Assistant Professor Texas State University KYLE, Texas, United States
Overview: This study identifies diverse factors influencing life satisfaction among unwed single mothers in South Korea. Findings suggest that life satisfaction is dependent on unwed single mothers' physical health, socioeconomic status, experiences of discrimination and stereotyping, and receipt of government support. Finally, strategies to improve life satisfaction are suggested.Proposal text: Background and Purpose Life satisfaction indicates "having a favorable attitude towards one's life as a whole" (Jan & Masood, 2008). A higher level of life satisfaction is a critical indicator of desirable life outcomes (Cohn et al., 2009). Despite a handful of studies on predictors of life satisfaction among women, studies on unwed single mothers are still limited. However, in Korean culture, giving birth prior to marriage is closely associated with stigma, shame, and discrimination, influencing unwed single mothers' life experiences (Tschida, 2016). This study aims to identify physical, psychological, and social factors affecting life satisfaction among unwed single mothers in South Korea.
Methods This study used data collected by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), including 1,247 unwed single mothers who were 15 years old or older in South Korea. A single question measured life satisfaction. "How are you satisfied with your current life." (1. Very dissatisfied ~ 7: very satisfied). Physical health was measured by a question, "how is your general health status?" ( 1. Very poor ~ 4. Very healthy). The sum score of 11 items measured depression level (1: sometimes, 2: often, 3: almost always). Experience of discrimination was measured by a single item, "have you experienced any discrimination because you are an unwed single mother?" (1. Not at all, 2. Rarely, 3: somewhat frequently, 4: very frequently). A single item measured perception of stereotyping, "how much does the society stereotype unwed single mom?" (1. Not at all, 2. low, 3: somewhat high, 4: very high) Respondent's age, number of children, working status, education level, and whether the family was receiving government support were included in the model. The Ordinary Least Squares regression model was used to examine the impact of physical, psychological, and social factors on the life satisfaction
Results A higher level of mother's education was positively related to a higher level of life satisfaction (b = 0.07, p
