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Effect of Shift Interval for the Clinical Nurse on the Circadian Rhythm (임상 간호사의 교대근무 기간이 circadian rhythm 변화에 미치는 영향)

  • 황애란;정현숙;임영신;이혜원;김조자
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.129-149
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    • 1991
  • Circadian rhythm is entrained in the 24-hour time interval by periodic factors in the environment, known as zeitgeber. But most rotating work schedules are outside the range of the entrainment of the pacemaker timing the human circadian sleep - wake cycle. It has been postulated that physiological and emotional disturbances occur in most human functions when the circadian rhythm is disturbed. So application of circadian principles to the design of shift schedules can aid in maintaining the temporal integrity of the circadian system and thereby minimize for the shift worker any detrimental consequences of circadian disruption. This study was a quasi-experimental study to test the effect of shift intervals for the clinical nurse on the circadian rhythm. Twenty nurses newly employed in general units of two hospitals were selected as an experimental group and twelve college nursing students as a control group. Both groups were selected according to an established criteria using a purposive sampling technique. Ten subjects were assigned to a weekly shift group and another ten to a biweekly shift group engaged in a semi -continuous shift schedule(sunday off) with a backward direction, that is, morning -evening - night shift. The control group worked a morning shift for 42 days. Oral temperature rhythm, waking tim, sleep - wake cycle, fatigue, and mental performance were measured during the experimental period. The data collection period was from April 30, 1990 to June 10, 1990. MANOVA, paired t-test, ANOVA, and Student Newman Keuls method were used for statistical analysis. The results are summarized as follows. 1. Phase delay in the acrophase of temperature rhythm was shown according to the backward rotating shift. A complete adaptation to work on the night shift was achieved between the sixth and ninth day of the night shift. 2. There was no difference in either waking time or sleep- wake cycle according to the duration of the working day for every shift group. Significant difference was found in the waking time and the sleep -wake cycle for subjects on the morning, evening, and night shift in both of the shift groups(weekly shift group : λ=0.121, p<0.01, λ=0.112, p<0.01, biweekly shift group : λ=0.116, p<0.01, λ=0.084, p<0.01). 3. There was no difference in fatigue between the first working day and the last working day for the control group and for the biweekly shift group. In the weekly shift group, physical fatigue was significantly different for the first day and the sixth day of the night shift(t=-2.28, p<0.05). Physical fatigue and total fatigue on the first day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F=5.79, p<0.01, F=4.56, p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p<0.05), Physical fatigue, neurosensory fatigue and total fatigue on the last day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F=12.65, p<0.01, F=7.77, p<0.01, F=9.68, p<0.01). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p<0.05). 4. No difference in mental performance was seen between the first day and the last day of work in each case. An arithmatic test on the first day of the night shift revealed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F=3.79, p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p<0.05) . The digital symbol substitution test and the arithmetic test on the last day of the night shift showed a significant difference among the control group, the weekly shift group, and the biweekly shift group(F=3.68, p<0.05, F=5.55, p<0.01), and both showed a significant difference between the shift groups and the control group(p<0.05). Accordingly, this study showed that during night duty, the waking time, sleep- wake cycle, and fatigue increased and mental performance decreased compared with morning and evening duty. It was also found that the weekly shift group had a higher fatigue score on the sixth day of night duty as compared to the -first day, but the waking time, sleep- wake cycle, and mental performance revealed no difference for the duration of the night duty or between shift groups, and complete adaptation of temperature rhythm was achieved between the sixth and ninth day of night duty. It is possible to conclude from these results that for intermediate circadian type in a healthy young woman, a biweekly shift system is more compatible with the circadian timing system than weekly shift system.

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A Study on the Knowledge and Attitude about Tuberculosis on Elementary School student in Seoul (서울 시내 일부 국민학교 6학년 학생들의 결핵에 대한 지식 및 실태에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Eun-Hee
    • Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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    • v.5 no.2
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    • pp.181-202
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    • 1994
  • This study was conducted in order to grasp the condition of the student's knowledge and attitude about tuberculosis. And to offer the basic materials for the prevent tuberculosis in elementary school. The objects were comprised 395 of volunteered 6th grade students who study in two elementary schools. The material of this study was the questionaire(chronbach $\alpha=.9016$) suited to the purposed of this research which has been made through studying references. All the questionaire were collected immediately without explanation. The data was collected from 13rd to 25th of May on 1994. Analysis of the data was done utilizing SPSS for percentage, mean, ANOVA and pearson-Correlation Coefficient. The Result are as follows; 1. General features of the objects of study. Sex distribution was similar. Salary of 1000-1500 thousand won were highest (40.2%), nuclear family was highest (87.1%), fathers of graduated high school were the highest(44.0%), mothers of graduated high school were the highest(56.8%). And there was nobody about tuberculosis patient in one's close relatives were highest(95.4%). 2. The conditions of attitude about tuberculosis. Having experience of tuberculin test were highest(59.0%). Less than 9mm indulation among the tuberculin tested group were 85.1%, more than indulation were 14.9%. Have a B. C. G. injection among the less than 9mm indulation were 83.2%. Leave alone among the more than 10mm indulation were 56.0%. Think it too much trouble to do not tuberculine test were 63.0%. Do not take a chest X-ray in the past were 60.3%. And take a chest X-ray in the past were 39.7%. Health educated group was 74.3%. If tuberculosis sign was developed, notified to parent was 73.8%. 3. The condition of knowledge about tuberculosis. When 5 points was given to 'very affiming' and 1 point was given to 'very deny', the total average was 3.54. And symptom of tuberculosis secion was 3.67, vaccination of tuberculosis section was 3.66, tuberculine test section was 3.56, epidemiology of tuberculosis section was 3.54, infection of tuberculosis section was 3.38. And every section showed affirmative correlation(P<.001). 4. Correlation between the general features and attitude variables. High incomed group may have more attitude on tuberculin test than low incomed group($x^2=16.$ 190, P<.01). High educated group may have more attitude on tuberculin test than low educated group(Father : $x^2=28.530$, P<.001, Mother: $x^2=26.060$, P<.001). High educated group may have more attitude on health education than low educated group(Father: $x^2=20.$ 767, P<.000, Mother: $x^2=10.639$, P<.05). Nuclear family may have more attitude on notify to parent than others($x^2=51.45$, P<.000). Tuberculosis patient in one's close associates have more attitude on notify to parent than others($x^2=51.$ 45, P<.000). 5. Difference between the general features and knowledge of tuberculosis. High incomed group were highest score in knowledge (F=3.99, P<.01). High educated group were highest score in knowledge(Father : F=8.81, P<.000, Mother: F=9.09, P<.000). 6. Difference between the attitude and knowledge of tuberculosis. Tuberculin tested group were highest score in knowledge(t=9.88, P<.000). Taken chest X-ray group were highest score in knowledge (t=2.07, P<.05). Received health education group were highest score in knowledge(t=6.83, P<.000). Notified symptoms to teachers and parent group were highest score in knowledge(F=3.89, P<.01).

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Model Development of Affecting Factors on Health Behavior and Juvenile Delinquency of Adolescents (청소년의 건강행위와 비행의 영향 요인에 관한 모형 구축)

  • Kim, Hyeon Suk;Kim, Hwa Jung
    • Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.171-187
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    • 1998
  • In recent years, adolescent issues including smoking, drinking, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, deviant sexual behavior, mental health problems, high suicide rate, juvenile delinquency and absence without due notice, etc are emerging as serious social problems and the debate on these controversial issues is heating up. The previous studies on adolescent health behavior and social juvenile delinquency such as run-away from home and absence without due notice have been conducted mostly by cause analysis utilizing social demographic factors or biological factors. In other words, the main factors analyzed were demographic and economic factors or parent's educational level, etc, which were the fixed environmental ones that were unable to cause the change in the health behavior. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to analyze factors which are changeable and fixable among the factors influencing the adolescent's health behavior and misconducts and, eventually influencing factors which can be used as the basis to establish health policies and health promotion program to reduce the health risk behavior and misconducts of adolescents. The study subjects were selected by dividing senior high school student in Seoul by region and through random sampling. The 890 subjects were selected from 10 schools including the preparatory school, vocational schools and institutional schools. The duration of the study was for July 1-5, 1997 for the first survey and the second one, for August 25-September 10. Regarding the analysis method, the SAS program was used. The adoptablity of theoretical model was tested through covariance structural analysis utilizing PC-LISREL 8.12 Program. The major findings of the study are as follows: As a result of establishing the model of factors influencing health behavior and juvenile delinquency, in case of male students as the health behavior self-efficacy, education level of fathers, economic level, self-control and the health interest of parent were higher, students were more likely to practice the health promoting behavior. Juvenile delinquency and health risk behavior were prevalent among those with the less shyness, the lower health behavior self-efficacy, lower self-control, lower self-assertiveness, lower economic level. The self-control was the most powerful factor. In case of female students, those with higher health behavior self-efficacy were more likely to practice the health promoting behavior whereas those with lower health behavior self-efficacy, lower self-control, lower self- assertiveness, less shyness were more likely to practice health risk behavior and juvenile delinquency. In case of prep schools, those with higher health behavior self-efficacy and better perceived health status were more likely to practice the health promoting behavior while those with less shyness, lower health behavior self-efficacy and lower academic achievement were more likely to engage in health risk behavior and juvenile delinquency. In case of vocational schools, as health behavior self-efficacy and economic level were higher, the practice rate of health promoting behavior was higher. As the self-control, shyness, self-assertiveness, health behavior self-efficacy were lower, the rate of health risk behavior and juvenile delinquency were higher. In case of social institutional schools, as, the health behavior self-efficacy, social support and economic level, health interest of parents were higher, the rate of health promoting behavior were higher. As the self-control, shyness, self-assertiveness, health behavior self-efficacy and social support were lower, the rate of health risk behavior and juvenile delinquency were higher. So the health promoting behavior was positively related to the health behavior self-efficacy, health interest of parents, social support, education level of fathers, level of perceived health status, economic level. The health risk behavior and juvenile delinquency were higher with the lower health behavior self-efficacy, self-control and self-assertiveness, lower health locus control, less shyness and loneliness, lower economic level and academic achievement. In conclusion, the health risk behavior and juvenile delinquency can be reduced by enhancing self-control, self-assertiveness, health behavior self-efficacy and social support. According to the final model drawn by connecting health behavior and juvenile delinquency, the reduction of health risk behavior can greatly contribute to decreasing social juvenile delinquency as the process of juvenile delinquency was extended from common behaviors to problem behaviors and further into juvenile delinquency.

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A Study on the School Health Education Programs Performed by School Nurses in Seoul Area (서울 시내 일부 국민학교에서 양호교사가 실시하고 있는 보건교육의 실태조사. (교실 수업을 중심으로))

  • 방에스터
    • Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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    • v.5 no.2
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    • pp.26-40
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    • 1988
  • This survey was conducted to find out the present status of health education program being provided in primary schools focusing its planning, operation, contents and attitude of school nurses in September, 1988. Total 413 school nurses who are presently working in Seoul city was surveyed by mail and 167 school nurses who responded to the questionnaire were finally ana lysed. The following results were obtained. 1. The general charcteristics of the school nurses′ surveyed. As for age distribution, 30-40 age group was 60.4% the highest and the mean age was 30. 13. As for educational attainment, junior nursing college was 71.9%. 68.3% of the surveyed was married and 43.1% of them has 5-10 years of working experiences. As for schools where school nurses are presently working, 31.7% has 2,000-3,000 students, 22.8% has 50-60 classes and 5 schools have more than 80 classes. 2. Planning of a school health education School health education was planned every semester in 55.7%, which was the highest. As for utilization status of the materials for planning of a school health education as a referance, 86.8% of the total respondants utilized the guidelines published by Seoul city School nurses′ Association, and the administrative guidelines for school health, textbooks, school health statistics and articles related to school health in order. It was tried whether the number of referances being utilized was related to the working experiences. It was found that the shorter the experiances, the more materials were utilized. It was answered that teaching plan for health education was prepared by school-nurses themselves (95.2%), and was differentiated as three levels as the first and second grades, the third and fourth grades, and the fifth and sixth grades 3. The contents of the school health education 16 subjects offered to 6 grades of students were surveyed as follows. As for fifth and sixth grades, contents on growth and development was most widely provided as 54.5%, and 68.9%, respectively. And the next to this subject, dental health education was also frequently offered to the second, third and fourth grades as 50.9%, 68.9%, and 47.3%, respctively. 4. The operation of school health education Health education provided by school nurses was conducted formallu in 36.6%, and formally of informally accordin to grades in 43.9%. It was answered that 50.3% of the surveyed school had started health education from 1987, when the plan for activation of school health was ordered from. Educational Committee. Teaching hours of school nurses was 6 in 32.9%, which was the highest. The lesson was provided for class unit in 77.2%, and sex education was sometimes offered to male and female students separately. As for support of health personnels out of school for health education, 79.0% did not receive any support. If there were any aids out of school, 62.9% received them from other related agencies and 74.3% anwered that it was once in a semester. As for expenses for health education, 57.3% did not input any expenses alloted to school health program as a whole. As audio-visual materials, slides were utulized most frequently and models, and charts in order. 5. Awareness of school nurses on the operation of school health education School nurses evaluated their educational quality as a health educator subjectively, 60-70% of them answered to be average in 4 domains such as knowledge, educational skill, ability to prepare teaching plan, and cooperation. As for the awareness on the support and cooperation of the higher institutions, 46.4% -61.8% answered that "so and so" toward Ministry of Education and Ministry of Affairs, and 13-37% "not supportive" Teachers of the corresponding schools were answered to be "so and so" in 55.9%-56.7%, and "very supportive" in 33.34%. There was a significant difference in formality of the lesson according to the support of the superintendent.

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Contamination of operator's clothing by aerosols during scaling (스케일링 시 에어로졸에 의한 술자의 의복 오염도)

  • Kang, Kyung-Hee;Kim, Ye-Jin;Min, Ji-Yeon;Park, Seul-Gi;Woo, Ju-Hee;Goong, Haw-Soo
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Dental Administration
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.31-37
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    • 2017
  • Recently interest in infection control is increasing in hospitalsnfection control has become more important in the overall health care practiceental hospital also requires thorough infection control. There are various kinds of vectormedical clothing. Contaminated clothing of a hospital staff can be a vector of nosocomial infecton. actual case of nosocomial infecton caused by contaminated medical clothing, nursing students were measuring contamination levels of uniforms and pathogenic microorganism wdetected in front of the uniform and pocket. There is also a high risk of exposure to contamination in the dental hospital. We conducted a study to enhance awareness about infection and proper clothing management by comparing before and after contamination of clothing caused by aerosols produced during scaling. Subjects were scaling operators' uniforms in the department of dental hygiene, K University located in Daejeon. Before scaling, the uniform was sterilized by autoclavecaling was performed times in the same place (an average of 60 minutes per person, a total of 180 minutes). ive parts of the uniform (sleeves, chest, belly, thigh, edge of pants) contracted Rodak-plate for 15 seconds. After incubating the contacted Rodak-plate at 37℃ incubator, contamination levels by measuring the number of colonies. As a result, all parts increased number of colonies. ontamination order chestedge of pants thigh belly sleeves. Increase rate of colonies was also high in the order chest edge of pants thigh belly sleeves. This study showed seriousness of clothing contaminationcaused by aerol produced during scalingcontamination of clothing can be a path to nosocomial infecton. According to th study, infection control for clothing as well as dental instruments should be implemented and thorough infection control training needed for dental staff. In further researches, practical infection prevention supplementing clothing management method.

Oral Health and Eating Habit Attributes Relating to the Maxillary Anterior Teeth Color by Using the ShadeEye NCC (ShadeEye NCC를 이용한 상악전치부 색조와 구강보건 및 식습관 관련 특성 비교)

  • Yoon, Young-Suk
    • Journal of dental hygiene science
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    • v.12 no.4
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    • pp.348-358
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    • 2012
  • This study aims to prepare the basic data of the teeth color by measuring analyze mode using the color of the maxillary anterior teeth (maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor, canine) of the college students in their twenties as the dental colorimeter. The maxillary anterior teeth of the subjects of study as 467 students (male 89, female 378) were measured from 14 November to 2 December, 2011, so the color of total 1,401 teeth was examined, and oral health and eating habit attributes were researched. The survey results were as follows. 1. The color of maxillary anterior teeth was changed from maxillary central incisor to maxillary canine, brightness ($L^*$) was decreased $76.79{\pm}4.86$ to $69.72{\pm}4.62$, red chroma ($a^*$) was increased $2.02{\pm}2.00$ to $4.10{\pm}2.60$, yellow chroma ($b^*$) was increased $15.51{\pm}3.42$ to $20.10{\pm}3.46$. 2. Brightness ($L^*$) was different according to sex (p< 0.001), major (p<0.001), grade (p<0.001), smoking (p<0.001), oral health education (p<0.01), daily brushing frequency (p<0.001), brushing method (p<0.05), oral hygiene devices (p<0.001), and red chroma ($a^*$) to major (p<0.001), daily brushing frequency (p<0.05), brushing time after meals (p<0.01), oral hygiene devices (p<0.01), and yellow chroma ($b^*$) to brushing time after meals (p<0.01), subjective tooth color (p<0.001). 3. Brightness ($L^*$) of eating habit attributes was different according to coke, candy ($R^2=0.053$, p<0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the color of maxillary anterior teeth has differences in brightness ($L^*$), red chroma ($a^*$), yellow chroma ($b^*$) from each tooth, also these showed various tendency according to the oral health and eating habit attributes.

The timing of sexual maturation and secular trends of menarchial age in Korean adolescents (한국 청소년의 성성숙 시기 및 장기간의 초경연령 추세분석)

  • Park, Mi Jung;Lee, In-Sook;Shin, Eun-Kyung;Joung, Hyojee;Cho, Sung-Il
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.49 no.6
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    • pp.610-616
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    • 2006
  • Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the timing of sexual maturation and secular trends of menarchial age in Korean adolescents. Methods : Nine hundred eighty two school students and 119 university female students were included. Tanner's pubertal assessment method was applied using a self-assessment sheet with pictures for their developmental stages. A medical checkup database from 1,156,022 women was also used to analyze the age of menarche from the year 1900 to 1980. Results : Onset of puberty was at $11.3{\pm}1.3$ years(y) in girls and $12.1{\pm}1.5$ y in boys and total pubertal duration was 3.6 y in girls and 3.3 y in boys. Height at the onset of puberty was $146.1{\pm}7.9cm$ in girls and $152.7{\pm}9.8cm$ in boys. Weight at the onset of puberty was $39.3{\pm}6.9kg$ in girls and $47.7{\pm}14.4kg$ in boys. The mean age of menarche was $12.0{\pm}1.0y$ and mean age at nocturnal emission was $12.3{\pm}1.8y$. By age ten, 3.0 percent of girls experienced menarche, which increased to 41.1 percent by age 12, and 98.0 percent by age over 15. By SMR 2 breast stage, 18.2 percent of girls experienced menarche, which increased to 66.1 percent and 91.7 percent by SMR stages 3 and 4, respectively. By SMR 2 pubic hair stage, 52.0 percent and by SMR 3, 93.8 percent of girls experienced menarche. While the menarchial age of women born around 1980 was $12.4{\pm}1.1y$, the menarchial age of women born around 1990 was $12.0{\pm}1.1y$. Age at menarche has been advanced approximately by 2 years between 1900 and 1980 birth cohorts. Conclusion : There was a downward secular trend in pubertal timing. Age at menarche has been advanced by 2 years during the last 80 years. Further large scale, prospective studies, including inspection by specialists, are needed to provide reference data for pubertal timing in Korean adolescents.

Is 'Life Satisfaction' satisfactory?: Complementing the measurement of subjective well-being ('삶의 만족'은 만족스러운가: 주관적 웰빙 측정의 보완)

  • Jung-Ho Kim;Jhe Min You;Kyung Hyun Suh;Seong Kyeon Lim;Sun-Joo Kim;Mirihae Kim;Suja Gong;Tae-Young Kan;Jee-Sun Lee;Jungeun Hwang
    • Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.187-205
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    • 2009
  • Based on the Motivational States Theory(MOST), the present research expanded and complemented Kim(2007)'s proposal to add the Life Satisfaction Expectancy Scale(LSES) to Diener et al's Satisfaction With Life Scale(SWLS) to measure subjective well-being(SWB). In the present study, the Life Satisfaction Motivation Scale(LSMS) was introduced to measure the strength of motivation for life satisfaction in general. Two hundred and eighty six college students participated in this study. Factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure, with the factors corresponding to life satisfaction and life satisfaction expectancy. Measures of internal and temporal reliability show the LSMS to be a good complement for the measure of SWB(The LSMS showed high internal and test-retest reliability). It was found that the addition of the LSES provided a significant increment in predictive power over the SWLS in the prediction of various factors related with well-being prediction. Exceptionally, in the prediction of anger the LSMS had the most predictive power. There were some differences between male and female students in the correlations among life satisfaction, life satisfaction expectancy and life satisfaction motivation and well-being-related factors. The merits of including LSES in the measurement of subjective well-being and the limitations of this study are discussed.

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Factors influencing the consumption of convenience foods among Korean adolescents: analysis of data from the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (한국 청소년의 편의식품 섭취 경험에 영향을 미치는 요인: 제15차 (2019년) 청소년건강행태온라인조사를 이용하여)

  • Park, Seul Ki;Lee, Ji Hyun
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.53 no.3
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    • pp.255-270
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    • 2020
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence the consumption of convenience foods among Korean adolescents. Methods: This study had a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which involved a nationwide representative sample of 57,303 middle- and high-school students. Convenience-food consumption was defined by frequency of adolescents consuming convenience foods obtained from convenience stores, supermarkets, and cafeterias over the previous 7 days. The analyzed variables were related to sociodemographic, mental health, and health behavior. The Rao-Scott χ2 test was applied to examine the difference in the rate of consuming convenience foods obtained from convenience stores according to each factor. Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted to examine the factors that influence convenience-food consumption among Korean adolescents. Results: It was found that 29.1% of Korean adolescents consumed convenience foods obtained from convenience store more than three times per week. The significant influencing factors were female sex; low subjective academic achievement, and subjective household economic status; high perceived stress; low subjective sleep sufficiency; experience of depression; suicidal ideation; lower physical activity; skipping breakfast; lower consumptions of fruit, milk, and vegetables; higher consumptions of soda drinks, sweet drinks, caffeine, and fast food; lower water intake; current smoking and drinking; drug use; and experience of violence. Conclusion: These findings provide a better understanding of the sociodemographic, mental-health, and health-behavior factors that influence the consumption of convenience foods among Korean adolescents. We suggest that differentiated policies, strategies, and nutrition education need to be developed and implemented, in order to address the above-mentioned factors and thereby reduce such behaviors among Korean adolescents.

Evidence-based Field Research on Health Benefits of Urban Green Area (과학적 근거를 바탕으로 한 도시녹지의 건강편익에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Ju-Young;Park, Kuen-Tae;Lee, Min-Sun;Park, Bum-Jin;Ku, Ja-Hyeong;Lee, Joon-Woo;Oh, Kyong-Ok;An, Ki-Wan;Miyazaki, Yoshifumi
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.39 no.5
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    • pp.111-118
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    • 2011
  • With increasing interest in health promotion and quality of life, growing attention has been focused on the beneficial effects of urban green area. However, very few evidence-based approaches have been conducted on the health-related benefits of urban greenery. Therefore, this study examined the health-related benefits of green areas using physiological and psychological indices to obtain evidence-based data on these benefits. Twenty male university students were selected as subjects. Data were collected when participants viewed landscapes in a green area or an urban area for fifteen minutes. This research was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of School of Medicine, Chungnam National University. Physiological data in the green area revealed significantly decreased heart rates, significantly increased high-frequency value of heart rate variability, an index of parasympathetic activity, and reduced salivary cortisol concentration, a stress hormone, compared to the urban area. Psychological tests showed the green area significantly reduced the negative mood state and psychological symptoms, and significantly increased the positive mood state. Our data provided evidence for the health-related benefits of green areas, and the findings of this study support that green areas can play a critical role in health promotion for urban residents, by positively affecting autonomic nervous and endocrinal activities.