PURPOSE
This comparative descriptive study was conducted to determine differences in maternal health related characteristics, child rearing burden, and social support depending on economic status.
METHOD
Using home visits, data were collected from 100 poverty stricken mothers, 51 in the extremely poor group and 49 in the low income group, and 200 mothers of a general group being seen in one public health center. The instrument used for this study was a self-report questionnaire to identify maternal health variables including child rearing burden and social support.
RESULTS
Parent's education level, marital status, and primary caregiver were significantly different according to socioeconomic status. Poverty stricken groups showed poor rates for prenatal checkups, lower Fe supplementation, and more artificial abortions and history of cesarean section. Continuing breast feeding as planned was significantly lower for mothers with low economic status. Present health problems of the mother, child-rearing burden, and social support were not significantly different among the three groups.
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that special attention and interventions for the poverty stricken groups is important to improve maternal and child health status.

PURPOSE
The purposes of this descriptive survey study were to describe perception of the importance of parental role as held by mothers of young infants, and to analyze differences in perceptions according to characteristics the mothers and infants.
METHOD
Data were collected from 240 mothers of healthy infants under one year of age, being seen in one public health center in Gangreung City. The instrument used for this study was a self-report questionnaire to identify parental role.
RESULTS
The mean score for perception of the importance of parental role was 139.89, and for the domains, the means were 4.43 for caring performance ability, 4.38 for environmental organization for development, 4.26 for acceptance, 4.21 for responsibility, 4.19 for knowledge related to caring, 4.16, for sensitivity, and 4.01 for provision of stimulation and involvement. There were significant differences in the perception of parental role according to spousal relationship, father's participation in child rearing, having received parental role education, and infant's temperament.
CONCLUSION
The experience of childhood is highly affected by the quality of the parental role. It is important to identify parents' perception of the parental role and to provide appropriate education programs on parental role.