Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association 2012;50(4):115-125 http://dx.doi.org/10.6115/khea.2012.50.4.115 Factors Influencing the Emotional Problems of Impoverished Children Department of Social Welfare, Suwon Science College Full-time Lecturer : Insoon Shin Abstract The purpose of this study is to compare emotional problems, the related risk factors, and protective factors of impoverished children with those of enriched children in order to examine the effects of the related factors, and to suggest practical interventions and the functions of the social welfare service. Participants for this study were 458 students in the 4th, 5th and 6th grade of elementary school located in the Metropolitan area. The major findings were as follows: First, impoverished children had more emotional problems compared with enriched children. Second, poverty was found to influence the emotional problems of children. Third, concerning the relation between a familys poverty and the emotional problems of children, the finding is that eating habits, parentshealth problems and marital conflict are mediating-factors. (children in poverty), (emotional problem), (mediating effect) Corresponding Author : Insoon Shin, Department of Social Welfare, Suwon Science College, San 9-1, Botong-ri, Jeongnam-myun, Hwaeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, 445-742, Korea Tel: +82-31-350-2480 E-mail: issscout@daum.net *. - 115 -

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Figure 1. Research model. α α - 118 -

α α α α Table 1. Gender & grade of study object Variables frequency Total Impoverished Children Enriched Children Rate(%) frequency Rate(%) frequency Rate(%) F 236 51.5 159 54.1 77 47.0 Gender M 222 48.5 135 45.9 87 53.0 Total 458 100.0 294 100.0 164 100.0 4 88 19.2 54 18.4 34 20.7 Grade 5 201 43.9 130 44.2 71 43.3 6 169 36.9 110 37.4 59 36.0 Total 458 100.0 294 100.0 164 100.0 Total Rate 100% 64.2% 35.8% - 119 -

α α α Table 2. Comparative analysis of emotional problems of children in poverty & non-poverty Variables Impoverished Children (N = 294) Mean / SD Enriched Children (N = 164) Mean / SD Emotional Problems 2.5867.85207 2.2464.66667 4.728.000 Aggression 3.0754.99719 2.8506.92982 2.369.018 impulse 2.3679 1.10932 2.0082.95936 3.628.001 anxiety 2.6183 1.01475 2.2720.85606 3.870.000 Depression 2.2770 1.24139 1.8374.96846 4.189.000 t p Table 3. Correlation between main variables Total Eating habits Sedentary lifestyle Marital conflict of the parents Parents health problems Parenting behavior Hours of Physical exercise Sexual Maturation.050 Eating habits.071.251** Sedentary lifestyle.073.157**.147** Marital conflict of the parents.061.149**.046.329** Parents health problems.094*.313**.165**.305**.200** Parenting behavior.041.015.044.023.031.035 Hours of Physical exercise Hygiene.021.247.084.055.241**.155**.089 Hygiene Self-esteem.150**.261**.089.200**.087.317**.104*.014 Selfesteem Emotional Problems Emotional Problems.069.450**.150**.299**.233**.321**.035.171**.426** Poverty.045.262**.251**.297**.196**.229**.037.357**.084.202** *.p <.05, **.p <.01-120 -

Table 4. Mediating effect of third variables on poverty & emotional problems Total Effect : X Y (c) : Poverty(P) Emotional Problems(E) :.3495***(.0816) Direct Effect C' (C Prime).0206(.0808) Step1: X M (a)(se) Step2: M Y (b)(se) Step3: Indirect Effect:X M Y (ab)(bootstrap S C) P Sexual Maturation.0203(.0334) Sexual Maturation E.0560(.1035) P Sexual Maturation E.0009(.0174,.0033) P Eating habits.3829***(.0654) Eating habits E.3634***(.0567) P Eating habits E.1398(.0821,.2166) P Sedentary lifestyle 84.4302***(17.2497) Sedentary lifestyle E.0001(.0002) P Sedentary lifestyle E.0058(.0218,.0436) P Marital conflict of the parents P Parents health problems P Hours of Physical exercise.6684***(.1092).2998***(.0704) 7.9996(7.0410) Marital conflict of the parents E Parents' health problems E Hours of Physical exercise E.0997**(.0341).1187*(.0521).0002(.0005) P Marital conflict of the parents E P Parents' health problems E P Hours of Physical exercise E.0679(.0152,.1273).0343(.0024,.1077).0015(.0199,.0051) P Hygiene.7935(.0921) Hygiene E.0365(.0383) P Hygiene E.0290(.0354,.0949) P Self-esteem.1119(.0809) Self-esteem E.2692***(.0459) P Self-esteem E.0305(.0088,.0825) P Parenting behavior.3928(.0783) Parenting behavior E -.0646(.0484) P Parenting behavior E.0261(.0134,.0773) Figure 2. Mediation model on poverty & emotional problems. - 121 -

β β β β β β β β β β β β β - 122 -

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