• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.2244-2255
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• 2014

This study aimed to compare smoking, drinking, dietary management, personal hygiene, and oral care between immigrant women in urban and rural areas and to determine predictors of the overall health behaviors. With the standardized questionnaire used for community health survey data collection was performed in 128 immigrant women from November 2011 to October 2012. Rural women performed significantly higher numbers of health behaviors than urban women and residential district, education, employment status, and perceived difficulties related to cultural adaptation significantly predicted health behaviors in immigrant women. Immigrant women in urban areas may be highly vulnerable in maintaining health behaviors compared with rural women and cultural barriers may hinder positive health behavior maintenance. Therefore, careful considerations at individual, community, and environmental levels are needed when assessing immigrant women's health behaviors and designing culturally relevant interventions to improve health status.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5823-5828
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• 2012

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancer affecting women worldwide. Although a great deal of progress has been made in the health sciences, early diagnosis, and increasing community awareness, breast cancer remains a life-threatening illness. In order to reduce this threat, breast cancer screening needs to be implemented in all communities where possible. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine health beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about breast cancer and breast self-examination of Turkish women. Methods: Data were collected from a sample of 656 women, using an adapted Turkish version of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS), between January and May 2011, in Ordu province of Turkey. Results: The results showed that 67.7% of women had knowledge about and 55.8% performed BSE, however 60.6% of those who indicated they practiced BSE reported they did so at irregular intervals. CHBMS subscales scores of women according to women's age, education level, occupation, family income and education level of the women's mothers, family history of breast cancer, friend and an acquaintance with breast cancer, knowledge about breast cancer, BSE and mammography were significantly different. Conclusion: Knowledge of women about the risks and benefits of early detection of breast cancer positively affect their health beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Health care professionals can develop effective breast health programs and can help women to gain good health behavior and to maintain health.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4555-4561
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• 2015

Background: Mammography screening is a method for reducing breast cancer mortality in women over 40 years old. A participation rate of at least 70% is a prerequisite for screening programs. This study aimed at determining the participation rate of women in breast cancer screening in Iran. Materials and Methods: The study population in this prospective research consisted of 35 to 69 years old women in the villages and towns Kerman District, in 2013. The data were collected by a well-validated risk assessment questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed with the help of health workers and technicians in the health centers, who were trained on breast cancer screening program. Results: As a whole, 19,651 women were invited to complete the questionnaire, of whom 15,794 women (80.37%) completed it. In the urban region, of 3150 eligible women 2728 women (86.60%) participated in the study. The acceptance rates for mammography in rural and urban regions were 34.95% and 8.75%, respectively. Conclusions: Finally, 3.8% and 16.34% of 35 to 69 years old women in the urban regions were mammographed, respectively. Conclusion: The low participation of eligible women in breast cancer screening program alerts us against including the program in the health insurance package.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.210-220
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to construct and test a structural equation modeling on the reproductive health behavior of single women with sexual experiences. This study employed Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methods: The data were collected after receipt of consent from 250 single women with sexual experiences, and analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0. Results: Model fit indices for the hypothetical model were suitable for the recommended level: $x^2=362.407$, RMR=0.065, RMSEA=0.070, GFI=0.867. TLI=0.927, CFI=0.938, IFI=0.939, and $x^2/dF=2.237$. Intention showed direct effect with the biggest effect being on reproductive health behavior. Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were found to have a direct effect on intention. Among them, perceived behavioral control revealed the largest influence. Conclusion: This study suggests that the TPB is a suitable model in explaining the reproductive health behavior of single women with sexual experience. Strategic plans for educational and intervention programs should be aimed to encourage single women to engage in reproductive health behavior.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3281-3288
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Despite being associated with high morbidity and mortality, breast cancer is a disease that can be diagnosed and treated early. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 321 women, data were collected by Questionnaire, Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Form and Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Chisquared tests and logistic regression were used in the statistical analysis. Results: It was found that only 2.2% of women have high and very high risk levels of breast cancer risk. There is a positive correlation between early diagnosis techniques and Health Belief Model Sub-Dimension scores which are sensibility, health motivation, BSE (Breast self-examination) self-efficient perception and negative correlation between mammography barrier score and BSE barrier score (p 0.05). When factors for not having BSE were examined, it was determined that the women who do not have information about breast cancer and the women who smoke have a higher risk of not having BSE. Conclusions: It is important to determine health beliefs and breast cancer risk levels of women to increase the frequency of early diagnosis. Women's health beliefs are thought to be a good guide for planning health education programs for nurses working in this area.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.348-357
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to explore and understand the health promoting behaviors of low-income overweight and obese women in Korea. Methods: Data were collected from 10 low-income overweight and obese women working at a community self-sufficiency center through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Individual interviews were conducted and transcribed. Deductive content analysis was done, using the MAXQDA program. Results: The health promoting behaviors practiced by low-income overweight and obese women were affected by intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational/ community factors. Six categories were identified and two category clusters were derived that could best describe their health promoting experiences. As main category clusters, despite "feeling that the body and mind are not healthy" participants noted "difficulty maintaining a healthy lifestyle." Overall, the participants had poor nutritional status, lacked physical activity, experienced much stress in intrapersonal level, and faced intrapersonal-level barriers to health promoting behaviors. Moreover, participants had a lack of personal will, and lack of specific information to practice health promoting behaviors, a lack of time, and too many overall burdens to earn a living for their family while trying to maintain health promotion behaviors. Conclusion: Lifestyle interventions for nutrition management, encouragement of physical activity, and stress management are needed for overweight and obese low-income women. In addition, social support and policies are needed to improve their living environment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.272-278
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• 2008

Objectives: To compare the health behaviors of widowed women with those of currently married women. Methods: We randomly sampled the subjects from the Jeollanamdo Resident Registration Data and we then selected 2,331 widowed women and 4,775 married women. Well-trained examiners measured the height, weight, blood pressure and abdomen circumference, and the women were interviewed with using a questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios(OR) of the two groups. Results: The smoking rate (OR=2.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]1.65, 3.66) was significantly higher for the widowed women. On the contrary, the awareness rate of a smoking cessation campaign (OR=0.80; 95% CI=0.70, 0.92), a quit tobacco telephone line (OR=0.73; 95% CI =0.61, 0.88) and a quit smoking clinic (OR=0.74; 95% CI=0.62, 0.89) were lower for the widowed women. The rate of receiving a health exam (OR=0.80; 95% CI=0.70, 0.91), the rate of undergoing gastric cancer screening (OR=0.77; 95% CI=0.68, 0.88), breast cancer screening (OR=0.79; 95% CI=0.69, 0.89), cervix cancer screening in the last 2 years (OR=0.81; 95% CI=0.71, 0.92), colon cancer screening in the last 5 years (OR=0.74; 95% CI=0.63, 0.87) were significantly lower for the widowed women. Conclusions: This study revealed that the health behaviors are significantly different between the widowed women and the married women. To improve the health behaviors of the widowed women, further study and research that will investigate the socioeconomic and environmental factors that affect the health behaviors of widowed women will be needed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.377-387
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify health literacy levels of Asian immigrant women in Korea and factors related with health literacy in them among other sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: Data were drawn from 671 immigrant women who came from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other Asian countries (M age=$28.1{\pm}5.89$) using REALM-R, which consisted of 8 medical words and was translated into Korean (score range: 0~8). Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 20.0 program for descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheff\acute{e} test and multiple regression. Results: The average score of health literacy was $5.0{\pm}2.61$. Time since immigration, country of origin, education level, and Korean language proficiency significantly predicted levels of health literacy in Asian immigrant women (adjusted R square=.200, p<.001). Conclusion: When health care professionals provide health care services and health education, they should consider levels of health literacy and factors related with health literacy in Asian immigrant women.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.506-517
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the health management experience of Vietnamese Married Immigrant Women living in the city. Methods: The study participants were 11 Vietnamese immigrant women residing in the urban area who felt bad about their health. Data collection was conducted in depth through individual interviews, and the collected data were analyzed through Strauss & Corbin data analysis. Results: The core category was "health is not a necessity but a choice in a strange land called Korea". The contextual conditions were, "The hard thing-exposing "myself" to the world", and "Hurts hidden, to be away from people's eyes". For the causal condition, the categories of "Unfamiliar life to live alone", "Unfamiliar life different from expectation", and "Symptoms of body suddenly suffering alone", were derived. Through action-interaction, the immigrant women revealed that in their Korean social-structural context, they tended to follow "Health pushed away in turbulent life". The intervening conditions were "a person who is able to help me", "places that can give a helping hand nearby", and "Vietnamese women's grit". A Vietnamese married immigrant woman had her own "Health in the chain with life". As a result, they gained "Health, which is a top priority in life" or "Health oppressed by the weight of life". Conclusion: This study enhanced the understanding of the healthcare process of Vietnamese married immigrant women living in urban areas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was undertaken in order to examine the relationships of control, perceived health status, self-efficacy, social support, and demographic characteristics for a health promoting lifestyle in college women, and to determine the factors affecting a health promoting lifestyle of women in the early stage of adulthood. Method: There were 161 students from one university in K city. The instruments used for this study were a survey of general characteristics, a health promoting lifestyle (47 items), control (8 items), perceived health status (6 items), self-efficacy (17 items), and social support (18 items). The data analysis was done by use of mean, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation coefficients and stepwise regression with the SPSS Win (Version 10.0) program. Results: The results of this study are as follows : 1) The average item score for the health promoting lifestyle was low at 2.39. In the sub-categories, the highest degree of performance was interpersonal support (2.97), and the lowest degree was health responsibility (1.76). 2) In the relationship between social demographics and a health promoting lifestyle, there were significant differences in age, disease experience, and the family's disease experience. 3) Social support revealed only significant correlations with a health promoting lifestyle. 4) Social support was the highest factor that predicted a health promoting lifestyle in college women (15%). Social support, age and disease experience accounted for 20% in a health promoting lifestyle of college women.