• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1223-1234
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of body weight, perception of body shape and satisfaction with body shape on obesity stress and self-esteem among middle school students. The participants in this study were 446 middle school students in K-city. The major results of this study are as follows. First, male students demonstrated higher obesity rates than female students, and female students considered themselves to be fatter and less satisfied with their body shape than male students. Female students had significantly more obesity-related stress than male students. Second, there were significant differences in physical obesity stress according to body weight status among male and female students, and there was statistically significant difference in psychological obesity stress according to body weight status among male students. Male and female students who considered themselves to be fatter and less satisfied with their body shape suffered from high obesity stress. Third, there was no significant difference in self-esteem according to body weight status, but self-esteem was affected by perception and satisfaction of body shape; male and female students who considered themselves to be fatter and less satisfied with their body shape showed low levels of self-esteem. As the result of regression analysis, psychological obesity stress was the strongest factor in explaining self-esteem among all students, and satisfaction of body shape was also found to be a significant variable among female students.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.2 s.61
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• pp.199-214
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• 1998

This study was undertaken to explain weight control behavior and intention of obese children and adolescents as measured by the elements of the health belief model. A total of 732 obese students from 28 schools in Seoul metropolitan area and their mothers were assessed with a self-administered questionnaire. The analyzed results are as follows; 1. Among obese students, 45.3% of male students and 57.2% of female students, a significantly higher portion than male students, reported that they had tried to lose weight within the recent year. Exercise was the most frequently used method to lose weight followed by diet control, drug use, and specialized clinic visits, in descending order. 2. Male students were more likely to try to lose weight if they perceived a low threat level and their mother had a job, and female students were more likely to try to lose weight if they were younger in age, perceived a low threat level and had strong external motivating factors. 3. Female students showed a significantly higher level of intention to obesity control than male students, and the intention level of their mothers also showed the same trend. 4. In male students, the degree of weight dissatisfaction, weight control experience, the level of obesity related beliefs of students, the educational level of the mother and economic status of the family were significant predictors of intention to obesity control, and in females, age, the level of obesity related beliefs of students and intention of their mothers were significant. In the mothers of male students, obesity index of students, age of the mother and the level of obesity related beliefs of the mother were significant predictors of intention of the mother, and in the mothers of female students, obesity index of students, occupational status of the mother and obesity related beliefs of the mother were significant. 5. According to the path model of intention to obesity control, the degree of weight dissatisfaction had the most powerful effect in male students, and perceived net benefit level was the most important variable in female students. Since the weight control behavior and intention of obese students were more predictable by the degree of weight dissatisfaction than the obesity index, we can conclude that only the students dissatisfied with their weight are well motivated for obesity control. There can be a discrepancy between the mother and her child's beliefs and intention status(especially in male students), so the therapists should also assess the student's opinion as well as the mother's. In female students, the perceived net benefit level wag the most important predictor of intention to obesity control, therefore the intervention program should pay particular attention to the positive benefits of weight control rather than negative aspects(threats) of obesity.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.347-353
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify whether neck circumference might be correlated with other obesity indices and to determine the neck circumference cutoff level for obesity in female college students. Method: The data were obtained by measuring other anthropometric indices including BMI and neck circumference from 325 female college students in J city, Chungbuk Province. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve(ROC curve) analysis was used to find the optimal neck circumference cutoff level against BMI $25kg/m^2$. Results: The mean BMI was $21.4kg/m^2$, and the prevalence of obesity was 12.6%. Neck circumference was significantly correlated with body weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist to hip ratio, % body fat, triceps skinfold thickness, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Neck circumference of 31.95cm was the best cutoff level for determining female students with a BMI over $25kg/m^2$, and the characteristic was acceptable with 97.6% sensitivity and 85.6% specificity. Conclusions: Neck circumference was strongly correlated with the other conventional obesity indices. Female college students with neck circumference over 31.95cm require an additional evaluation of obesity.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.543-551
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare obesity-related quality of life according to obesity classification by BMI (body mass index) and self-assessment. Methods: The participants were 286 female college students in J City. Data were obtained by measuring height. weight and BMI, and using a questionnaire for self-assessment of obesity, weight control, and quality of life. The quality of life was measured using 14 items of the Korean version of obesity-related quality of life (KOQOL). Results: Thirty five percent of the students assessed themselves as overweight and obese despite their BMI <$23m^2/kg$(false overweight). True overweight students with BMI $\geq23m^2/kg$ who perceived themselves as overweight and obese were 23%. The total KOQOL score between true and false overweight students showed no significant difference. True overweight students had a lower total KOQOL score including psychosocial, physical, daily living, sex related. and food-related domains than true normal weight students. Conclusions: The quality of life was not different between true and false overweight students. These results indicate that self-assessment about obesity affects the quality of life like as actual BMI in female college students. Therefore, it is necessary to care students who distort themselves as obese.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.231-238
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate body composition, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose according to obesity degree by body fat percentage in female university students. Methods: A total of 231 subjects were participated between July and December 2010. The anthropometric measures and blood analyzer were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient with SPSS 18.0. Results: Percentage of body fat (PBF)-defined obesity had higher prevalence than body mass index (BMI)-defined obesity. Weight, BMI, PBF, fat mass, Waist to hip ratio (WHR), Systolic blood pressure (SBP), Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in obesity group were higher than normal group and Soft lean mass and Low density lipoprotein (LDL) in obesity group were lower than normal group. There were significant correlations between PFB, SBP, DBP, Triglyceride (TC), High density lipoprotein (HDL), and LDL. Conclusion: In conclusion, when screening for obesity in female university students, body fat should be considered. It is needed to develop obesity management program according to obesity degree and to identify the effectiveness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2010

Purpose: Adolescent obesity is a growing problem. This study examined the relationships between different types of physical activity and obesity in male and female middle and high school students. Methods: This study used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data of 2007. The study included 282 male and female middle and high school students who completed health survey questionnaires regarding physical activity. Physical activity was measured with vigorous and moderate activity and walking. BMI was used as an obesity indicator. Analyses were done using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and chi-square test. In addition, multiple logistic regression were conducted to investigate the relationship between physical activity and obesity when adjusting for covariates. SAS/WIN 9.1 was used. Results: Boys spent more days in vigorous and moderate physical activity than girls (p for vigorous activity: <.001, for moderate activity: <.001). There was no significant difference in walking activity between boys and girls and between middle and high school students. Only days spent in vigorous activity was significantly higher in middle school student compared with high school students (p=.013). According to the relationship between physical activity and obesity, moderate physical activity was significantly related to BMI for high school boys (p=.041). However, when adjusting for age, sex, school, parental income, daily caloric intake, physical activity was not significantly related to obesity. Conclusions: The results showed that male and female middle and high school students spent not enough days in doing low moderate and vigorous physical activity. Thus, this strengthens the need to increase physical activity level in these populations. In spite of non-significant relationship between physical activity and obesity from multivariate analysis, increasing moderate physical activity for high school boy could be effective to prevent and manage obesity, since significant difference between moderate activity and obesity in this population.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1041-1050
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variables which had effects on deit behavior of male and female high school students. The proposed variables are their body-related variables(body satisfaction, weight control experience, the degree of diet interest, and obesity) and self-esteem. The sample group used for the study consisted of 359 high school students(male=168, female=191). Measurement scales used for the study were those of body-related variables, self esteem and eating disorder behavior, and data analysis was performed using $X^2$, t-test, Pearson's correlation, regression analysis. The results are as follows. First, there is a significant difference between male and female high school students regarding their obesity perceived by themselves, body satisfaction, the degree of diet interest, weight control experience, and deit behavior. Second, In male students, diet behavior shows a positive correlation with the degree of diet interest, weight control experience, and body satisfaction, but shows a negative correlation with body satisfaction. In female students, diet behavior is positively correlated with the degree of diet interest, weight control experience, and obesity, but negatively correlated with body satisfaction and self-esteem. Third, in male students, the variables that showed a influence on diet behavior as an eating disorder are weight control experience, body satisfaction and obesity, in that the explanatory power of the variables is 51.7% with the highest mark on obesity. In female, the variables that showed a influence on diet behavior as an eating disorder are the degree of diet interest, weight control experience, body satisfaction and obesity, in that the explanatory power of the variables is 66.0%.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.184-192
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• 2005

This study is to investigate the concerns about obesity and diet behaviors among 565 middle and high school students in Ulsan. The results indicated that high school students rather than middle school students and girls rather than boys had higher concerns about obesity and diet behaviors. For the socio-economic variables, being female, a high school student, and a group with the least monthly allowance was higher concern about obesity and diet; and household income, educational level and occupation of the fathers also had significant impacts on the student concerns about obesity and diet behaviors. The variables of height, weight, PIBW (Percentage of Ideal Body Weight), and BMI (Body Mass Index) had significant impacts on the concerns about obesity and diet behaviors. Especially, students with normal weight had the highest concerns about obesity and diet, while obese students had the lowest concerns. (J Community Nutrition 7(4): $184\∼192$, 2005)

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.527-533
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) corresponding to body mass index (BMI) of $25kg/m^2$ and to survey the prevalence of hypertension according to obesity in female college students. Method: Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences and blood pressure were measured for each of 286 female college students in J City, Chungbuk. Results: The subjects' mean BMI was $21.4kg/m^2$, and the estimated prevalence of obesity was 11.2%. The subjects, the 80th-90th percentile of whom had BMI exceeding $25kg/m^2$, were found to have WC of 75-78.1 cm and WHR of 0.79-0.80, respectively. Of the subjects with obesity($BMI{\geq}25kg/m^2$), 53.1% exhibited abdominal obesity ($WC{\geq}80cm$) and 40.6% had WHR over 0.80. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were correlated with BMI, WC, and WHR. The prevalence rate of hypertension in subjects with obesity($BMI{\geq}25kg/m^2$) was 25%. Additionally, the prevalence rate of hypertension in subjects with abdominal obesity ($WC{\geq}80cm$) was 39.1%. Conclusions: Our study indicates that WC corresponding to BMI of $25kg/m^2$ in female subjects in their twenties is different from that of adult women. We also found that the prevalence rate of hypertension in subjects with abdominal obesity was high. Therefore. we suggest further studies to determine the cutoff value of WC for evaluating abdominal obesity and to investigate the long-term effects of obesity on women in their twenties.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 2008

Purpose : This study investigated the relationship between body type, subjective symptoms and health awareness in female high school students Methods : The subjects were 393 students at the female high school in Taejon City by self-recorded questionnaires in May, 2006. Results : In the classification of body type based on the degree of obesity, low weight group was 20.9%, normal weight group was 58.0%, over weight group was 11.7% and obesity group was 9.4%. In the level of body type wareness, those who consider themselves to be obesity type 13.7%, standard type were 43.8%, and leptosomic type 8.1%, but there was a clear tendency to be leptosomic type that the rate was 76.3%. In the complaint rates of subjective symptoms, “fatigue” was the highest, followed by “neck pain(stiffness)”, “dizziness”, “stomachache” in the descending order. In the complaint rates of subjective symptoms by the degree of obesity, dizziness, irregular menstruation and anorexia were higher according to the lower obesity, but constipation and wearied eyes were the higher the more obesity. Conclusion : The study results showed that the recent female high school students were clear tendency to be leptosomic type, and leptosomic and obesity type were related with subjective symptoms. Considering these findings, it appeared that being excessively thin is related to symptoms and young women's thinness-oriented attitudes are unhealthful.