• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.6 s.84
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• pp.177-193
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• 2006

This study analyzes marriage and fertility rates in Korea and makes recommendations for family policy. Based on the 'The Report of Marriage & Divorce Statistics in 2005' and data from the Korea Statistical Information System (KOSIS) of the National Statistics Organization, the trends, reasons for marriage rates changes, and future expectations were critically reviewed. In addition, the relationship between marriage and fertility rates was analyzed. The principle characteristics of marriage rates are as follows: 1) the M-shape of the longitudinal crude marriage rates; 2) the increased age of individuals entering their the first marriage; 3) the increase in remarriage rates; 4) the changes in the patterns of remarriage; 5) the increased in the age at which individuals remarry and; 6) the increase in marriage to non-Koreans. The marriage and fertility rates changes are a permanent normative shift because of 1) later marriage because of women's increased education and labor force participation 2) rational choices about birth control 3) reduced population because of the aging of baby boomers 4) structural changes in the marriage market and 5) egalitarian changes in women's attitudes toward marriage and family. The recommendations for future family policy were as follows: 1) the need for a realistic, long-term family policy because the current marriage patterns will continue; 2) the need to develop new statistics such as fertility rates that are based on marriage cohort or birth cohort because family behavior is a mixture of personal, social and political responses; 3) the need for impact analysis of current family policy about increasing fertility rates; 4) the need for a new family perspective that encompasses diverse marriage and family patterns; 5) the need to focus on men's role in families because of women's changing roles and family interaction patterns and; 6) the need for preventive family policies such as family life education.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• no.36
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• pp.5-28
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to review recent trends and major emerging problems and explore alternatives of Korean social welfare service policies. The concerns on social welfare service are triggered by the issues of rapid getting lower birth rate and severe growing rate of old people. These concerns resulted in the expansions of social welfare services. But Korean social welfare service systems are not prepared for these expansions. Presenting problems are disconnection between state and local governments, not securing minimum standards on accessibility and service provision, excessive concerns on making caring jobs and lacking in securing of safety and rights of vulnerable service users. As alternatives, this study proposes the integration of market approaches which can facilitate service user's choice and anti-market schemes which could act against the negative effects of market approaches.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.91-108
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to assist the development of parenting-aid policies by analyzing information from life perspectives, family system theory, and integrated family policy perspectives. For this purpose, we conducted a literature using a variety of sources including internet sites, laws, published material related to current parenting-aid policies. Based on analyses we formulated four agendas: empowering parent competency, supporting diverse family parenting, guaranteeing parent's rights, and supporting parenting of dual-income families parenting. The results were as follow: Firstly, for empowering parent competency, we proposed the development of family relationship empowerment programs including family life cycle and children-raising support services. Secondly, for diverse family parenting, we proposed access to integrated parenting-aid programs dependent on family types. Thirdly, for guaranteeing parent’s rights, we proposed the supporting of child raising costs and tax returns to families with children, and provide child allowances. Finally, for dual-income family parenting, we proposed that schools and communities must recognize that dual-income families are a universal family type, establish family friendly business culture, and to develop a more democratic domestic family-relationship. This policy proposed a new paradigm where parents must be recognized as partners and stakeholder in development of family related policies. Ultimately, such policies will contribute to increased birth rate and development of a more respectful society.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.23 no.3 s.75
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• pp.25-33
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• 2005

This study examines socio-demographic characteristics of married couples and their desire for a second child. Questionnaires were completed by 355 married men and women who have only one child currently. The participants were classified into four groups by their desire, or a lack thereof, for a second child. Group I consisted of married people who wanted to have another child, and whose spouse wanted the same. Members of Group II were in a marriage where only the wife wanted to have another child. Members of Group III were in a marriage where only the husband wanted a second child. Group IV consisted of participants who did not want another child, and whose spouse agreed with thor The research questions were (1) how different those four groups are in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, (2) what are the reasons to stop having children and to have another child, and (3) what are the perceptions of the current low fertility rate in Korea, and the policies designed to increase birth rata The results indicate that wife' age, husband's educational level, expectant level of household economy, age at marriage, marriage duration and the time length between marriage and birth of the first child were significantly different among the four groups. The reasons to stop having children were expected constraint of privacy and time, physical and psychological burden and economic pressure. The most pronounced reason for wanting another child was the desire to give their first child a sibling. Group III had more serious disagreement about having another child than did Group II. There were significant differences among the four groups in the perceptions of possible consequences of the low birth rate. These perceptions included: undermined competitiveness of the nation and weakened family ties.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.214-224
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the trend in diagnostic prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Methods: Individuals aged 0-18 years were included in the study based on the National Health Insurance Claims Data. To investigate the trends in diagnosis and diagnostic prevalence of psychiatric disorders reflecting the decrease in the birth rate, data were analyzed from 2010 as a reference year to 2015. Results: The number of patients diagnosed with psychiatric disorder decreased annually, from 23,412 on 2010 to 18,821 on 2015. The most common disorder was hyperkinetic disorder in male and depressive episode in female. Although there was no significant change in overall diagnostic prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders, age groups <10 years and some disorders had significant changes in prevalence rate. This study classified the diagnostic prevalence by age into two unique patterns: group in which the diagnosis rate increases with age and group in which the diagnosis rate peaks at a certain age and then decreases. Conclusion: Diagnostic prevalence of psychiatric disorders was different according to age and sex. These patterns should be reflected in the formulation of policies related to mental health and in medical practice for pediatric patients. It is urgent to identify how these patterns change in young adults.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.268-275
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• 2023

Background: With the establishment of international guidelines and changes in insurance policies in Korea, the role of targeted ultrasonography has increased. This study aimed to identify the rates and clinical course of anomalies detected using prenatal targeted ultrasonography. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of all pregnancies with targeted ultrasonography performed in a single secondary medical center over 5 years. Results: Fetal anomalies were detected by targeted ultrasonography in 137 of the 8,147 cases (1.7%). The rates of anomalies were significantly higher in female fetuses (2.0% vs. 1.3%). In cases of female fetuses, the rate of anomalies was significantly higher in the advanced maternal age group (2.4% vs. 1.2%). In cases of male fetuses, the rate of anomalies was significantly higher in nulliparous (2.4% vs. 1.5%) and twin (5.7% vs. 1.9%) pregnancies. Pulmonary anomalies were significantly more common in the multiparity group (17.6% vs. 5.8%). Among the 137 cases, 17.5% terminated the pregnancy, 16.8% were diagnosed as normal after birth, and 42.3% were diagnosed with anomalies after birth or required follow-up. Conclusion: Through the first study on the rates and clinical course of anomalies detected by targeted ultrasonography at a single secondary center in Korea, we found that artificial abortions were performed at a high rate, even for relatively mild anomalies or anomalies with good prognosis. We suggest the necessity of a nationwide study to establish clinical guidelines based on actual incidences or prognoses.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.209-221
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• 2009

The early childhood education in Korea has made a great progress during the last thirty years. However, understanding the early childhood education is a challenging task because of the diversity of the fields. Currently 38% of 3-5 year old children are enrolled in kindergarten. And several efforts to develop and distribute the standard curricula on a national level were underwent successfully. Researches are rapidly expanding in volume and the topics are becoming diverse. Focuses of researches moved from the area of cognitive development, science and mathematics in 80s, social and emotional aspects in 90s to language, curriculum and teacher education in 2000s. One of the emerging issues is the inclusion of kindergarten to public education system and free kindergarten education for young children. The second issues is more interdisciplinary policies are in need related to the low-birth rate in nation. The third one is about teacher training policy. The fourth one is related to the health, nutrition and safety of young children. And the fifth issue is moving educational system and policies that provide better future of young children while focusing on the children in low income families and children with absolute poverty.

• 한국HCI학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02b
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• pp.227-232
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• 2008

Since 2000, there have been many changes in the residential types, such as an intelligent apartment which integrates both resting space and production space with comfort able, pleasant and safe environments based on internet systems. As the result of the rapid decrease in the birth rate and the prolonged lifespan around the world, it is expected that we will enter into an aging society by 2026. With such the expected change in the living patterns, many issues concerning the increased number of the elderly people have emerged as major social problems such as changes of family formation, its function and values, responsibility of caring for the aged, health and medical care, habitation policies and so on, and it is required to reconsider the social awareness on the living qualities of each old person. However, we have not yet satisfied such requirements with appropriate policies for the improvement of the living environment for them. It is considered, therefore, that we need to develop a new tool that, according to our goals, can give us a broad understanding on several considerations in designing the future homes for the elder people, making it possible to check the process changed by residents' needs in real time and apply it immediately to the space. As we have seen, it is required that spatial design process and design methodology should be considered in designing the homes for the aged for the pre-occupancy design evaluation.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.137-156
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• 2007

Total fertility rate (TFR) increased from the lowest 1.08 in 2005 to 1.13 in 2006, and a debate is made whether the increase is temporary or continuous as a result of various pro-natal policies. This study intends to explore policy implications revealed in recent fertility change using vital statistics. For this purpose, tempo-adjusted fertility rate by birth order, fertility rate by age of mother and birth order, age-specific fertility for married, and age-specific divorce rate for married are analyzed. The increase of TFR and births for 2006 is largely due to increase of first births at early thirties with slowdown of delayed first marriage and first child birth. The increase of female population (the third wave effect of baby boom) and first marriages of late twenties in 2006 and 2007 would lead to increase of fertility during 2007-2008. But further increase is uncertain because of the decrease trend of marital fertility and increase trend of never-married for twenties. TFRs for first and second births reduced rapidly, while TFRs for third and above births showed no changes, and second births were largely affected by tempo adjustment of fertility. Thus, constructing social environment for first and second births is more effective and necessary than encouraging third births. In addition, social responsibility of child care, child-women health issues due to delayed births, and the need for multi-cultural family support system are discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.379-389
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• 2022

This study analyzed 10,352 married women to find the correlation between marital equality felt by married women and additional childbirth intentions. Frequency analysis and chi-square test analysis were performed to analyze the general characteristics of the investigator, and studies were conducted through binary logistic regression analysis and interaction analysis to analyze the relevance between each variable and additional childbirth. As a result, the 4-point group based on the 0-point group that lowest marital equality had 2.01 times higher willingness to additional birth. And, the 3-point group and the 2-point group were 1.46 times and 1.41 times higher than 0-point group with marital equality and additional childbirth intentions. In addition, intention of additional childbirth was increased when the higher the number of children, if they own a house, and if wives are non-regular or unemployed. This study analyzed the relationship between married women's intention to give birth additionally, focusing on marital equality. It is suggested that specific and reasonable policies at the macro level are required to improve the fertility rate.