• Title/Summary/Keyword: Self-reported health

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Typology of Korean Eco-sumers: Based on Clothing Disposal Behaviors (관우한국생태학적일개예설(关于韩国生态学的一个预设): 기우복장탑배적행위(基于服装搭配的行为))

  • Sung, Hee-Won;Kincade, Doris H.
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.59-69
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    • 2010
  • Green or an environmental consciousness has been a major issue for businesses and government offices, as well as consumers, worldwide. In response to this movement, the Korean government announced, in the early 2000s, the era of "Green Growth" as a way to encourage green-related business activities. The Korean fashion industry, in various levels of involvement, presents diverse eco-friendly products as a part of the green movement. These apparel products include organic products and recycled clothing. For these companies to be successful, they need information about who are the consumers who consider green issues (e.g., environmental sustainability) as part of their personal values when making a decision for product purchase, use, and disposal. These consumers can be considered as eco-sumers. Previous studies have examined consumers' purchase intention for or with eco-friendly products. In addition, studies have examined influential factors used to identify the eco-sumers or green consumers. However, limited attention was paid to eco-sumers' disposal or recycling behavior of clothes in comparison with their green product purchases. Clothing disposal behaviors are ways that consumer can get rid of unused clothing and in clue temporarily lending the item or permanently eliminating the item by "handing down" (e.g., giving it to a younger sibling), donating, exchanging, selling, or simply throwing it away. Accordingly, examining purchasing behaviors of eco-friendly fashion items in conjunction with clothing disposal behaviors should improve understanding of a consumer's clothing consumption behavior from the environmental perspective. The purpose of this exploratory study is to provide descriptive information about Korean eco-sumers who have ecologically-favorable lifestyles and behaviors when buying and disposing of clothes. The objectives of this study are to (a) categorize Koreans on the basis of clothing disposal behaviors; (b) investigate the differences in demographics, lifestyles, and clothing consumption values among segments; and (c) compare the purchase intention of eco-friendly fashion items and influential factors among segments. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on previous studies. The questionnaire included 10 items of clothing disposal behavior, 22 items of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) characteristics, and 19 items of consumption values, measured by five-point Likert-type scales. In addition, the purchase intention of two eco-friendly fashion items and 11 attributes of each item were measured by seven-point Likert type scales. Two polyester fleece pullovers, made from fabric created from recycled bottles with the PET identification code, were selected from one Korean brand and one US imported brand among outdoor sportswear brands. A brief description of each product with a color picture was provided in the survey. Demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, marital status, education level, income, occupation) were also included. The data were collected through a professional web survey agency during May 2009. A total of 600 final usable questionnaires were analyzed. The age of respondents ranged from 20 to 49 years old with a mean age of 34 years. Fifty percent of the respondents were males and about 58% were married, and 62% reported having earned university degrees. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to identify the underlying dimensions of the clothing disposal behavior scale, and three factors were generated (i.e., reselling behavior, donating behavior, non-recycling behavior). To categorize the respondents on the basis of clothing disposal behaviors, k-mean cluster analysis was used, and three segments were obtained. These consumer segments were labeled as 'Resale Group', 'Donation Group', and 'Non-Recycling Group.' The classification results indicated approximately 98 percent of the original cases were correctly classified. With respect to demographic characteristics among the three segments, significant differences were found in gender, marital status, occupation, and age. LOHAS characteristics were reduced into the following five factors: self-satisfaction, family orientation, health concern, environmental concern, and voluntary service. Significant differences were found in the LOHAS factors among the three clusters. Resale Group and Donation Group showed a similar predisposition to LOHAS issues while the Non-Recycling Group presented the lowest mean scores on the LOHAS factors compared to the other segments. The Resale and Donation Groups described themselves as enjoying or being satisfied with their lives and spending spare-time with family. In addition, these two groups cared about health and organic foods, and tried to conserve energy and resources. Principal components factor analysis generated clothing consumption values into the following three factors: personal values, social value, and practical value. The ANOVA test with the factors showed differences primarily between the Resale Group and the other two groups. The Resale Group was more concerned about personal value and social value than the other segments. In contrast, the Non-Recycling Group presented the higher level of social value than did Donation Group. In a comparison of the intention to purchase eco-friendly products, the Resale Group showed the highest mean score on intent to purchase Product A. On the other hand, the Donation Group presented the highest intention to purchase for Product B among segments. In addition, the mean scores indicated that the Korean product (Product B) was more preferable for purchase than the U.S. product (Product A). Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the influence of product attributes on the purchase intention of eco product. With respect to Product A, design, price and contribution to environmental preservation were significant to predict purchase intention for the Resale Group, while price and compatibility with my image factors were significant for the Donation Group. For the Non-Recycling Group, design, price compatibility with the factors of my image, participation to eco campaign, and contribution to environmental preservation were significant. Price appropriateness was significant for each of the three clusters. With respect to Product B, design, price and compatibility with my image factors were important, but different attributes were associated significantly with purchase intention for each of the three groups. The influence of LOHAS characteristics and clothing consumption values on intention to purchase Products A and B were also examined. The LOHAS factor of health concern and the personal value factor were significant in the relationships with the purchase intention; however, the explanatory powers were low in the three segments. Findings showed that each group as classified by clothing disposal behaviors showed differences in the attributes of a product, personal values, and the LOHAS characteristics that influenced their purchase intention of eco-friendly products. Findings would enable organizations to understand eco-friendly behavior and to design appropriate strategic decisions to appeal eco-sumers.

A study on oral discomfort in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (화학요법을 받는 부인암환자의 구강불편감에 관한 연구)

  • 정재원
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.372-389
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    • 1995
  • The frequency with which administration of chemotherapy for gynecological cancer treatment is used has increased along with the use of surgery and radiotherapy Among the various side effects of chemotherapy, stomatitis causes a problem of function and sensation in the oral cavity. This oral discomfort can be categorized into two components ; perceived oral symptoms and observed oral symptoms. If the oral problem continues, it may cause infection, bleeding and nutritional deficiencies. As a result of this condition, compliance with the treatment process can be affected as well as the prognosis for the cancer patients. But as the oral discorrfort usually appears after chemotherapy, it is often not reported to the health care personnel as a patient problem. Without problem identification of the oral discomfort and ability to assess the problem, effective intervention cannot be planned. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the pattern and the degree of oral discomfort due to cancer chemotherapy and thus to provide data for identification of the patient problem and for nursing assessment. The design of this study was a longitudinal de-scriptive study The subjects were in - patients who received chemotherapy under the diagnosis of gynecological cancer between Mar. 15, 1994 and May 15, 1994 at a general hospital in Seoul, Korea. The number of subjects was 64 and they were divided into two groups, one of 41 (A : 5FU & Neoplatin), the other of 23(B : Neoplatin, Cytoxan, Adriamycin), according to the treatment regimen. The data were collected for 24 days using self-re-port instruments. The instruments were the 「Perceived Oral Symptom Assessment Tool」 and 「Observed Oral Symptom Assessment Tool」 developed by this researcher. Data were analyzed using the SPSS-PC program, ANOVA, t-test, paired t-test and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient were applied. The results of this study are as follows : 1. In A regimen the peak time for perceived oral symptom scores was the fifth day after chemotherapy, and the tenth day for observed oral symptom scores. Both of the problems started on first day of chemotherapy and were not resolved completely until the 24th day after treatment. 2. In B regimen, the peak time for perceived oral symptom scores was on the seventh day after chemotherapy, and the eighth day for observed oral symptom scores. It was noted that perceived oral symptom scores were higher than observed oral symptom scores consistently for 24 days. Both also started on first day of chemotherapy, and were not resolved completely until the 24th day after chemotherapy. 3. There were no differences statistically in perceived oral symptom scores between A and B regimen. The loss of appetite and xerostomia caused the most severe discomfort in both of these two groups. 4. The were no differences statistically in observed oral symptom scores between the A and B regi moil. In the A regimen, the highest observed symptom scores were the lips, gingiva, tongue and buccal membrane in that order. But in the B regimen, the highest observed symptom scores were tongue, lips, buccal membrane and gingiva in that order. 5. In A regimen, the patients who had gingival edema and dentures had significantly higher perceived oral symptom scores. And those who had gingival edema and bleeding, foul odor and aphthous stomatitis had significantly higher observed oral symptom scores. 6. In B regimen, the patients who had the experience of stomatitis in the last course of chemotherapy had significantly higher perceived oral symptom scores. Those who had gingival edema had significantly higher observed oral symptom scores. 7. In the A regimen there was no correlation between lab values for lymphocytes and albumin with perceived oral symptom scores and observed oral symptom scores. In the B regimen, there was a significant negative correlation between lymphocytes and albumin with the observed oral symptom scores, but not between perceived oral symptom scores and lymphocytes and albumin values. In conclusion, the nurse should expect that the patient undergoing chemotherapy will complain severely about subjective discomfort and before objective physical change is observed. Also the patients who have chronic oral problems such as dentures, gingival edema and bleeding, foul odor, aphthous stomatitis will complain of severe oral discomfort due to chemotherapy.

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Evaluation of dietary behavior and nutritional status of elementary school students in Jeju using nutrition quotient (어린이 영양지수 (nutrition quotient)를 이용한 제주 지역 일부 초등학생의 식습관 및 영양 상태 평가)

  • Boo, Mi Na;Cho, Su Kyung;Park, Kyong
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.48 no.4
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    • pp.335-343
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    • 2015
  • Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the food behavior and nutritional status of elementary school students in the Jeju area using Nutrition Quotient (NQ). Methods: The subjects were 440 students (235 boys and 205 girls) in the fifth and sixth grade at four elementary schools located in Jeju. Demographic, lifestyle, and environmental information was collected using a self-reported questionnaire. The food behavior checklist for children's Nutrition Quotient (NQ), consisting of 19 items, and nutrition education related information were also obtained. Results: The mean score of the children's NQ was poor, reaching 60.3 points. The percentage distribution of NQ grade was 19.8% (lowest), 18.6% (low), 45.0% (medium), 10.7% (high), and 5.9% (highest) and the factor scores for balance, diversity, abstinence, regularity, and practice were 56.6, 68.4, 71.3, 57.4, and 54.8 points, respectively. Compared with the NQ cut-off points for defining malnutrition (balance; 57, diversity; 87, abstinence; 66, regularity; 69, and practice; 67 point), average score of abstinence factor was only above the cut-off point and scores of the other factors were below the cut-off point. Subjects with higher NQ scores tended to have higher levels of exercise activity (p < 0.001), frequency of family meals (p < 0.01), and father's educational levels (p < 0.01) compared to those with lower NQ score. NQ score showed positive association with nutrition education experience and practice (p < 0.001). Conclusion: NQ score of elementary school students residing in Jeju was lower than the national average. More opportunities should be provided for participation in nutrition education, which incorporates a range of program strategies, as well as communication and education activities.

Assessment of Sanitary Management Practices of School Foodservice Operations in Seoul (서울지역 학교급식 위생관리 실태평가)

  • Kwak, Tong-Kyung;Hong, Wan-Soo;Moon, Hye-Kyung;Ryu, Kyung;Chang, Hye-Ja
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.168-177
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    • 2001
  • Sanitary management practices were assessed to insure the safety of school foodservice, to prevent the outbreak of foodborne illness, and to improve the quality of school foodservice. To accomplish these objectives, a survey was conducted and analyzed on elementary and high school foodservice operations located in Seoul area. A Questionnaire from based on HACCP standards was developed and used for self-reported evaluation of the school foodservice managers on their sanitary management practices. The results were analysed by examining their activities and identifying weaknesses in those activities. The questionnaire was composed of three sectors with all 53 questions; 33 questions for time-temperature management, 5 for personal hygiene and 15 for equipment/facility sanitation. Five-point-scale was used on the questionnaire answers. Among the schools responded,253 (98.4% of the total) were elementary schools and 19 (1.6%) were high schools. Among the three sectors, personal hygiene performance was mostly well conducted by marking average 4.06$\pm$0.57. Equipment/facility sanitation came next by marking average 3.84$\pm$0.53. Time-temperature marked average 3.45$\pm$0.46. “Storage after cooking (2.03$\pm$0.94)”was identified as the least managed activities because the school foodservice operations were not equipped well with hot holding and/or cold holding. “Separate use of sink per usage (3.03$\pm$1.10)” and “proper location of hand washing facility (3.07$\pm$1.13))” were identified as the least practiced activities in equipment/facility sanitation sector. To enhance these practices, proper number of sinks and hand washing facilities should be equipped first within the kitchen area.

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Psychosocial Risk Factors of Postpartum Depression (산후우울증의 심리사회적 위험요인)

  • Park, Si-Sung;Han, Kwi-Won
    • Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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    • v.7 no.1
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    • pp.124-133
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    • 1999
  • Objective : Postpartum depression(PPD) was known to be caused by many factors including various psychosocial risk factors. This study was performed to identify the psychosocial risk factors for ppd, preliminarily in Korea. Methods : A group of 119 postpartum women, each of whom was at 6 to 8 weeks after delivery was identified at the time when they visited to the child health clinic or postnatal check-up clinic. The risk factors were surveyed by the self-reported questionnaire. The items of questionnaire were consisted of known risk factors in other studies and other possible stress-related factors. PPD was assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS) and the degree of postpartum depression was determined by its score. Results : 16 women(13.45%) in the high risk group were diagnosed as PPD among the 119 women. Risk factors including past experience of depressive symptoms and low level of marital satisfaction were founded more frequently in women in the high risk group than in the low risk group. The score of EPDS was significantly high in the group who experienced depressive symptoms in the past, anxiety or depression during pregnancy, stressful life event during the period of recent pregnancy and postpartum, and who had low level of marital satisfaction. There was a positive correlation between age and the score of EPDS. However, the postpartum depressive symptoms were not influenced by the level of education, job, retirement due to pregnancy and delivery, wanted or unwanted pregnancy, delivery method, feeding method, the hospitalization of infant, expected and real gender of infant. Conclusion : These results suggest that PPD is quite frequent at postpartum period. Various risk factors contribute to the development of PPD. If clinicians pay attention to the risk factors of PPD and give appropriate psychiatric intervention to the mothers during pregnancy and postpartum, it will be easy for the clinicians to recognize and treat PPD in the early stage.

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Current status of meal and snack service in elementary care classes in Gyeonggi area (경기도 지역 초등돌봄교실의 급·간식 운영 현황)

  • Yang, Hee Soon;Park, Haeryun;Song, Kyunghee;Ahn, Yoonjin;Choi, Daeun;Jin, Juntai;Lee, Youngmi
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.51 no.3
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    • pp.264-274
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    • 2018
  • Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the current status of food service management in elementary care classes. Methods: A focus group interview with seven care class managers and a survey with 101 care class managers using a self-administered questionnaire in Gyeonggi province were conducted. Results: In the focus group interview, purchased meals and snacks were evaluated as low quality by the care class managers. Frequent use of frozen or processed food and products with low prices were also reported as problems. Care class managers were in charge of meal and snack planning without any guidelines or expert advices. The results of the survey show that most schools serve purchased snacks and meals. The average unit costs of one meal and snack were 4,062 and 1,463 Won, respectively. The average unit costs of snacks during semester (p = 0.015) and vacation (p = 0.039) were significantly lower in rural than urban areas. The percentages of schools that prepared nutrition standards for meal and snack planning in elementary care classes were only 7.4% and 10.9%, respectively. The meal menus were mostly provided by catering service companies, and the snack menus were planned mostly by the care class managers. Menu planning by the care class managers was more usual in rural than urban areas (p = 0.054 for meal planning and p = 0.008 for snack planning). Just 33.7% of schools introduced safety standards for food service in elementary care classes, and more than half of the respondents (56.4%) did not do a regular medical check-up. Only 33.7% of the respondents received education for food safety. Conclusion: These results show the necessity for establishment of detailed guidelines for food service in elementary care classes and for the introduction of a food safety and nutrition education program customized for care class managers.

Pediatrician Perspectives on the Evaluation and Treatment of Acute Gastrointestinal Infections, Jeonbuk, South Korea, 2002 (전라북도 소아과 개원의의 급성 위장염 환자에 대한 인식 조사)

  • Lim, So Hee;Koe, Yang Sim;Jo, Dae Sun;Lee, Sin Jae;Hwang, Pyoung Han;Kilgore, P.;Nyhambat, B.;Kim, Jung Soo
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.46 no.12
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    • pp.1217-1223
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    • 2003
  • Purpose : This study was conducted to assess clinical practices related to the evaluation and treatment of patients with acute gastrointestinal infection(AGI) in infants and children. This survey also evaluated the current opinion regarding the use of rotavirus vaccine. Methods : This survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire provided to 82 pediatricians in private clinics of Jeonbuk province. From April to June, 2002, 63 of 82 pediatricians(76.8 %) responded to the survey. Results : The annual proportion of patients with AGI was 13%. The highest proportion of patients with diarrhea were reported for the months of October through December. For the treatment of diarrhea, pediatricians preferred to prescribe lactobacillus products, oral rehydration solution, enzyme products, anti-emetics, anti-diarrheal formula, nothing by mouth(NPO) and bowel movement inhibitors in descending order of frequency. Most pediatricians(79.4%) prescribed antibiotics in less than 20% of patients with AGI. Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotics followed by trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole(TMP/SMX) and amoxicillin/clavulanate. Clinical manifestations that pediatricians considered as important factors in prescribing antibiotics were bloody diarrhea, mucoid diarrhea, high fever, persisting disease and abdominal pain. Diagnostic procedures that pediatricians preferred for AGI patients were stool examination(rotavirus antigen, RBC, WBC), abdominal X-ray, and serum electrolytes. Pediatricians had a strong interest in rotavirus vaccine(71.4%). Conclusion : Acute gastrointestinal illness remains a common problem, especially during the winter months in Korea. AGI manifesting as watery diarrhea is appropriately treated with commonly available agents but pediatricians appear ready to consider additional approaches to decrease the sizable disease burden of AGI among children in Korea.

A study on Establishment and Management of the CCTV in Operating Room (수술실 CCTV 설치 및 운영에 대한 고찰)

  • Kim, Minji
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.109-132
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    • 2019
  • Recently, medical accidents related to surgical procedures have increased. In addition, the media reported that some of these accidents were involved in health crimes. Patient-advocate groups have called for mandatory establishment and management of CCTV in operating rooms. There is a lot of discussion among the interested parties, so it is necessary to review the relevant laws and regulations. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of CCTV in operating rooms and to review legislations related to establishment and management of the CCTV in operating rooms. Medical institutions use CCTV for management of facilities and patient safety and install it in operating rooms optionally. The Constitution guarantees the privacy and the privacy of correspondence of every citizen, but it can be limited by the law for public welfare. Currently, however, there is no existing law about establishment and management of the CCTV in operating rooms and it can be defect of legal system. Under the current legislations, it is likely that the Self-determination can be violated due to the characteristic of healthcare provider when CCTV is mandatorily installed in operating room. In addition, the regulations on access and leakage of confidential information known by operator are insufficient. So that, the safety of the visual data might be threatened. Furthermore, unless the period and the place of storage of the visual data are clearly defined, it is highly unlikely to meet the original purpose of patient safety and prevention of medical accidents. This study is meaningful as there is few previous study on this topic although the need for legal review about this is growing and several bills are being proposed. It is expected that the results of this study can be utilized as basic data for enactment or amendment of the laws and regulations about establishment and management of CCTV in operating rooms.

The Eating-Related Characteristics Questionnaire and Its Correlations with Anthropometry, Nutrient Intakes, Depression, and Personality Dimensions : the Validity of Its Use on Korean College Students (대학생을 대상으로 한 섭식특성 질문지의 타당성 연구 - 체격, 영양소 섭취, 우울 및 성격차원과의 상관성에 의한 -)

  • 신동순;조옥귀
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.35 no.4
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    • pp.489-497
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    • 2002
  • This study was conducted to determine if Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire could be effectively applied in predicting obesity and eating disorders among Korean college students by examining the correlations between eating-related characteristics and anthropometry, nutrient intakes, psychological aspects of depression, and personality dimensions. The data were collected from 151 female students in classes of nutrition or psychology in Kyungnam University. Measurements of height, weight and triceps skinfold thickness (TSf) were made by well-trained interviewers, and BMI was calculated. Daily nutrient intakes were obtained from the self-reported three-day dietary records for the kinds and the amounts of foods consumed by the student subjects. The students were also asked to complete three questionnaires : Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Berk Depression Inventory. The results of the study were as follows : 1) Reliability of factored homogeneous item dimensions (FHIDS) of the translated version of the eating-related characteristics questionnaire showed a similar profile compared with the original. Moreover, the loading values of Cronbach-$\alpha$ for some FHIDs, which were excluded in order to constitute primary-level factors (for example, 'predisposition to obesity' etc) with a high reliability, were much lower than Mehrabian's. Therefore the eating-related characteristics questionnaire could be effectively used for Korean students for predicting predisposition to obesity and eating disorders. 2) With regard to the relationship between anthropometric indices and eating-related characteristics, BMI measurements showed a high and a positive correlation with 'predisposition to obesity' and 'uncontrollable urges to eat', and a negative correlation with a 'predisposition to anorexia'. The heavier body weight and the more fat mass that the subjects had, the higher the probability that the subjects were overeating. 3) The intakes of some minerals (Fe, K, Na) and Vitamin C showed significantly negative correlations with a 'predisposition to obesity' and a 'predisposition to anorexia'. But the intakes of vitamin B$_2$, niacin, and retinol were positively correlated with'uncontrollable urges to eat'. 4) Among personality dimensions, neuroticism had a positive correlation with a 'predisposition to obesity', 'uncontrollable urges to eat', and 'predisposition to anorexia'. 5) Neuroticism was negatively correlated with intakes of calories, carbohydrates, K, Fe, Vitamin C, etc. On the contrary, all personality dimensions were positively correlated with intakes of retinol. In conclusion, the translated version of Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire appears to be effective for nutritional or psychological assessments of any predisposition to eating disorders among Korean college students.

The Gap between Social Stratification in the Aftermath of the 1997 Financial Crisis: The Change of Living Conditions and Daily Life as a Consumer. (외환위기 이후 계층의 양극화: 변화된 일상과 소비생활)

  • Nam, Eun-Young
    • Survey Research
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.1-32
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    • 2009
  • This study examines the changes of income, everyday life and living condition of consumer in the aftermath of financial crisis. In this period financial crisis was the crucial factor behind various social problems such as the dissolution of families and individuals. This research explores the range and degree of impact on individuals and social groups after the financial crisis. We explore the social mobility in terns of maintaining middle class and falling into the lower class measured by middle class identification. The 60% of the middle class before the financial crisis maintained the middle class position and the rest of people left out of middle class and fell into lower class. The 60% of those who has been maintained and has just became the members of middle class were college - educated people. The great part of people whose income and assets has increased after financial crisis belongs to college - educated group. Many of those whose income have decreased belong to the high school educated group and blow, the older than 50 years old, self - employed without employee and unpaid family employee. Those whose income and assets decreased and those who experienced downward mobility have undergone changes in everyday life and living conditions as a consumer. Many of them experienced the unemployment, nonpayment or credit - delinquency, dissolution of family, worsening health condition, depression, feeling the impulse to commit suicide simultaneously. The poor consumer disposition, reduction of living expenses, sound consumer culture have expanded to people since economic crisis. The middle class reported that the cost of private education often goes beyond the family ability to pay. The lower class has suffered from the cost of living. In a meanwhile luxury goods preference, consumer consciousness for status symbol have continuously increased among all the classes since 1997. Thus fluctuations of one's income and social mobility during past 10 years were some of the major determinants which brought about the various damaging life events, changes of living conditions and everyday lives as a consumer.

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