• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.4 s.55
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• pp.801-814
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• 1996

Background: Korean people could abuse healthy foods as well as medications, which might cause serious side effects. The aim of this study was elucidating liver dysfunction due to the self-medications of hepatotonics, healthy foods and herb medications by nested case-control study. Methods: Study subjects were drawn from male members of Seoul Cohort Study who were recruited by self-administered structured questionnaire survey through mailing to the healthy men between the age of 40 and 59 years through the program of biennial health check-up offered by Korea Medical Insurance Corporation(KMIC). The liver dysfunction was defined as the level of serum AST and ALT above 40 IU/L and increased in more than one hunderd per-cent during the 2 year follow-up period. To estimate the odds ratio between self-medication and liver dysfunction after controlling for potential confounders, logistic regression was performed. Results: During the follow-up period, 30 members were identified to fit into case criteria and 2,625 members were selected as control. In logistic regression analyses, history of healthy foods intake, age under 45 years, obesity, and habit of regular exercise were significantly associated with liver dysfunction. The following factors exhibited no statistical significance: intake of hepatotonics, of herb medicine; history of disease in family, of operation, and of radiologic examination; smoking habits and drinking amounts. Conclusion: The significant association between the intake of healthy foods and the liver dysfunction illustrates that chronically optional overuse of healthy foods might bring to hazards to health. As the increasing trend of the size of purchasing healthy foods in Korea, pharmacoepidemiologic studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of the widely used healthy foods should be performed in the near future.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.419-438
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• 2023

Purpose: This study examines the effectiveness of personalized goal setting and smartphone-based nutrition counseling among adults in their 20s and 30s. Methods: Nutrition counseling was conducted for a total of 30 adults through a 1:1 chat room of a mobile instant messenger, once a week for 8 weeks. The first week of counseling included a preliminary online questionnaire survey and a dietary intake survey. Based on the results of the preliminary survey, 2 dietary goals were set in the second week and the participants were asked to record their achievements on a daily checklist. From the third week onwards, counselors sent feedback messages based on the checklist and provided information on dietary guidelines in a card news format every week. Post-counseling questionnaires and dietary intake surveys were conducted in the seventh week. Changes in dietary habits during the counseling were reviewed in the eighth week, followed by a questionnaire survey on the evaluation of the counseling process. Results: The nutrition quotient (NQ) scores and self-efficacy scores were significantly higher after nutrition counseling. The NQ scores of consumption frequencies of fruits, milk and dairy products, nuts, fast food, Ramyeon, sweet and greasy baked products, sugarsweetened beverages, the number of vegetable dishes at meals, and breakfast frequency were significantly higher after nutrition counseling. The intake of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, calcium, and iron, and the index of nutritional quality of vitamin A, riboflavin, folate, calcium, and iron were higher after nutrition education. The participants were satisfied with the nutrition counseling program and the provided nutrition information. Conclusion: Personalized goal setting and smartphone-based nutrition counseling were found to be effective in improving the quality of diet and self-efficacy in young adults. Similar results were obtained in both the underweight/normal weight and the overweight/obese groups.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.429-440
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine sodium-related nutrition knowledge, eating attitudes, eating behaviors, and self-efficacy by stages of behavioral change in reducing sodium intake among childcare center foodservice employees. Methods: Subjects (n = 333) were categorized according to two groups based on the stages of change; Pre-action stage (PA group: precontemplation/contemplation/preparation stage), Action stage (A group: action/maintenance stage). Results: A major source of sodium-related nutrition information was TV/radio (56.6%) and only 166 people (49.8%) have experienced nutrition education specific to sodium. Although the A group showed slightly higher scores for nutrition knowledge than the PA group, the difference was not significant. The percentages of correct answers for 'daily goal of sodium intake for adults (27.0%)', 'calculation of sodium content in nutrition labeling (30.3%)' were low for both groups. The A group (total score: 40.3) had more desirable eating attitudes regarding reducing sodium intake than the PA group (36.6, p < 0.001). The total score for eating behaviors was slightly higher in the A group (49.6) than in the PA group (48.5), but without statistical significance. The A group (total score: 58.2) also received higher scores for self-efficacy regarding reducing sodium intake than the PA group (52.5, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study suggests that nutrition education for childcare center foodservice employees should be expanded and customized education should be implemented according to the stages in reducing sodium intake. It is also suggested that food companies make efforts to develop low-sodium products.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.127-156
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• 2012

A lot of interest in the baby-boomer generation, those who were born after World War II, has emerged since their retirement has been accelerated. The retirement of baby-boomers has caused many health, public welfare, social policy and family relationship problems. However, their increased purchasing power has made them more attractive consumers than any other generation, and they have become a fascinating niche market in the depressed economy. This research selected middle-class women of the baby-boomer generation who have had powerful effects on society and have emerged as an attractive niche market, and attempted to understand their lives intensively. Based on research activities, the purpose of this research is to identify baby-boomer generation middle-aged women's life values. Qualitative research methodology was used to achieve research objectives, and this research aimed to suggest marketing implications to connected industries based on the research results. The research objectives are as follows. 1. understanding the lives of baby-boomer middle-class women who have powerful effects on socio-economic phenomena 2. identifying the life values of baby-boomer middle-class women 3. generating marketing implications based on an understanding of baby-boomer middle-class women's lives and life values This research conducted FGIs(focus group interviews), one of the qualitative research methodologies, to figure out baby-boomer middle-class women's life values intensively and selected 10 women living in Seoul for data collection. The qualitative data of collected FGIs were analyzed with spiral data analysis methodology proposed by Creswell(2007). The most effective factors to influence these middle-class women's lives powerfully were 'time' and 'independence'. Their consciousness of the importance of using time affects their life pattern generally, and their independence also impacts greatly on the way they exploit time and on their diverse relationships. They maximized their self-realization and showed long-term partnership with their surrounding circumstances because of those effective factors. Baby-boomer middle-class women's self-realization was divided into two areas. One was their outside activities and another was perfect management of their physical appearance and home interior. Like the results of this research, their need for social entrance will be reinforced more strongly since their internal and external activities aim for the achievement of self-realization. In addition, this research suggests that baby-boomer middle-class women's activities are connected with their management of their physical appearance and home interior decorations, and that such management is caused not only by a simple interest in fashion and beauty but also a profound desire for self-realization. On account of their consciousness, which is different from other generations, Korean baby-boomer middle-class women are able to maintain positive partnerships with their surrounding circumstances; however, they also show ambivalent emotions to retain effective partnerships. To overcome those stressful situations, they make greater efforts to keep up their health and youth, and also engage in diverse activities to maintain their mental health. Finally, they generate positive attitudes toward their economic situation and extra time to develop self-realization and pursue happy, youthful and healthy lives. Based on those results, this study suggests the following implications. First, industries targeting the baby-boomer generation should develop innovative products and services which help the baby-boomer generation maximize their efficiency of time since time is one of the most important factors powerfully impacting the baby-boomer generation. They will engage in various activities to fill up their extra time and consume helpful products and services. Second, such industries should supply the baby-boomer generation with opportunities which propose new ways of self-realization since this generation shows a great desire for self-realization because of their self-efficacy. With customized strategies of satisfying their needs, the baby-boomer generation would discover opportunities to utilize their abilities, relationships and aesthetic senses, and industries would develop a niche market. Third, market segmentations which target the baby-boomer generation's desire to maintain their physical appearance and home interior should be executed since such activities are the main strategies to develop this generation's self-realization. The baby-boomer generation's desire to study those areas would be expanded, and those education systems should produce innovative products and services targeting the baby-boomer generation. This implication also offers to government officials new policies related with the baby-boomer generation. This exploratory study utilized qualitative research methodology to understand baby-boomer middle-class women's lives, and proposed propositions and limitations for further researches. As for the limitations, first, it is hard to generalize the research results so that they may apply to all areas and economic classes of the baby-boomer generation since this research selected only 10 women living in Seoul for the data collection process. To overcome this limitation, extended data collections of subjects from diverse regions and economic classes should be designed. Second, quantitative research should be conducted to supplement the findings with validities. Third, this research focused on only general ideas of the baby-boomer generation's lives since the range of this study was focused on their overall lives. Therefore, intensive research related to specific areas of their lives should be conducted.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.163-171
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• 2022

This study was conducted to understand the research trends and central concepts of middle-aged women' health in Korea. For the analysis of this study, target papers published from 2012 to 2021 were collected by entering the keywords of 'middle-aged woman' or 'menopausal woman'. 1,116 papers were used for analysis. The co-occurrence network of key words was developed and analyzed, and the research trends were analyzed through topic modeling of the LSD by dividing it into five-year units (2012-2016, 2017-2021), and visualized word cloud and sociogram were used. The keywords that appeared the most during the last 10 years were obesity, depression, body composition, stress, and menopause symptom. Five topics analyzed in the thesis data for 5 years from 2012 to 2016 were 'postmenopausal self-efficacy and satisfaction enhancement strategy', 'exercise to manage obesity and risk factors', 'intervention for obesity and stress', 'promotion of happiness and life management' and 'menopausal depression and quality of life' were confirmed. Five topics of research conducted for the next five years (2017-2021) were 'menopausal depression and quality of life', 'management of obesity and cardiovascular risk factors', 'life experience as a middle-aged woman', and 'life satisfaction and psychological well-being' and 'menopausal symptom relief strategy'. Through the results, the trend of research topics related to middle-aged women's health over the past 10 years have been identified, and research on health of middle-aged women that reflects the trend of the future should be continued.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.472-483
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• 2024

This study evaluated the attitudes of the Korean population towards sunscreen use through the Health Belief Model (HBM) construct and investigated the psychological factors that influence sunscreen use. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted from 1 November 2023 to 1 January 2024, and a total of 303 participants were collected. The collected data were analysed using SPSS v. 25.0 programme using Cronbach's 𝛼, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, one way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, and multiple regression analysis. The results of the study showed that the mean score of sunscreen use was 3.26±1.384 out of 5, and there was a significant correlation between the variables of the health belief model and sunscreen use (p<.01). Gender, age, and skin colour were also associated with each variable, with women, the elderly, and those with lighter skin tending to be more proactive in sun protection. Multiple regression analyses revealed that self-efficacy (𝛽=.629, p<.001) and perceived vulnerability (𝛽=.139, p<.001), sub-factors of the Health Belief Model, had a statistically significant positive effect on sunscreen use, while perceived barriers (𝛽=-.261, p<.001) had a statistically significant negative effect on sunscreen use. These results may have important theoretical implications for the development and implementation of educational programmes to promote sunscreen use by providing insight into the psychosocial factors that influence sun protection.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.285-296
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors affecting vegetable preferences of children based on the social cognitive theory to reduce imbalances in vegetable consumption. Methods: The survey investigated 177 elementary school students in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, in June of 2018. The subjects consisted of 44 fifth graders (27.7%) and 128 (72.3%) sixth graders. Results: Among personal factors of the Social Cognitive Theory, positive outcome expectation and self-efficacy of the vegetable preference group were significantly higher than those of the non-preference group. Negative barrier scores of the non-preference group were significantly higher than those of the preference group, and the biggest barrier was that vegetables were tasteless. Among behavioral factors, the nutritional knowledge of vegetables was high, but the degree of practice was low. Practice score of the vegetable preference group was significantly higher than that of the non-preference group. Among environmental factors, the vegetable preference group was more likely to accept advice from people around them than the non-preference group and the most influential people were doctors and parents. In the vegetable intake environment, children in the vegetable preference group had high accessibility to vegetables. Correlation analysis and regression analysis of the social cognitive factors and vegetable preferences revealed all factors except nutritional knowledge showed significant correlation with vegetable preference. And surrounding people (p < 0.01), practice (p < 0.01), and self-efficacy (p < 0.05) had positive effects on vegetable preference. Conclusion: These results suggest that providing the health benefits from eating vegetables and educating children for improving their self-confidence are necessary for increasing the preference for vegetables and their intake by children.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.376-389
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• 2022

Purpose: Obesity can lead to several chronic diseases. With a continuous increase in the obesity rates, sustainable healthy weight management among growing adolescents has become essential. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between obesity-related factors and creative convergence ability. This could form the basis for convergence education for the sustainable healthy weight management of adolescents. Methods: Data were collected from 430 adolescents in Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeonggi regions using a self-administered 5-Likert questionnaire from November to December 2020. Results: The average score of the male students was higher than that of the female students in terms of healthy weight management convergence awareness, creativity, convergence thinking ability, self-efficacy, exercise, and dietary diversity. On the other hand, the dietary restraint score and the number of weight loss attempts were higher in the female students. Dietary restraint, disinhibition scores and weight loss attempts were higher in obese adolescents compared to underweight adolescents. It was found that dietary restraint, convergence thinking ability, problem-solving ability, exercise, and dietary diversity factors had a positive effect on healthy weight management convergence awareness. Healthy weight management convergence awareness, exercise, meal amount management, junk food management, weight loss belief, and weight loss trial experience had a positive effect on dietary restraint. Convergence thinking ability, weight loss experience, and obesity factors had a positive effect on dietary disinhibition. Conclusion: The sustainable healthy weight management education of adolescents is based on weight management knowledge and awareness of convergence, and must include gender differences. Thus, the problem-solving ability for healthy weight management can be creatively cultivated to enhance self-efficacy.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2014

Few studies have examined burnout among the faculty of medical schools in the Republic of Korea. The aim of this study was to determine the level of burnout and its associated factors among the faculty members of three medical schools in the Busan-Gyeongnam area, and to summarise the available literature on burnout. We conducted the survey using a validated questionnaire that incorporated the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) as well as questions about demographic characteristics, working experience, health, lifestyle, most time spent and most difficult work, and suicidal ideation and job quitting ideation of the survey participants. MBI-HSS scores were analysed in the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (De), and personal accomplishment (PA). Through the survey, the 186 professors, 49% among the total, provided data which were included in the present analysis. More than thirty per cent (37.1%) of the professors reported at least 1 symptom of burnout. For burnout dimensions, 11.8% of the respondents scored high for EE burnout, 25.3% for De, and 14.5% for PA, with 1.6% scoring high on all three dimensions of burnout. High burnout was found to be strongly associated with several of the variables under study, especially hours worked per week, self-rated health, career (range, 4 to 9 years), and age (range, 50 to 59 years). The EE score was highest for the professors who chose 'patient care' as the most difficult type of work. This study showed that just over one-third of professors have at least 1 symptom of burnout and working more hours per week, short length of work (years), and especially suicidal ideation seem to be associated with the burnout of medical school faculty members in the Busan-Gyeongnam area. In summary, a greater risk of burnout of physicians (including medical professors) seems to be associated with specialties at the front line of care, working more hours per week, work-life imbalance, low self-efficacy, depression, and conflicts with colleagues and patients.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.55-68
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• 2020

Objective : The purpose of this study is to summarize the best-available intervention evidence for children's sensory integration therapy, drawn from studies published domestically in Korea over the last 10 years. Methods : The articles evaluated in this study were collected from the RISS and DBpia databases using the search terms "sensory integration," "sensory processing," and "Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI)". A total of 19 papers were analyzed. The selected studies were then assessed using the Population, Intervention, Outcomes, and Comparison method, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) method, and the modified Evidence Alert Traffic Light Grading System. Results : Development delay was the most commonly applied diagnosis for children's sensory integration therapy and individual sensory integration therapy was the most frequently used intervention method. The intervention effect was 91 percent in the body structure and function of ICF. The areas concentrated on were sensory modulation, sensory processing, fine and gross motor, body scheme, body-self concept, balance, basic movement, postural control and hand function, attention, and self-esteem. Conclusion : This simple overview of the efficacy of children's sensory integration therapy provides a basis for easy understanding and use by therapists, researchers and families with children.