Purpose The study investigated the relationships between key variables, including the level of parenting knowledge, acculturative stress, depression, and the strengths and difficulties associated with their children’s emotions and behavior, among North Korean refugee mothers who faced the challenging task of adapting to Korean society while raising their children.
Methods A descriptive study design was used. Data were collected from 130 North Korean refugee mothers between September and November 2023.
Results The participants had very limited parenting knowledge, and 82.3% of them scored 21 or higher on the depression scale used in community epidemiological studies. Higher levels of parenting knowledge and lower levels of depression were associated with lower levels of acculturative stress. Moreover, higher levels of depression were associated with more emotional and behavioral difficulties in children. Maternal depression, age, and employment status were identified as factors that influenced emotional and behavioral problems in preschool-aged children.
Conclusion These findings underscore the importance of providing parent education and mental health support programs for North Korean refugee families in order to improve parents' parenting skills and emotional well-being.
Purpose This study investigated knowledge of atopic dermatitis and food allergies, as well as health information literacy, among North Korean refugee mothers with preschool-age children and explored how these variables were related to participants' characteristics.
Methods A descriptive study design was used. Data from 130 North Korean refugee mothers were collected between January and March 2023.
Results The mean scores were 14.48 of 30 for atopic dermatitis knowledge; 2.77 of 10 for food allergy knowledge, and 56.95 of 80 for health information literacy. Significant differences were observed in knowledge of atopic dermatitis based on breastfeeding duration (F=4.12, p=.009), and in knowledge of food allergies based on mixed feeding (F=3.11, p=.049). Health information literacy showed significant relationships with education level (F=3.76, p=.026), occupation (F=3.99, p=.021), checking nutritional information (t=2.91, p=.004), mixed feeding (F=4.50, p=.014), and atopic dermatitis diagnosis (t=6.86, p=.001). Significant positive correlations were observed between atopic dermatitis knowledge, food allergy knowledge, and health information literacy.
Conclusion Personalized educational programs should be implemented to improve awareness of allergies and health information literacy among North Korean refugee mothers, which would help them find, evaluate, and understand health-related information. These programs should focus on providing nutrition and dietary education to promote healthy growth in children and prevent diseases.
Purpose North Korean refugee women struggle with the double burden of adaptation and parenting as mothers in a new environment. This study aimed to identify the knowledge, confidence, and educational needs regarding newborn care among North Korean refugees, and to determine differences between these variables according to participants' characteristics.
Methods Data were collected from September to October 2022, and 150 North Korean refugee women recruited using convenience sampling participated in the study. Descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were used for data analysis.
Results The mean scores were as follows: parenting knowledge, 14.97 out of 25; infection prevention knowledge and confidence, 20.09 out of 33 and 51.37 out of 80, respectively; and educational needs, 245.86 out of 310. Significant differences were observed in newborn care, knowledge, and confidence according to maternal age, educational level, family structure, and pregnancy history. Significant positive correlations were observed between the participants' newborn care knowledge, confidence, and educational needs.
Conclusion Personalized educational programs should be implemented to enhance North Korean refugee women's confidence in newborn care, focusing on areas with low knowledge levels and high educational needs and enabling women to achieve healthy pregnancy and childbirth, and to parent well.
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Knowledge of atopic dermatitis and food allergies, as well as health information literacy, among North Korean refugee mothers: a descriptive survey study In-Sook Lee, Jeong-Hee Jeon Child Health Nursing Research.2023; 29(4): 300. CrossRef
Purpose This study investigated the factors that influence parenting stress, including hardiness, parent-child interactions, and social support, to provide basic data for developing a program to reduce parenting stress in North Korean refugee mothers.
Methods A descriptive study design was used. Data were collected between September and December 2021, and 123 North Korean refugee mothers participated.
Results The mean scores were 69.42 out of 135 for hardiness, 48.45 out of 144 for interactions, 47.32 out of 90 for social support, and 51.84 out of 90 for parenting stress. The parental distress score was higher than that of child-related stress. Hardiness was significantly related to North Korean refugee mothers' parenting stress. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the explanatory power for hardiness and the number of supporters was approximately 19% for parenting stress (F=6.84, p<.001). As such, the factors with a relatively strong influence on parenting stress were hardiness (β =-.40, p<.001) and having four or more supporters (β=-.27, p=.027).
Conclusion This study's findings suggest the need to identify ways to increase North Korean refugee mothers' psychological hardiness and encourage them to extend their sources of social support and enhance their style of parenting.
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Factors influencing children’s emotional and behavioral problems perceived by North Korean refugee mothers: a descriptive study In-Sook Lee, Jeong-Hee Jeon Child Health Nursing Research.2024; 30(2): 129. CrossRef
Characterizing sociodemographic disparities and predictors of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus among Asian and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander pregnant people: an analysis of PRAMS data, 2016–2022 Mallory Go, Natasha Sokol, L. G. Ward, Micheline Anderson, Shufang Sun BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Knowledge, confidence, and educational needs of newborn care among North Korean refugee women: a descriptive study In-Sook Lee Child Health Nursing Research.2023; 29(1): 72. CrossRef
Knowledge of atopic dermatitis and food allergies, as well as health information literacy, among North Korean refugee mothers: a descriptive survey study In-Sook Lee, Jeong-Hee Jeon Child Health Nursing Research.2023; 29(4): 300. CrossRef
Purpose This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of parenting education programs (PEPs) for refugee and migrant parents.
Methods A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies published from 2000 to 2020 were identified through a systematic search of six electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, RISS, KMBASE). A meta-analysis of the studies was then undertaken.
Results Of the 14,996 published works identified, 23 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, and 19 studies were analyzed to estimate the effect sizes (standardized mean differences) of the PEPs using random-effect models. PEPs were effective for parenting efficacy (effect size [ES]=1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14-1.66), positive parenting behaviors (ES=0.51; 95% CI: 0.30-0.73), parent-child relationships (ES=0.38; 95% CI: 0.22-0.53), and parenting stress (ES=0.64; 95% CI: 0.50-0.79). There were statistically significant differences in the effect sizes of PEPs that included mothers only (ES=0.93), included children under 7 years of age(ES=0.91), did not include child participation (0.77), continued for 19 or more sessions (ES=0.80), and were analyzed in quasi-experimental studies (ES=0.86). The overall effect of publication bias was robust.
Conclusion PEPs were found to be effective at improving parenting efficacy, positive parenting behaviors, parent-child relationships, and parenting stress.
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Purpose This study aimed to develop and examine the effects of a psychosocial adaptation program for North Korean adolescent defectors.
Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 28 North Korean adolescent defectors who were recruited through alternative schools. The experimental and control groups consisted of 14 participants each. A program was conducted across eight sessions, each lasting about 90-120 minutes. The data were analyzed using the x2 test, t-test, paired t-test, and analysis of covariance.
Results No significant differences were observed in the score changes for psychosocial adaptation (t=0.25, p=.808), post-traumatic stress symptoms (t=0.32, p=.749), cultural adaptation stress (t=0.05, p=.957), and self-efficacy (t=0.35, p=.726) in either group before and after the intervention. No intergroup differences were observed for psychosocial adaptation (t=0.12, p=.902), post-traumatic stress symptoms (t=0.07, p=.946), cultural adaptation stress (t=0.01, p=.994), and self-efficacy (t=0.58, p=.570).
Conclusion These findings suggest that psychosocial adaptation, stress, and self-efficacy cannot be improved by a short-term intervention program alone. It was also determined that the cultural characteristics of the North Korean adolescent defectors were not sufficiently considered before implementing the program. Therefore, it is essential to provide an in-depth orientation for the participants before implementing the program.
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Purpose This study assessed the levels of parenting efficacy, parenting stress, and acculturation stress of North Korean refugee mothers and analyzed their effects on parent-child relations.
Methods A descriptive study design was used. Data were collected during 2019, and 124 North Korean refugee mothers participated.
Results The mean score for parenting efficacy was 53.08 out of 90, that for parent-child relations was 37.84 out of 50, and that for parenting stress was 48.57 out of 90. The parental stress score was higher than that of child-related stress. The acculturation stress level was 90.66 out of 165, with the highest stress levels found for social isolation and distrust and the lowest found for perceived discrimination. Parenting efficacy, parenting stress, acculturation stress, and parent-child relations were significantly related in North Korean refugee mothers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the final model had an explanatory power of 35% for parent-child relations (F=17.68, p<.001). Parenting efficacy was the variable with the largest effect on parent-child relations (β=.36, p<.001), followed by parenting stress (β=-.24, p=.010).
Conclusion The findings suggest the need to identify ways to decrease parenting stress and improve parenting efficacy. Parenting education can guide North Korean refugee mothers to strengthen their parent-child interactions.
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Development and effects of the PARENT (Parenting Acceptable Real Empathy Nurture Training) program for mothers who defected from North Korea In-Sook Lee, Jung-Hee Jeon Applied Nursing Research.2024; 79: 151839. CrossRef
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Influence of hardiness, mother-child interactions, and social support on parenting stress among North Korean refugee mothers: a cross-sectional study In-Sook Lee, Jung-Hee Jeon Child Health Nursing Research.2022; 28(4): 269. CrossRef
Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify effects of parenting stress in North Korean refugee fathers on their parenting behavior.
Methods A descriptive study design was used. Data were collected during 2014 and 2015 in a settlement support center for North Korean refugees and 99 North Korean refugee fathers participated. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0.
Results Warmth․encouragement parenting behavior received the highest score. The score for parenting stress was 81.98 out of 180, and 32.3% of participants were found to need professional help (≥PSI 90). There were significant negative correlations between warmth․encouragement parenting behavior and parenting stress. There were also significant positive correlations between rejection․neglect parenting behavior and parenting stress. Predictors of warmth․encouragement behavior were parent-child dysfunctional interaction which explained 10.1% of the variance. Predictors of rejection․neglect behavior were parent-child dysfunctional interaction, number of children and wife’s education level which explained 33.4% of the variance.
Conclusion Findings show that North Korean refugee fathers’ parenting stress significantly influenced warmth․encouragement and rejection․neglect parenting behavior indicating a need to identify ways to decrease parenting stress. Parenting education can guide North Korean refugee fathers to strengthen parent-child positive interactions and therefore promote their children’s growth and development.
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Influence of parenting efficacy, parenting stress, and acculturation stress on parent-child relations among North Korean refugee mothers In-Sook Lee, Jung-Hee Jeon Child Health Nursing Research.2021; 27(2): 171. CrossRef
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Structural Equation Model for Psychosocial Adjustment in North Korean Adolescent Refugees Insook Lee Child Health Nursing Research.2018; 24(3): 287. CrossRef
, Jeong-Hee Jeon
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