being is a cultural hero who steals grain from heaven or gets some advice how to use bamboo. There are stories that half body becomes a whole body afterwards. But in this folktale and most of the similar folktales, half-figure does not change and maintains half-figure to the end. And as a half-figure he does various great things and marries a virgin. The half-boy symbolizes a psychic experience born in the unconscious. The unconscious contents may seem strange and weird at first and the collective consciousness does not want to accept them. But the unconscious exerts greater power and brings vitality and creativity to consciousness. This folk tale seems to have compensated for the stubborn collective consciousness of our society, which was a Confucian class society. It also allows people to change their attitude toward disabled people and recognize strengths and creativity of the handicapped.