• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.163-192
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• 1983

In order to facilitate the Korean government's efforts in integrating family planning and maternal & child health at the primary health care level (or township level), the Soon Chun Hyang College of Medicine, with the financial and technical assistance of WHO, has under-taken a service research project. The project has employed a quasi-experimental study design introducing interventions tat provide crucial factors lacking in the ongoing government programs such as midwives and qualified referral physicians. The study is being conducted in three locations, one control area and two study areas. Before introducing trained Nurse/Midewives into the study areas, a baseline prevalence survey was undertaken from 15 July 1981 to 10 August 1981 in selelcted townships of Seosan County. In this sample survey of bath the study and control areas, 2,484 eligible women (97% reponse rate) were interviewed to obtain benchmark data on basic evaluation indicators related to family planning and maternal and child health. The salients results were summarized as follows.: 1. CONTACT RATES WITH HEALTH WORKERS; During the year preceding the survey, 12% of women were visited by government health workers. The primary reason for such visits by health workers was family planning (45% of the visits). About 34% of the women visited the health centers during the year. The primary reason for visiting health centers was immunizations for their children (45% of the visits). 3. FAMILY PLANNING USE RATE; The baseline data showed little difference between women in the study area and the control area on contraceptive use. Approximately 59% were currently using some methods. However, among those current users, almost half were practicing less effective methods of birth control such as rhythm or withdrawal. Among other methods, the tubectomy was the most popular (16%), while use of the IUD, oral pill and condom together reached only 14%. 3. PRENATAL CARE RATE; About 75% of the women reported no prenatal care for their last births (the youngest child of each women), Additionally, among women received prenatal care, over half had only one visit. 4. ATTENDANCE AT DELIVERY; Most of the women surveyed (over 80%) were attended by a non-medical person during their last delivery. These figures are somewhat comparable to the national figure of 84% for remote areas. 5. POSTNATAL CARE; The proportion of women reporting postnatal care was only 4.5%, and postnatal care was not received by the majority of women surveyed. 6. CHILD HEALTH CARE: In contrast to the low rate of maternity care for women themselves, most women reported obtaining immunization care for their children. About 75% of the women obtained Polio and/or DPT, 58% BCG, and 44% Measles vaccine for their children. However, in terms of illness care, while 35% of the women stated that their youngest child had been sick during the month preceding the survey, only 28% of these women took their child to the clinic for treatment. 7. COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY AND ABNORMALITIES IN THE NEWBORN; Among all last deliveries, 18% of the women had pregnancy complications and 9% of the women had complications during delivery About 5% of the women reported abnormality in their most recent newborn. 8. REPRODUCTION EFFICIENCY; PERINATAL MORTALITY AND INFANT MORTALITY Based on data from the pregnancy history in this survey, reproduction efficiency was estimated. Out of the 11,154 pregnancies reported by all women surveyed, foetal loss was 21% (almost 16% were induced abortions) and infant deaths before reaching one year old were 3.1%. The reproduction efficiency was, therefore, reduced to 76%. In terms of perinatal and infant mortality rates, the former was 40.2 per 1,000 total births and the latter was 39.3 per 1,000 live births. Both rates described J shaped relationships with age of mothers and parity, and they were also correlated with birth interval and mother's education. In summary, this baseline survey data indicated a need for (1) improving contraceptive practices with more effective methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies and (2) providing better services for maternal and child care to protect wanted pregancies. In the Korean rural setting. the author believes that the latter is more important as the value of each child has increased as a result of the family planning campaign for the past two decades. This calls for more effective integration of Family Planning and MCH programmes to meet the needs of the family in each stage of the child bearing and rearing period with deploying more qualified personnel than the current government program personnel.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.559-568
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the prevalence of food allergies and allergenic factors in a selected sample of children living in Seoul, Korea, along with their dietary habits, environmental factors, and diseases as risk factors for food allergy. The results of this study will provide basic data for addressing food allergies. Methods: We selected 3,004 pre-school and school-age children, aged 0 ~ 12, in the 25 districts of Seoul as the study sample. Structured self-report questionnaires were administered over a two-month period in July-August 2018, and the children's parents recorded the answers on their children's behalf. The research tools in this study included the Korean version of the questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Results: The physician-diagnosed prevalence rate of food allergies was 14.2%, while 20.4% of the children experienced allergic symptoms at least once and 17.4% reported symptoms within the previous 12 months. The children's symptoms included skin problems (88.1%), gastrointestinal issues (19.2%), oral issues (16.7%), respiratory issues (12.7%), and systemic issues (1.3%). The causes of allergies included eggs, peaches, milk, peanuts, and shrimps. The factors influencing the experience of food allergies were the consumption of cereal (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.09 ~ 2.10; p = 0.013), potatoes (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.33 ~ 2.65; p < 0.001), and fast food (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.10 ~ 2.72; p = 0.017). Having food allergy symptoms was associated with a higher risk of experiencing asthma (aOR, 4.22 95% CI, 3.10 ~ 5.76; p < 0.001), allergic rhinitis (aOR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.03 ~ 3.15; p < 0.001), and atopic dermatitis symptoms (aOR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.88 ~ 4.40; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Episodes of food allergies warrant examining regular food consumption and placing dietary restrictions through early diagnosis as these episodes may imply the presence of other allergies. Our findings offer basic insights into the patterns, prevalence and symptoms of children's food allergies in Seoul, and our findings will contribute to identifying effective interventions for food allergies.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare dietary habits, perception, and consumption frequency of fast foods between part-time working youths at fast food restaurants and those at other food-related services. Methods: The study subjects were part-time working youths in 13 fast food restaurants (n = 118) and in 25 other places including bakeries, cafes, convenience stores, and other restaurants (n = 115) in Cheongju. Demographic characteristics, dietary habits, perception regarding fast foods, and consumption frequencies of food groups and fast foods were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Female youths working at fast food restaurants had unhealthier dietary habits, such as meal skipping and night snacking compared to those working at other places. Consumption frequencies of fruits in males and beans/bean products in females working at fast food restaurants were significantly lower than those working at other places. Perception score on fast foods was significantly lower in males working at fast food restaurants than in males working at other places. However, the consumption frequencies of hamburgers, pizzas, and a total of six fast foods among both males and females working at fast food restaurants were significantly higher than those working at other places after adjusting for confounding variables including age, status, type of residence, allowance, alcohol, smoking, working hours, and hourly pay. Conclusion: Part-time working youths at fast food restaurants had worse dietary habits, such as meal skipping and night snacking, and consumed fast foods more frequently than those working at other places. Interventions for part-time working youths at fast food restaurants may be needed in order to reduce fast food consumption and increase the intake of fruits and vegetables.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
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• no.56
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• pp.133-164
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• 2016

This study investigated the effect of housing poverty in childhood on adolescents' subjective well-being. Specifically, this study examined whether the major factors that have been known to affect adolescents' well-being (i.e., family relationships, peer relationships, school adjustment etc.) mediated the relationship between housing poverty and adolescents' well-being. And then this study aimed to present an empirical evidence for establishing policies against housing poverty in order to enhance adolescent's subjective happiness. Data were derived from the $1^{st}$, $4^{th}$, and $7^{th}$ surveys of the Korea Welfare Panel Study(KOWEPS), and the sample included. 512 high school children in the $7^{th}$ survey. This study utilized structural equation modeling. Housing poverty was measured by the sub-minimum standard housing condition and the household's burden of housing expenditure. Family relationship, as a mediator, was measured by parental involvement in education, parental monitoring, and family conflicts. Another mediator, school adjustment was measured by school environment and school bonding, and the last mediator, peer relationship was measured by friend attachment and peer attachment. The results showed that housing poverty had significant negative effects on the adolescents' subjective well-being. The sub-minimum standard housing condition with inadequate size and facilities negatively affected adolescents' relationships with family directly and subjective well-being indirectly. In addition, the negative family relationships due to the sub-minimum standard housing condition negatively affected adolescents' subjective well-being through school adjustment and peer relationships. The greater the proportion of income a household spends on housing expenditure, the less likely for adolescents to report positive well-being. The sub-minimum standard housing condition had indirect effects through family relationships, whereas the household's housing expenditure directly affected adolescents' subjective well-being. This study suggested the necessity of interventions to alleviate housing poverty for adolescents' families and lays the groundwork for housing poverty policies in Korea.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.569-592
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• 2018

This study purported to investigate the current state of human rights of older adults residing in rural areas of Korea. The study utilized, as an analytic framework, 4 priority directions (1. "older persons and development", 2. "rural area development", 3. "advancing health and well-being into old age", and 4. "ensuring enabling and supportive environments") with 13 task actions recommended by Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). Furthermore, the study examined gender differences in all items included in the analytic framework. Data was collected by the face-to-face survey on 800 subjects aged 65 and over. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 13.0 program. The main results were summarized in order of 4 priority directions as follows. First, average working hours per day were 6.2, and men reportedly participated in economic activities and needed job training more than women, while women participated in lifelong education programs more than men. Awareness of fire and disaster prevention facilities was low in both genders. Second, accessibility to the support center for the elderly living alone as well as protective services for the vulnerable elderly was found to be low. IT-based services and networking were used more by men than women, and specifically, IT-based financial transactions and welfare services were least used. Third, medical check-ups and vaccinations were well received, while consistent treatments for chronic illnesses and long-term care services were relatively less given. In addition, accessibility to mental health service centers was considerably low. Fourth, although old house structures and the lack of convenience facilities were found to be circumstantial risk factors for these elders, experiences of receiving housing support services were scarce. The elderly were found to rely more on informal care, and concerns for their care were higher in women than men. Plus, accessibility to elderly abuse services was markedly low. Based on these results, discussed were implications for implementing policies and practical interventions to raise the levels of the human rights for this population.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.725-744
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to review selected research articles on Social Welfare in Journal of the Korean Gerontological Society from 2008 to 2017 during 10 years periods, and suggest directions and implications for future research in the field of Gerontological Social Welfare. A total of 273 research articles were selected out of all published 655 articles in Journal of the Korean Gerontological Society in last 10 years. And relevant review articles were selected on the basis of cross checking among authors who majored in social welfare. Selected articles were analyzed for ecological system perspective, research subjects, and research methods. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, ecological system were classified into three categories: 1) macro system(52 articles); 2) mezzo system(120 articles); 3) micro system(101 articles). Second, the research subjects were classified into five categories: 1) social problem of the elderly(151 articles); 2) laws and policies(38 articles); 3) social welfare service for the elderly(28 articles); 4) day service and residential service(39 articles), 5) social participation for the elderly(31 articles). Third, the research methods were classified into 5 categories: 1) qualitative research(213 articles); 2) qualitative research(39 articles); 3) literature review(14 articles); 4) meta research(4 articles); 5) mixed research(3 articles). Finally, there are some important research directions and implications in the field of social welfare for the elderly. First, there should be more balance researches related to the ecological system perspectives in the field of social welfare for the elderly. Second, there should be more systematic researches to analyze critical problems and social issues related to the aging and senior citizens, and developing better interventions and social welfare policies for the elderly. Third, there should be more researches related to evidence based approaches, and utilizing various research methods to examine social problems and major issues for the elderly persons.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.44-48
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• 2019

Objectives: Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders. Recent studies suggest that cognitive and physical arousal play an important role in the generation of primary insomnia. Studies have also shown that information processing disorders due to cortical hyperactivity might interfere with normal sleep onset and sleep continuity. Therefore, focusing on central nervous system arousal and normalizing the information process have become current topics of interest. It has been well known that neurofeedback can reduce the brain hyperarousal by modulating patients' brain waves during a sequence of behavior therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of neurofeedback therapy on electroencephalography (EEG) characteristics in patients with primary insomnia. Methods: Thirteen subjects who met the criteria for an insomnia diagnosis and 14 control subjects who were matched on sex and age were included. Neurofeedback and sham treatments were performed in a random order for 30 minutes, respectively. EEG spectral power analyses were performed to quantify effects of the neurofeedback therapy on brain wave forms. Results: In patients with primary insomnia, relative spectral theta and sigma power during a therapeutic neurofeedback session were significantly lower than during a sham session ($13.9{\pm}2.6$ vs. $12.2{\pm}3.8$ and $3.6{\pm}0.9$ vs. $3.2{\pm}1.0$ in %, respectively; p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant changes in other EEG spectral bands. Conclusion: For the first time in Korea, EEG spectral power in the theta band was found to increase when a neurofeedback session was applied to patients with insomnia. This outcome might provide some insight into new interventions for improving sleep onset. However, the treatment response of insomniacs was not precisely evaluated due to limitations of the current pilot study, which requires follow-up studies with larger samples in the future.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-25
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore about 2-year-old infants' attachment security to a child care teacher and peer play process through a case study. For this purpose, the attachment security was assessed with attachment Q-set to 2-year-old five infants at a day care center in Seoul. Participants of this study are four infants included two infants attached securely to their child care teacher and two infants attached insecurely to their child care teacher. Methods: Participant observation was conducted from April 12 to July 19 in 2018 through 36 observations in free play activities. The Data collected from the transcriptions of video shoots and teachers' interviews, child care plans, and reflexive journal was analyzed and interpreted. Results: The main results of the research were as follows: The beginning of peer play, when infants invited their peers to play, secure attachment infants selected suitable play partners and asked for a specific play behaviors. However, insecure attachment infants invited unsuitable play partners and asked uncertainly play actions to peers. In addition, when infants entered in-progress play, secure attachment infants understood the context of play but insecure attachment infants did not understand the context of play. In the progress of peer play, secure attachment infants cooperated with peers, shared play objects, but insecure attachment infants did not cooperate complementally with peers and express only their opinions. As well, insecure attachment infants could not play harmoniously without child care teacher's interventions. In the end of the peer play, secure attachment infants finished in collaboration with peers but insecure attachment infants failed to finish with the peers and was turned into play with the child care teacher because of peer conflict. Conclusion/Implications: This study has implications for basic resources to think about the role of child care teachers by helping them understand about the relation 2-year-old infants' attachment security to them and peer play process.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1041-1054
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• 2008

This study aimed to identify the severity and types of prostate symptom, to identify the relationship of prostate symptom, sleep quality and quality of life of the elderly in korea, so to provide basic data for developing nursing interventions for the elderly's prostate symptom management. This study used a descriptive correlational research design. The subjects of this study were 100 elderly men over 65yr in an urban city. Data were collected through personal interviews using questionnaires from September 2006 to March 2007. The IPPS, PSQI and SF-36-K were administered. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation. The major findings of this study were as follows: 1) 44% of the participants have moderate to severe Prostate symptom(IPSS>7). 2) Prostate symptom has positive relationship with sleep quality(r=.272, p=.006) and negative relationship with health related quality of life(r=-.197, p=.049). The results of this study indicate that prostate symptom is related to sleep quality and quality of life. So it is necessary to give information to the elderly about the effective coping method of prostate symptom and about the life style which have positive effect to prostate symptom.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.194-205
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• 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary behaviors of preschoolers in Daejeon using the Nutrition Quotient for Preschoolers (NQ-P). Methods: The study subjects were recruited from child-care centers and kindergartens located in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon between August and September 2018. A total of 411 preschoolers aged 3 ~ 6 years were included in the data analyses. A questionnaire of NQ-P, which consisted of 14 checklist items on dietary behaviors, was completed by the parents or guardians of the study subjects. The NQ-P scores and its three factors, including "balance", "moderation", and "environment" factors, were calculated according to sex, age, and weight status. Differences in the NQ-P scores and their factors according to sex, age, and weight status were tested using a student's t-test. Results: The mean NQ-P score of the total subjects was $58.5{\pm}9.2$, which was within the medium-low grade. The NQ-P score was $58.5{\pm}9.4$ in boys and $58.6{\pm}9.0$ in girls (p = 0.955). The NQ-P score was similar regardless of the age groups ($57.8{\pm}9.4$ in 3 ~ 4 years vs. $59.2{\pm}9.0$ in 5 ~ 6 years, p = 0.124), whereas subjects aged 5 ~ 6 years showed a significantly higher scores of environment factors than those aged 3 ~ 4 years ($67.9{\pm}16.8$ vs. $61.7{\pm}17.3$). The mean score of the moderation factor was lower in the overweight/obese children compared to the non-overweight/obese children ($46.6{\pm}13.3$ vs. $51.0{\pm}16.2$, p = 0.012). Compared to children aged 3 ~ 4 years, children aged 5 ~ 6 years had higher intakes of vegetable dishes and processed meat. The overweight/obese group showed a higher consumption of processed beverages than the non-overweight/obese group. Conclusion: The current study indicates that the dietary behaviors of preschoolers residing in Daejeon need to be improved. These findings suggest that nutrition education or health interventions targeting young children is necessary for improving their nutritional health status.