• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.203-215
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• 2024

Purpose: The increasing number of high-risk pregnancies has led to a greater emphasis on psychological well-being in nursing care. However, reducing depression does not automatically equate to increasing happiness. This study aimed to systematically examine the factors influencing happiness and depression among high-risk pregnant women in South Korea. Methods: This correlational, cross-sectional study was based on the ecological systems theory. In total, 152 high-risk pregnant women completed a self-report survey questionnaire available online or offline. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The first model (individual system) identified pregnancy stress and mindfulness as significant factors influencing both happiness and depression. The second model (microsystem) identified medical status at the time of the survey, maternal-fetal interaction, marital intimacy, and social support as additional significant factors influencing either happiness or depression. In the third model (mesosystem), maternal-fetal interaction and paternal-fetal attachment were no longer identified as significant factors. Although the fourth model (exosystem) did not identify community service as a significant factor, individual (pregnancy stress, mindfulness) and microsystem (marital intimacy) factors were found to influence happiness and depression. Medical status at the time of survey and social support were additional factors that influenced happiness, but not depression. These factors explained 51.2% and 55.5% of the variance in happiness and depression, respectively, among high-risk pregnant women. Conclusion: Different factors at the individual and microsystem levels affected happiness and depression among high-risk pregnant women. Hence, efforts to reduce depression among these women should be accompanied by efforts to actively promote happiness.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.140-158
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• 2013

This study analyzed the effect of family meals on the psychological problems of children. We performed focus group interviews (FGI) on the basic characteristics of family meals, and chose several scales (such as Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), self-esteem, and a daily hassles questionnaire), to measure the psychological variables. We collected data from 442 dyads (mother-child) and used 440 from dyads. In our results, the frequency of family meals affected the psychological problems of children, especially aggression and emotional instability. The atmosphere during meals also affected depression/anxiety, concentration difficulties, emotional instability, self-esteem, peer relationships, and sociality. There were significant correlations between meal atmosphere, family bonding, maternal personality, and psychological problems of children. We performed covariation analysis to examine and control the influence of family bonding and maternal personality; despite controlling for these variables, family meals still influenced children's psychological problems. We conclude that the family meal is a significant variable that impacts the emotional and behavioral problems of children and stress the importance of frequent family meals.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.38 no.11
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• pp.77-88
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to find out the characteristics of foster care of long-distance parents who meet their children on weekend and to examine the relationships among the separation anxiety and maternal guilt in foster care. The subject consisted of 138 employed mothers who are living separately with their children. The instruments used for this study were the Separation Anxiety Scale(Cho & Park,1992), the Maternal Guilt Scale(Kim & Kang, 1997), the Parental Satisfaction Scale(Hyun & Cho,1994), and the Parental Stress Scale(Park,1994). The main results of this study were as followings: 1. Mothers had a tend to rely on family members expecially grandparents for foster care of their children. They usually have visited to meet their children weekend and made a phone call once a day. Parental satisfaction in foster care was reported to be moderately high level. 2. The subject’s separation anxiety was found to be high, and it was strong positive relationships to maternal guilt feeling in foster care. The results of this study have implications for both formal and informal support systems of employed mothers with children. The findings of this study may used as basis for understanding long-distance parents’problems in foster care, developing support programs, and public policy for employed mothers.

• Stress
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2017

Loving-kindness and compassion meditation (LKCM) is known to be effective in improving mental health and interpersonal relationships. An exploratory pilot study was conducted with the aim of examining the feasibility of LKCM which known to be effective in improving mental health and interpersonal relationships for pregnant women. Measures of stress, depression, maternal fetal attachment, mindfulness and self-compassion of subjects (n=8) were obtained at baseline, and after a 4-weeks LKCM program to identify effectiveness and supplements. Based on a focus group interview, phenomenological analysis was also conducted. The results showed that improvement potential of psychological comfort, positive relationship with fetus as well as complementary points for session contents and home training. We hope that this study will broaden understanding for the development of LKCM for pregnant women and promote further research.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.107-121
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• 2008

This study aimed to examine the effects of ego-resilience and social support on parenting stress perceived by mothers of school-aged children. The effects of demographic variables(including school grades of children) on the mothers' parenting stress were also investigated. The main results were as follows. First, ego-resilience of mothers was found to have the greatest predictive power on mothers' parenting stress. The more ego-resilient the mothers were, the less parenting stress was perceived. Second, social support also played an important role in alleviating maternal parenting stress. Emotional support of spouses was particularly effective in reducing mothers' parenting stress. Third, the only demographic variable that influenced mothers' parenting stress was their children's academic achievements. Finally, mothers perceived high parenting stress in relation to their children's school grades, while they perceived relatively less parenting stress concerning their children's temperament or the relationship with their children. The implications of these results were discussed.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.294-302
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to compare the level of parenting stress, entrapment, satisfaction of paternal support, and marital satisfaction between employed and non-employed mothers and to identify significant predictors for parenting stress. Methods: With a cross-sectional, correlational study design, a sample of study was consisted of 175 women who were employed or non-employed with preschool children through convenience sampling. Data were collected with a structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed by $x^2$-test, t-test, Pearson's coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS program. Results: Results shows that the level of parenting stress of non-employed mothers was significant higher than that of employed mother. The parenting stress was negatively correlated to marital satisfaction and positively correlated to entrapment in both of them. Entrapment was significant predictors explaining parenting stress in both of them and level of maternal education and satisfaction of paternal support and was significant predictors explaining parenting stress of non-employed mothers. Conclusion: Entrapment was very important factors to management parenting stress of both employed and non-employed mothers. Especially, satisfaction of paternal support and marital satisfaction was very important factor to manage parenting stress of mothers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.449-454
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• 2017

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the welfare of farm animals, which have been evaluated using behavioral and physiological measures. However, so far, the measures have almost always been used to estimate poor welfare. In this review, firstly we focus on how oxytocin (OT) relates to positive social behavior, pleasure, and stress tolerance, and second on which management factors stimulate OT release. OT induces maternal and affiliative behaviors and has an anti-stress effect. Further, OT is produced during enjoyable events, and has positive feedback on its own release as well. Therefore, to some extent, the relationship of OT to positive normal behavior was mutually beneficial-heightened OT concentration owing to comfortable rearing conditions induces positive social behavior, which in turn may increase OT concentration. Hence, studies on animal welfare should pay more attention to increasing comfort and the stress tolerance, rather than only focusing on when stress occurs in farm animals.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.41-55
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• 1999

This study examined the effects of support systems and traditional value beliefs about the role of women on the parenting stress of dual-career mothers. The subjects were 203 employed mothers with one child 4- to 36-months of age. The influential independent variables affecting parenting stress listed in order of significance were satisfaction with child care, value placed on traditional maternal roles, sex of child, and cost of child care. Contrary to the researchers assumptions, social support systems had no effect on parenting stress. The results of this study have implications for formal and informal support systems for employed mothers with young children.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 1998

The purposes of this study were to investigate the difference of maternal parenting stress and social support according to infant's age and to examine the effect of social support and infant's age on parenting stress. The subjects were 145 mothers who have 2-5 olds children. The questionnaire was used as a methodological instrument and the statistics used for data analysis were frequency percentile mean t-test Pearson's r-coefficient and multiple regression. Results of this study indicate that mothers with 2-3 olds child perceived more child's demandingness and mothers with 4-5 olds child perceived more mother's competence. Mothers with 2-3 olds child perceived more social support than mothers with 4-5 olds child. Husbahd's support and infant's age were found to be important variables in predicting parenting stress.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.270-280
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• 2013

The Purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between congenital muscular torticollis and maternal work activity. This study was conducted with a total of 89 outpatient pregnant women whose child presented congenital muscular torticollis at the Department of Rehabilitation of "C" Hospital in Suwon within the period from 2006 to April 30, 2011. The results were as followings: (1) The mean age at the time of giving birth was 30.09years; the proportion of pregnant women with college education or higher was high; the proportion of first delivery was 82.0%; the most common way of delivery was natural childbirth, followed by Cesarean section and vacuum extraction; the proportion of breech delivery was 20.2%; and in 82.0% of the women, the first child had congenital muscular torticollis. (2) 59.6% of the women had a career; 45.3% had engaged in professional practice or had a related job; 75.5% had worked until the third trimester of their pregnancy; 54.7% had worked for seven hours or more in a seated position; and the mean number of working hours was 8.75 (3) The level of work-related stress was a low 25% or less, and in the subdivisions of work-related stress, only the level of strained relations belonged to the upper 50% or higher. (4) For the correlation between the survey respondents' job stress and job features, stress (full score: 100 points) showed a strong positive correlation with job demand, strained relations, inadequate reward, and workplace culture. Workplace also showed a strong positive correlation with inadequate reward. Mean daily working hours showed a strong positive correlation with mean weekly working hours.