• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was to examine the relationship between health perception, prenatal care behaviors and health promoting behaviors of unmarried pregnant women. Method: The subjects were 97 unmarried pregnant women. The data was collected through personal interviews using a questionnaire. Adjusted instruments were the health perception scale developed by Ware, prenatal care behavior scale developed by Lee, and health promoting behavior scale developed by Pender. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and the Pearson correlation coefficient with SPSS program. Result: The mean score of health perception was 3.3, and Resistance-Susceptibility was the highest. The mean score of prenatal care behaviors was 2.9, while that of health promoting behaviors was 2.5. The relationship between health perception and prenatal care behaviors was significant(r=0.268, p=.008). The relationship between prenatal care behaviors and health promoting behaviors was also significant (r=0.633, p=.000). Conclusion: The higher the health perception of unmarried pregnant women, the more they are concerned about good prenatal care behaviors. Unmarried pregnant women did well on health promoting behaviors when they had are high degree of good prenatal care behaviors. Therefore, in order to promote positive health perceptions of unmarried pregnant women, it is necessary to develop and adjust various education and supporting programs.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2007

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to examine the level of social support, health promoting behaviors and depression among unmarried pregnant women and to identify the relationship between social support, health promoting behaviors and depression. Method: A descriptive correlational study was conducted. The participants were 102 unmarried pregnant women receiving shelter services from four facilities in two metropolitan cities. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis. Results: The level of social support and health promoting behaviors were relatively lower and the level of depression was relatively higher than those of married pregnant women. The participants received especially low social support from their unmarried partner. There was a positive relationship between social support and health promoting behaviors. Moreover, there were negative relationships between social support and depression and between health promoting behaviors and depression. Conclusions: To promote physical and emotional health of unmarried pregnant women, more attention is necessary to increase their social support. A nursing intervention program to increase social support among unmarried pregnant women in needed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.255-268
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• 1993

This descriptive correlational research was conducted to compare the relationship between self-esteem performance of antenatal care and health pro-motion lifestyles for unmarried and married pregnant women. The sample consisted of 94 married women attending one general hospital and residing in Seoul and 82 unmarried women from two social institutes for unmarried women. The tool used for this study was a structured questionnaire which was developed and revised by the researcher. The tool consisted of 12 items related to demographic characteristics, 10 items on self-esteem measurement, 20 items on performance of antenatal care and 37 items on health promotion lifestyle profile. The data collected from the interviews were analyzing using the SPSS, yielding frequencies, percentiles, means, standard deviations, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation. The results of this study are as follows : 1) The demographic variables for the two groups were heterogenous except for religion. 2) The results of the comparison between the two groups were significantly different for self-esteem, married women(mean 20.41, standard deviation 3. 94) had higher scores on self-esteem than unmarried women(mean 24.02, standard deviation 4.11), (t=-5.91, p .001) 3) There was a stastically significant difference between the two groups on the health promotion lifestyle profile. The married women had higher scores on the health promotion lifestyle profile (t=7.22, p〈.001) 4) The score for married women on performance of antenatal care has higher than the score for unmarried women(t=8.83, p〈.001) 5) With regard to the relationship between health promotion lifestyle and performance of antenatal care and self-esteem, the correlation coefficient between self-esteem and health Promotion lifestyle for married women was .45, between per formance of antenatal care and health promotion lifestyle, .54, between self-esteem and performance of antenatal care, .32. For the unmarried women, between self-esteem and health promotion lifestyle, .39, between performance of antenatal care and health promotion lifestyle, .67, between self-esteem and performance of antenatal care, .30. 6) There was a statistically significant different between the two groups on all subconcepts of the health promotion lifestyle profile (p〈.001). 7) Comparison of the order of the scores between the two groups for the married women showed that the highest score was for nutrition, then self-actualization, interpersonal support, health responsibility, stress management and exercise in that order. For the unmarried women the highest score was for self-actualization followed by nutrition, interpersonal support, stress management, health responsibility, and exercise in that order. The score in the exercise domain was lowest in both groups. In conclusion, on the basis of the results of this study, resources and protection facilities for unmarried pregnant women could be improved through government policies and health care policies that would allow unmarried women to utilize significant social support resources and actualize health pro-motion lifestyles. Nursing should offer interventions to increase psychosocial adjustment and support tp improve the quality of life for unmarried pregnant women and further to promote improved growth and development of the infants.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. The purposes of this study were to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid supplements along with their associated factors among non-pregnant Korean women of childbearing age. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From August 2012 to March 2013, 704 women aged 19-45 years completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid as well as questions to identify risk of inadequate folate intake. RESULTS: Approximately 67% of women reported that they had heard of folic acid, and 23.7% had knowledge of both the role of folic acid in preventing birth defects and appropriate time for taking folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects. However, only 9.4% of women took folic acid supplements at the time of the survey. Women aged 19-24 years, unmarried women, and women who had never been pregnant were less likely to be aware and knowledgeable of folic acid or take folic acid supplements. In addition, women at high risk of inadequate folate intake were less likely to take folic acid supplements. In a multivariate analysis, women aged 19-24 years, women with a high school diploma or lower education level, and unmarried women were less likely to be aware and have knowledge of folic acid. The percentage of women taking folic acid supplements was significantly higher among knowledgeable women than among unknowledgeable women. CONCLUSIONS: These results support our hypothesis that women with knowledge of folic acid are more likely to take folic acid supplements. Therefore, educational programs or campaigns to improve knowledge regarding the importance of folic acid and to promote consumption of folic acid supplements as well as folate-rich foods are needed to target young, less educated, and unmarried women.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.80-95
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of low birth-weight infants and their's mothers, and to identify the factors which influenced to delivery of L.B.W infants. The data derived from K. General Hospital and J. obs & gyn clinic in pusan from January, 1998 to August, 1998, which were from mothers of having B. W infants. The factors used for this study were characteristics of general, obstetrical, environmental aspects and physical and psychological life experiences during pregnancy. Analysis of data obtained were computerized statistically by using SPSS 7.5 WIN program. the data were analysed as number, frequency, percentage, t-test and ANOVA. The major results obtained of this study were as follows : 1) Gender that L.B.W infants were male in 47.2% and female in 52.8%, body weight of 2001~2500gm was above 8 in 68.5%, and below 5 in 1.8%. The L.B.W infants with complications were 7, which were 6.5%. The kinds of malformations were the Cleft palate & lip, Hyper-kalemia, Hypoglycemia, Meningocele, CHD, Down syndrome and each of them marked 0.9%. 2) In the general characteristics of pregnant women, the age group of 25~29 years was the most common as 46.3%. Over 35 years of age, elderly gravidas were in 7.5%. the height of 156~160cm was the most common as 52.8%. pregnant women of below 150cm height was in 3.7%. body weight of 51~55kg was the most common as 38%. pregnant women of below 45kg were in 19.4%. The women with smoking and drinking episodes during pregnancy were 1.9% and 25%. In the status of marriage, married women were in 95.4%, unmarried ones were in 1.9%, and unmarried couples were in 2.8%. Iin he obstetrical characteristics of pregnant women, pregnant women with gestational age under 37wks were in 45.4%, and the ones over 38wks were 54.6%. At the methods of delivery, normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries were in 51.9%, which were the most common, cesarian section deliveries were in 47.2%, and breech deliveries were in 0.9%. In the environmental characteristics of pregnant women, 40.8% of pregnant women lived in house or apartments with stairs, 23.1% of them lived in the high altitude. the pregnant women who ran a household without a helper were in 65.7%. In the pregnant women who had underwent life experiences of physical and psychological stress during pregnancy. life experiences of physical stresses were described as persistent fatigue due to lifestyle, traumatic experience, illness, move away with an effort, physical impact caused by discord. life experiments of psychological stresses were describeded as trouble with their husbands, discord with one's husband family, family problems, and conflicts due to environmental factors, etc. The number of the pregnant women who had complications during pregnancy was 32, which was 29.6% totally. Among them, pre-eclampsia was in 12.1% and the premature rupture of membrane in 7.4%. 3) In the analysis of the general, obstetrical, and circumstantial characteristics and L.B.W infants. There were statistical difference significantly between the gestational age of pregnant women(F=12.035, P=.000), and the status of marriage(F=3.207, P=.044), and maternal complication(t=2.344, P=.021) etc.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.41-52
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• 2011

This study is to identify the related factors for birth bringing-up from 544 women from 20s to 40s who can be pregnant residing in Busan in order to explore the method for birth encouragement in the midst of the low birth reality in Korea. It was revealed from the research result that the married women who have a birth plan recognize the marriage and the value of the children more importantly than the economical burden. In addition, it was known that the wished number of the children for unmarried women was influenced most greatly by the marriage and the value of the children. The expectation of the institutional supporting for the birth encouragement was the consideration for the time of bringing up and support to returning to the labor market after the birth.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.206-223
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to discuss the nature of pregnancy experience among unwed Korean mothers and to figure out what it meant for them, by asking some of them to reflect on themselves in a written form from interpretative and phenomenological perspective, based on van Manen's research method of the same approach. The subjects in this study were seven unmarried mothers in Korea. The data were collected from July through December 2000 through in- depth interview and observation. The statements of the participants were taped, recorded, analyzed and select essential themes. To have a phenomenological understanding of the pregnancy unmarried mothers, literary works, including essays and novels, were reviewed. The findings of this study were as below: The selected substantial themes about the pregnancy and birth experiences of the single mothers included 'hatred for boy friend,' 'hatred for the fetus,' and 'hatred for myself.' The unmarried mothers met their boy friends through the introduction of friends. At first, they were good friends, but they soon went on a date and had sexual relation with no common knowledge about sex. Most of them were aware of their pregnancy after they felt fetal movement, but they put off taking the test because they didn't want to accept the fact and feared it. Such an attitude was rare among married pregnant women, and being pregnant with no prior preparation or sexual knowledge is not common in Western countries. They felt guilty and informed their boy friends of the fact, but the boy friends didn't admit their responsibility and rejected the babies. This made the poor girls hate them, and it turned into severe abhorrence. They thought their lives were ruined by the babies, and wished they would disappear. They reproached the babies, hitting their own bellies or making a kick. They considered themselves to be abandoned and didn't want to live any more. Giving themselves up to despair, some attempted to commit a suicide. They hoped to die, thinking their death would solve the problem. When they lost a chance of abortion and were about to have the babies adopted, they felt sorry for them. The unwanted pregnancy gave them a pain, but they keenly felt they were loved by their mothers, and learned the value of family. It's attempted in this study to clearly show how much unmarried Korean mothers suffered from pregnancy, and this effort paved the way for seeing unwed mothers in a new light and having a better understanding of them, instead of sticking to general perception.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.47 no.10
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• pp.123-136
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine whether childbirth encouragement policy is actually helping those childbirth, and also discuss the possible directions of this policy to unfold in the future, should take. For this, We have surveyed 412 married and 437 unmarried men and women in order to investigate the individual values that influence childbirth, From these respondents and we interviewed and surveyed recipients of grants (244people), administrative officers in charge (41people), and experts (34people) to investigate their social view on the Korean government's impact. The results of this study are as follows: Firstly, most of the people (unmarried 70.3%, married 69.1%) surveyed said that important life objectives for them. Secondly, most of the people(male 44.4%, female 73.8%) surveyed said that once married shied away from having babies, (a) due to the finance and childcare burden is heavy of running a family while both parents are fulltime employed (b) because it is difficult to get pregnant due to health problems, and (c) foremost because having several children exacerbates their financial burden. Thirdly, grant recipients(75.4%), administrative officers in charge(65.9%), and experts(53.0%) all said that childbirth encouragement policy currently being implemented has little impact on their childbirth. Finally, it was established that the incentives to encourage childbirth is best suited for individuals that favor having many children.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.240-260
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• 2006

Purpose : The objective of this study is to serve guidelines for the investigation and management of uterine myomas with KM therapies. Methods : English-language articles from PubMed and Korean-language articles from the database of the journal of oriental gynecology were reviewed from 2000 to 2005, using the key words 'uterine myoma', 'uterine leiomyoma', 'fibroid', 'uterine artery embolization', 'endometrial ablation', 'myomectomy', and jagungguenjong(子宮筋腫)'. Results and Limits : The areas of clinical practices considered in formulating this guideline are assessment, KM therapies, medical treatments, myolysis, selective artery occlusion, endometrial ablation and surgical therapies including myomectomy and hysterectomy. Implementation of this guideline would optimize the decision-making process of women with uterine myomas and further investigation or therapy of their KM doctors. But we don't have abundant evidences of clinical trials of uterine myoma treated with KM therapy, though we treat or manage that with every-day clinical practices. Moreover cultural gaps between Korea and other western countries make many differences in the attitude to surgical therapies, especially hysterectomy. So it is very difficult to compare W therapies with other therapies. Moreover it is much difficult to estimate cost-effectiveness and benefit of those therapies in QOL. Conclusions : The majority of uterine myoma is asymptomatic and will not require any intervention or further investigation. But unmarried women who wish to marry and get pregnant want to find safe therapy for their asymptomatic uterine myomas. In that case, most of the patients prefer non-surgical therapy to surgical therapy. So KM herbal medicinal therapy is a good alternative method for those patients. For the symptomatic myomas, hysterectomy offers a definitive solution. However, it is not the best solution for women who wish to preserve their uterus. So KM therapy is a good alternative for them. But the predicted benefits of alternative therapies including KM therapy must be carefully weighed against the Possible risks of these therapies. To improve the quality of life of both women with asymptomatic and symptomatic myomas, selecting and treating patients should be done carefully. Moreover, the effect of KM therapy has to evaluated, comparing the possible situation without treatment and the benefit of constant treatment as a health-care system.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.362-374
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effects of overestimation of their own body shape on weight control behaviors, mental condition, physical activity, dietary behavior, health-related quality of life, and nutritional status among young Korean females. Methods: A total of 1,514 women aged 20-39 years who are not pregnant and lactating among those who participated in the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010~2011), were analyzed and grouped into underestimation (n=120), normal estimation (NE, n=840), and overestimation (OE, n=554), based on their body perception compared to actual percent ideal body weights. Variables were compared between OE group and NE group. Results: The subjects in OE group were significantly younger (29.5 vs. 30.5 years, respectively p < 0.05) and had lower body mass index (20.9 vs. 22.2 respectively, p < 0.01), health-related quality of life measured by EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 Dimension)(0.97 vs. 0.98 respectively, p < 0.05), nutrition adequacy ratio (NAR) of protein (0.91 vs. 0.93 respectively, p < 0.05), phosphorous (0.93 vs. 0.96 respectively, p < 0.05), and iron (0.70 vs. 0.75 respectively, p < 0.01), and index of nutrition quality (INQ) of iron (0.84 vs. 0.89 respectively, p < 0.05) compared to those in the NE group. The results of logistic regression showed that unmarried status (OR 1.32; 1.01~1.72) and severely underweight/underweight status (OR 1.94; 1.01~3.75)/(OR 1.81; 1.34~2.45) were significantly related to the probability of overestimation by the subjects. Significantly more women in OE group practiced fasting, skipping meals, and taking prescribed pills to lose body weights and had skipped breakfast compared to those in the NE group. Conclusions: The results of this study suggested that the Korean young women's distorted perception of own body shape may be associated with undesirable weight control behavior, low quality of life, and lower nutritional status. Therefore, nutrition education for this group should include information on correct body shape perception and its importance.