PROTECTION CONVERGENCE

Purpose: This study analyzed the relationship between the perception of essential oils and the satisfaction of aromatherapy users, which is considered to be an ongoing study to effectively improve the satisfaction and stress of aromatherapy users in an era where anyone can easily access aromatherapy. Therefore, the purpose is to identify the satisfaction and stress reduction effects of essential oils in aromatherapy, thereby providing academic value and contributing to the revitalization of the aromatherapy industry by being utilized as developmental data for the beauty industry. Method: To this end, a study was conducted focusing on women who used aromatherapy. A research model for empirical analysis was presented, and research hypotheses were established through raising research questions. Sample collection was conducted on women in their 20s to 50s who resided nationwide and had experience using aromatherapy, and a total of 206 questionnaires were used as analysis data. Statistical processing was performed using the SPSS 25.0 program to conduct frequency analysis and reliability analysis, and independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, and regression analysis were used to verify hypotheses. Results: The main results of this study are summarized as follows. First, it was verified that there are differences in aromatherapy usage characteristics depending on the presence or absence of children and monthly income. In other words, it was confirmed that the recommended aromatherapy service should be different depending on the characteristics of the customer. Second, it was verified that the aromatherapy satisfaction and stress reduction effect of essential oil awareness was improved. In other words, it was confirmed that information about essential oils can improve aromatherapy satisfaction and reduce stress. Conclusion: This study suggested the importance of essential oil awareness and argued that aromatherapy education programs that can be implemented at community centers and other places are the most effective way to improve essential oil awareness. In the fierce competition where aromatherapy is easily accessible, beauty companies need to seek more advanced strategies for aromatherapy education and information provision to customers during treatment in order to survive and develop. This study is significant in that it verified the influence of essential oil awareness, which can be treated as simple information, and suggests that differentiated marketing strategies are needed depending on the customer.

Purpose: In Korean society, life expectancy has increased due to the development of medical technology and the bio industry, and we are now approaching the age of 100 years. Amid these changes, seniors in their 50s or older, who have money and time to spare, have emerged as a new consumer group, and a generation that takes the lead in post-retirement life and actively participates in social activities has emerged. This study was conducted using a grounded theory approach among qualitative research methods to take an in-depth look at active seniors' perceptions and experiences of using mobile platforms. Method: This study used the grounded theory method of Strauss & Corbin (1998), and purposive sampling was used to select 9 participants. The data collected from the in-depth interviews were transcribed, and the recorded content was compared with the written content to confirm consistency. Data analysis was organized through the stages of open coding, axial cording, and selective coding, which are grounded theory analysis methods. Results: The raw data collected through in-depth interviews were divided into concepts, subcategories, categories, and paradigms and classified by type. As a result of the analysis, 89 concepts, 41 subcategories, and 20 categories were derived. The participants' perception and experience of using mobile platforms in this study were categorized into three types: Closely related to daily life, active information seeking type, and leisure activity pursuit type. Conclusion: It has been confirmed that Korea's active seniors, unlike past seniors, are socially and economically well-off, have a keen interest in academics, and are interested in active appearance management and health. Accordingly, this study exploratively confirmed the contents of active seniors' perceptions and experiences of using mobile platforms through a grounded theory approach. The results of this study specifically present opinions on changing perceptions through various utilization methods and experiences regarding the use of mobile platforms by active seniors.

Purpose: Recently, in Korea, the health-related market pursuing healthy beauty is expanding, and the keyword safety is added, leading to industrialization in each field. In particular, in the garments market containing new materials, functional clothing with added compression functions is being released steadily. Accordingly, in this study, a qualitative study was conducted to understand the components and meaning of the experiential nature of wearing compression garments in vivid language. Method: In this study, Giorgi applied descriptive phenomenological research methods to identify the individual characteristics of participants and confirm the overall meaning and perception change process of wearing compression garments. The study participants were selected through a purposive sampling method targeting people who had worn compression garments for more than 3 months after being recommended by the M University Research Institute in Korea. The primary data collection for this study was a literature review for theoretical extraction, and the secondary data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews and narrative observation. The in-depth interview used an open-ended semi-structured interview format which is commonly used in phenomenological approaches. Results: As a result of analysis using Giorgi's four-step phenomenological approach, 75 meaning units, 13 sub-components, and 4 components were derived. The final components related to the research participants' perception and experience of wearing compression garments are ‘the moment of wearing compression garments', ‘wearing compression garments and changes in perception', ‘wearing compression garments and physical changes', and ‘changes in health beliefs'. etc. appeared. Conclusion: What is common about the participants' experience of wearing compression garments is that they experienced positivity about changes in body shape and changes in their concept of health. It was confirmed that this experience led to control over the health environment and a change in awareness of health beliefs. The results of this study provided an opportunity to identify the uniqueness of those who have experience wearing compression garments, which cannot be confirmed in quantitative research.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate how individuals from Korean cultural background construct their moral and mental health beliefs by bringing together their cultural values, personal experiences and beliefs. This study aims to examine the moral ideals of individuals and mental health beliefs by observing their decision making about “who sleeps by whom” in the family. Method: Using the concept of moral and mental belief system, an analysis of the child's sleeping arrangement was conducted through qualitative research. This study was conducted through an in-depth interview from August to December 2023, and four male and two female students with Korean-American characteristics New York University students and selected as participants. The researcher conducted individual interviews, and each interview took 60 to 120 minutes. Results: Considering the cultural proximity of Korean culture, to which all participants of this project belong, it can be inferred that participants prioritized sleeping with their children with similar reasons that Korean parents provide in explaining their sleeping arrangements. Findings from the current project that was conducted with participants of Korean background may contrast with the cultural values held in American society, where parent-child co-sleeping is quite rare and the bedroom of adults is often a private space that is off limits to children. In the mental health belief, all six participants said that childhood health is very important throughout life and that parenting stability affects children's motor development, language development, and intellectual development. They also responded that sleep arrangement plays an important role in determining children's mental health. Conclusion: It can be seen that community ethics approaches and perspectives on interdependent self-emerged in completing sleep arrangement tasks. Six participants from Korean cultural backgrounds had health beliefs that sleep arrangements should focus on child protection, often avoiding the sleep of siblings of different genders, and that sleep arrangements should be able to give children a sense of mental security as parents.