This study aimed to identify maternal, infant, and perinatal mortality using the nationalpopulation data of South Korea between 2018 and 2020, and to analyze mortality rates according tocharacteristics such as age, date of death, and cause of death in each group. This study updates themost recent study using 2009 to 2017 data.Methods: Analyses of maternal, infant, and perinatal mortality were done with data identifiedthrough the supplementary investigation system for cases of death from the Census of PopulationDynamics data provided by Statistics Korea from 2018 to 2020.Results: Between 2018 and 2020, a total of 99 maternal deaths, 2,427 infant deaths, and 2,408 perinatal deaths were identified from 901,835 live births. The maternal mortality ratio was 11.3 deathsper 100,000 live births in 2018; it decreased to 9.9 in 2019 but increased again to 11.8 in 2020. Thematernal mortality ratio increased steeply in women over the age of 40 years. An increasing trend inthe maternal mortality ratio was found for complications related to the puerperium and hypertensive disorders. Both infant and perinatal mortality continued to decrease, from 2.8 deaths per 1,000live births in 2018 to 2.5 in 2020 and from 2.8 in 2018 to 2.5 in 2020, respectively.Conclusion: Overall, the maternal, infant, and perinatal mortality statistics showed improvements.However, more attention should be paid to women over 40 years of age and specific causes of maternal deaths, which should be taken into account in Korea’s maternal and child health policies.

The incidence of high-risk pregnancies is increasing in Korea as the birth age increasesdue to late marriage. Maternal-fetal attachment is an important factor that affects children even afterchildbirth, but it is difficult for high-risk pregnant women to form maternal-fetal attachment. Thecurrent study aimed to explore whether taegyo practice (i.e., pregnant women’s efforts for fetal goodgrowth and development), self-esteem, and social support influenced the degree of maternal-fetalattachment in women with high-risk pregnancies.Methods: The participants included 226 pregnant Korean women at ≥20 gestational weeks, hospitalized with 15 high-risk pregnancy conditions as defined by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.Recruitment via convenience sampling was done at four sites in Busan, Korea. Surveys were distributed and collected from February 1 to 28, 2022. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the t-test, one-factor analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchicalmultiple regression.Results: On average, participants were 33.97±4.23 years of age and at 31.65±6.23 gestational weeks.Preterm labor (35.4%) and gestational diabetes (21.0%) were the most common high-risk conditions. Maternal-fetal attachment was positively correlated with taegyo practice (r=.70, p<.001),self-esteem (r=.53, p<.001), and social support (r=.53, p<.001), all with statistical significance. Taegyo practice (β=.50, p<.001) and social support (β=.17, p=.030) explained 53% of variance in maternal-fetal attachment in women with high-risk pregnancies.Conclusion: Nurses caring for women with high-risk pregnancies during hospitalization can usethese findings by promoting taegyo practice and enhancing social support to increase maternal-fetalattachment

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of eHealth literacy, reproductivehealth knowledge, and self-esteem on early adult women’s health-promoting behaviors (HPB). Thisstudy was based on Pender’s health promotion model as a theoretical underpinning.Methods: Early adult women aged 18 to 35 years (n=165) were recruited by posting advertisements on social network sites for a student club and a faith-based community in Ansan, Korea. Willing individuals were invited to participate in the online survey from June 1 to June 30, 2022. Standardized instruments were used to measure HPB, eHealth literacy, reproductive health knowledge,and self-esteem. General characteristics included income level, perceived subjective health, and internet usage time. The collected data were analyzed using the independent t-test, one-way analysisof variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 21.97±3.87 years. The total HPB score was 120.69,corresponding to a moderate level; and the total scores for eHealth literacy (30.24), knowledge ofreproductive health (23.04), and self-esteem (35.62) were higher than the midpoint. The model explained 53.3% of variance in HPB, and self-esteem (β=.48, p<.001) was the most influential factor.Other influential factors were, in descending order, higher economic level, higher subjective healthstatus, greater eHealth literacy, and less internet use time (<2 hours/day).Conclusion: In order to promote the health of early adult women, counseling or programs that positively improve self-esteem appear promising, and eHealth literacy should be considered as a way topromote HPB using information technology.

This study aimed to develop an emotive role-play program for nursing students focusingon high-risk pregnancy and analyze its effects on communication skills, clinical performance, andemotional intelligence.Methods: A quasi-experimental nonequivalent comparison group design was adopted with 83nursing students (experimental group, 45; comparison group, 38) who participated voluntarily in anextracurricular program. The preliminary survey was conducted on November 3 and November 4,2020, and the follow-up survey was conducted on November 12, 2020, for the comparison groupand on November 27, 2020, for the experimental group. A program that included five role-play scenarios related to induced labor, preeclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor, andinfertility was developed by a group of experts and presented to the experimental group over 11 totalhours across 3 days. Each student participated in a role-play scenario as a patient, family member, ornurse and observed three other scenarios. The comparison group received a workbook after the follow-up evaluation. The independent t-test was performed to analyze changes in communicationskills, clinical performance, and emotional intelligence.Results: Communication skills (t=1.84, p=.035) and clinical performance (t=2.75, p=.004) significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the comparison group. A significant difference was not observed between the experimental and comparison groups for emotional intelligence(t=1.36, p=.088).Conclusion: The emotive role-play program concerning high-risk pregnancy was effective in improving nursing students’ communication skills and clinical performance and can be used in nursingeducation related to high-risk pregnancy and childbirth.

This study investigated the vulnerability to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and associated factors among married women in northwest Ethiopia.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey (n=657) was conducted from April 1 to 15,2020, in Metema District, northwest Ethiopia, in four randomly selected kebele administrations (thelowest level of local government). The inclusion criteria were married women aged ≥18 years residing with their husbands. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associatedwith married women’s vulnerability to HIV infection.Results: Participants were on average 33.70±9.50 years and nearly one-fourth (n=148, 22.5%) wereidentified as vulnerable to HIV infection (i.e., experienced sexually transmitted disease symptoms oran extramarital affair of either spouse within the past 12 months). Only 18.9% reported sexual communication with their husband. Respondents who did not discuss the risk of HIV infection withtheir husbands had fivefold odds of vulnerability (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.02; 95% confidenceinterval [CI], 1.43–17.5). Those who did not have premarital sex (AOR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05–0.77)had no worries about HIV infection (AOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.08–0.94), sufficient income (AOR,0.56; 95% CI, 0.16–0.86), and less than four children (AOR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50–0.97) had decreased odds of being vulnerable to HIV than their counterparts.Conclusion: Not discussing risk of HIV infection with husband was a major factor of vulnerabilityto HIV infection as was premarital sex, worry about HIV, income, and number of children. Measuresto strengthen couple’s sexual communication and support economical stability is important for decreasing HIV vulnerability

This study investigated the effects of peripheral neuropathy symptoms, self-care ability,and disturbances to daily life on quality of life (QoL) among gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Methods: The participants included 144 patients with gynecological cancer undergoing anticancerchemotherapy at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, from December 1, 2021 to January 28,2022. Convenience sampling was used to recruit patients who had received 4 or more cycles of chemotherapy using a paclitaxel-platinum regimen, and a self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis were performed.Results: Most of the participants had ovarian cancer (70.1%) or endometrial cancer (14.6%), andthe most common number of treatment cycles was 6 to 10 (29.2%). The mean QoL (60.83±19.89)was greater than the midpoint. The regression model analyzing the patients’ QoL was statisticallysignificant (F=15.38, p<.001) with an explanatory power of 56.7%. Self-care ability (β=.39, p<.001),disturbances to daily life (β=–.38, p<.001), the duration of peripheral neuropathy symptoms(β=2.14, p=.034), and regular exercise (β=–2.12, p=.036) were found to significantly affect QoL.Conclusion: Efforts to improve the self-care ability of gynecological cancer patients who have experienced peripheral neuropathy after receiving chemotherapy and mitigate disturbances to their dailylife can improve their QoL. Healthcare professionals should identify peripheral neuropathy symptoms and examine the effects of the symptoms on patients’ daily lives. Improving the self-care abilityof patients and alleviating their limitations in daily life may improve QoL.

Based on the World Health Organization framework on reproductive health, this descriptive correlational study investigated the factors affecting reproductive health-promoting behaviors ofmarried women, with a focus on family values and reproductive health knowledge.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 170 married women between the ages of 25and 49 years living in Daegu, Korea. The general and reproductive health characteristics, family values, and reproductive health knowledge of married women were identified, as well as factors affecting reproductive health-promoting behaviors. A questionnaire survey was administered to investigate the impact of various factors on reproductive health-promoting behaviors.Results: Positive correlations were shown for family values (r=.78, p<.001) and reproductive healthknowledge (r=.55, p<.001). Family values (β=.35, p<.001) and reproductive health knowledge(β=.24, p<.001) were identified as factors influencing reproductive health-promoting behaviors. According to the regression model, the explanatory power of factors affecting reproductive health-promoting behaviors among married women was 51.2%.Conclusion: A history of reproductive diseases, family values, and reproductive health knowledgewere identified as factors influencing reproductive health-promoting behaviors. These results willprovide basic data for the development of a reproductive health-promoting program, including apositive approach to reproductive health among married women, and will serve as a basis for furtherresearch on intervention strategies.

This study explored the experiences of pregnant women with depressed mood participating ina group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program using video communication, based on Beck’s cognitive theory.Methods: The participants were six pregnant women out of 13 women who had participated in an 8-session group CBT program using video communication for women with depressed mood (EdinburghPostnatal Depression score of ≥9). Data were collected from February 20 through March 25, 2021. Indepth individual interviews were conducted through a video conferencing platform at 1 month post-baseline. Thematic analysis was done.Results: Three themes, 10 subthemes, and 38 concepts were derived from experiences of participating inthe 4-week group CBT program (twice a week). The first theme, entitled “continuing realization” hadsubthemes of “a negative and instable self,” “a selfish judgment that excludes others,” and “a strong beliefin self-control.” The second theme, entitled “attempt to change for restoration” had subthemes of “shift torational thinking,” “freedom from suppressed beliefs,” “tolerance of other people,” and “courage for self-expression.” The third theme, entitled “departure for a positive life,” had subthemes of “emotional healing,”“faith in oneself,” and “reestablishing the criteria for happiness.”Conclusion: Pregnant women with depressed mood expressed that continuing realizations and attemptsto change supported their transition toward a positive direction of healing. Thus, they were able to changetheir distorted thinking into rational thinking through CBT using video communication. These findingssupport the use of group CBT using video communication with pregnant women who have depressedmood.