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

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) not only can cause serious illness, but is also an economic and social burden. Contextual and individual factors of non-smoker exposure to SHS depend on location. However, studies focusing on this subject are lacking. In this study, we described and compared the factors related to SHS exposure according to location in Korea. Regarding individual factors related to SHS exposure, a common individual variable model and location-specific variable model was used to evaluate SHS exposure at home/work/public locations based on sex. In common individual variables, such as age, and smoking status showed different relationships with SHS exposure in different locations. Among home-related variables, housing type and family with a single father and unmarried children showed the strongest positive relationships with SHS exposure in both males and females. In the workplace, service and sales workers, blue-collar workers, and manual laborers showed the strongest positive association with SHS exposure in males and females. For multilevel analysis in public places, only SHS exposure in females was positively related with cancer screening rate. Exposure to SHS in public places showed a positive relationship with drinking rate and single-parent family in males and females. The problem of SHS embodies social policies and interactions between individuals and social contextual factors. Policy makers should consider the contextual factors of specific locations and regional and individual context, along with differences between males and females, to develop effective strategies for reducing SHS exposure.
Administrative Personnel ; Child ; Commerce ; Drinking ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Fathers ; Female ; Housing ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Multilevel Analysis ; Public Policy ; Single Person ; Single-Parent Family ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution*

PURPOSE: The number of teenage pregnancy is increasing on these days due to changes in sexual awareness, precocious puberty, lack of proper sex education and abortion restrictions. We evaluated the clinical features including the rate and perinatal complications of mother and neonates caused by teenage births. METHODS: Subjects were mothers whose ages were below 19 at time of admission in Wonkwang University Hospital from January 2000 to July 2011. We reviewed the medical records of teenage mothers and her neonates retrospectively, and investigated the differences between above and below the age of 16. RESULTS: The number of neonates of teenaged mothers was 73, which is 10.4 per 1,000 births and it showed an upward trend during the late decade of 2,000's. 14 (19.2%) of the mothers were multiparous, and 69 (94.5%) unmarried, 25 (34.2%) no prenatal examinations, 11 (15.1%) an abortion history, 47 (64.4%) middle or high school students, and 25 (34.2%) a single parent. Among the maternal complications, premature birth was the most prevalent with 34 cases (46.6%), followed by 11 (4.1%) of premature rupture of membrane. The most common neonatal complication was prematurity in 37 cases (50.7%), followed by 30 (41.1%) low birth weight, 19 (26%) ICU admission. There were no significant differences between above and below the age of 16 in neonatal and obstetrical complications. CONCLUSION: The number of teenage pregnancy is increasing recently, and they had a high prevalence rate of prematurity, low birth weight and respiratory distress syndrome. And, the grouping by age of above and below 16 was no affect the prognosis.
Abortion, Induced ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Medical Records ; Membranes ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy in Adolescence ; Premature Birth ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Puberty, Precocious ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Sex Education ; Single Parent ; Single Person

This survey was conducted in February 24, 1999, in order to investigate the nutritional knowledge and dietary attitude of the school dietitians working in Kyungnam area. Subjects consisted of 305 school dietitians of which 163 married and 141 unmarried. The results obtained are summarized as follows : The average nutritional knowledge score was 10.50 out of possible 15 points, and dietary attitude score was 69.36 out of 100 points. Most of the subjects belonged to "Fair" group in terms of nutritional knowledge and dietary attitude level. Married dietitians scored significantly higher on dietary attitudes than unmarried dietitians (p<0.05). The correlation between nutritional knowledge score and dietary attitude score was not statistically significant(r=0.107)
Gyeongsangnam-do* ; Humans ; Nutritionists* ; Single Person

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: x²=362.407, RMR=0.065, RMSEA=0.070, GFI=0.867. TLI=0.927, CFI=0.938, IFI=0.939, and x²/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.
Female ; Humans ; Intention ; Reproductive Health* ; Single Person*

Contraception ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Single Person*

Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood. The health need of adolescent girls is quite different from other groups of population and has strong policy implications. Study on perceived constraints in accessing health care is quite essential, because it highly affects the future course of action. This study aims to assess the perceived constraints of never married adolescent girls in accessing health care in Assam, India. This study used the National Family Health Survey 2005-06 data which covered 493 never married adolescent girls in Assam. Percentage distribution, median and inter quartile range were assessed, associations were cross tabulated and logistic regression was applied to assess degree of associations using SPSS 15. In Assam, the most commonly perceived constraints in accessing health care by never married adolescent girls were the concern about availability of the drugs followed by getting money needed for treatment. About 25.8 percent did not perceive any constraint, whereas 74.2 percent of them perceived some constraints, and about 51.4 percent of the girls perceived between zero-two constraint(s). Bi-variate analyses show that perception greatly varies across different groups or segments. Multi-variate analysis shows that mainly wealth index of the household, native language and education of the girls affected the perception of the never married adolescent girls. To remove the perceived constraints, government may manage the entire health care services through which availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability and quality can be standardized. Further, efforts are also needed to ensure peace and harmony in the state.
Adolescent ; Female ; Delivery of Health Care ; Single Person

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-rated oral health status of industrial workers and influential factors for their work loss caused by dental care in an effort to prepare some information on policy setting about the promotion of the oral health of industrial workers and on the prevention of their oral diseases. The married industrial workers experienced work loss due to dental care more commonly than did the unmarried workers (χ²=5.10, p < 0.05). In addition, the workers who found themselves to be in worse health experienced significantly more work loss (χ²=29.69, p < 0.001). The workers who received treatment for oral diseases experienced significantly more work loss than those who did not receive treatment (χ²=14.60, p < 0.001). In addition, the workers who had oral symptoms requiring treatment experienced more work loss than the others who not (χ²=11.08, p < 0.01). The experience of not receiving treatment for a perceived oral disease was more dominant among the workers who found themselves to have an oral disease but did not receive treatment than among those who received treatment (p < 0.001). Regarding factors affecting the work loss of the industrial workers caused by dental care, the workers whose monthly mean income was larger and who found themselves to be in worse health had significantly more experience of absenting themselves from the office or of leaving work early (p < 0.001).
Dental Care* ; Humans ; Oral Health* ; Single Person

In the past two decades, the incidence of rubella infection has decreased due to a nation-wide rubella vaccination program. Therefore the rate of rubella Ig G antibody has decreased. This means an increasing vulnerability to rubella infection among the group, with negative Ig G antibodies. The study was conducted in January of 1992 to April of 1996. The subjects were 1,010 fertile women(ages 20/45 years). The study was performed at Park Women`s Clinic to investigate the status of rubella antibody in Korean fertile women. The results were as follows. 1. The positive rate of rubella Ig G and Ig M antibody were 80.5% and 1.5%, respectively. 2. The mean age of positive rubella Ig G group was 28.5+/-3.6 years. The positive rate of rubella Ig G antibody was decreased by an increase in age with a significant level at p < 0.05. 3. The positive rate of rubella Ig G antibody was 63.3% in 1992, 71.3% in 1993, 87.5% in 1994, 81.1% in 1995 and 83.8% in 1996. The increase in the positive rate of rubella Ig G antibody by year for 5 years was statistically significant at p < 0.05. 4. The positive rubella Ig M antibody was noted in 15 women. Among them, one woman was tested in 1993, 5 women in 1995 and 9 women in 1996. The incidence of rubella infection had increased by years, and was statistically significant at p < 0.05. 5. The mean titer of rubella Ig G antibody was 47.18+/-50.04 IU/ml. The titer of rubella Ig G antibody was decreased by the increased in at age(p < 0.05). We observed a low positive rate of rubella Ig G antibody as compaired with other studies that were performed before 1990. Therefore, to prevent sporadic rubella infections, rubella vaccinations should be given to unmarried women.
Antibodies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Rubella* ; Single Person ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions regarding the use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) among young Korean women. METHOD: The study included 14 unmarried women aged 19 to 34 years (mean, 25 years). Data was collected by focus group interviews and an in-depth interview from July to November, 2005. Content analysis was conducted. RESULT: The four major themes that emerged were control of accessibility, safety concern, lack of knowledge and information, and ambivalence. Control of accessibility: Most of the participants stated a prescription is necessary although they might feel ashamed if they had to ask for an ECP. Safety concerns: Participants thought that taking an ECP would be harmful to their body. Lack of knowledge and information: Most of the participants felt that they did not know enough about ECPs and were willing to learn more. Ambivalence: The participants stated that they would take an ECP when needed and would recommend it to a friend although they were concerned about the risks of ECPs. CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggest the need for an educational and awareness program to empower women to be able to make informed decisions on ECPs when needed.
Contraception ; Emergencies* ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Friends ; Humans ; Prescriptions ; Single Person