Vietnamese Immigrant Women Research Articles

Study on APP Design of Assisting New Immigrant Women with Healthcare Communication

The main purpose of this study is to develop an interactive medical communication board that would be adaptable both in terms of language and metaphor. This board would be tested on diverse population to assess its efficacy in clinical diagnosis to help new female immigrants and their children. Therefore, this study intends to develop an assistive visualization tool of medical communication to achieve the objective of friendly communication among foreign spouses, ill children, and medical service. This research project focuses on integrating medical and design professional fields to develop medical information and auxiliary communication tool, as well as to design doctor-patient communication APP prototype concept. Design draft and discussion with users were conducted. The study mainly adopted interviews, observations, and User Experience Innovation Design (UXID) to carry out interviews with 24 Vietnamese and Indonesian new immigrant women. These firsthand practical data were then transcribed and sorted out. By designing an APP prototype, researchers finally achieved the purpose of assisting new immigrant women in seeking health care and expressing their symptoms. This study is a pioneer study in health communication for immigrants and it can also serve as a reference for other follow-up studies.

Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, and Depressive Symptoms in International Migrants: A Study with Vietnamese Women in South Korea.

Globally, there have been increasing numbers of migrant women; these women are at an increased risk for depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations among acculturation, acculturative stress and depressive symptoms in Vietnamese women who migrated to South Korea through marriages. We hypothesized that acculturative stress would serve as a mediator in the relationship between acculturation and depressive symptoms. Our findings from surveys with 217 Vietnamese immigrant women showed that the indirect effect of acculturation on depressive symptoms, mediated through acculturative stress [- .15 (.04)], was significant (bias corrected 95% confidence interval for the indirect effect = - .25, - .08). Low levels of acculturation increased acculturative stress, which in turn led to the elevated symptoms of depression. Our findings not only illuminate the adaptation processes of international, female migrants but also suggest avenues to protect and promote their mental well-being.

Different Effects of Acculturative Stress and Family Life Stress on Depressive Symptoms among Married Vietnamese Immigrant Women in South Korea

Married Vietnamese immigrant women often face multiple stressors related to sociocultural adaptation and new family lives in South Korea. The purpose of this paper is to identify the different influences of acculturative and family life stress on depressive symptoms among Vietnamese immigrant wives. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 301 married Vietnamese immigrant women residing in South Korea. The study utilized linear regression analysis to test the relationships between the variables. The findings show that both acculturative and family life stress are positively related to depressive symptoms. Family life stress influences depressive symptoms to a greater extent than acculturative stress. The study emphasizes the significance of family‐related stress on mental health among married Vietnamese immigrant women in Korea and provides some implications for research, clinical practice, and policy.

The perceptions and the practice of parent roles: Among Vietnamese marriage immigrant women in Korea

The perceptions and the practice of parent roles: Among Vietnamese marriage immigrant women in Korea

Development and Evaluation of an Educational Program to Prevent Cervical Cancer among Vietnamese Married Immigrant Women

Background/Objectives: This study was to develop and evaluate a cervical cancer prevention program for Vietnamese married immigrant women who show the high incidence of cervical cancer. In this regard, this study presents the grounds for the cervical cancer prevention program to be spread and adopted widely to promote Vietnamese married immigrant women’s reproductive health.Method/Statistical Analysis: Program was developed by the ADDIE model. The developed program was applied to Vietnamese immigrant women. Study design is random control group pre-test, post-test design. The effects of the program were assessed by health belief of Pap testing, knowledge of cervical cancer, and intention of preventive behavior. In the experimental group, four 120-minutes sessions of cervical cancer prevention education program intervention were provided once a week.Findings: The results indicate that the educational program to prevent cervical cancer helps Vietnamese married immigrant women to lower the perceived barriers in cervical cancer prevention, to enhance the awareness about cervical cancer, and to raise the intention for cervical cancer prevention behavior, which proves the prevention program is very effective and useful.Improvements/Applications: We expect that the devised program in this study be widely used in multi-cultural family support center to promote Vietnamese married immigrant women’s reproductive health and quality of life.

Factors associated with receiving Pap tests among married immigrant women of Vietnamese origin in southern Taiwan

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to explore the factors associated with Pap testing among married immigrant women of Vietnamese origin residing in Taiwan, including demographics, knowledge of cervical cancer, knowledge of Pap tests, fatalism, attitudes toward cervical cancer, and barriers to receiving Pap tests. A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Data were collected from July 2012 to January 2013. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling in two communities in Southern Taiwan. A total of 451 married immigrant women of Vietnamese origin aged 30 years and over were invited to participate in the study and 427 participated. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. Participants with no children were significantly less likely to have received a Pap test (odds ratio = 0.278, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.135–0.569); each additional point of knowledge about Pap tests increased the likelihood of having a Pap test by 19% (odds ratio = 1.190, 95% CI = 1.093–1.297), and each additional point in barriers to receiving Pap tests decreased the chances of having received a Pap test (odds ratio = 0.714, 95% CI = 0.637–0.800). The results can provide governments with a reference for developing policies for cervical cancer prevention among married immigrant Vietnamese women.

Predictors of post-partum stress in Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwan.

The post-partum period is a stressful time of change, particularly for immigrant women, but, to the best of the present authors' knowledge, the subject has not been explored. This study aimed to examine immigrant women's post-partum stress, depression, and levels of social support, and to determine the predictors of post-partum stress for Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwan. A cross-sectional design was used. In this descriptive survey, 208 Vietnamese immigrant women were telephone interviewed by a trained Vietnamese research assistant during one of their 6 weeks post-partum. Data were collected through telephone interviews using three questionnaires, including the Hung Postpartum Stress Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Social Support Scale. The result shows that Vietnamese women had low level post-partum stress scores. Participants' family support rated higher than friend support. The incidence of depression was 0.5%. Social support, number of post-partum days, and family income were found to be predictors for post-partum stress, accounting for 26.6% of the variance. The Vietnamese immigrant women experienced significant stress regarding their maternal roles and received most of their support from their families rather than from friends. Nurses caring for this cohort should therefore consider these factors in order to help them cope with their post-partum stress. Healthcare providers should offer available resources to these immigrant women and their spouses during this critical period in their lives. For instance, antenatal education classes could be provided to help immigrant women manage and overcome post-partum issues.

Exploratory Research on Marriage Migrant Recognition for Unmarried Vietnamese Women

This study explored general marriage migration for 180 unmarried Vietnamese immigrant women and identified differences in recognition after the choice of marriage. The methods used were frequency analysis, kai verification, and independent t verification were conducted. The findings were as follows. First, unmarried Vietnamese women showed a receptive attitude towards marriage migration with the less-educated group more likely to opt for marriage migration. Economic benefit expectations topped other factors in regards to the image of marriage migrant women and motivation. Dual national identity benefits were also indicated. Second, the perception of external and illusionary images of the spouses of marriage migrant women was low; however, the perception of good occupations and gender equality was high. A vague expectancy of marriage was also found. The perception was high that children from multi-cultural families would be global bilingual talents and adjust to school; however, the perception of social discrimination or prejudice was low. The perception of social discrimination was low concerning the perception of social integration towards marriage migrant women; however, the perception of identities, cultural differences and employment was present. By contrast, the group opting for marriage migration showed a significantly low perception of social discrimination and difficulty in employment. The suggested measures are to regulate and maintain forms of marriage type, reinforce prior training systems for Vietnamese immigrant women (and spouses), enhance multicultural recognition, and supplement multicultural policies.

Nutritional Knowledge and Dietary Behaviors and Intakes of Vietnamese Marriage Immigrant Women According to Receiving of Nutritional Education

This study was to investigate nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviors and intakes of Vietnamese marriage immigrant women according to receiving of nutritional education. A total of 233 Vietnamese marriage immigrants were recruited from public health centers, and multicultural family support centers in Seoul Metropolitan areas, and the Seoul Immigration Office. The methods included anthropometric measurements and face‐to‐face interview by a structured questionnaire. The mean weight and BMI of those who had experienced nutritional education were higher than those without such experience. With regard to dietary management, those with nutritional education showed a more balanced diet and higher total scores on the Mini Dietary Assessment compared to those without nutritional education (p<0.001). For nutritional knowledge, subjects with nutritional education showed higher scores on questions about function of cereals (p=0.010) and meat and fish (p=0.010), as well as a higher overall score (p=0.004) than those without. With regard to food intake, there were significant differences in nutritional intakes of iron (p=0.009), sodium (p=0.008), vitamin A (p=0.029), vitamin B2 (p=0.047), vitamin C (p=0.012), and cholesterol (p=0.037). The subjects having experience with nutritional education had more balanced dietary habits, and nutritional knowledge, and greater food and nutrient intake compared to the subjects without such experience. Systematic and continuous nutritional education should be provided to establish a healthy diet for marriage immigrant women and her multicultural family members. This study was supported by the grant from National Research Foundation of Korea (2011‐0014986)

Higher Education Learning Experiences Among Vietnamese Immigrant Women in Taiwan

Based on a sociocultural approach to adult learning and poststructural feminist theories, this study draws on interviews with 11 married Vietnamese women to explore the higher education learning experiences of Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwan. On the basis of their husbands’ permission and support, Vietnamese immigrant women embraced the instrumental value of education and pursued higher education to play their expected motherhood roles. During the higher education learning process, the women persevered in learning with resilience, negotiated their voices and cultural identity, and fulfilled multiple roles. Participating in and even completing higher education in Taiwan empowered these women through learning based on their bicultural competence.

A Peer Health Educator Program for Breast Cancer Screening Promotion: Arabic, Chinese, South Asian, and Vietnamese Immigrant Women's Perspectives.

This study explored Arabic, Chinese, South Asian, and Vietnamese immigrant women's experiences with a peer health educator program, a public health program that facilitated access to breast health information and mammography screening. Framed within critical social theory, this participatory action research project took place from July 2009 to January 2011. Ten focus groups and 14 individual interviews were conducted with 82 immigrant women 40 years of age and older. Qualitative methods were utilized. Thematic content analysis derived from grounded theory and other qualitative literature was employed to analyze data. Four dominant themes emerged: Breast Cancer Prevention focused on learning within the program, Social Support provided by the peer health educator and other women, Screening Services Access for Women centered on service provision, and Program Enhancements related to specific modifications required to meet the needs of immigrant women accessing the program. The findings provide insights into strategies used to promote breast health, mammography screening, and the improvement of public health programming. Perceived barriers that continue to persist are structural barriers, such as the provision of information on breast cancer and screening by family physicians. A future goal is to improve collaborations between public health and primary care to minimize this barrier.

출신국의 사회·문화적 맥락에서 이해한 베트남 결혼이주여성의 적응경험 연구

The present study aims to phenomenologically investigate the adaptation experiences of Vietnamese immigrant women, with in the sociocultural context of their native country. In-depth interviews with a total of seven Vietnamese immigrant women were analyzed by the phenomenological method of A. Giorgi(1997). A total of 127 meaning units and 7 themes with 17 sub-themes, which rendered central meanings that indicated situational structures, were derived. The statements of situational structures were re-categorized in accordance with the sociocultural context of their native country. As the socioeconomic aspect, "aspiration for new opportunities and a new world" and "disappointment and frustration" were derived. The aspect of familial value and culture involved "conflicts over the unilateral acceptance of differences" and "building social relationships". The aspect of female status was associated with "conflicts due to patriarchal hierarchy". The aspect of child caring involved "education as a symbolic value" and the "double-sidedness of mother identity strategy". The gist of Vietnamese immigrant women's adaptation experiences is "to grow into a subjective mother despite conflicts due to the disappointment and frustration behind aspirations".

The Beliefs about Language Learning of Vietnamese Immigrant Women

The Beliefs about Language Learning of Vietnamese Immigrant Women

Adaptation and Testing of Instruments to Measure Cervical Cancer Screening Factors Among Vietnamese Immigrant Women

Vietnamese American women diagnosed with cervical cancer are more likely to have advanced cancer than non-Hispanic White women. We sought to (a) develop a culturally sensitive Vietnamese translation of the Revised Susceptibility, Benefits, and Barriers Scale; Cultural Barriers to Screening Inventory; Confidentiality Issues Scale; and Quality of Care from the Health Care System Scale and (b) examine the psychometric properties. Cross-sectional study with 201 Vietnamese immigrant women from the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. We used a community-based participatory research approach and the U.S. Census Bureau's team approach to translation. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .57 to .91. The incremental fit index ranged from .83 to .88. The instruments demonstrated moderate to strong subscale internal consistency. Further research to assess structural validity is needed. Our approaches to translation and psychometric examination support use of the instruments in Vietnamese immigrant women.

Relationships of Acculturative Stress, Depression, and Social Support to Health-Related Quality of Life in Vietnamese Immigrant Women in South Korea

Promoting the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important aim of nursing care for immigrant women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of HRQOL and its relationships with social support, acculturative stress, and depression among Vietnamese immigrant women. A total of 216 Vietnamese immigrant women residing in South Korea participated in the study. Participants completed a series of questionnaires, including measures of social support, acculturative stress, depression, and HRQOL. For statistical analyses, a path analysis was applied. Social support, acculturative stress, depression, and HRQOL were interrelated. Acculturative stress and depression directly influenced the mental health component of HRQOL, whereas social support indirectly influenced HRQOL through acculturative stress and depression. Only depression directly influenced the physical health component of HRQOL. Results suggest that social support and acculturative stress are related factors in preventing depression and promoting HRQOL, especially mental health, among Vietnamese immigrant women.

Dietary changes in Vietnamese marriage immigrant women: The KoGES follow-up study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESThe immigrant population has grown considerably in South Korea since the early 1990s due to international marriages. Dietary changes in immigrants are an important issue, because they are related to health and disease patterns. This study was conducted to compare changes in dietary intake between baseline and follow-up periods.SUBJECTS/METHODSTwo hundreds thirty three Vietnamese female married immigrants. Baseline data were collected during 2006-2009, and the follow-up data were collected during 2008 and 2010. Food consumption was assessed using a 1-day 24-hour recall.RESULTSThe amount of the total food consumed (P < 0.001) including that of cereals (P = 0.004), vegetables (P = 0.003), and fruits (P = 0.002) decreased at follow-up compared to that at baseline, whereas consumption of milk and dairy products increased (P = 0.004). Accordingly, the overall energy and nutrient intake decreased at follow-up, including carbohydrates (P = 0.012), protein (P = 0.021), fiber (P = 0.008), iron (P = 0.009), zinc (P = 0.006), and folate (P = 0.002). Among various anthropometric and biochemical variables, mean skeletal muscle mass decreased (P = 0.012), plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased, (P = 0.020) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein decreased at follow-up (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSA long-term follow-up study is needed to investigate the association between changes in food and nutrient intake and anthropometric and biochemical variables in these Vietnamese female marriage immigrants.

Vietnamese Immigrant Women's Learning in Taiwanese Higher Education

According to a sociocultural approach to adult learning, this study aims to explore the learning experiences of Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwanese higher education. Based on the interviews of 11 married Vietnamese immigrant brides, it was found that all of the immigrant women emphasized the importance of pursuing higher education in Taiwan. With permission from their husbands, these immigrant women participated in higher education to develop the human and cultural capital to fulfill their expected responsibilities both in their homeland and in their host societies and to combat discrimination from Taiwanese. In the Taiwanese-centered higher education, immigrant wives continuously worked hard to prove themselves competent and negotiate their voice and cultural identity. Participating in higher education and even obtaining a Taiwanese master's degree empowered most of these women, gaining self-confidence and a voice in the family and facilitating their settlement into Taiwanese society. For these female immigrants, both their culture and early socialization in Vietnam and sociocultural life experiences in Taiwan affected their learning in their pursuit of Taiwanese higher education.

다문화가정 어머니가 경험한 자녀의 이중언어교육에 관한 연구

This study is aimed at qualitatively looking into multi-cultual family mothers' experiences in children's bilingual education. The subjects for the study were seven married immigrant Vietnamese women with elementary school children who have recently finished bilingual education. After recording their interviews and then transcribing them, the data was analyzed by utilizing comparative analysis method. The results were divided into three categories of experiences: emotional, identical, and relational aspects. The results of this study will offer information about necessary support for bilingual education to multi-cultural family members.

A socio-cultural approach to understanding the learning experiences of vocational training among Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwan

Synopsis Based on a socio-cultural approach to adult learning, this study draws on interviews with 19 married Vietnamese women to explore the learning experiences of Vietnamese immigrant women in vocational training in Taiwan. With permission from their families, the women participated in culinary training to develop the human and cultural capital necessary to fulfil their expected responsibilities. Despite remaining silent and marginalised during the Taiwanese-centred training, the women exercised their agency to complete the training and obtain cooking certificates. The completion of the training and the acquisition of the certificate empowered these women through their labour market participation by giving them a greater voice in their families, facilitating their integration into Taiwanese society, and advancing the pursuit of their life goals. For these immigrant women, their early socialisation in Vietnam and socio-cultural experiences in Taiwan affected their learning of vocational training, which was intertwined with issues of gender, ethnicity, and marriage immigrant status.

A Survey on Health Care Needs during Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Childrearing of Vietnamese Immigrant Women in South Korea

A Survey on Health Care Needs during Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Childrearing of Vietnamese Immigrant Women in South Korea