Korean J Women Health Nurs.  2015 Sep;21(3):241-251. 10.4069/kjwhn.2015.21.3.241.

Korean Immigrant Women's Taekyo Practices in the United States as a Traditional Prenatal Self-care

• Lee KE

• KMID: 2307920
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2015.21.3.241

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore preserved belief system supporting Korean immigrant women's Taekyo practices and influencing factors while they observe the tradition within US sociocultural context.
METHODS
Leininger's exploratory focused ethnographic approach was used. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with purposive sample of sixteen Korean immigrant women who gave birth in the US within last 6 months. Researcher's observation and reflective field notes were also integrated into the interview data. Leininger and McFarland's four phases of ethnographic analysis guided data analysis process.
RESULTS
The perceived belief system supporting Taekyo practices included Taekyo as an enculturated Korean tradition, connecting parents with fetus, and positive impacts on fetal development. And Korean immigrant women's Taekyo practices were influenced by resources of information, woman's orientation toward Taekyo, pressure from local Korean community, and child order.
CONCLUSION
The findings from this research would serve as an important knowledge base to expand US health care providers' understanding of Korean traditional Taekyo practices observed by Korean immigrant women's as important prenatal self-care practices. The findings could also aid in providing more patient-centered and culturally-tailored prenatal care plan to Korean immigrant by including Korean traditional belief system supporting Taekyo practices.

Keyword

Immigrants; Prenatal care; Pregnancy; Culturally competent care

MeSH Terms

Child
Delivery of Health Care
Emigrants and Immigrants*
Female
Fetal Development
Fetus
Humans
Knowledge Bases
Parents
Parturition
Pregnancy
Prenatal Care
Self Care*
Statistics as Topic
United States*

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