저소득층 영유아 및 임산·수유부의 건강과 영양 지원 방안

Abstract

Purposes of this study include, first, to identify actual condition of health and nutrition of low-income children, including pregnant/breastfeeding women, who are at the beginning or early stages in a life cycle. Second, to understand whether current health support services promote health of low-income families and what needs to be supplemented or improved, by investigating nationwide health support services and demands for fetus, infant and children. Third, to seek for effective support policies that enable healthy development of children in low-income families, and to comprehensively propose political plans that will minimize blind spots in health policies for low-income pregnant/breastfeeding women.

This study was conducted through literature research, secondary data analysis, survey research, focus group interview, specialist advisory meeting, and policy research conference on a working-level. For secondary data analysis, data from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey(2010-2012) was used. For survey research, health centers in top ten regions of insufficient health care in 16 cities/provinces nationwide were categorized into city type(major city/mid-small city) and farming and fishing village type, then interview survey was conducted by professional interviewers among 544 low-income children's parents and 134 pregnant/breastfeeding women of less than 200% of minimum cost of living, selected from health centers in those areas. As a result, children of low-income families were found to experience inequality early on in health and nutrition, in the aspects of physical growth, health management condition, and diet. Second, among low-income pregnant/breastfeeding women, many breastfeeding women were found to experience conditions like over-weight or depression in overall. Third, regarding health care usage, it was found that accessibility to health care of rural area was low.

To improve health and nutrition of low-income families, the study proposed support or protection measures for families receiving basic living security. Second, it suggested providing easy at-home exercise and yoga/medication programs to promote health of breastfeeding women after giving birth. Third, it proposed improving health care accessibility issue of rural areas. Fourth, it proposed running parent supports and child classes through home visit services. Also, to truly enjoy benefits of the integrated health promotion service of local community, it emphasized the importance of local health center identifying main health issues of children and pregnant/breastfeeding women of each local government and roll out services fit to their needs.