earticle

영어

Recently, an increasing number of Korean-Americans (KA) are living in China because of their studies or their parents' work. Immigration abroad can negatively affect their mental health as they face many practical challenges. When unstable mental health conditions are combined with rapid sexual changes in adolescence, a variety of sexually problematic behaviors can occur. The purpose of this study is to identify the differences in sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes, and sexual behavior of KAs living in China and Korea. The subjects were 59 KAs in Korea and 59 KAs attending international schools in China. Sexual knowledge (20 questions), sexual attitude (25 questions), and sexual behavior (25 questions) were used as research tools. To test the difference between the two groups, ANCOVA was performed using non-homogeneous variables as covariates. As a result of the study, there was no difference in the total score of sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and sexual behavior between Korean and Chinese KAs (F=1.078, p=0.301). However, knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth was significantly higher in Korean KA than in Chinese KA (F=3.961, p=0.049). This is a result reflecting the fact that Korean adolescents are repeatedly learning about 'pregnancy and childbirth' in various subjects. Since adolescence is a time when preliminary parental education is necessary, it is necessary to provide knowledge and information about it to KAs living in China. Another difference was that Chinese KAs scored significantly higher on pornographic sexual behavior than Korean KAs (F=6.626, p=0.011). This is thought to be because KAs residing in China mainly obtain sexual knowledge through the Internet and can easily access pornography through the Internet. Based on the research results, it is proposed to provide media education to KAs living in China so that they can correctly judge and select sexual content they encounter on the Internet.