• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2016

Objectives: Nowadays, the multicultural families make up significant portion of Korean population and communities. Successful re-settling in a new country can be difficult, particularly when there are disparities in dietary behavior compared to home country. The objective of the study was to investigate the dietary behavior of marriage migrant women according to their nationality in multicultural families. Methods: The primary research was conducted targeting 94 marriage migrant women who came from China (40.4%), Vietnam (26.6%), and other countries except for Japan (33.0%). We investigated their dietary behavior, such as eating attitude and food choice behavior for Korea acculturation. We also studied dietary behavior among 14 selected subjects who had high level of integration and assimilation acculturation patterns by administering the Focus Group Interview (FGI). Results: The multicultural families had more integration acculturation patterns, which could have been influenced by their nationality. Vietnamese origin has the highest cultural adaptation as marginalization pattern. The common types of Korea acculturation were integration ($3.03{\pm}1.08$), separation ($3.10{\pm}0.59$), marginalization ($3.10{\pm}0.58$), followed by assimilation ($2.84{\pm}0.51$). There were significant differences in the four types of acculturation by marriage immigrant women's country of origin (p<0.05). According to dietary behavior, 'eliminating hunger' was the most important value in a meal. Chinese marriage migrant women, who had higher level of food intake attitude significantly, also considered 'being healthy' an important value. Regarding food choice behavior, Vietnamese had lowest frequency of homeland food intake. Most of marriage immigrant women were satisfied with the Korean food, and need for education was very high with interest for cooking, good nutrition, and managing their children's dietary life. Conclusions: Coping with a change in dietary behavior is one of the biggest transitional difficulties, and family members may need support to find their familiar food items and to continue their cultural food choice behavior in the local areas. Further researches with quantitative and qualitative analysis are needed to understand the effect of dietary behavior for acculturation in multicultural families.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.255-268
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to deepen our understanding about mothers' parenting stress in multi-cultural families. The study was conducted through in-depth interviews of 6 mothers from Mongolia, Philippines, and Japan who were living in Seoul. The findings of this study were as follows. First, mothers of multi-cultural families had difficulties of giving birth and child rearing, especially in the earliest years of their children. They were not fully adapted to the ways of living in Korea with little social support from family members and neighbors. Second, they were worried about their children's development, particularly language development due to their lack of understanding and fluency in Korean. Third, they were concerned about the cultural and racial discrimination against their children. They expected their children to be treated and respected equally like ordinary Korean children. Fourth, they were anxious about the fact that their children might not acquire the basic academic skills before they enter the elementary schools. Furthermore, they were worried that their children might not get as much educational support as they want. Fifth, despite the burden of mother's role in Korea, they wished to get a job to support their children for better education. In conclusion, the marriage immigrant mothers experienced the stress due to the lack of social support, the discrimination against immigrants, the possibilities of their children's delays in development, the disparity in the level of support for educating their children and the high expectations about their children's education in Korean society. Therefore it is necessary for the policy makers to consider more practical support system for the multi-cultural families in order for the marriage immigrant mothers to build up self-confidence in child rearing and educating their children.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.475-487
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• 2018

Objectives: This study examined the consumption of Han-sik and its association with the years of residence in Korea and the socioeconomic status among Filipino immigrant women of the Filipino Women's Diet and Health Study (FiLWHEL). Methods: A total of 474 Filipino women married to Korean men were included in the analysis. Their dietary intake was assessed using a single-day 24-hour recall. The participants provided information on the demographics, socioeconomic, and health-related factors through face-to-face interviews. The generalized linear model and logistic regression model were used to examine the association between the socioeconomic status and consumption of Han-sik. Results: The mean age of the participants was 34.3 years old, and the average duration of residence in Korea was 8.2 years. Among 474 Filipino women, a total of 467 consumed Han-sik, with an average of 6.8 food items per day. The Han-sik foods that the participants consumed most frequently were rice, cabbage kimchi, mixed-grain rice, and fried eggs. The average ratio of Han-sik was 58.57%. The ratio of Han-sik showed no significant associations with the years of residence, years of living together with their husband, education levels, total annual family income, or linguistic competence of Korean. However, the ratio of Han-sik use was associated with cohabitation with parents-in-law; the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 2.41 (1.18-4.92, p-trend = 0.002) comparing the fourth quartile with the first quartile of the Han-sik ratio. Conclusions: Filipino immigrant women in the FiLWHEL study consumed a larger number of Han-sik than Philippine foods. In addition, cohabitation with their parents-in-law was associated with the consumption of Han-sik. Further epidemiologic studies will be needed to determine how the diet affects the health and wellbeing of immigrant women in Korea.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.171-194
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• 2012

This study focuses on immigrant women who are married to Korean men and who live in a multicultural family situation in Gyeonggi-do. These women experience acculturative stress and marital conflict and this study aims to determine how social support seeks to mediate the effects of those stressors. The women in this study participated in activities and received services from one of Gyeonggi-do Province's civic organizations, religious organizations, or social service organizations, such as the Social Welfare Agency and the Multicultural Family Support Center. In order to verify the study's hypothesis, the researchers used the following statistical analytical methods : t-test, two-way ANOVA and multi-regression analysis. Analysis of the study's results showed that the highest degree of marital conflict was found in the sub-zones and variables that were personal. Those variable were : the difference in mindset and values (personal domain), economic problems (communal living area), a child's upbringing and education issues (third party area), and the participant's sex life (in the marital relationship). The hypothesis was tested using the research model validation and the results are summarized as follows. First, in order to analyze the relationship between the marriage migration females' acculturative stress and the impact of that stress on marriage conflict, the hierarchical regression analysis was used. It identified that a direct correlation existed between acculturative stress and marriage conflict; where a higher degree of acculturative stress was present, a higher degree of marriage conflict was found. Second, the study found a statistical significance in the correlation and relationship (${\beta}$=.208, p<0.05) between the acculturative stress of the marriage migration female and material support. In other words, the material support can be seen as having a moderating effect on the acculturative stress, which is the independent variable, and the marital conflict, which is the dependent variable.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.248-258
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to develop a reproductive health program to improve reproductive health of women immigrants. Methods: The participants in the study were 58 immigrant women who lived in Vietnam, China, Philippines, or Cambodia before marriage. They were assigned to the experiment group (n=29) or the control group (n=29). The reproductive health program for this study consisted of reproductive health education, health counseling, phone monitoring, and emotional support based on Cox (1982)'s Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior and was implemented for four weeks. Results: There were significant differences in reproductive health knowledge (t=9.78, p<.001), reproductive health attitude (t=6.59, p<.001), and reproductive health behavior (t=5.11, p<.001) within and between groups after the reproductive health program. But there were no significant differences in clinical indicators between the two groups. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the that reproductive health program for the women immigrants is effective in terms of reproductive health knowledge, reproductive health attitude and reproductive health behaviors. Therefore, nurses in public and private facilities, such as multicultural centers and public health centers in each community, should develop strategies to expand and provide reproductive health programs for women immigrants.

• 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.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.233-243
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aims to investigate and explain the influence of personal characteristics on female immigrants' perception and attitude towards the Korean food culture. Methods: Exploratory research was performed by conducting a self-administered survey. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 289 participants to determine their level of information awareness, perception and familiarity with Korean food culture. Results: Female immigrants' mean FNS score was 3.70. FNS score decreased in women from Northeast Asia, women who received higher education, and in urban women. The level of information awareness of Korean Food culture was 3.47, which was above average. Women from Southeast Asia had a higher level of awareness about cooking methods and table setting. Females living in the countryside and those who had lived for more than 7 years in Korea had higher levels of information awareness than other groups. Women from Southeast Asia perceived that Korean food is spicy; on the other hand, women from Northeast Asia discerned that Korean food is pungent and is prepared scientifically. The neophilic group more positively recognized Korean foods based on taste and nutritional value than did the neophobic group. Subjects living in the countryside were more likely to evaluate nutritional value, scientific aspects and artistry higher. The research also found that the neophilic group and immigrants who had lived for more than 7 years in Korea were significantly correlated with the familiarity with Korean food culture. Conclusion: The findings provide an initial step towards developing a customized education program for female marriage immigrants to adapt and to become familiar with Korean food culture with a comprehensive understanding of personal traits for accepting a new food culture.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.323-335
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the current status of nutrition education programs for multicultural families and to provide policy suggestions for improvement. Methods: In-depth interviews of a total of 21 multicultural experts were conducted; 15 people were interviewed individually, while 6 people were interviewed in groups of three. Results: In-depth interviews revealed various problems related to the operation of nutrition education programs. The causes of problems were analyzed and categorized as four factors: systemic, practical, environmental and cultural. As for the systematic factors, insufficient linkage between related organizations and duplicate performance of several projects were identified as concerns Establishment of a control tower and strengthening the linkage among the related organizations may be needed to address this concern. With regard to practical factors, the study identified that language barriers, and lack of nutritional education media and tools translated into multicultural languages were limiting factors. These limitations the development of nutrition education materials that aretranslated into multiple languages, implementation of education programs that are different from the Korean education, and by providing interpreters. As for the environmental factors, low educational level and poor nutritional knowledge of multicultural women made it difficult for them to understand the contents of the education. Demonstration, practical training and urgent education on pregnancy and childbirth nutrition were identified as needs to address these concerns. Withregard to cultural factors, food culture conflict with Korean families, and difficulties in home practices were detected as concerns. Participants in the study suggested that getting education with family and facilitation of weekend and nighttime programs health of this community. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to adopt more effective and efficient nutrition intervention to promote the healthy eating of the married immigrant women based on the study results.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.147-163
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• 2011

In recent years, the relationship of language maintenance to culture and identity has received increased attention in the language acquisition and education fields. Korean immigrants in the U.S. form one of the biggest Asian groups and their language and cultural maintenance has been a major issue for both parents and ESL teachers. The present research is designed to investigate the cultural and social identities as well as the psychological investment factors that contribute to heritage language maintenance. Three Korean immigrant families in a small Midwest university town in the U.S. were surveyed and later interviewed. Issues and strategies concerning their children's Korean education in the U.S., coupled with the competing goal for the children to learn English were documented through parent interviews and interviews with school-aged focal children. Strategies and stances that facilitate or hinder both heritage and target language maintenance goals are presented along with participants' major reasons for heritage language maintenance in their homes and via Saturday schools. This work will assist ESL teachers and sociolinguists in situating both Korean student and parent goals in the context of shifting cultural and linguistic identities in countries where they have immigrated.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.389-399
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a multicultural education program that includes contact with persons from multiple cultures and to report on the program's effects on intercultural communication competence and nursing professionalism. Methods: A multicultural education program that included contact with persons from multiple cultures was developed, and a quasi-experimental study was performed using a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The experimental group comprised 32 participants, and the control group comprised 26 participants. An online survey was conducted before and immediately after the intervention to collect data. Results: The experimental and control groups' mean scores for intercultural communication competence before the intervention were 3.67 and 3.84, respectively, while their mean scores for nursing professionalism were 3.87 and 3.69, respectively. After the intervention, both the intercultural communication competence score and the nursing professionalism score improved to 4.02 in the experimental group. The study demonstrated significant improvement in intercultural communication competence and nursing professionalism after the multicultural education program was conducted. Conclusion: The study's results demonstrate the need to develop a multicultural education program including contact and communication with persons from multiple cultures, such as international students, women who immigrated for marriage, immigrant workers, and multicultural families.