• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.211-227
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare health literacy levels of Asian immigrant women and factors associated with health literacy focusing on Korean-Chinese and other Asian immigrants in Korea. Methods: Data were drawn from 258 immigrant women, comprising 56 Korean-Chinese and 202 other immigrants from the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Taiwan, and Han-Chinese. The Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine - Short Form (REALM-SF) was used to assess health literacy, which consisted of seven medical words in Korean (behavior, exercise, menopause, rectal, antibiotics, anemia, and jaundice). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA with $Sch{\acute{e}}ffe$ post hoc test, and hierarchical regression. Results: Korean-Chinese women showed significantly higher levels of health literacy ($M=6.41{\pm}1.07$), compared to their other immigrant counterparts ($M=4.55{\pm}2.15$). While Korean-Chinese women with longer time since immigration (p=.048) reported higher health literacy, for other immigrants, those living with children (p<.001), longer time since immigration (p=.011), and greater Korean language proficiency (p=.004) showed an association with higher health literacy. Conclusion: When providing health care services and health education, health care professionals should consider differences in levels of health literacy and factors associated with health literacy among Korean Chinese and other immigrants.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.165-175
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of self-efficacy of married immigrant women on the quality of life and the moderating effect of family support in the effect relation. For this purpose, the study carried out a questionnaire survey to married immigrant women who attended multi-cultural family support centers in order to take language education and job education. Total 279 were selected as valid samples. The specific analysis results of this study are as follows. Firstly, the self-efficacy of married immigrant women has positive (+) effect on the quality of life. Secondly, the informational support in the family support has negative (-) effect on the quality of life, but evaluative and material support have positive (+) effect. In the interaction with self-efficacy, the emotional support has negative (-) effect, but the interaction with evaluative and material support has positive (+) effect. But, the interaction with informational support has no significant effect on the quality of life. The key factor affecting the quality of life on married immigrant women is the Korean family. Therefore, their quality of life can be enhanced as well as stable settlement in Korea if the families of husbands accept married immigrant women as their family members and support them.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2008

Purpose: To assess the health status and health behavior characteristics of immigrant women married to Koreans. Method: A descriptive research design was employed. Fifty female marriage immigrants who were clients of the visiting health program at W public health center were recruited. After full consent, direct interview with a structured questionnaire and physical measurements were conducted by visiting health nurses. Descriptive statistics were utilized. Results: All of the subjects showed normal blood sugar. 25.7% of them exhibited extreme body weight condition of either obesity or low body weight by BMI. 36.4% had pre-hypertension stage and 15.9% had first stage of hypertension. Only two of the women had been diagnosed with hypertension and treated by a doctor. Almost all (95%) of them perceived their general health status as good or moderate. Most of them did not exercise, smoke or drink. Regarding dental care, no subject brushed before lunch. and only one did between meals. About 30$\sim$60% of subjects had undergone health screening. Conclusion: Health education is needed for immigrant women married to Koreans to enhance their health behavior, prevent life style disease and improve their health.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.239-250
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• 2018

This study classified the predictors affecting the life satisfaction level of married immigrant women into socio-demographic factors (age, education, personal system factors (Korean proficiency, self-rated health, depressed mood, multicultural attitude), family system factors (spouse relationship satisfaction, child relationship satisfaction, couple conversation time, decision-making status), and social factors (social support, social capital, experience of social discrimination, multicultural family support center use) based on ecosystem perspectives and comprehensively examined their effects. The data for 14,464 married immigrant women from the National Survey on Multicultural Families 2015 were analyzed through hierarchical multiple regression. The findings of this study are as follow. First, the results indicated that all ecosystem factors- that is personal, family, and social system factors-significantly affected life satisfaction level of married immigrant women and especially personal and family system factors increased the predictability on their satisfaction. Second, among all predictors, spouse relationship satisfaction was the factor most strongly associated with life satisfaction. Finally, the income variable among socio-demographic factors, depression among personal system factors, spouse relationship satisfaction among family system factors, and experience of social discrimination among social system factors all showed the strongest significant effects on the life satisfaction level of married immigrant women. These results suggest that comprehensive factors based on the ecosystem perspectives to intervene and promote the life satisfaction of married immigrant women should be considered.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.149-157
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to listen to vivid story on economic life of marriage immigrant women using phenomenological study out of qualitative study methods, and to analyze the meaning of dynamicity of experiences through in-depth interviews. The research question is "What is the meaning of economic life that marriage immigrant women experience?" From the research, 67 meaningful statements were abstracted and 15 core meanings were organized. The 15 core meanings were categorized as 5 theme categories such as 'Tough Life', 'Unstable Income such as Children Education Expense and Insurance Premium', 'Search for Changes in Life Style for Adaptation', 'Pursuit of Economic Stability through Employment', 'Expectation of Supports and Return to Married Woman's Parents' Home.' The researcher made structural description through first person speaker for the application of hermeneutical writing. In other words, the meaning of economic life of marriage immigrant women in Korea is 'difficult coping process to family-oriented culture pursuing changes in life style to adapt themselves to difficult reality.' Various undertones of practice were proposed through those statements such as policy to expand opportunities to receive an old-age pension by applying 'Joint Scheme for Couples' (Virtual Name) to People's pension for stable economic life of marriage immigrant women in old age.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.451-459
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between parenting experiences of married immigrant women and their mental health including self-esteem and depression. Data came from 471 married immigrant women with a child who participated in the home visiting program for children of multicultural families provided by Multicultural Family Support Centers. The results indicated that, the mothers' self-esteem was related to their perceptions of parenting, parenting stress, marital satisfaction, and social support. In addition, the mothers' depression was associated with their proficiency in Korean, household income, perception of parenting, parenting stress, knowledge on child development, marital satisfaction, and social support. These findings suggest that the parenting experiences of married immigrant women are closely related to their mental health. Parenting education programs that increase parenting efficacy and reduce parenting stress would be helpful to improve the mental health of married immigrant women.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.246-260
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• 2013

This study examines the awareness of traditional Korean food culture among immigrant housewives in multicultural families, with the aim of introducing educational plans suitably designed for them. Our survey shows that Korean traditional holidays most well-known to the immigrant housewives are New Year's Day and Chusuk. Sambok and Chusuk are at the top in terms of preference. Samgyetang, Ddukguk, and Ogokbab are among the best known festive food to immigrant housewives for holidays such as New Year's Day, Jeongwol Daeboreum, Sambok, Chusuk, and Dongji; Samgyetang is the most preferred food, followed by Ddukguk and Patjuk. In addition, a vast majority of immigrant housewives who have ever attended Korean traditional cuisine education programs found the need for such an experience, with the score of 4.16 out of 5. In addition, the survey shows the order in which the immigrant housewives want to learn: the recipe of Korean food (53.5%), followed by table setting and manners (16.5%) and then nutrition (15%). The recipe of interest for most respondents is the one concerning daily food (69.5%). And more than half of the respondents prefer cooking practice as a desirable educational method. The difficulties that they have when attending such an educational course are usually inability to understand the language, difficulty in identifying the ingredients (seasonal), and lack of cultural understanding. The most preferred educational method is direct lecture (71.5%), followed by written materials such as books and newspaper (10.5%) and the Internet (9.5%). Finally, strategies for promoting traditional food culture are suggested as following: developing educational resources (31.5%), making various educational programs more available (25%), narrowing the cultural gap (22%), and improving the educational environment (21.5%). Therefore, this study proposes that there is a need to develop and diffuse Korean traditional food culture first, and then provide many immigrant housewives with a variety of educational programs. It is expected that these efforts will solve the problems caused by cultural differences in the early stage of international marriages and eventually contribute to the harmony in multicultural families.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.55
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• pp.237-264
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• 2017

This study empirically tests whether community participation has a positive effect on parenting efficacy among marriage immigrant women in South Korea. The 3rd wave of the Gyoenggi Education Welfare Panel data was used, which includes 396 marriage immigrant women residing in Gyoenggi Province. Findings of hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested that higher Korean language proficiency, shorter duration of residency, lower parenting stress and more positive family environment were associated with higher parenting efficacy. Community participation level had a statistically significant and positive impact on parenting efficacy, even after controlling for other variables. The type of community activities did not have significant impact on parenting efficacy, except for children's school activities, which had a negative impact on parenting efficacy. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.221-235
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• 2013

By identifying the effects of support from spouse and family on the mental health of marriage immigrant women, this study was proposed in obtaining basic data for a mental health intervention program. This study is a descriptive correlation study conducted on 129 marriage immigrant women as subjects. The result of the study showed differences in the following: for anxiety, depending on their country of origin, length of marriage, family structure, marriage structure, visit back home, and Korean language skill; for depression, depending on their spouse's education level, providing financial support for family back home, and Korean language skill; for somatization disorder, depending on their spouses' education level, area of residence, and occupation. Also, anxiety and depression showed a negative correlation with support from spouse and family, and somatization disorder showed a negative correlation with support from family. The main variable for mental health was support from family; for anxiety, the main variables were country of origin, length of marriage, and marriage structure; for somatization disorder, the main variables were spouse's education level, area or residence, and occupation. Based on the results of this study, a variety of mental health programs helpful for immigrant women in adapting to their multi-faceted and complex life in a different culture and nursing interventions for improving support from family would need to be developed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.239-261
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• 2015

This study investigated the impact of social capital on married immigrant women's parenting, specifically focusing on the mediating effect of parenting participation. Using structural equation modeling, social capital within and outside of the family were examined in their relations to parenting efficacy, and the mediating effect of parenting participation was analysed. Study participants were 459 immigrant women from the Gyeonggi Education Welfare Panel(2011), who had children in 5th and 6th grades of elementary school. Findings suggested that social capital within and outside of the family had significant impact on parenting participation, which in turn affected parenting efficacy. Direct effects of social capital on parenting efficacy were not statistically significant, indicating a full mediation effect of parenting participation. Implications for social work practice and social policy for this population are discussed.