Introduction: Married immigrant women in Korea face various challenges in Life Adjustment, which can impact their parenting experiences. Understanding the age-related differences in life adjustment and parenting difficulties is crucial for developing targeted support programs for multicultural families.
Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between Korean life adjustment and parenting according to the age of married immigrant women residing in Korea.
Methods: This study analyzed data from the 2021 National Survey of Multicultural Families in Korea, focusing on married immigrant women raising children under five. Descriptive statistics examined demographic characteristics by age group, while logistic regression assessed the relationship between Korean life adaptation and parenting. Chi-square tests were used to analyze age-related parenting difficulties.
Results: A total of 3,926 immigrant women who married participated in the study (20s: n = 1,206, 30.72%; 30s: n = 2,250, 57.31%; 40s: n = 470, 11.97%). The majority of women were currently married, with the highest percentage in their 20s (99.50%), followed by those in their 30s (97.78%) and 40s (97.23%). Difficulties in adapting to life in Korea were significantly associated with parenting difficulties (20s: OR = 6.27, 95% CI = 4.54–8.66; 30s: OR = 4.56, 95% CI = 3.68–5.65; 40s: OR = 4.63, 95% CI = 2.97–7.23). As a difficulty in parenting, women in their 20s and 30s struggled most with teaching Korean to their child, while those in their 40s faced the greatest difficulty in finding childcare when busy or unwell.
Conclusion: This study highlights the connection between life adjustment and parenting difficulties among married immigrant women in Korea, which varies across age groups, calling for further qualitative or survey-based research.