• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.144-153
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• 2021

Objectives: Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders in adolescents and seem to occur the earliest among all forms of psychopathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of anxiety severity with health risk behaviors and mental health in adolescents. Methods: Data from the 2020 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey were analyzed. A total of 54948 adolescents responded to the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) for the assessment of their anxiety severity as well as to the mental health and health risk behavior survey. Logistic regression analysis, t tests, and variance analysis of a complex sample general linear model were used to examine the association of anxiety severity with health behaviors and mental health. Results: After statistical adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, the subjects in the severe anxiety group were significantly more likely to be current smokers (odds ratio [OR]: 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.72-2.50), current drinkers (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.67-2.19), experience habitual substance use (OR: 10.89, 95% CI: 8.22-14.42), have sexual intercourse (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.76-2.51), and have unprotected intercourse (OR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.67-2.92) than those in the normal group. Anxiety severity negatively correlated with sleep satisfaction and happiness, but positively correlated with stress perception, loneliness, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. Conclusion: Adolescent anxiety is associated with health risk behaviors and poor mental health. Thus, early screening and intervention for anxiety in adolescents could contribute to the management and coping of youth health risk behaviors in the community.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.269-276
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• 2001

Objectives : To evaluate the internal burden and hazardous effects associated with smoking in middle and high school students. Methods : We analysed urinary cotinine(U-cotinine) concentrations and the frequency of Sister Chromatid Exchanges (SCE). A comparison was done of U-cotinine concentrations and the frequency of SCE in peripheral lymphocytes across school levels (middle vs. high) and smoking types (direct: daily & occasional smoking, indirect; usual indirect & non-smoking), in 122 males. Results : The middle school student group comprised 6.8% daily smokers, 15.9% occasional smokers, 40.9% daily indirect smokers, and 35.4% nonsmokers, while the high school student group comprised 18.0%, 20.5%, 35.7%, and 21.8%, respectively. The U-cotinine concentration and the frequency of SCE among the middle school students were $79.11{\mu}g/l$ and 2.0 per cell, respectively, which were significantly lower than the $146.85{\mu}g/l$ (p=0.078) and 2.6 per cell (p=0.005) of the high school students. Among the 40 direct smokers, these two biomarkers were $236.66{\mu}g/l$ and 2.59 per cell, significantly higher than the $67.33{\mu}g/l$ (p=0.0001) and 2.1 per cell (p=0.003) among indirect smoking groups. The variation in individual U-cotinine concentration ranged widely in both the indirect and direct smoking groups. Conclusion : Urinary cotinine concentrations and the frequency of Sister Chromatid Exchange seem to objectively and effectively evaluate student exposure whether it was direct or indirect smoking. Consequently, these biomarkers may be useful in monitoring the objective efficacy of anti-smoking programs in adolescent populations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2011

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to explore the influences of adolescents' smoking on the stress level according to gender. Methods: We used the data from the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between the period of Jan. and Dec. 2008. The target population of this study is 805 adolescents in the 12~19 years old. Results: 22.0% of male adolescents and 11.8% of female adolescents were current smokers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that stress level was associated with self-reported health status, drinking, and smoking among males. Among females, stress level was associated with BMI. Conclusion: The results of this study would help to develop smoking prevention programs and health promotion strategies for adolescents.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.207-213
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• 2001

Objectives: We surveyed the prevalence of smoking among the adolescent population and analysed the correlation of the two exposure biomarkers-concentration of blood cadmium and urinary cotinine-to the smoking status. Methods: Subjects were 193 middle and high school students in Chungnam province. Blood cadmium and urinary cotinine were compared by sex and smoking status. Smoking status were classified by either the concentration of urinary cotinine or subjective answering as a smoker in the questionnaire. Results: Smoking prevalence was 24.6%, 36.2% and 6.7% among all subjects, male and female subjects, respectively. Average smoking amount was 17.5 and 1.5 cigarettes per month among the male subjects and female subjects, respectively. Mean concentration of urinary cotinine among the male subjects was $135.57{\mu}g/{\ell}$, and that of female subjects was $116.59{\mu}g/$. Direct smokers showed higher concentration of urinary cotinine than those of indirect smokers, and subjects with higher urinary concentration showed higher prevalence of smoking, too. Mean concentration of blood cadmium was $0.0572{\mu}g/d{\ell}$ among the male subjects, and $0.0693{\mu}g/d{\ell}$ among the female subjects. Among the male subjects, both exposure biomarkers showed significant correlation to the smoking status, but among the female subjects urinary cotinine did not show significant correlation to the smoking status. Conclusion: Concentrations of these two biomarkers suggested that this population had significantly high evironmental tobacco smoking(ETS) and efficient stop-smoking programs to reduce ETS should be directed to this population.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.249-254
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• 2006

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the factors related to the perceived peer smoking prevalence for adolescents. Methods: A self-administrated questionnaire was administered to 352 students in a technical high school in Kangwon Province in May, 2002. The questions included in the questionnaire were concerned with the estimated number of smokers among ten students of the same grade in their school, the sociodemographic characteristics, the smoking-related behaviors and attitudes, and the smoking-related environments. All the students had their expiratory carbon monoxide level measured with EC50 Micro-Smokerlyzer? to verify their smoking status. Multiple regression analysis was applied for data analysis using Windows SPSS 11.5. Results: The former and current smokers overestimated the peer smoking prevalence. Multiple regression analysis for estimating the peer smoking prevalence for the male showed that the perceived smoking prevalence was higher in the female students than in the male students, higher in those students whose mothers had a higher educational level, who had smoked more frequently, who had more best friends smoking, and who had a higher actual smoking rate of the class. For estimating the peer smoking prevalence for the female, the perceived smoking prevalence was higher in the female students than in the male students, higher in those who smoked more frequently, whose five best friends smoked, who had higher actual smoking rate of the class, and who had smoking siblings. Conclusions: This study showed that a higher perceived peer smoking rate is related with their own smoking history and smoking frequency, the smoking related environment, and gender. Smoking prevention and smoking cessation programs need to focus on correcting the falsely perceived smoking prevalence.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare unsafe sex experiences of multicultural and non-multicultural adolescents. Methods: The study analyzed the data of 3,029 respondents who responded that they had sex in the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey of 2018. Weighted percentages and simple and multiple logistic regression were conducted using SAS 9.2. Results: As a result of univariate analysis, the odds ratio of unsafe sex was significantly higher in multicultural adolescents, but the difference between the two groups was not significant after controlling for the related variables. Among the covariates, the odds of unsafe sex were significantly higher in boys (AOR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.08~1.66), those who did not live with their family (AOR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.17~2.39), those with low academic achievement (AOR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.02~1.73), binge drinkers (AOR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.29~2.02), smokers (AOR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.06~1.78), and those who did not receive sex education (AOR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.20~2.11). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in unsafe sex experience between multicultural and non-multicultural adolescents. This study also shows the positive effect of school sex education on safe sex in teenagers. It is necessary to strengthen sex education for male students, students not living with their family, students with low academic achievement, binge drinkers, and smokers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3533-3540
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• 2016

Background: Cigarette smoking is one of the leading global causes of premature and preventable death. In Brunei Darussalam, smoking-related diseases have been a primary cause of mortality for the past three decades. Despite the increasing efforts that have been made in recent years to reduce the consumption of tobacco products in Brunei, the prevalence of adolescent smoking cigarette, however has risen alarmingly, from 8.9% in 2013 to 11.4% in 2014, with a higher prevalence found in males (17.8%) than in females (4.8%). In response to the need for more effective smoking prevention programmes in Brunei, this study sought to explore factors that influence Bruneian male adolescents to start and continue smoking. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) as the data collection method was conducted from October to November 2015. A total of 43 studentss, comprising 31 smokers and 12 non-smokers, aged 13-17 years, from two government secondary schools in Bandar Seri Begawan, participated in six FGDs. Discussions were recorded and translated. Transcripts were entered into NVivo10, before thematic analysis was conducted. Results: We identified three themes under the core construct of 'factors influencing smoking initiation' ('family as teachers', 'overt pressure from peers' and 'perceived smoking has many advantages') and three themes under the core construct of 'factors influencing smoking continuation' ('craving and addiction', 'smoking as a 'social activity' and 'easy accessibility of cigarettes'). Conclusions: Based on the findings, it is recommended that future prevention activities should be embedded in a comprehensive approach, involving all stakeholders within a community, and should be focused towards bringing a change in smoking and parenting behavior of parents, social norms within the culture towards all population levels, and at strengthening the existing non-smoking policies in schools and other public places where young people congregate.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.216-226
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• 2022

Background: The amount of smoking in adolescence increases with a younger age of smoking initiation and affects physical health. To establish and evaluate smoking-related policies, it is important to determine actual smoking status. Validation of self-reported questionnaires can identify the accuracy of the questionnaire data reflecting smoking status. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of self-reported smoking status and identify factors affecting the accuracy of self-reported smoking in South Korean adolescents. Methods: This study investigated the consistency between cotinine concentrations and self-reported questionnaire data through the analysis of urine samples collected from 922 adolescents aged 13~18 among the participants of Cycle 3 of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey. Smoking status was classified using the cotinine cut-off point of 39.85 ㎍/L in adolescents, and factors affecting the accuracy were analyzed through multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The smoking rates according to the self-reported questionnaire and cut-off point-based cotinine concentrations among adolescents were 3.1% and 5.1%, respectively. The results found 97.1% consistency between self-reported smokers and smokers according to cotinine concentration. Factors affecting the discrepancy showed a significant relationship, including gender, secondhand smoke, and use of e-cigarettes. Conclusions: The results can be used as basic data to establish a smoking policy for adolescents through continuous monitoring and improvement of questionnaire items of factors affecting the discrepancy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2008

Purpose : To investigate major characteristics influencing on adolescent smoking in Korea. Method : The subjects were 431 students (298 male and 133 female) enrolled in the non smoking program at Seoul School Health Promotion Center from March 2006 to February 2007. The survey was done about motivation of smoking, the way of getting cigarettes and frequency, chi-square test, and t-test by SAS package 8.1 were used to analyze the data. Result : Total 431 subjects were composed of 49.2% middle school students, 50.8% high school students. The middle school students who smoke 1 to less than 10 cigarettes per day were 56.1% and 10 to less than 20 cigarettes per day 26.7%, while high school students were 46.8% and 44.1%. 73.1% of male, and 76.9% of female students selected the cigarettes depending on taste and fragrance. The places of buying cigarettes were supermarkets 67%, convenience stores 19.4%, small stores 11.8%. A high percentage of students answered they did not have to show ID when they bought cigarettes(“rarely checked the ID” 25.2% of male and 30.8% of female, ”did not checked at all” was 10.9% male and 9.6% female). The ratio of spending money on buying cigarettes was 38.8% and 35.6% in male and female middle school, and 37.9% and 27.2% in male and female high school. Conclusion : Findings of this study suggests the constituting of strong social regulations to protect youth from smoking.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• no.39
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• pp.5-28
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is two-fold: 1) to identify different adolescent smoking trajectories in Korea; and 2) to examine predictors of those smoking trajectories within a social developmental frame. Data were from the Korea Youth Panel Survey(KYPS), a longitudinal study of 3,449 youths followed since 2003. Using semi-parametric group-based modeling, four smoking trajectories were identified: non initiators, late onsetters, experimenters, and escalators. Multinomial logistic regressions were then used to identify risk and protective factors that distinguish the trajectory groups from one another. Among non smokers at age 13, late onsetters were distinguished from non initiators by a variety of factors in every ecological domain. Among youths who already smoked at age 13, escalators who increased their smoking were distinguished from experimenters who almost desisted from smoking by age 17 by self-esteem and academic achievement. Finally, implications for youth welfare practice from this study were discussed.