* This investigation received financial support from the World Health Organization. * 본 논문의 요지는 1977년 10월 7일 제 40차 대한산부인과학회 학술대회에서 발표하였음. 1)고려대학교 의과대학, 2)국립서울대학교 의과대학, 3)연세대학교 의과대학, 4)5)6)경희대학교 의과대학, 7)국립의료원

Changes in the value system among Korean along with the remarkable socioeconomic development during the last three decades ever since the out-break of Korean conflicts in 1950 have ushered in nationwide movement toward family limitation. Its consequence is obviously being reflected on the reproductive patterns of Korean couples. This paper is to clarify the recent changes in reproductive pattern in terms of demographic and obstetric backgrounds of Korean wives who attended five antenatal clinics of four university hospitals and one government hospital. Primary purpose of the study was intended to investigate possible effect of induced abortion on the outcome of subsequent pregnancies. The study was carried out by interviewing the pregnant women during pregnancy and after its termination in prospective fashion. The period of contack encompassed from February, 1975 to May, 1977. Each individual was contacted twice in pregnancy and after childbirth respectively. The results obtained from the first interview of 5,843 women at antenatal clinics are as follows: 1) Women attending antenatal clinics comprises of 19 years or less for 0.2%, 20-24 years for 20.1%, 25-29 years for 57.9%, 30-34 years for 18.5%, and 35-39 years for 2.9%. Thus, women in 20s represents 78.0% of all samples. Of these primigravidae is 36.5%, while multiparae 54.3% of the total. In comparison of women 10 years earlier in Seoul, the proportion of pregnant women in 30s were 37% instead of 22.8% of the present level which is mirroring the earlier limitation of family size by much shortened reproductive activities. 2) As to educational attainments of pregnant women, the proportion of wives completed middle or high school and college are 51.8% and 43.1% respectively, whereas the comparable educational levels among wives in Seoul are 45% and 5%. Therefore, the samples appear to be representative of women in much higher socioeconomic strata of Seoulite. 3) All women have experienced 1.5 pregnancies on average in their past, while among those ever experi