Identifying the Causes of Nutrition Inadequacy in Vietnamese Married Immigrant Women and Korean Spouses through Qualitative Research

This study examined the possible causes of nutritional inadequacy in Vietnamese immigrant women married to Korean husbands. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 34 Vietnamese marriage immigrant women and 17 Korean spouses participating in or having experienced Nutrition Plus from four Community Health Centers in Seoul, Korea. The study results showed that the nutritional staus of the Vietnamese marriage immigrant women was affected by the unfamiliar Korean food (cultural factor), low household income (economical factor), difficulty in purchasing Vietnamese food (environmental factor), and low accessibility to nutrition support systems (social factor). The Korean husbands' nutritional status was affected by the unfamiliar Vietnamese food (cultural factor), low household income (economic factor), and irregular working conditions (social factors). Nutritional interventions as a public service to the community needs to be developed and applied. Suggestions are presented regarding the future efforts to better understand and meet the nutrition needs of intermarried couples to respond to their heterogeneous needs and deliver adequate nutrition service to ever increasing intermarried families.

The Effect of Parenting Stress and Acculturative Stress on Parenting Efficacy in Vietnamese Married Immigrant Women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of parenting stress and acculturative stress on the parenting efficacy of Vietnamese married migrant women. METHODS: A total of 130 Vietnamese married immigrant women were recruited from the Multicultural Family Support Center in U-city. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics of a t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis with the SPSS 21.0 program. RESULTS: The scores of parenting and acculturative stress level were 2.62 and 2.87, parenting efficacy level was 2.98. The Aculturative stress experience was positively correlated with parenting stress (r=0.547, p < 0.001), Parenting stress experience was negatively correlated with parenting efficacy (r=-0.486, p < 0.001), and, acculturative stress experience was negatively correlated with parenting efficacy (r=-0.460, p < 0.001). The multiple regression analysis of acculturative (t=-2.891, p=0.005) and parenting stress (t=-3.818, p < 0.001) showed a significant number of factors that explain parenting efficacy. The model included the two independent variables of acculturation stress and parenting stress which were statistically significant (F=24.966, p < 0.001), and had a descriptive result of 28.5%. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest the need for development and implementation of mediation measures such as substantial, cooperative, and systematic parenting programs for women in Vietnam to promote regional community support.