• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.9-20
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• 2023

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of collective efforts in promoting health preventive behaviors is accentuated, bringing sociopolitical factors into focus. To fully capture psychological drivers of health preventive behaviors in risk situations, anchored on the Model of Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP; Griffin, Dunwoody, and Neuwirth 1999), in retrospect of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we explored whether and how individuals' vaccination behaviors are predicted by RISP-related variables (information insufficiency, affective responses, perceived information gathering capacity, subjective norms) and one's political identity. Findings from a survey of 705 adult participants in the U.S. showed that the effects of one's risk information insufficiency on his or her information seeking and affective response regarding the pandemic, which is also related to their risk susceptibility perceptions. More importantly, the impact of political identity on one's perceived risk susceptibility, and its association with vaccination behaviors are also identified. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for the development of effective health communication strategies for preventive health behaviors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5113-5119
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• 2016

Purpose:The present qualitative study explored adolescents' perceptions regarding effective strategies to prevent adolescents from using tobacco products (TP). Apart from the commercial TPs, there has been emerging use of alternatives such as vapes, e-cigarettes and shisha. This unfortunate phenomenon continues despite the currently available preventive strategies. Thus, understanding of the perceptions of the current generation would be valuable to provide new insights. Methods: Purposive sampling was utilized to recruit 40 adolescents between the age of 15 and 16 years old attending public daily secondary schools. Eight focus group discussions were conducted among the TP users, ex-users and non-users. Data were analyzed using a thematic content analysis procedure with NVivo. Results: Among barriers with the currently available strategies were having teachers who smoke tobacco, addiction to nicotine and self-perceptions of being healthy. The content of any program should include knowledge on negative outcomes of using tobacco products and awareness of the legislation together with ways to overcome peer and family influence including improving self-efficacy and refusal skills. Strategies were suggested to be delivered using information technology which provides interactive learning and visual effects. Conclusions: Adolescents agreed that the content and delivery of tobacco use prevention strategies need to be revised to suit the current generation to ensure sustainability.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7991-7995
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• 2015

Background: To identify the epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer mortality in China during the period of 1991-2011, and forecast the future five-year trend. Materials and Methods: Mortality data for colorectal cancer in China from 1991 to 2011 was used to describe epidemiological characteristics in terms of age group, gender, and rural/urban residence. Trend surface analysis was performed to analyze the geographical distribution of colorectal cancer. Four models including curve estimation, time series modeling, gray modeling and joinpoint regression were applied to forecast the trends for the future five years. Results: Since 1991 the colorectal cancer mortality rate increased yearly, and our results showed that the trend would continue to increase in the ensuing 5 years. The mortality rate in males was higher than that of females and the rate in urban areas was higher than in rural areas. The mortality rate was relatively low for individuals less than 60 years of age, but increased dramatically afterwards. People living in the northeastern China provinces or in eastern China had a higher mortality rate for colorectal cancer than those living in middle or western China provinces. Conclusions: The steadily increasing mortality of colorectal cancer in China will become a substantial public health burden in the foreseeable future. For this increasing trend to be controlled, further efforts should concentrate on educating the general public to increase prevention and early detection by screening. More effective prevention and management strategies are needed in higher mortality areas (Eastern parts of China) and high-risk populations (60+ years old).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.176-184
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• 2011

Objectives: Understanding recent trends in cigarette smoking among adolescents is important in order to develop strategies to prevent cigarette smoking. The aim of this study was to compare recent trends in cigarette smoking for adolescents living in rural areas, small towns and metropolitan cities in Korea. Methods: The raw data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS) from 2005 to 2009 were used. Data were analyzed by using the method of complex survey data analysis considering complex sampling design. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate significant linear time trends in cigarette smoking. The indicators of cigarette use behaviors were 'current smoking rate', 'frequent smoking rate', 'heavy smoking rate' and 'smoking experience rate before 13 years of age'. All analyses were conducted according to gender. Results: Statistically significant increasing trends in current smoking rate and frequent smoking rate were observed and borderline significant increasing trends in heavy smoking rate were shown among rural boys. Among metropolitan city boys, statistically significant increasing trends were also seen for frequent smoking. Statistically significant decreasing trends in current smoking rate were observed among small town and metropolitan city girls. Smoking experience rate before 13 years of age for rural girls decreased significantly. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking prevalence among adolescents in the rural areas has increased in the last five years especially among boys. Our findings suggest that anti-tobacco program for adolescents should be conducted primarily for those in rural areas.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.49-56
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• 2020

This study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge, perception, attitude, and preventive behavior toward particulate matter (PM) among university students, as well as to determine factors influencing their PM preventive behaviors. Questionnaires were distributed from December 9 to December 20, 2019, and the data from 180 valid responses were analyzed using SPSS Window 18.0. The scores for knowledge, perception, attitude, and preventive behavior against PM were 62.00 points, 72.33 points, 77.30 points, and 69.02 points, respectively, when converted to a 100-point scale. Regarding the factors influencing preventive behavior, only perception was significant among the assessed factors (p<.001). Therefore, it is suggested that efforts be made to promote preventive behavior related to PM. Furthermore, when developing a program to promote preventive behavior related to particulate matter exposure, it is necessary to consider strategies to improve perception of PM preventive behavior.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.499-505
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• 2022

Despite advances in medicine and preventive strategies, fewer than 1 in 5 people with hypertension have the problem under control. This could partly be due to gaps in fully elucidating the etiology of hypertension. Genetics and conventional lifestyle risk factors, such as the lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, excess salt intake, and alcohol consumption, do not fully explain the pathogenesis of hypertension. Thus, it is necessary to revisit other suggested risk factors that have not been paid due attention. One such factor is psychosocial stress. This paper explores the evidence for the association of psychosocial stressors with hypertension and shows that robust evidence supports the role of a chronic stressful environment at work or in marriage, low socioeconomic status, lack of social support, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, childhood psychological trauma, and racial discrimination in the development or progression of hypertension. Furthermore, the potential pathophysiological mechanisms that link psychosocial stress to hypertension are explained to address the ambiguity in this area and set the stage for further research.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.527-538
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a model that explains causal relationships between post-menopausal women's osteoporosis general knowledge and awareness of their own bone mass density(BMD) and their osteoporosis health beliefs and preventive behaviors. Methods: Retrospective design using structural equation model tested seven variables by using questionnaires of osteoporosis knowledge test, osteoporosis health belief scale, osteoporosis self-efficacy scale, and osteoporosis preventive behaviors scale. 162 middle age and post-menopausal women were recruited. Results: Mediating effect of health beliefs was not significant in the relationship between BMD awareness and preventive behaviors. Instead, BMD awareness had a direct influence on the preventive behaviors that is strong and significant. Between the relationship of the BMD awareness and health beliefs, direct pathways of perceived threat, relative benefits, and self-efficacy were not significant. However, relative benefits and self-efficacy showed direct influence on the preventive behaviors. Conclusion: Having middle age women get their BMD test done in order for them to be aware of their own BMD results might be a critical strategy to promote osteoporosis preventive behaviors. There is a need to develop diverse strategies to enhance their self-efficacy which has been shown to be important to osteoporosis preventive behaviors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.327-335
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• 2014

Objectives: Several epidemiological studies on medical care utilization prior to suicide have considered the motivation of suicide, but focused on the influence of physical illnesses. Medical care expenditure in suicide completers with non-illness-related causes has not been investigated. Methods: Suicides motivated by non-illness-related factors were identified using the investigator's note from the National Police Agency, which was then linked to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment data. We investigated the medical care expenditures of cases one year prior to committing suicide and conducted a case-control study using conditional logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, gender, area of residence, and socioeconomic status. Results: Among the 4515 suicides motivated by non-illness-related causes, medical care expenditures increased in only the last 3 months prior to suicide in the adolescent group. In the younger group, the proportion of total medical expenditure for external injuries was higher than that in the older groups. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed significant associations with being a suicide completer and having a rural residence, low socioeconomic status, and high medical care expenditure. After stratification into the four age groups, a significant positive association with medical care expenditures and being a suicide completer was found in the adolescent and young adult groups, but no significant results were found in the elderly groups for both men and women. Conclusions: Younger adults who committed suicide motivated by non-illness-related causes had a higher proportion of external injuries and more medical care expenditures than their controls did. This reinforces the notion that suicide prevention strategies for young people with suicidal risk factors are needed.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.143-144
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• 1995

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.187-197
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between teacher's emotional intelligence, consciousness of professionalism, and strategies of problem behavior guidance of early childhood. Methods: The subjects in this study were 237 childcare center teachers in Seoul and Gyoungi Province in South Korea. Three different inventories were utilized. As for data analysis, the frequency analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and Multiple Regressions were conducted through SPSS 21.0 program. Results: The findings of the study were discussed as follows. First, emotional intelligence of teacher had the relationship with strategies of problem behavior guidance of early childhood. Second, consciousness of professionalism of teacher had the relationship with strategies of problem behavior guidance of early childhood. Conclusion/Implications: First, The findings showed that as teachers had the high level of ability in recognizing and expressing their emotion preciously, so the elements triggering the situation of problem were identified and captured, and the ability of use of preventive strategies in advance increased. Second, The findings showed that as teachers had the high level of ability in recognizing and expressing their emotion preciously, so the elements triggering the situation of problem were identified and captured, and the ability of use of preventive strategies in advance increased.