Community residents' knowledge level and related factor on electronic wave

This study was conducted to examine community residents' knowledge level and related factor on electronic wave in order to provide basic data for development of education and publicity program. 2,000 people, who lived in five big cities and five small and medium cities, were selected ad subjects of this study. The data were collected from May 1, 200 I to August 31, 2001. The results of this study are as follows. According to the average knowledge level of harmful affect of electronic wave on health in general characteristics, female was higher(37.40 ± 5.24 points) than male; ‘forties’ was highest(37.77 ± 5.69 points); ‘married spouse’ was high(36.84 ± 5.59 points); ‘living in small-ta-medium city’ was high(36.84 ± 5.32 points). ‘university graduate’ was highest(37.41 ± 5.32 points) in education level, ‘middle class’ was high(36.61 ± 4.96 points) in economic status, ‘professional technician’ was higher(36.68 ± 6.55 points) than other occupations in occupational type. According to the knowledge level of harmful affect of electronic wave on health in health condition by self-judgment, ‘good health condition’ was highest(36.77 ± 4.99 points). In the case of the knowledge level of those who visited medical institutions for last one year, ‘never visited’ was highest(37.19 ± 5.02 points). In the kind of medical institutions, ‘those who visited general hospital’ was highest(36.58 ± 5.63 points). In the way of knowledge obtainments of electronic wave through education and publicity media, ‘school education’ was highest(37.55 ± 5.19 points). According to the score of awareness level of disease incidence related to electronic wave, allergy and erethism was highest(57.8 points on the basis of 100 points). It appeared in order of leukemia, skin disease or skin cancer, dementia, various cancers, cataract, and brain tumor. The variables which significantly influenced knowledge level of harm of electronic wave were knowledge obtainments of electronic wave, age, economic status, daily TV watching period, sex, period of daily cellular phone use, period of working with computer, and daily VTR watching period. The knowledge of community residents concerning harmful affect of electronic wave on health is needed because people's opportunity of exposing to electronic wave is increasing. Especially, it is the demands of the times to provide information on knowledge of each equipment which generate electronic wave. The government, the product manufacturing companies, related social organizations, and education institutions must make efforts to develop the education program which is needed to make people have right knowledge and attitude.

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