• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.113-137
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to investigate information literacy of immigrants in Korea and to suggest some ways to improve their information literacy. In conducting this study, a survey was given to 415 migrant workers and female marriage immigrants living in Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do area. The survey shows that the information literacy of immigrants in Korea is on basic level and the fields of information use, information production, information ethics and information and communication technology are on relatively low level. To reinforce the status of information literacy of immigrants, some effective ways need to be developed in information literacy education programs and Korean language programs.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.107-127
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to explore how married female immigrants adjust to their lives in Korea. A total of 15 women from three different countries participated in the study. The major issues that these women faced included communication breakdowns with their husband and other family members, financial problems as well as problems with raising children in a different culture. The findings showed that such problems were usually rooted in a lack of Korean cultural knowledge and skills. Additionally, the inaccurate use of the language by married female immigrants who have lived in Korea for longer than six months was often fossilized. For instance, because they usually learned the language in a local dialect, it took them longer to distinguish the dialect from standard Korean. The results found that married female immigrants who received both Korean lessons and family life education instructions overcame their culture shock and adapted to Korean culture more easily than those who did not receive such instructions.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.63-77
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• 2008

This study was performed to develop the basic framework of multicultural art education programs for female foreign immigrants married to Korean males. First, these programs aim to lessen their cultural variance in acculturizing in Korea, and thereafter enhance their emotional stability and improve their creative ability to integrate cultural diversity into family life. The primary objective of this study was to offer a suitable education program and evaluation criteria for the program; the research has been done through person-to person interviews with 53 subjects using a series of questionnaires composed of 8 five-point Likert-Scaled items. As for the process of the interview, the subjects were asked about their satisfaction with each program item twice in order to comparetheir impressions before and after program participation. The satisfaction scores were analyzed using frequency distribution. In addition, the program effects were also evaluated by coordinators and developers from their subjective comments through periodical evaluation meetings. From the results, it is observed that art education programs are beneficial for improving female immigrants' emotionaland cultural integration. In addition, experts determined that the programs were helpful for improving their human relationship and acculturization in Korea. Finally, it is concluded that multicultural education programs are a primary fundamental infra-structural way of integrating diverse cultures and improving communication exchanges, and therefore, improve family stability among the multicultural families in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-197
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• 2016

This study was conducted to examine the factors affecting the life satisfaction of married female immigrants and Korean husbands. Data for this study were obtained from the National Survey of Multicultural Families conducted in 2012. The study sample consisted of 5,232 couples within the first five years of marriage. Data were evaluated using a paired t-test, K-mean cluster analysis, ANOVA, and ordered logistic regression analysis. The results were as follows: 1) life satisfaction was higher for married female immigrants than for Korean husbands. 2) The general characteristics, acceptance attitude, language acceptance, and social network differed significantly depending on life satisfaction levels. 3) The multicultural acceptance attitude of husbands, ability of married female immigrants to speak Korean, and ability of Korean husbands to speak wives' native languages improved life satisfaction levels. The results of this study can be used to improve the life satisfaction of married female immigrants and Korean husbands.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.471-480
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• 2011

Our previous studies have demonstrated the inadequate nutritional status of Vietnamese female marriage immigrants in Korea. Major possible reasons include food insecurity due to economic problems as well as a lack of adjustment to unfamiliar Korean foods and limited access to Vietnamese foods; however, no study has investigated food insecurity among such intermarried couples. This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity in Korean-husband-Vietnamese-wife couples and to determine whether they exhibit an intrahousehold discrepancy regarding food insecurity. A cross-sectional analysis of the Cohort of Intermarried Women in Korea study was performed with 84 intermarried couples. Among the 84 Vietnamese immigrants, 48.8% and 41.7% had food insecurity due to economic problems and a lack of foods appealing to their appetite, respectively. There was a marked discrepancy in reporting food insecurity between Vietnamese wives (22.6-38.1%) and their Korean husbands (6.0-15.5%). Vietnamese wives were five and two times more food-insecure due to economic problems and no foods appealing to their appetite, respectively, than their Korean spouses. A follow-up study is needed to investigate the causes of this discrepancy and ways of reducing food insecurity among female marriage immigrants living in low-income, rural communities.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.145-170
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to figure out married female immigrants' experience and process of investing in human capital in Korea. The participants were 11 women from multicultural families who had experience of investing in human capital in Korea, could communicate in the Korean language, and were living in Daegu. The data were collected using intensive interviews. The major findings were as follows: The participants' level of education and work experience in native country were not accepted as human capital and offered no advantages or obtaining employment in Korea, while English language skills were useful for those pursuing an English lecturer position. The motives for investing in human capital were 'adjusting to early stage of marriage and a new environments', 'for their childrens' education', 'to improve female immigrants' level of education', 'seeking a better job', and 'advocating more education'. The types of investing in human capital were 'learning Korean language and culture', 'applying to Open University or taking a middle or high school qualification examination', 'obtaining certification', and 'entering regular university'. The participants' plans for investing in the future were 'finding their own job', 'entering regular university', and 'participating in useful educational programs including Korean language skills for daily life' The results showed that the participants' motives for investing in human capital were related in the stage of their marriage. The phases and changes in their motives during a marriage proved that the participants continued to invest in human capital according to their needs and situation.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.19-36
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• 2010

Previous studies on women who immigrated through marriage were focused on the frictional issues within the couples and their families as well as language tutoring. However, for the long-term integration of these women into society and the acquisition of status, it is most important to increase their economic value. Indeed many such women are facing economic difficulties, and have a strong desire to participate in economic activities. This study focuses on the economic self-sufficiency of these women through employment and entrepreneurship. We analyze their education level and employment experience and attempt to find the most effective policies to support them. We take particular interest in their entrepreneurial motivation and propose policies and frameworks for supporting their successful enterprise creation.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.197-211
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• 2009

This study investigated the relations between mother's parenting self-efficacy, perceived social support, parenting behavior, and acculturative stress, and young children's problem behavior, focusing on the mediational role of mother's parenting self-efficacy and parenting behavior. Mothers were female international marriage immigrant from China, Philippines, and Vietnam. The participants were 374mothers of young children and teachers of the children in Busan and Gyungnam, Korea. Questionnaires were based on Choe and Chung (2001), Shin(1996), Lee (1996), Hong (1995), and Han(1996). Structural equation modeling indicated that mother's parenting self-efficacy and parenting behavior were significant mediators of the relation between mother's perceived social support and child's problem behavior. The results will be useful for parent training programs for female international marriage immigrant.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.159-169
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate Korean food adaption, eating behavior and dietary intakes of married female immigrants by age, number of residence years in Korea and level of income. The survey included 67 female marriage immigrants attending the Korean language class at the multicultural family support center within the northern part of Kyonggi province from October 2010 to July 2011. General characteristics, Korean dietary life adaptation, and eating behavior were collected and dietary intakes were assessed using 24-hour recall. The home countries with regards to all subjects were Vietnam (40.3%), China (23.9%), Japan (11.9%), Philippines (7.0%), and Mongolia (3.0%). Total energy intake was 1432.5kcal and there were significant differences in nutritional intake concerning vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 by age (p < 0.05). More than 50% of subjects did not meet estimated average requirements for calcium (56.7%), zinc (52.2%), vitamin C (55.2%), and folic acid (76.1%). Food adaptation scores were significantly correlated with general characteristics (age, residence year, drinking alcohol and acquisition of nationality), total scores of eating behavior, and nutritional intake (energy, protein, fat, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, niacin, vitamin E, and zinc). These results might suggest that the better their Korean food adaptation, the more desirable their eating behavior and nutritional status.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.173-182
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to survey female Vietnamese marriage immigrants' life stress and to analyze factors influencing their life stress and coping strategies. Methods: As descriptive correlation research, this study conducted a survey with 182 conveniently sampled subjects. Data were collected in June, 2015, and analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The subjects' life stress levels were above average, and significantly varied according to their health, and economic status. Stress coping strategies used by the subjects included assistance seeking, problem avoidance, wishful thinking, problem solving, and emotional alleviation in the order of frequency. As a result of the stepwise multiple regression, economic level, economic activity, and health status were found to be the most significant factors influencing the subjects' life stress, and these variables explained 45.1% of the variation in life stress. Conclusion: Female marriage immigrants were experiencing above-average life stress, and they were coping with it mainly in terms of assistance seeking or problem avoidance. In order to mitigate their stress, therefore, it is necessary to provide extended employment opportunities and economic activities for them so that they can cultivate their abilities in health management.