Introduction
Navigating pregnancy and health care can often be stressful and complex, even in your home country. An even bigger challenge, however, is trying to navigate pregnancy and healthcare in a country other than the one you grew up in. Research regarding such challenges for international residents living in foreign countries remains limited.
South of Seoul Public Health previously identified differences in primary healthcare between the US and South Korea, among other challenges to accessing healthcare. To help navigate pregnancy in South Korea, SOS Public Health (SOSPH) decided to start the Maternal and Child Healthcare Initiative*. This initiative aims to address the community’s need to improve access to maternal healthcare information.
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What is Maternal and Child Health?
Maternal and child health (MCH) is concerned with the health of mothers, infants, children, and adolescents. The issue of MCH focuses on health issues such as access to prenatal care, newborn screening, and mental health. The aim of MCH is to improve the well-being of mothers and children.
Why is Maternal and Child Health Important?
Maternal and child health is important as access to good healthcare has the ability to greatly reduce adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Additionally, parents generally desire a positive experience during pregnancy. Besides reducing the risks, good maternal healthcare can also contribute to a more enjoyable pregnancy for the mother and their family.
Maternal and infant mortality has been decreasing in South Korea. However, preventable deaths still may occur. Providing improved data regarding international births may support healthy births for international residents. While adverse birth outcomes, such as infant mortality, are relatively similar between Korean mothers and immigrant mothers, there is also evidence that immigrant women have lower use of prenatal care.
International residents’ lack of access to prenatal care in South Korea remains most prevalent in rural areas. Immigrant women can face issues when accessing healthcare, such as language barrier, social isolation, or being in an unfamiliar environment. Therefore, South of Seoul Public Health seeks to add to the research regarding the pregnancy experiences of international residents.
Inclusivity Notes:
*South of Seoul strives to be inclusive of all genders. While we may use the terms such as ‘maternal’ and ‘woman/women,’ we mean to address every person with female reproductive functions.
Maternal Health Research
SOS Public Health will research access to maternal health care for the English-speaking community in South Korea. A survey will be distributed online via multiple social media channels (i.e. Facebook and Instagram] within the next few weeks. This survey will be aimed at individuals who were pregnant in South Korea within the last five years.
The survey will consist of two parts:
- Experiences in prenatal care, childbirth and postpartum care
- Access to maternal healthcare information
Experiences in prenatal care, childbirth and postpartum care
The first part of the South of Seoul Maternal Health Survey will document the experiences of international mothers regarding prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum care. This information will help SOS Public Health gain an overview of the kind of experiences individuals have during pregnancy and childbirth in South Korea. Such an overview will inform South of Seoul’s future advocacy and initiatives related to the maternal health of international residents.
Access to maternal healthcare information
The second part of the SOS Public Health Maternal Health Survey will analyze the access to maternal healthcare information. This section will focus on two main aspects:
- the resources individuals used to find information pre-and postnatal care and childbirth in South Korea
- the challenges individuals experienced when looking for support in and accessing maternal health care
By researching the data listed above, SOS Public Health may identify challenges pregnant women and persons living in South Korea may have when finding information related to maternal health. Such research may help SOS Public Health increase access to information and resources to allow individuals to advocate for themselves.
How this research may help the community
The research aims to explore the gaps in information access and to address these gaps. This will bring about more access to information on maternal health care for the international community in South Korea. This, in return, supports individuals to advocate for themselves when accessing maternal health care.
SOS Public Health Volunteers encourage members of the community to participate and share the survey with their community. Increased participation impacts the quality and relevance of research. Improved research quality and relevance may allow the data to improve the quality of maternal healthcare for more international residents.
How to stay updated on this survey and initiatives from South of Seoul Public Health
Check out South of Seoul Public Health on Facebook and Instagram to follow the results of this research! SOS Public Heath shares information regarding the survey and other important public health topics on SOS Public Health social media accounts. When visiting such accounts, you may also find relevant information regarding access to primary health care, registering your vaccine, etc.
Maternal Health Survey Results
Check out the 2022 Maternal Health Survey Demographics results here.
More research results blogs will be linked to this section as they become available. Stay tuned!
SOS Public Health’s Maternal and Child Health Research Team
SOS Public Health recognized a need for increased access to information on maternal and child health and collaborated with Denise Feurer, MSc an expert in maternal health research, to lead the Maternal and Child Care initiative. Additionally, Lanae Rivers-Woods, M.I.T, and SOS Public Health Founder, Lisa Peck, M.P.H provide mentorship and research support as Mrs. Feurer delves into the world of maternal health in South Korea.
About Denise Feurer, MSc Public Health
South of Seoul Public Health welcomed Denise Feurer to the team in the summer of 2021 while she completed her Master’s program. Mrs. Feurer holds an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
During her MSc, Mrs. Feurer wrote her thesis on the association between particulate matter exposure and adverse birth outcomes. She also has a BSc in Nursing from Zurich University of Applied Sciences and previously worked in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in Switzerland and Denmark.
With a passion for maternal and child health and environmental health, Mrs. Feurer is looking forward to contributing to the wellbeing of the multinational community in South Korea.
Follow SOS Public Health for More Resources
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated on SOS Public Health Initiatives. If you have questions about healthcare in Korea, visit the Health and Wellness in Korea Facebook Group, or feel free to message SOS Public Health with any questions or concerns.
Apply for an SOS Public Health Practicum Opportunity
Are you a graduate student looking for practical experience in public health? Apply for a an SOS Public Health Practicum! Click below to learn more about the SOS Public Health Practicum Program.
Research Design & Implementation Team
Research Compliance Supervisor
Ms. Peck graduated from the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) in Incheon with a Master’s in Public Health and her Certification in Public Health (CPH). Ms. Peck also holds a Bachelor’s Degrees in Linguistics and one in International Studies with a Global Health emphasis.
Ms. Peck is Korean American and speaks both English and Korean. She has moved between the US and Korea since childhood, finally settling in Korea after graduating from UAC.
In 2021 Ms. Peck founded the South of Seoul Public Health Program which focuses on research and initiatives regarding the health and wellness of multinational residents in South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Peck oversees the SOS Public Health Graduate Student Practicum Program which provides mentorship and training for Master’s in Public Health students. The program works with two students a semester with a focus on ethical UX research design, survey development, and initiative implementation.
Survey UX/UI Supervisor
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
Primary Researcher
Denise Feurer holds a Master’s of Science in Public Health and a Bachelor’s in Nursing. Ms. Feurer is a public health researcher and advisor living and working in South Korea. Mrs. Feurer founded the Maternal Health Initiative for the South of Seoul Public Health Program in 2021. Her first research project or SOS Public Health launched in 2022.
Prior to joining the South of Seoul Public Health Program, Ms. Feurer volunteered for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s (LSHTM) award-winning endeavor, the “Rapid Data Project”, to code and organize worldwide Covid-19 policies for WHO decision makers, student ambassador program representative, and UK Model WHO Academy.
