Patterns of service needs and their influence on aging anxiety among middle-aged marriage immigrant women in South Korea.

Abstract

This study investigates how diverse service needs shape aging anxiety among middle-aged marriage immigrant women (MIWs) in South Korea, grounded in life course theory and developmental task theory. Prolonged unmet service needs can limit access to essential resources, hinder preparation for later life, and exacerbate aging anxiety. Utilizing data from the 5th National Survey on Multicultural Families and filtering it based on the length of residence in Korea, this study employs latent class analysis to identify patterns of service needs. The Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars approach is also applied to examine the relationship between the identified patterns and aging anxiety. The findings reveal five distinct service need patterns-High service need, Low service need, Employment need, Social involvement need, and Childcare and startup need groups-and aging anxiety varies across these patterns. This research highlights the importance of developing tailored social welfare policies to foster inclusivity within vulnerable populations and to support successful aging. Ultimately, the findings call for life stage sensitive and targeted services that reflect the unique developmental needs of middle-aged MIWs to mitigate aging anxiety and promote well-being.