Correlations among Perceptions and Practice of Taegyo and Maternal-Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Women

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the relationships among the perceptions and practice of taegyo (a traditional set of practices and beliefs related to healthy fetal development) and maternal-fetal attachment in pregnant women.METHODS: The participants were 136 pregnant women who visited a public health center or maternity hospital for prenatal care. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of varience, and Pearson correlation coefficients with SPSS version 22.0.RESULTS: The mean age of the pregnant women was 32.24±3.99 years. The mean scores for perceptions of taegyo, practice of taegyo, and maternal-fetal attachment were 3.96±0.53, 3.74±0.64, and 3.94±0.49, respectively. Perceptions of taegyo were significantly correlated with the practice of taegyo (r=.72, p<.001), and maternal-fetal attachment (r=.55, p<.001). A significant correlation was also found between the practice of taegyo and maternal-fetal attachment (r=.65, p<.001).CONCLUSION: Perceptions of taegyo affected the practice of taegyo, and had a positive effect on maternal-fetal attachment. These findings suggest that primary care nurses at hospitals and public health centers should provide nursing intervention programs to improve the perceptions of taegyo, the practice of taegyo, and maternal-fetal attachment.