Purpose: This study aimed to identify the correlations among social support, stress, and practice of prenatal care and elucidate the predictors affecting the practice of prenatal care in married immigrant women in Korea. Method: This study employed a descriptive correlational design with 165 married immigrant women in Korea. Results: Social support and prenatal-care practice were positively correlated, and stress was negatively correlated with both prenatal-care practice and social support. The practice of prenatal care in married immigrant women was most influenced by social support. Conclusion: As such, there is a need for nursing intervention that fosters social support for pregnant immigrant women. Concerted efforts are also required to reduce their stressors. This study could form the basis for developing childbirth management programs for pregnant women who have immigrated to Korea in order to marry.
Aaronson, L.S. ( 1989). Perceived and received support: Effects on health behavior during pregnancy. Nursing Research, 38(1), 4-9.
2.
Black, K.D. ( 2007). Stress, symptoms, self-monitoring confidence well-being and social support in the progression of preeclampsia gestational hypertension . Journal of Obstetric, Gynaecologic & Neonatal Nursing , 36, 419-429.
3.
Cannella, B.L. ( 2006). Mediators of the relationship between social support and positive health practices in pregnant women. Nursing Research , 55, 437-445.
4.
Cha, H. ( 1999). A study on the factors affecting prenatal care of pregnant women (Unpublished master’s thesis). Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
5.
Choi, K.S. ( 2006). A study about the relationship between marriage satisfaction and social support of the female marriage immigrants- Centering on Daegu and Kyungbuk areas (Unpublished master’s thesis). Keimyung University, Daegu, Korea.
6.
Chung, H.K., Kim K.H., Yeoum, S.G., Song, M.S., Ahn, O.H., & Lee, J.W. ( 2003). Family support, intention of pregnancy and antenatal self-care of pregnant women. Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing, 9, 319-326.
7.
Cohen, S., Kamarch, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 385-396.
8.
Cosey, E.J., & Bechtel, G.A. ( 2001). Family social support and prenatal care among unmarried African American teenage primiparas. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 18, 107-114.
9.
Giblin, P.T., Poland, M.L., & Ager, J.W. ( 1990). Effects of social supports on attitudes, health behaviors and obtaining prenatal care. Journal of Community Health, 15, 357-368.
10.
Glazier, R.H., Elagar, F.J., Goel, V., & Holzafel, S. ( 2004). Stress, social support and emotional distress in a community sample of pregnant women. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetric Gynaecology, 25, 247-255.
11.
Harley, K., & Eskenazi, B. ( 2006). Time in the United States, social support and health behaviors during pregnancy among women of Mexican descent. Social Science & Medicine, 62, 3048-3061.
12.
Hong, S.S. ( 2006). A study on the family living condition of transnational marriage women in Ulsan metropolitan city (Unpublished master’s thesis) . Ulsan University, Ulsan, Korea .
13.
House, J.S. ( 1981). Work, stress and social support. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
14.
Huang, Y.C., & Mathers, N.J. ( 2008). Postnatal depression and the experience of South Asian marriage migrant women in Taiwan: Survey and semi-structured interview study . International Journal of Nursing Studies, 45, 924-931.
15.
Jang, S.H. ( 1993). A study on the pregnant women’s health perception and antenatal care behavior (Unpublished master’s thesis). Chonnam University, Daejeon, Korea.
16.
Kim, E.A. ( 2001). A study on the relationship among social support, stress and compliance of prenatal care in primigravida (Unpublished master’s thesis). Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.
17.
Kim, H.J. ( 2008). A study of spousal support, the demand for health education, and quality of life for married female immigrants. Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing, 14, 5-11.
18.
Kim, I. ( 1987). A study on the relationship between the knowledge of prenatal health, social and compliance of prenatal care in primigravida and multipara (Unpublished master’s thesis). Chosun University , Gwangju, South Korea.
19.
Kim, O.N. ( 2006). A study on maternal conflicts and abuse of immigrant women-Focusing on socio-cultural variables. Journal of Family Welfare, 18, 33-76.
20.
Korean National Statistical Office. (2007). Marriage rate. Retrieved from http://www.nso.go.kr
21.
Kwak, E.J. ( 2006). The effects of pre-delivery music therapy program on anxiety and stress of the primigravidas (Unpublished master’s thesis) . Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea.
22.
Lee, H.K., Chung, K.S., Yoo, M.K., & Kim, M.J. ( 2006). Feminization of migration and transnational families of Korean-Chinese migrants in South Korea. Korean Journal of Sociology, 40, 258-298.
23.
Lee, M.L. ( 1984). A study on the relationship between pregnant women’s health beliefs and performance of antenatal care (Unpublished doctoral dissertation) . Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
24.
Liabsuetrakul, T., Vittayanont, A., & Pitanupong, J. (2007). Clinical applications of anxiety, social support, stressors, and self-esteem measured during pregnancy and postpartum for screening postpartum depression in Thai women. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 33, 333-340.
25.
Lin, M.L., & Wang, H.H. ( 2006). Prenatal examination behavior of Southeast Asian pregnant women in Taiwan: A questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 45, 697-705.
26.
Lowdermilk, D.L., & Perry, S.E. ( 2004). Maternity and women’s health care. New York, NY: Mosby.
27.
Ministry of Health and Welfare. (2008). Welfare for child and family. Retrieved from http://www.mw.go.kr
28.
Noh, H.N. ( 2007). A study on acculturative stress of the Chinese women who got married to Korean men and settled down in Korea-Focusing on the acculturation patterns and social support perceived by women (Unpublished master’s thesis). Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
29.
Park, M.K., & Lee, Y.S. ( 1999). The relationship among stressful life events, maternal-fetal attachment behaviors and childbirth variables during pregnancy. Journal of the Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health, 3, 47-61.
30.
Park, M.S., & Kim, H.W. ( 2000). A study on primigravida’s antenatal self-care behavior and maternal knowledge. Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing , 6, 153-165.
31.
Roy, C., & Andrews, H.A. ( 1991). The Roy adaptation model: The definitive statement. Norwalk, CT: Appleton & Lange.
32.
Weiss, R.S. ( 1974). The provisions of social relationships. In Z. Rubin (Ed.), Doing unto others (pp. 17-26). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
33.
Yoon, Y.M. ( 1994). A study of the relationship between pregnancy women’s psychosocial adaptation and performance of antenatal self care (Unpublished master’s thesis). Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
34.
Zambrana, R.E., Scrimshaw, S.C., Collins, N., & Dunkel-Schetter, C. (1997). Prenatal health behaviors and psychosocial risk actors in pregnant women of Mexican origin: The role of acculturation. American Journal of Public Health, 87, 1022-1026.
