• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.48-60
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was to explore the postnatal care experiences among first time Chinese immigrant mothers living in Korea. Methods: Data were collected by focus group interviews with 12 first time Chinese immigrant mothers utilizing 3 focus groups. After obtaining written informed consent from all participants, each session of the focus group was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by content analysis to identify major themes. Results: Four major themes for postnatal care experiences were extracted from the data as follows. 1) Range over traditional, modern, Korean or Chinese postnatal care, 2) Struggle with newborn care, 3) Another struggle with breastfeeding, and 4) Difficulties in becoming a mother as an immigrant. Conclusion: Based on their postpartum care experiences, it is concluded that participants requested more professional practical and individualized education/training for successful breastfeeding and newborn care. Health care providers need to develop and implement integrated support and mentoring programs that include information and peer support system for the first time Chinese immigrant mothers living in Korea. This would decrease the difficulties of becoming a mother.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2018

Purpose: To understand the meaning and essence of Vietnamese migrant women's maternal experience after childbirth. Methods: A phenomenological methodology was used for this study. Study participants were six Vietnamese marriage migrant women who had experience of childbirth in Korea. Data collection period was from February 1 through November 4, 2016. Data were collected through in-depth interview and analyzed with the Giorgi method. Results: As a result of study, six main meanings and 12 themes were produced. The six main meanings produced in this study were 'childbirth realized in the double difficulty', 'concerned health between the ở cữ and the sanhujori', 'tired body with hard parenting', 'crowding regret for international marriage after childbirth', 'Grateful partner becoming the prop', and 'Growing maternal instinct by moving the mind and body in a foreign country'. Conclusion: Consideration for postnatal care is necessary from Vietnamese marriage migrant women's viewpoint. Systematic education programs that can improve nursing capability of medical personnel for multicultured clinical practice with development of a postnatal care program suited to multiculture are also necessary.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.468-481
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing the reproductive health behavior of married immigrant women (MIW). Methods: A cross-sectional based survey was conducted. The data were collected using a self-reporting questionnaire of MIW who lived in cities and provinces. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Results: A total of 141 subjects participated in the study (mean age, $34.23{\pm}6.53$). Of the participants, 45.4% were Vietnamese. The reproductive health behavior score of the subjects was $4.09{\pm}0.51$. The reproductive health behavior showed positive correlations with attitude (r=.37, p<.001), perceived behavioral control (r=.35, p<.001) and intent (r=.33, p<.001). The factors influencing the reproductive health behavior were attitude toward the reproductive health behavior (${\beta}=.24$, p=.005), perceived behavioral control (${\beta}=.18$ p=.046), experience of breast feeding (${\beta}=.20$, p=.014), and the self-evaluated Korean listening ability (${\beta}=.18$, p=.019). These variables explained 29% of the variance in the reproductive health behavior. Conclusion: According to the above results, a specific educational program for MIW is needed to increase their reproductive health behavior.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.449-460
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aims to provide base data for designing education and counseling programs for child-raising by identifying the types, characteristics and predictors of parenting behaviors of married immigrant women. Methods: We used a self-report questionnaire to survey 126 immigrant mothers of young children, who agreed to participate, and who could speak Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, or English, at two children's hospitals and two multicultural support centers. Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive analysis, K-means clustering, ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test, one-way ANOVA, $Sch{\acute{e}}ffe^{\prime}s$ test, and multinominal logistic regression. Results: We identified three clusters of parenting behaviors: 'affectionate acceptance group' (38.9%), 'active engaging group' (26.2%), and 'passive parenting group' (34.9%). Passive parenting and affectionate acceptance groups were distinguished by the conversation time between couples (p=.028, OR=5.52), ideology of motherhood (p=.032, OR=4.33), and parenting stress between parent and child (p=.049, OR=0.22). Passive parenting was distinguished from active engaging group by support from spouses for participating in multicultural support centers or relevant programs (p=.011, OR=2.37), and ideology of motherhood (p=.001, OR=16.65). Ideology of motherhood was also the distinguishing factor between affectionate acceptance and active engaging groups (p=.041, OR=3.85). Conclusion: Since immigrant women's parenting type depends on their ideology of motherhood, parenting stress, and spousal relationships in terms of communication and support to help their child-raising and socio-cultural adaptation, it is necessary to provide them with systematic education and support, as well as interventions across personal, family, and community levels.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.286-296
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• 2021

Purpose: This study compared infant mortality and its associated factors between Korean and immigrant women using vital statistics gathered by Statistics Korea. Methods: Birth and death statistics from the period between 2009 and 2019 were extracted from the census of population dynamics data of the Microdata Integrated Service, Korea. Statistical data were derived from a complete survey and infant mortality was analyzed from mortality statistics data. Descriptive statistics were used for comparison. Results: The average infant mortality rate (IMR) of Korean women was 2.7 in Korea, which did not change significantly between 2009 and 2019; however, the IMR of immigrant women increased significantly in 2018 to 4.2 and subsequently decreased to 2.6 in 2019. Moreover, the age of Korean and immigrant women at the time of infant death gradually increased from 31.1 years and 25.9 years in 2009 to 32.8 years and 30.9 years in 2019, respectively. The gestational age was lower for deceased infants born to immigrant women (mean, 31.04 weeks; standard deviation [SD], 6.42; median, 30.00) compared to infants born to Korean women (mean, 31.71 weeks; SD, 6.48; median, 32.00). Immigrant women (91.7%) received slightly fewer antenatal care visits compared to Korean women (93.1%). Conclusion: It is vital to devise a plan to lower the IMR of immigrant women in Korea. Moreover, it is necessary to explore the factors related to infant mortality among immigrant women within the context of Korean societal situation, culture, and home environment.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2021

Purpose: This study compared maternal age at childbirth, the number of live births, and the weight of live births between Korean women and immigrant women using statistical data from the Republic of Korea for the period of 2008-2018. Methods: The analysis was conducted using data from the Microdata Integrated Service of Statistics Korea (https://mdis.kostat.go.kr/index.do). Results: Korean women and immigrant women showed a higher age at childbirth in 2018 than in 2008. The percentage of newborns of Korean women with a birth weight of less than 2.5 kg increased slightly for 3 consecutive years from 2016 to 2018, whereas for immigrant women, this percentage increased in 2017 compared to 2016 and then decreased again in 2018. Very low birth weight (less than 1.5 kg) became more common among immigrant women from 2016 to 2018. Birth at a gestational age of fewer than 37 weeks increased both among Korean and immigrant women from 2016 to 2018. In both groups, the percentage of women who had their first child within their first 2 years of marriage decreased from 2008 to 2018. Conclusion: Immigrant women had higher birth rates than Korean women, while both groups showed an increasing trend in preterm birth. Greater attention should be paid to the pregnancy and birth needs of immigrant women, and steps are needed to ensure health equity and access in order to prevent preterm births. It is also necessary to identify factors that affect preterm birth and birth of very low birth weight infants among immigrant women in the future.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 2014

Purpose: To provide an in-depth analysis of the physical changes in and marital experiences of immigrant women in Korea, considering the differences in their cultural backgrounds. Methods: A qualitative research methodology with a phenomenology perspective was used. Data were collected through interviews from four focus groups and through in-depth interviews from five individuals. Data analysis was carried out using Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis method. Results: Twenty-four participants from nine different nations were interviewed. Three phenomenological theme clusters were identified and six sub-themes were derived. These comprise: "emergence of physical changes", "experienced symptom with negative result", and "coping with my body". The derived themes comprise: "struggling for my body to survive", "changed body after pregnancy and delivery", "diagnosed as normal but", "neglected my health", "using familiar care", and "unfamiliar health service system". Conclusion: Immigrant women by marriage in Korea are new subjects of nursing care. Their physical changes and experiences in coping with marriage at an early stage of immigration as described by themselves provide valuable information for nursing professionals. Cultural differences, problems specific to women, and our social conditions regarding minorities and our patriarchal tradition that discriminates against women affect their health problems. We strongly recommend that nurses should actively determine and engage in the health problems of immigrant women.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.202-212
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the association of family support, self-efficacy, health literacy and perceived health status with health-promoting behavior (HPB) in married immigrant women. Methods: A cross-sectional based survey was conducted to collect data from married immigrant women living in Gyeongsang province. Questionnaires included Health promoting lifestyle profile II, General self - efficacy scale, Korean Health literacy assessment and perceived health status. Results: 157 subjects participated in the study (mean age, $30.47{\pm}6.83$). Their duration of living in Korea was $63.05{\pm}50.11$ months. Of the participants, 59.2% were Vietnamese. The level of HPB, perceived health status, health literacy, support of family and self-efficacy were $2.58{\pm}0.42$, $3.39{\pm}0.86$, $25.12{\pm}20.99$, $3.83{\pm}0.70$ and $3.61{\pm}0.53$ respectively. Factors affecting the HPB of the participants were support from family (${\beta}=.45$, p<.001) and self-efficacy (${\beta}=.16$, p<.05). The explanatory power of these two variables was 34.2%. Conclusion: This study suggests that the factors influencing the HPB of married immigrant women include support from family and self-efficacy. A variety of programs should be provided for families so that they can support those women to help them increase their HPB. It is recommended that more various programs be provided to increase their self- efficacy.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.465-474
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• 2021

This study investigated knowledge about the human papillomavirus (HPV), attitudes toward HPV vaccination, and intention to receive HPV vaccination among marriage-immigrant women, and identified factors associated with intention to receive HPV vaccination. The subjects of this study were 136 marriage-immigrant women in J Province. Data were collected from September 28 to December 21, 2017, and analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 24.0. The participants' knowledge of HPV was low (mean score, 2.74) and their attitude towards HPV vaccination was positive (mean score, 36.66). The factors affecting the intention to take the HPV vaccination included Vietnamese nationality (odds ratio [OR]=2.899, p=.048), desire for education about the HPV vaccine (OR=5.967, p<.001), and a positive attitude towards HPV vaccination (OR=1.083, p=.034). Therefore, educational programs about HPV vaccination targeting marriage-immigrant women are needed. It is also necessary to provide accurate information about the HPV vaccination using various methods, at health care facilities and through mass media.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.264-276
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• 2023

Purpose: Food environmental factors related to food insecurity affect household food intake in several socio-ecological aspects. This study explores the relationship between food environment factors and food insecurity in households with married immigrant women. Methods: From November 2018 to February 2020, a survey was conducted enrolling 249 married immigrant women residing in the metropolitan areas of South Korea. In the final analysis, 229 subjects were divided into 2 groups classified as food security (n = 154) and food insecurity (n = 75), as assessed by the score of food security. Three aspects of food environments were measured: built·natural, political·economic, and socio-cultural Results: Food environments were significantly different between food security and food insecurity groups, as follows: the number of foods market and their distance from the home and food status for the last week at home in the built·natural domain; monthly cost of food purchase and experience for food assistance in the political·economic domain; total score of social support, parenting, and cooking skills in the socio-cultural domain. A stepwise multivariate linear regression model showed a negative association between the food insecurity score with social support from family and food inventory status in the last week. After adjusting for confounders, a positive association was obtained between the experience of a food support program. The final regression model explains about 30% of the relationship obtained in the three food environment domains and food insecurity (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Not only economic factors, which are common determinants of household food insecurity, but socio-cultural factors such as social support also affect household food insecurity. Therefore, plans for implementing a food assistance program to improve food insecurity for households with immigrant women should consider financial support as well as other comprehensive aspects, including socio-cultural domain such as social support from family and community.