• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.341-355
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The consumption of dietary supplements has shown an increase among young people in their 20s. We aimed to compare the use of dietary supplements and related factors between Chinese international and Korean college students living in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted online surveys of 400 Chinese international students and 452 Korean college students from January to February 2021. We analyzed the factors related to the use of dietary supplements by these students using multi-group structural equation modeling and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Approximately 65% of the Chinese international students and 93% of the Korean college students consumed dietary supplements at least once in the year preceding the survey. The common types of dietary supplements consumed by both groups of students were vitamin and mineral supplements, Lactobacillus products, and red ginseng products. Structural equation modeling showed that perception of the consumption of dietary supplements by family and friends positively influenced attitude toward dietary supplements. This effect was higher for Korean college students than for Chinese international students (P < 0.01). Attitude toward dietary supplements positively influenced their use, and this effect was higher for Chinese international students than for Korean college students (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the use of dietary supplements by Chinese international students was significantly associated with age, self-reported health status, interest in health, perception of and attitude toward dietary supplements, and length of residence in South Korea. Among Korean college students, it was associated with exercise frequency and attitude toward dietary supplements. CONCLUSION: This study showed significant differences in the use of dietary supplements and related factors between Chinese international and Korean college students. Therefore, nutrition education programs on dietary supplements need to have differentiated content for each group. Such differences also suggest that the industry should consider the relevant characteristics of college students while developing and marketing dietary supplements.

• (The)Korea Educational Review
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.303-326
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• 2012

The purpose of this paper is to explore Chinese students' difficulty and understanding of their relationship with Korean students. A total of 20 Chinese undergraduate students at a private university in Seoul were interviewed. Findings show that (1) Chinese students were separated from Korean students in their relationships; (2) Chinese students understood that Korean students were indifferent to Chinese students and pursue purposeful relationships with Chinese students; (3) Chinese students recognized that Korean students and people perceive China and Chinese people negatively, reasons including mass media in both China and Korea, political and economic relations between two countries, and lack of intercultural education in Korean education. This paper emphasizes the separation of Chinese students from Korean students despite the successful increase of international student population in Korean higher education, and concludes that international student recruitment and internationalization efforts in Korean higher education need to be directed toward facilitating relationships between Korean and international students, thereby promoting their quality of educational and sociocultural experience.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.452-462
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• 2012

The study was conducted to investigate the dietary behaviors and lifestyles of Korean university students and Chinese international students in the Jeonbuk area. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 241 Korean university students and 198 Chinese international students. Statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS v. 12.0. Breakfast-skipping among subjects was very common, and the most frequently given reason for skipping this meal was 'lack of time'. More than 85% of Korean male students and 75% of Korean female students reported regularly eating lunch in university canteens or restaurants around campus, whereas 86% of Chinese male students and 82% of Chinese female students regularly ate their lunches in university canteens or at home. About 62% of Korean male students, 72% of Korean female students, 48% of Chinese male students, and 70% of Chinese female students responded that they do not regularly eat dinner, the main reasons cited for this being 'irregularity of lifestyle' and 'part-time work'. Snack intake by the subjects was high. Beverages were the snack item most frequently consumed by Korean and Chinese male students, whereas cookies and fruits were most frequently consumed by Korean and Chinese female students. About 28% of Korean male students and 44% of Chinese male students were smokers, respectively. Half of Chinese female students drank alcohol once or twice a week. About 42% of Korean male students and 65% of Chinese male students played sports, respectively. Dietary behaviors and lifestyles of Korean and Chinese students tended to be very similar. Chinese students performed more health-oriented activities in comparison to Korean students. In conclusion, a practical and foreigner-friendly nutritional education program should be devised in order to correct the dietary behaviors and health-related lifestyles of Korean and Chinese students.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.304-312
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: International students face dissimilar food environments, which could lead to changes in dietary behaviors and anthropometric characteristics between before and after migration. We sought to examine the risk factors, including dietary behaviors, acculturation, and demographic characteristics, related to overweight subjects residing in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study, collecting data from 142 Chinese international students (63 males, 79 females) in 2013. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 25.4 years, and almost half of them immigrated to South Korea to earn a master's degree or doctoral degree (n = 70, 49.3%). Chinese international students showed an increase in skipping meals and eating speed, but a decrease in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in South Korea compared to when they lived in China. We found a statistically significant increase in weight (69.4 ${\rightarrow}$ 73.9 kg) and BMI (22.4 ${\rightarrow}$ $23.8kg/m^2$) for male subjects (P < 0.001) but no change for female subjects. We also found that overweight subjects were more likely to be highly acculturated and male compared with normal-weight subjects. CONCLUSION: Among Chinese international students living in South Korea, male and more highly acculturated subjects are more vulnerable to weight gain. This study provides useful information to design tailored nutrition intervention programs for Chinese international students.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.501-513
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• 2011

Purpose: On the basis of the theoretical framework of a combination of Roy's adaptation theory and Lazarus & Folkman's theory of stress - appraise coping, the purpose of this study was to predict effect factors of adaptation to university life of Chinese international students in Korea. After this, a model of adaptation to university life of Chinese international students in Korea was constructed. Methods: A questionnaire was used to survey 369 Chinese international students from one university in Korea, which was analyzed by using PASW Statistics 18.0 and LISREL 8.7. Results: This theoretical model explained adaptation to university life of Chinese international students at 75.0% in Korea. Physical symptoms, loneliness, acculturation stress and self-efficacy directly affected the adaptation to university life. Korean language proficiency indirectly affected adaptation to university life through self-efficacy. Conclusion: Results of this study provided theoretical basis for the future health care of university- centered health centers. For improving adaptation to university life of Chinese international students in Korea, education and nursing measures for reducing physical symptoms, loneliness and acculturation stress, and improving Korean language proficiency and self-efficacy are proposed for further research and development.

• Korean Journal of School Psychology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.379-403
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• 2011

This study examined coping strategies and perceived changes of the Chinese international students in South Korea. A total of 56 Chinese students participated and data was analyzed using the concept mapping method. The results showed that Chinese international students adopted developing language proficiency and using social networks as important coping strategies. They also perceived a wide range of changes including changes in the cultural and personal self. However, the perception of these coping strategies and changes differed by the length of stay. Chinese international students who stayed longer reported using specific coping strategies for mood regulation, which was distinctive from the coping strategies used by students who stayed for a shorter period of time. Students who stayed longer perceived negative changes as well as positive changes, while students who stayed for a shorter period reported predominantly positive changes. The findings indicate that university staff needs to understand and sensitively respond to the distinctive experiences of Chinese international students which vary across time.

• Journal of Korean language education
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.31-63
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to compare the aspects of acculturation and the acculturative strategies of Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Japanese international students in Korea and to explore the correlation between acculturative strategies and acculturation as well as between acculturative factors and acculturation. The analysis revealed (i) that all of the international students from four countries adapted well to Korean culture in order of contentment to the collegiate life, personal factors, Korean living culture, social factors, Korean classes. Further, (ii) frequently used acculturative strategies of Chinese, Mongolian students were in the order of separation, marginalization, and assimilation while the most often used acculturative ones of Vietnamese and Japanese students were in the order of marginalization, separation and assimilation. In addition, (ⅲ) the acculturation of international students from four countries showed a significant correlation with personal factors, Korean living culture, contentment to the collegiate life, and (iv) the acculturation of Chinese students showed a positive correlation with separation strategy. In contrast, there was a negative correlation between the marginalization strategy and the acculturation of Mongolian and Japanese students.

• Journal of the International Relations & Interdisciplinary Education
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.9-33
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• 2022

This paper mainly studies the national impression of college students on South Korea, selects students from some key universities as the target population, and conducts an in-depth investigation from the overall impression of South Korea, diplomatic image, food culture, language culture, tourism, entertainment circle and other aspects. Through a questionnaire survey of Chinese college students, this paper studies the image of South Korea in the eyes of contemporary Chinese college students, including the following aspects: First, Research the current Chinese college students' perception of the overall image of South Korea; Second, it studies the current Chinese college students' perception of the image of South Korea in the diplomatic, language, food, tourism and entertainment circles, and analyzes the internal dimensions of the image of South Korea in the minds of Chinese college students; Third, it studies the current Chinese college students' cognition of the overall image of South Koreans, and analyzes the internal dimensions of the image of South Koreans in the minds of Chinese college students; Fourth, to investigate the evaluation of Chinese college students on the image of South Korea. The survey results are analyzed from the perspectives of all subjects and gender differences, combined with the theories of communication and intercultural communication, and suggestions and prospects for the future development of the national image are made.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.38-43
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• 2017

Many students prefer to study abroad to increase their chances of having a better future. While studying abroad they may encounter difficulties such as adapting to the culture of the country they are studying in. Chinese students coming to Korea are no exception to this, and when they are studying abroad, the new environment they are in may cause them hardships which may impact on their social life and even their academic performance. In order to develop their careers, they face many difficulties and challenges. Cultural differences they experience may change their attitudes, thoughts, and values. This research focuses on international students who are not yet certain about their future plans. In order to grasp levels of daily life satisfaction, ease of communication, and future planning orientation, this study conducted a survey of Chinese students who study in Korea. The empirical analysis showed that students with high level of life satisfaction have a tendency to enter graduate school. However, communication has no relation to future planning orientation.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.273-281
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• 2013

The study is being conducted to investigate the perceptions and preferences of the Korean kimchi by the Chinese international students in Jeonbuk area. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 197 male (48.9%) and 203 female (51.1%) students. Statistical data analysis is being completed using SPSS v. 12.0. Approximately 95% of Chinese female and 91% of male students know about kimchi before coming to Korea through the Korean movies and dramas. The perceptions for kimchi according to the residence period showed a significantly difference 'kimchi is a nutritious and health food' (p<0.05), 'kimchi has good taste but too hot to eat' (p<0.05), and 'Kimchi is difficult to eat because of the smell' (p<0.05). Approximately 52% of Chinese female and 44% of male students consumed kimchi once or twice a day. The most popular form of kimchi among the 13 varieties was baech kimchi. Chinese female students preferred the 'kkakdugi' (p<0.05), 'chonggak kimchi' (p<0.05), and 'young radish kimchi' (p<0.05) more than the male students. The most liked reason was the 'refreshing taste' (44.8%) whereas the most disliked reasons were 'unfamiliar with eating kimchi' (28.7%) and 'sour taste' (24.2%). Approximately 85% of Chinese female and 60% of male students would like to experience making kimchis by themselves. Extended kimchi consumptions for Chinese answered 'not too fish-like smell' (36.0%), 'not too overly-ripe' (34.5%), 'not too sour' (25.4%), and 'not too hot' (25.4%). Therefore, in order to improve the awareness for kimchi among Chinese students, we need to relate kimchi with the taste of Chinese traditional foods.