• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.155-161
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• 2014

Purpose: Constipation is a common pediatric problem worldwide. This study aims to describe the clinical characteristics of pediatric constipation in south Jordan according to gender and age group. Methods: All patients with constipation managed at our pediatric gastroenterology service between September 2009 and December 2012 were included. Hospital charts were reviewed. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and final diagnosis were recorded. Data were analyzed according to gender and the following age groups: infants, pre-school, school age, and adolescents. Results: During the study period, 126 patients were enrolled. The number (percentage) of patients according to age were the following infants: 43 (34.1%), pre-school: 55 (43.7%), school age: 25 (19.8%), and adolescents: 3 (2.4%). Males made up 54.8% of the study population. There were no statistical gender differences in any age group. The most common symptom in all age groups was dry, hard stool. Infrequent defecation was found in almost one-half of the patients. Fecal incontinence was more common in school-aged children compared to pre-school-aged children and adolescents. Abdominal pain was seen in almost 40% of the constipated children. Abdominal pain was more prevalent in girls and older children. Fecal mass in the rectum was the most common physical finding, with constipated boys exhibiting higher rates. Functional constipation was the most common etiology. Conclusion: Clinical characteristics of constipation in children vary according to age group and gender. Older children had less frequent bowel motions, a longer duration of symptoms, and a higher prevalence of long-standing constipation compilations (fecal incontinence and abdominal pain).

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.135-153
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• 2009

This study examined trends in private after-school lessons for preschoolers and elementary school children as a function of demographic characteristics such as children's age, socioeconomic status, and mothers' employment status. One thousand and sixty-three mothers completed questionnaires on demographic characteristics and their children's participation in private after-school lessons. Data were analyzed by chi-square, one-way ANOVA, t-test, and multiple regression analyses. Results demonstrated that older children and children from higher income and full-time homemaker families attended more private lessons. Age of children was the most influential variable among the demographic characteristics; that is, older children had more after-school lessons. Recommendations for future research are to focus on possible negative effects of excessive private lessons on children's socio-emotional development.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.35-49
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• 2002

This study examined the developmental characteristics of friends and disliked peers in 169 children and adolescents, including 44 preschool children, 43 primary school, 42 middle school, and 40 university students. Their descriptions of 2 same gender friends and 2 disliked same gender peers were categorized with an 81 category coding system. Comparisons across age and sex were made by a cross-tabulation test. Results showed that the reported characteristics of friends and disliked peers varied by age, but there was no sex difference. That is, younger children liked their friends because they played together, their friends were generous and attractive, but older children liked friends because they had some similarity, were reliable allies, caring and concerned. Younger children's disliked peers were aversive, aggressive and hyperactive while older children's disliked peers were dissimilar and snobbish.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 2010

The clinical characteristics of fistula-in-ano in infants are different from those of older children, and its treatment remains controversial. We suggest that fistula-in-ano in infants has a congenital etiology. To verify this hypothesis and to settle the controversies regarding fistula-in ano in infants, a retrospective analysis of 29 patients less than 2 years of age with anal fistulae treated between 1994 and 2009 at Samsung Changwon Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Twenty two patients were male and mean age at diagnosis was $7.2{\pm}5.2$ months. Eleven out of 22 cases had previous surgical drainage for perianal abscess. 18 patients had fistulotomy (81.8 %) and four had fistulectomy (18.2 %). Cryptotomies with fistulectomy were performed in 10 patients (45.5 %) who had involved crypt. There was one recurrence. These results suggest that fistula-in-ano in young children less than two years of age is different from those in older children or adults. Fistulotomy is suggested to be the recommended treatment of choice. A future study involving non-operative management would be required to explore all treatment options.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an attachment improvement program for families adopting an older child. The objectives and contents of this program reflected on the experiences of adopted parents and the characteristics of older-age adoptee children with attachment disruption. The program consisted of three components: parent-child relationship building, parenting skills enhancement for adopted parents, and negative emotions mediation for the older-age adoptees. The subjects of program were eight parent-child dyads. Differences between pre- and post-test data showed statistically significant improvements in the quality of parent-child relationships, communication levels with parents, and the parents' autonomic levels. There was also a reduction in the children's social problems. The implications of this study were discussed in terms of improving parent-child attachments in families adopting an older child.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2010

Malrotation is a congenital anomaly that becomes symptomatic more frequently during infancy. The indication for surgical treatment at that age is straightforward. In older children, the diagnosis may be more difficult because of chronic and vague complaint. The aim of this study is to compare the symptoms, rate of volvulus and surgical findings in children younger and older than one year. A retrospective study of 40 patients in a a single medical center diagnosed with malrotation from April 1996 to May 2010 was performed. There were 20 (50 %) boys and 20 (50 %) girls. At the time of operation, 27 (67.5 %) patients were younger and 13 (32.5 %) were older than 1 year. Vomiting was seen in 20 cases (74.1 %) of the younger group compared to 2 cases (15.4 %) of the older group. Abdominal sonography and upper gastrointestinal series showed a sensitivity of 100%. Operative findings: 12 (44.4 %) of the younger group presented with volvulus compared to none of the older group. The Ladd's procedure was routinely performed with appendectomy in all cases and bowel resection was requires when volvulus included bowel necrosis or other anomalies were found. After definite procedures, surgical correction for adhesive obstruction was necessary in 5 menbers (18.5 %) of the younger group and 1 patient (7.7 %) in the older group. There was 1 death due to respiratory failure and pneumonia. Abdominal pain was more frequent symptom and bilious vomiting was less frequent. Volvulus did not occur in the older group. Malrotation should be diagnosed promptly in children over 1 year of age by upper gastrointestinal series and abdominal ultrasonography even though symptoms are not as clear cut as in infants.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2009

This study aimed to identify and compare variables affecting life satisfaction of older women by focusing on household types and poverty levels. The study used data from the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging administered by the Korea Labor Institute in 2006. The data for 1,017 older women ages over 65 including 427 single households and 590 couple households was analyzed. First, interaction effects of household types and poverty levels on life satisfaction were statistically significant. For the non-poverty households of older women, there was no explicit difference between single households and couple households in life satisfaction, but for the poverty households, single households were lower in life satisfaction than couple households. Second, as a result of reviewing four groups of older women (poverty-single household, poverty-couple household, non-poverty-single household, and non-poverty-couple household), besides religion, it was found that there were significant differences in age, education level, number of children, health level, residence area, and status of economic activity. Third, when analyzing variables affecting life satisfaction, common predictors for the four groups were health level and ownership of house. Older women who perceived to be healthier and owned their own homes were higher in life satisfaction. For poverty-single households, older women with over middle school graduation were also higher in life satisfaction, but for poverty-couple households, older women with over middle school graduation and more children were higher.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2022

The Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia. Since the introduction of a universal JE vaccination program and urbanization of Korea, the incidence of JE has dramatically decreased in Korea. However, recent JE cases have occurred, predominantly among unvaccinated adults and with a shift in age distribution. Here we aimed to review the changes in age-specific JE seroprevalence over time and discuss the implications of JE vaccination programs in Korea. Following the last epidemic in 1982-1983, mandatory vaccination for all children aged 3-15 years was conducted annually until 1994. However, JE has reemerged, predominantly affecting unvaccinated adults aged 40 years or older and demonstrating a shift in age distribution toward older populations. The age-specific seroprevalence of the JE virus in Korea has changed noticeably over time. Seropositivity in children and adolescents increased from 10%-59% in the 1970s to 90%-92% in the 1980s after the implementation of the JE vaccination program and increased further to 98% in 2012. No age-specific difference in the seroprevalence of JE was found, and appropriate levels of immunity to JE were maintained for all age groups. Continuous surveillance of the seroprevalence of JE is essential to establish a proper immunization policy in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.5
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• pp.21-45
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• 1984

The cognition of Korean kinship names was examined in children in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 9th grades (N=188) of public school. The task consisted of 43 items which identified the relative relationships of cognates and cognates-in-law. It was found that the main effects of age and residential area on cognition scores were significant and the interaction effects between the variables were also significant. As expected, older children performed the task more precisely than the younger children and children in Seoul performed better than in outlying regions. Under 15 years of age, the scores in Seoul were higher than in Andong, but at the age of l5, this trend was reversed. The gap between residential areas under 15 years of age could be explained by differences in cognitive ability and test effects, but the gap at 15 by culture.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.475-496
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• 2017

Increasing evidence shows that ageist attitudes towards older adults develop quite early in childhood in Western culture, yet, empirical research on this topic in Korea is lacking. It has been argued that as Korea has become more youth oriented, negative views of aging have emerged and Korean children are increasingly exposured to negative stereotypes of older adults. Nuclearization of family structure and consequent reduction of intergenerational interaction is considered to be another important factor. The purpose of this study is to find out whether Korean children have ageist attitudes. Acknowledging the possibility that children tend to report in socially appropriate ways to the explicit measures of ageism, we included implicit measures of ageism. Data was collected from 570 fourth to sixth grade elementary school children selected by quota sampling. The current study used Child-Age Implicit Association Test and two other explicit measurements. The original versions were modified to be culturally applicable to the Korean context. Results indicated that when measured explicitly, children do not report preferring younger person than older person. However when measured implicitly, it was found that children at this young age already reveal negative biases toward the elderly. Contrast to the fact that the level of explicit ageism is significantly different by demographic characteristics of children, no statistical difference in the level of implicit ageism is detected. Based on the results, implications are discussed.