• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.51-58
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• 2007

The present study surveyed 750 graduate and undergraduate students who were living or not living in Gangwon province concerning the characteristics of disasters in Gangwon province, people's consciousness of disaster prevention, etc. According to the results of analysis, all the respondents thought that the possibility of disasters is higher in Gangwon province(74.0%) than in any other province. Compared to non-residents, Gangwon province residents tended to perceive that the possibility of storm and flood disasters and forest fires is high in Gangwon province. As to reasons for frequent disasters in Gangwon province, the respondents mentioned disadvantageous natural conditions, the shortage of disaster prevention facilities and local residents' low consciousness of disaster prevention. As to methods for enhancing people's consciousness of disaster prevention in Gangwon province, they considered essential the expansion of disaster prevention facilities and education on disaster prevention. In particular, 62.1% of the respondents did not have experiences in disaster education. This suggests the necessity for extending disaster education.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.1295-1300
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• 2022

There has been increased interest in researching risk perception of radiation to implement successful risk communication, particularly given the recent worldwide nuclear policy movement regarding nuclear energy. This study aimed to investigate characteristics of risk perception among residents living near normally operating nuclear power plants in South Korea by identifying factors associated with risk perception. A survey was conducted with face-to-face interviews for 1200 residents aged 20e84 years by gender- and age-stratified random sampling. Risk perception was associated with trust perception in nuclear safety, but was not highly correlated with benefit perception for utilizing nuclear power. Relatively high risk perception was observed in women, older age groups, and residents not having experience of nuclear-related education or work. This association remained after adjusting for other factors including benefit perception, trust perception, and psychological distress. In addition to these individual characteristics, risk perception was also associated with a residential district's own unique context, indicating that a strategy of risk communication should be developed differently for residents facing nuclear-related circumstances. Given that risk perception can be changed, depending on social values such as safety culture and economic setting, further studies are required to understand the changing characteristics of radiation risk perception.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.554-566
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Urban-rural inequities in health and mortality exist in Korea, a highly centralized developed country. The potential impact of multiple health-related lifestyle behaviors on mortality and difference between urban and rural areas is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of high-risk health behaviors on all-cause mortality among residents living in urban and rural in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on 8,298 adults aged 40 yrs and older from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2015. High-risk behaviors were defined as having poor diet quality, current smoking, high-risk drinking, or insufficient physical activity. Mortality status was linked to the Cause of Death data followed up to December 31, 2019. The associations between all-cause mortality and high-risk behaviors were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, income, and survey year. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated, and effect modification analysis was conducted. Participants were stratified by residential area (urban or rural). RESULTS: During the follow-up (median: 5.4 yrs), 313 deaths occurred. A higher proportion of rural residents than urban residents engaged in multiple high-risk behaviors (28.9% vs. 22.6%; P < 0.0001). As individual factors, a greater risk of mortality was associated with poor diet quality, current smoking, and inadequate physical activity, and these tendencies persisted in rural residents, especially for diet quality. Multiple high-risk behaviors were positively associated with a higher risk of mortality in Koreans living in urban and rural areas. PAF (95% confidence interval) was 18.5% (7.35-27.9%) and 29.8% (16.1-40.2%) in urban and rural residents, respectively. No additive or multiplicative effect of the region was observed. CONCLUSION: The higher prevalence of multiple high-risk lifestyle behaviors in rural residents may explain the higher mortality in rural areas compared to urban areas. Comprehensive public health policies to improve health-related behaviors in rural populations may be needed.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.131-154
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• 2000

This study was conducted to provide basic data for development of public information program and public policy which could prevent the medicine abuse in Korea, examining the level of knowledge of medicine and its related factors. Data were collected from the 2,011 residents who live in mtropolitan cities, large-sized cities, small and medium cities, and small towns The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1) In case of purchasing of medicines in pharmacy, 67.3％ of the respondents chose the medicines through recommendations of the professionals such as pharmacists and doctors, while 32.7％ of the respondents chose the medicine through self-judgement, advertizing, or recommendation of relative. 2) 64.7％ of the respondents obtained the information on medicines through TV. It appeared to be higher in the groups of female of the twenties, the unmarred, a brother and sister threesome, highschool graduates, housewives, residents in small and medium cities, atheists, and the middle class, displaying the significant difference from the other groups. 3) 40.5％ of the respondents recognized the side effect of the medicine when they took the medicine, while 34.4％ did not recognize it. The rate of experience in the side effect was 39.7％. The informations on the medicine abuse and the risk of addiction were obtained through broadcast media (47.9％), publications (12.1％), and health professionals (11.6％). 4) 81.1％ of the respondents experienced taking of the fatigue relieving medicine. The experience in taking of the fatigue relieving medicine appeared to be higher in the groups of the forties. the married. a brother and sister threesome. highschool graduates. persons engaging in farming, livestock raising, and forestry, the residents in small towns, and Christians. Each group displayed the significant difference from the other groups. 5) According to the level of knowledge of medicines, the respondents marked average 11.7 ± 3.76 points on the base of 24 points. It appeared to be higher in the groups of female of the twenties, a brother and sister foursome, college graduates, teachers, Catholics, and the middle class, displays the significant difference from the other groups. 6) According to the experience in taking of health medicine and health food, 81.1％ of respondents had the experience in taking ‘the fatigue relieving medicine’; 72.4％ ‘carrot or vegetable juice’; 69.5％ ‘ginseng’; 63.0％ ‘mushroom’; 42.5％ ‘dog meat’; 38.0％ ‘aloe’; 36.4 ‘deer antlers’; 11.4％ ‘snake’; 2.0％ ‘the penis of a fur seal’. 7) The factors influencing the level of knowledge of medicine include experiences in taking of the tonic, the fatigue relieving medicine, and the nutritive medicine, economic status, the number of brothers and sisters, education level, marital status, father's education level, and age. The factors influencing the experience in side effect of medicine are experiences in taking of the fatigue relieving medicine, the nutritive medicine, and the tonic, sex, age, education level, father's education level, marital status, economic status, religion, and the number of brothers and sisters. In conclusion, it is estimated that the level of knowledge of medicines is significantly low in Korea. Especially, it is found out that workmen, students, the upper class, the class of low education level, and persons engaging in farming, livestock raising, and forestry neglect importance of knowledge of medicine. Therefore, it is necessary for public authority, associations related, and health professionals to develop programs for public information and education to help people obtain basic knowledge of medicine.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.73-85
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• 2002

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.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.115-135
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine the health knowledge, attitude and behaviors of Korea high school students and find out the relationship between knowledge, attitude and behaviors in an effort to lay the foundation for the development of health-promotion programs and health education for adolescents. The subjects were 505 students in their first and second year of high school in Gangnam-gu and Guro-gu, Seoul. After a survey was conducted for seventeen days from April 23 to May 9, 2003, with self-administered questionnaires, the collected data was encoded and analyzed with SPSS Win 11.0 program. The frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were calculated, and χ²-test, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe Post Hoc Tests and Pearson Correlation procedure were employed. The findings of this study were as follows： 1. There appeared significant differences in general traits, family-related characteristics and health-related features between the students in Gangnam and the others in Guro. 2. The collective average of the Gangnam residents in health knowledge was 13.97, and that of the Guro residents was 14.64. The overall collective average was 14.35(total of 22 points), and 65.2 percent of the students investigated had a correct knowledge. The points showed significant differences in the variables of sex, economic status, mother's occupation,and health concerns. 3. The students from Gangnam scored a mean of 77.55 in health attitude, and the others from Guro got an average of 78.75. The overall collective average was 78.22(total of 110 points), and 71.1 percent took a correct attitude toward health. The points showed significant differences in the variables of sex, religion, mother's education level, health concerns. 4. In the field of health behavior, the Gangnam residents got a mean of 63.99, and the Guro dwellers scored a mean of 62.12. There was a significant gap between the two groups, and the overall collective average was 62.94(total of 102 points). 61.5 percent tried to stay fit in a correct behavior. The points showed significant differences in the variables of sex, economic status, parents' education level, father's occupation, health concern of parents, self-perceived health status, health concern, exercise or diet performance for health, health education times for 1yr. 5. Concerning the relationship of health knowledge to health attitude and behavior, the health knowledge showed significantly positive correlation with health attitude(r＝0.227, p＜0.01), and the health knowledge showed significantly positive correlation with health behavior(r＝0.262, p＜0.001). But their relationship is comparatively low. The health attitude was not significantly correlated to health behavior.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.25 no.1 s.85
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• pp.127-144
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• 2007

This study was conducted for the purpose of analyzing volunteer workers' perceptions of and attitudes toward the behavior problems of the elderly residents after caring for the residents voluntarily at low-income nursing homes. Eleven male and female volunteers ranging from age 19 to 52 were asked how they felt about the elderly residents' behavior problems and what kind of behavioral problems they had experienced after doing volunteer works in the three chosen facilities. In particular, they were expected to explain what emotional changes they experienced during their volunteer service. In this study, it was observed that most of the elderly subjects experienced three categories of behavior problems: habitual, repetitious and unreasonable activities caused by the elderly residents' life span backgrounds, unexpected and/or abrupt behaviors resulting from gradual cognitive impairments, and physiological, awkward activities caused from gradual senility. The volunteers tend to believe that the elderly residents are naturally expected to act positively, since they have been provided with well- planned, regular care services such as bathing, counseling, activity programs, and religious guidances. On the other hand, some respondents stated that their experiences at the nursing homes caused them to form negative images of the elderly; they feel that the elderly are not helpful for giving advices on critical decisions, guiding and encouraging their daily lives, and offering any positive influences toward their own lives. Rather, they find themselves getting too much stressed as a result of their intimate contacts with demented or senile residents. Overall, in this study, it is proposed that education for confronting sudden abrupt behavior problems should be intensified more for female volunteers, since they tend to be more susceptible to emotional harassment resulting from the problem behaviors. It is also proposed that young volunteers who have not been systematically trained for confronting aggressive behaviors need to be separately assigned their roles in order to minimize the potential of confronting unseemly situations resulting from male residents whose mental health has deteriorated. Furthermore, it is also suggested that the combination of leisure-related activities for healthy residents and stressful intimate services for the frail residents be systematically planned and implanted for the volunteer program so that the volunteers can lessen the chances of suddenly finding themselves confronted with extremely abrupt agitations.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1999

A study has been performed on perception of citizens about the medical insects (house flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches) in Chang Won city. A total of 375 subjects (male: 180, female: 195) was surveyed in October 1997. Cockroaches were the most dislike of medical insects to the dwellers. At a residence, cockroaches were the most troubled insects although mosquitoes were the most frequently appeared insects. Also, the most troubled insects were the cockroaches at hospitals, departments, coffee shops, and bars; the mosquitoes at theaters and parks; and the house flies at restaurants in the city. The cockroaches had the highest negative opinion score as a 4.4 point of a 5.0 point. About half of the subjects had extremely suffered from the mosquitoes (52.8%) and cockroaches (51.8%). House residents controlled house flies using fly swatters (50.0%) and insecticide sprayers (38.9%), but apartment residents controlled them using the sprayers (50.8%) and fly swatters (36.5%). The mosquitoes were controlled by using the sprayers (51.6%) and mosquito coils (36.4%). The cockroaches were controlled by using toxic baits (32.9%) and the sprayers (31.5%). Only 10% of the subjects were satisfied control management against the medical insects. The subjects wanted to more effectively control against cockroaches (39.9%) and mosquitoes (37.9%).

• The Journal of Sustainable Design and Educational Environment Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

The school complex project is driven by public calling for school facilities change due to the social change followed by the aging society and increasing interest in the lifelong education. The school complex project is defined as an activity in which the school facilities and space are not only used for students, but also for the local residents. Since the project was promoted in a link with reform of the education system in 2001, the demand in the expectation effect has been sharply increasing. Despite of the high expectation and attention, the school complex project, however, has been performed in a limit of efficiency. Consequently, public opinion calling for more structured and effective way on construction and administration has been certainly increasing. According to the strong demand, this study was carried out to provide basic data for, and suggest an approach to, more structured and effective way of establishment and administration of the school complex project by comparing the success cases in Seoul metropolitan city.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.159-170
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to understand the current status of education and programs and to identify the items that urban residents need most for garden management. First of all, there were 45 sites (40.5%) with gardens operated by city and county local governments nationwide, and 41(91.1%) of them had dedicated staff (1.8 persons on average). The average area of gardens was 18,623 m², garden area per person was 20.27m², the average number of participants was 683, and the average period of use was 8.69 months. In addition to gardening activities, 14 (31.1%) out of 45 sites were operating small group meetings, with an average of 2.29 meetings and 67 participants. In the satisfaction survey after gardening activities, 88.9% of 18 sites were satisfied. According to the questionnaire about education and programs related to garden users, an average of four sessions were conducted per education. In terms of education, the contents were in the following order: basic education on garden cultivation (33.9%) > prior education on garden operation (28.9%) > pest control (14.0%) > eco-friendly management (11.6%) > pesticides and Positive List System (9.9%) > others (1.7%). Over 95% of the respondents were generally satisfied. Regarding the perception survey on which items are needed to develop garden management guidelines, the most necessary items were in the order of crop management (38.7%) > public garden etiquettes among users (27.9%) > pest control (14.4%) > weed management (13.5%) > activities using harvest (5.4%). The contents that are to be included in the guidelines were in the order of garden planning and crop selection (17.2%) > cultivation techniques and schedule (16.5%) > pest and soil management (15.7%) > introduction of garden crops and gardening models (12.7%) > garden etiquettes (10.7%). In establishing urban garden management plans by region, the results will have high utility value as the basic data for continuous garden operation by setting a direction that meets the regional characteristics as well as the needs of urban residents.