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INTRODUCTION: Adolescent North Korean defectors are vulnerable due to harmful environments during defection, limited access to sex education in North Korea, and exposure to different sexual norms in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sexual knowledge, attitudes, and sex education needs of North Korean refugee adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey was administered to 102 North Korean refugee adolescents. RESULTS: The correct answer rate for questions on genital anatomy, physiology, masturbation, and contraception was less than 20%. The participants exhibited conservative attitudes toward female contraception, masturbation, and having friends of the opposite sex. A significant positive correlation was found between knowledge and the need for sex education. DISCUSSION: These results highlight the importance of tailored sex education in providing accurate information, improving sexual knowledge, fostering positive attitudes, and enabling healthy behaviors among adolescent North Korean defectors.
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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 (ß =-.40, p<.001) and having four or more supporters (ß=-.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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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 (ß=.36, p<.001), followed by parenting stress (ß=-.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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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 x 2 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: The aims of this study were to construct a hypothetical structural model which explains the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in adolescent girls and to test the fitness with collected data. METHODS: The participants were 1,087 adolescent girls from 3 high schools and 5 middle schools in B city. Data were collected from July 3 to October 15, 2012 using self-reported questionnaires and were analyzed using PASW 18.0 and AMOS 16.0 programs. RESULTS: The overall fitness indices of hypothetical model were good (χ² =1555, p<.001), χ²/df=4.40, SRMR=.04, GFI=.91, RMSEA=.05, NFI=.90, TLI=.91, CFI=.92, AIC=1717). Out of 16 paths, 12 were statistically significant. Daily hassles had the greatest impact on PMS in the adolescent girls in this model. In addition, PMS in adolescent girls was directly affected by menarche age, Body Mass Index (BMI), amount of menstruation, test anxiety, social support, menstrual attitude and femininity but not by academic stress. This model explained 27% of the variance in PMS in adolescent girls. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study suggest that nursing interventions to reduce PMS in adolescent girls should address their daily hassles, test anxiety, menstrual attitude and BMI. Also, social support from their parents, friends, and teachers needs to be increased.
