J Korean Diet Assoc.  2019 Feb;25(1):59-73. 10.14373/JKDA.2019.25.1.59.

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

• Joe MY
• Hwang JY

• KMID: 2434529
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14373/JKDA.2019.25.1.59

Abstract

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.

Keyword

vietnamese married immigrant women; Korean husbands; qualitative research; nutritional inadequacy

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
Community Health Centers
Emigrants and Immigrants*
Family Characteristics
Female
Humans
Korea
Marriage
Nutritional Status
Qualitative Research*
Seoul
Spouses*