PURPOSE: This study was conducted to explore the experience of unwed mothers, to describe the structure of the understanding of this experience for mothers and to explore nursing interventions for this situation. METHODS: The subjects were 4 unwed mothers. The data was collected by in-depth interviews and participant observations from February 2004 to June 2004. Each person was interviewed 4-5times, taking about one and a half hours for each session. Data was analyzed by the phenomenological method suggested by Giorgi. RESULT: The understanding of the experience of unwed mothers resulted in "lightness of sexual cognition", "knowledge deficit of pregnancy", "suffering form pregnancy", "ambivalence of the situation", "appearance of mothering", "worrying about society's view". CONCLUSION: Sex education programs, a one-round, formal lecture-type education is presently dominant, so that education and training programs can be systematized at school and home. The difficult point for unwed mothers to endure is that society doesn't accept them; therefore, we have to change our point of view, and try to work out the problems.
Education ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Mothers* ; Nursing ; Sex Education

PURPOSE: A phenomenology study was conducted to provide in-depth data to help in the understanding of young women who have become unmarried mothers. METHOD: In-depth interviews were done with 11 unmarried mothers from August 2002 to September 2003. Data were recorded and analyzed by Colaizzi method. RESULT: Significant statements consisted of 5 categories with 12 theme clusters accompanying each category. The categories were: "Sex as a tool" which included living and connections, "Sex as an expression of her desire" which included wanting and expression of love, "Sex to be dominated" which included significance, domination and negative aspects of sex, "Moral sex" which included secrecy, responsibility and connections with life, "Sex as a sense of identity" which included expression of gender and association with peer group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will help indicate directions for care of unmarried mother, which should be based on a deep understanding of their personal perception of sexuality. Also, it can be utilized as basic materials for development of sex educational programs to prevent repeat pregnancies in unmarried women and information on consultion with unmarried mothers.
Confidentiality ; Female ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Love ; Pregnancy ; Sexuality ; Single Person

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the development of education programs for unmarried mothers. METHOD: From a group of unmarried mothers using social welfare facilities, 201 participated in this study. The study was done from October 2003 to April 2004 and self-efficacy, self-esteem, sexual knowledge, sexual attitude were measured. RESULTS: 1. On the basis of 100 points, self-efficacy averaged 62.76, self-esteem, 60.96, sexual knowledge, 58.75 and sexual attitude, 71.52. 2. According to the general characteristics of the women, there were significant differences in self-efficacy according to age (F=4.237, p=.006), schooling (F=5.071, p=.007), job prior to pregnancy (F=4.341, p=.002), and family income (F=6.183, p=.002). There was a significant difference in self-esteem according to family income (F=4.243, p=.016). There were significant differences in sexual knowledge according to age (F=3.950, p=.009), schooling (F=14.869, p=.000), family income (F=9.304, p=.001), number of pregnancies (t=-2.532, p=.012), and experience of abortion (t=2.775, p=.006), and, in sexual attitude according to schooling (F=7.356, p=.001) and family income (F=7.647, p=.001). 3. There were significant relationships between self-efficacy and self-esteem (r=.598, p=.000), and between sexual knowledge and sexual attitude (r=.569, p=.000). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy prevention programs should include sexual education and interventions designed to increase self-efficacy and self-esteem.
Education ; Female ; Humans ; Illegitimacy* ; Pregnancy ; Single Person* ; Social Welfare* ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The Purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between state anxiety and maternal fetal attachment of unmarried mothers in a welfare center. METHODS: The subjects were 25 unmarried mothers in a welfare center. The data was collected through personal interviews using a questionnaire. The instruments used for this study were the modified Spielberger's state anxiety inventory and Cranley's Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale. Data was analyzed descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, t-test and the pearson correlation coefficient with the SPSS computer program. RESULTS: The age of the subjects ranged from 15 to 25, and their average age was 20.0. The mean score of state anxiety was 58.2. There was significant difference in the degree of maternal state anxiety between the group whose pregnancy was known by their family and the group whose pregnancy was hidden. The group whose pregnancy was known showed a low state anxiety score. There was a significant difference in the degree of maternal state anxiety by the gestational period. The group who were in the second and third gestational trimester showed lower state anxiety score than in the first trimester. The mean score of maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) was 64.9. There were significant differences in the degree of maternal fetal attachment, by an ultrasound scan experience. The most frequently practiced attachment item was "I think the fetus is able to feel (mean 3.8) ". Unmarried mothers degree of state anxiety showed a negative correlation with the degree of maternal fetal attachment (r=-.25), but there was no significant difference between the two variables. CONCLUSIONS: The unmarried mothers made an effort in striving to reduce their high state anxiety and to enhance maternal fetal attachment. They also realize how to take care of their state anxiety.
Anxiety* ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Illegitimacy* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Single Person* ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify relationships among knowledge and attitudes of unmarried mothers toward emergency contraceptive pills. METHODS: Data were collected through structured questionnaires from 135 unmarried mothers enrolled in 7 single mothers' facilities nationwide. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 17.0 program for descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe-test, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: For knowledge about emergency contraceptive pills, there were significant differences among who live with her before pregnancy, experience of past pregnancies, state of present pregnancy and preparation in using contraceptives. For attitude toward emergency contraceptive pills, there were significant differences according to age, education level and religion. There were significant positive relationships between knowledge and attitudes toward emergency contraceptive pills. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that unmarried women should be better informed about emergency contraceptive pills, and reassured about their safety. Efforts are needed to disseminate up-to-date information to experts in sex education including nurses.
Contraception ; Contraceptive Agents ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Pregnancy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sex Education ; Single Person

Modern day medical professionalism has been advocated by multiple professional organizations and individual scholars. Most of the statements publicly issued emphasize particular moral traditions and the highest professional standards along with doctors' social role to recover society's trust, which have proved ineffective in bringing any change. Based on the perspective that medical professionalism is a norm of practice, acknowledged and shared by the majority of current ordinary doctors, the author traced the emergence of modern professionalism to challenge the legitimacy of those virtue-based arguments within a historical context. With the increasing complexities of both society and the health care system, new types of health clinics have been practiced especially by young generation doctors. As these are explored, several factors related with those stated professionalism that are creating conflicts are discussed. It is criticized that those statements demand individual doctors to adhere to the ideal professionalism regardless of any circumstances, so that it excludes any discussion about professionalism from the broader social contextual background. Given that professionalism is a context-dependent concept, it is stressed that modern day medical professionalism is required to evolve along with societal change. As medicine is recognized as a system in which numerous societal areas are involved, medical professionalism is expected to be rewritten into a consensus-based, more realistic and explicit compact.
Altruism ; Conflict of Interest ; Delivery of Health Care ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Illegitimacy ; Societies

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions, precedent tasks, positive and negative effects, and expandable professional tasks regarding the inclusion of dental hygienists (DHs) in the category of medical personnel. This study involved a survey of 259 DHs and 128 dentists. The findings were as follows: 94.2% of DHs and 46.9% of dentists were aware of inclusion in the category of medical personnel; 95.0% of DHs and 64.1% of dentists supported the idea; and 84.9% of DHs and 51.6% of dentists recognized its legitimacy. As for precedent tasks for inclusion in the category of medical personnel, both DHs and dentists scored high points in professional consciousness in the area of occupation. Both DHs and dentists scored the highest points in the quality management of DH education and the lowest points in the unification of school systems in the area of institution. In the area of society, DHs scored high points in the persuasion of the central government, whereas dentists scored high points in collaboration among concerned organizations. Regarding the positive effects of inclusion in the category of medical personnel, both DHs and dentists scored the highest points in the expanded perception of DHs. As for its negative effects, DHs scored high points in the aggravation of salary increase, whereas dentists scored high points in the aggravation of salary increase. Regarding expandable professional tasks after the inclusion of DHs in the category of medical personnel, the management of independent periodontal care programs recorded the highest percentage both in DHs and dentists. These findings highlight the need for adequate discussions about the meanings of the inclusion of DHs in the category of medical personnel and will hopefully contribute to the rational adjustment and legalization of DHs' works with regard to their inclusion in the category of medical personnel.
Consciousness ; Cooperative Behavior ; Dental Hygienists* ; Dentists ; Education ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Occupations ; Persuasive Communication ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits

PURPOSE: To identify factors affecting parenting stress of unmarried mothers. METHODS: The subjects were 108 unmarried women who were parenting their children under the age of six. The data was collected from December 15, 2016 to March 5, 2017. The instruments consisted of self-reported questionnaires that included93 items: 21 on depression, 16 on social support, 20 on health perception, and 36 on parenting stress. The collected data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: The factors influencing parenting stress were health perception (β=−.55, p < .001), evaluative support (β=−.42, p=.005), informative support (β=−.35, p=.040), emotional support (β=−.24, p=.045), partner support (β=−.20, p=.048), and depression (β=.14, p=.033), and the explanatory power was 57%. CONCLUSION: In order to alleviate the parenting stress of unmarried mothers, it is necessary to develop programs considering the physical, psychological, and social factors of unmarried mothers. Their subjective assessment of their health can increase or decrease their parenting stress, so it is necessary to develop parenting-stress intervention focusing on health perception.
Child ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Parenting* ; Parents* ; Single Parent ; Single Person* ; Stress, Psychological

The National Health Promotion Fund has grown as the increase of tax on tobacco consumption, but more than half of the fund was spent on health insurance supporting. It is important to use the fund appropriately to keep legitimacy and sustainability of health promotion. Therefore, services regarding health promotion should be a priority in spending health promotion fund, and operation system should be established to manage and administer the fund properly.
Financial Management ; Health Promotion ; Illegitimacy ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Taxes ; Tobacco Use

PURPOSE: Perinatal complications associated with maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy have been well documented. But until now there has been no clinical data on it collected in our country. In this paper, we tried to research the association between maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy and the physical indices of the neonate at delivery among unmaried mothers from one charitable institution. METHODS: We enlisted 125 unmarried with a history of smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy who delivered a baby in National Medical Center from March, 2001 to March, 2004 as a study group. As a control, 174 unmarried mothers without a history of smoking and alcohol were enlisted. Then, we compared the physical indices - birth weight, height, and the head circumference - of the neonates from both groups. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of the period and the quantity of maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion on the physical indices of the neonates from the both groups. RESULTS: Low physical indices of neonates were found in the study group(either smoking group, or drinking group) compared with the control group. The quantity of smoking or drinking and the period of smoking or drinking have no significant effect on physical indices. CONCLUSION: We found that maternal smoking and alcohol result in the low physical index of neonates, and educational initiatives must be directed at expectant mothers to emphasize the harmful effects of smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy.
Alcohol Drinking ; Birth Weight ; Drinking ; Eating ; Head ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Single Person ; Smoke* ; Smoking*