• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the affect of eating behaviors on subjective health of multi-cultural adolescents in South Korea. Methods: This study is designed as cross-sectional. Using the statistics from the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. Overall, 711 multi-cultural adolescents were included in the analysis. Results: When analyzing the factors affecting the subjective health status of multi-cultural adolescents, normal body mass index (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.35~0.89) and milk consumption (OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.35~0.83) showed a lower risk of being unhealthy, while skipping breakfast for 5 days (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.33~2.93) and convenience store food consumption (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.05~2.40) showed a higher risk of being unhealthy. Conclusion: It is necessary to form positive eating habits that influence the subjective health perception of multi-cultural adolescents. Therefore, appropriate dietary education and systematic support should be provided for multi-cultural families.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.192-204
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• 2022

Objectives: This study examined the association between dietary behaviors and perceived health status among Korean adolescents from multicultural families. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 2,459 Korean adolescents from multicultural families (aged 13 ~ 18 years) who participated in the 2017 ~ 2019 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. Information on the sociodemographic variables, dietary behaviors, and lifestyle variables was self-reported using a web-based questionnaire. The dietary behaviors analyzed in this study were the breakfast and food intake frequencies, including fruit, vegetable, milk, fast food, carbonated drink, sweet drink, and high caffeine/energy drinks. The adolescents' health perception was self-rated as healthy, average, or unhealthy. The dietary behaviors associated with health perception were examined using a multiple logistic regression after adjusting for the confounding variables. Results: In this study population, 7.6% of adolescents perceived their health status as unhealthy, and 25.4% perceived it as average. The adolescents who were girls, middle school students, and in households with a low economic status showed significantly higher percentages of poor health perception (P-values < 0.001). Skipping breakfast was significantly associated with a negative health perception. Compared to the adolescents who consumed fruits every day, those who did not consume fruits during the previous week showed a higher odd ratio (OR) for a negative health perception [OR = 2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.32-3.97]. The adolescents who frequently consumed carbonated drinks (≥ 5 times/week) perceived their health status as unhealthy relative to those who did not consume carbonated drinks (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.25-3.71). Skipping breakfast was significantly associated with an increased OR for a negative health perception in girls but not in boys. Compared to adolescents with a normal weight, those with overweight/obesity (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.21-2.52) and underweight (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.25-3.82) showed higher ORs for negative health perception. Positive associations of overweight/obesity and underweight with negative health perception were observed in boys but not in girls. Conclusions: Dietary behaviors and weight status were associated with the health perception in Korean adolescents from multicultural families. These findings suggest that nutrition interventions on breakfast intake and healthy food choices for this population might effectively improve their weight and perceived health status.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.213-219
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There is little information on the association between weight misperception and eating behavior in Korean adolescents. Therefore, we investigated the association of food intake habits and dieting method and disturbed eating behavior (DEB) in relation to weight misperception. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data was collected by using a nationwide online panel survey from 6,943 adolescents enrolled in middle/high school. DEB was measured with the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and those who scored ${\geq}20$ on the EAT-26 were considered to have eating disorder. Logistic regressions were conducted to examine the association between weight misperception based on self-reported weight status and dieting method and eating behaviors. RESULTS: The proportion of weight underestimation was 23.5% and that of overestimation was 24.0%. Weight overestimating girls were more likely to engage in various unhealthy dieting practices (OR = 1.69 for fasting; OR = 1.88 for laxative or diuretic use; OR = 2.05 for self-induced vomiting after meals; P < 0.05). Moreover, there was a strong association between overestimation and undesirable eating behaviors, especially among girls, e.g.: having breakfast (OR = 0.85), high consumption of fast foods (OR = 1.28) and regular sodas (OR = 1.39), but not among boys. In both genders, weight overestimation appears to be a major risk factor for DEB (OR = 1.34 for boys and OR = 1.41 for girls; P < 0.05). CONSLUSIONS: Weight overestimation is associated with unhealthy weight control practices and eating behaviors. We particularly found a significant association between weight overestimation and DEB among nationwide Korean adolescents.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.113-122
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine and understand body image, appearance behaviors, and eating disturbances among females in the Diet Center. Subjects for this research were 40 females enrolled at the Diet Center in Seoul. They were interviewed for this study using an interview schedule at September in 2004. As a result, most of the subjects (87%) were dissatisfied with their bodies, especially their lower body such as hip, thighs, legs, stomach. Subjects tended to use dieting and fasting (46.3%) as the most common appearance management behaviors in relation to the body parts. Make-up (32.9%) was also used as routine appearance behaviors, while 37.5% of subjects have had cosmetic surgery on eyes, nose and liposuction. Sixty percent of subjects had participated in Diet center programs more than twice. This may mean that society pressures women to have a slim body, which then will result in more self-confidence. Subjects tend to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors, such as 'fasting', 'inducing vomit', 'using diet pills or laxatives', and 'after chewing, spit out'. Based on these results, socio-cultural body image regarding ideal beauty would be discussed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1143-1154
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Body shape misperception (BSM) is the disagreement between the subjectively perceived body size and body mass index. This study investigated the association between BSM and unhealthy eating behaviors (UEB) among Korean adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2019 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey with 55,748 participants. UEB were measured according to the weekly consumption frequency of caffeinated energy drinks, fast food, carbonated beverages, and sugar-sweetened beverages. The covariates included demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and health-related factors. Multiple logistic regression analysis determined the association between BSM and UEB. RESULTS: Among the participants, 37,607 (67.5%) reported UEB. The gap between UEB among those with BSM was the largest between the underestimated and accurately estimated groups. Participants who underestimated their body shape were likelier to engage in UEB (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.25). Both sexes with underestimation of body size showed an association with UEB compared to those with accurate estimations (girls: AOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09-1.30; boys: AOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.26). CONCLUSIONS: Underestimating body shape can provoke UEB among Korean adolescents. The need for appropriate school health interventional programs to prevent underestimating body shape is emphasized to avoid UEB.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2004

Objectives: This study was to identify socioeconomic factors and health-related behaviors influencing on HRQOL(health-related quality of life) for the older adults in rural area. Methods: 483 subjects aged over 65 years responded a direct interview, which covered HRQOL, BMI, socioeconomic characteristics, and health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, and exercise. Results: Overall, the mean number of healthy days were 15.1 days and not significantly different by sex. Men didn't show a significant difference in HRQOL by age group. But women reported lower levels of healthy days and higher levels of activity limitation and physical unhealthy days with increasing age. Results from ANCOVA showed HRQOL to be significantly associated with education, job, and family type. Men presented no significant difference in HRQOL by health-related behaviors, but women who have been drinking, or have less number of chronic diseases reported higher mean healthy days and lower activity limitation days, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days. Older adults who reported good to excellent self-rated health were higher healthy days and lower activity limitation, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days than those who reported fair to poor health status. Conclusions: The HRQOL for the older adults in rural area was related to socioeconomic characteristics, health-related behaviors and self-rated health status. A better understanding of factors related to HRQOL would help to improve the older adults' quality of life.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.123-134
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• 2023

Disordered eating behaviors, such as overeating, are known to be contagious in the general population. The objective of our research is to find an optimal control strategy to reduce the social burden of unhealthy overeating behavior by establishing and analyzing a mathematical model for the social transmission dynamics of unhealthy overeating. We consider four compartments in the population: normal weight with normal eating behavior, normal weight with overeating behavior, overweight with normal eating behavior, and overweight with overeating behavior. Simulation results under various control scenarios show that integrated control measures may be necessary to reduce the growth rate of the overeating population.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.323-330
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• 2008

Objectives : This study was conducted to examine the mediating function of body weight perception (BWP) on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCB: e.g., fasting, or taking diet pills or laxatives) and between BMI and depressed mood, and to explore the effect of distorted BWP on UWCB and depressed mood among adult women. Methods : A regionally representative sample of 8,581 women aged 20-64 years residing in Seoul, the capital of Korea, completed the 2001 Seoul Citizens Health Indicator Survey which provides self-reported information about height, weight, BWP, UWCB, depressed mood, demo graphic/socioeconomic characteristics, and health-related behaviors. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results : BMI was significantly associated both with UWCB and depressed mood, even controlling for all covariates. However, the magnitude and significance of each association was considerably attenuated when BWP was taken into account, indicating that BWP functioned, in part, as a mediator between BMI and UWCB and between BMI and depressed mood, respectively. Among the combinations of BMI and BWP, women who perceived themselves to be heavier than their actual BMls appeared more likely to use UWCB, whereas women who had a distorted BWP, either underestimation or overestimation as compared with their BMIs, tended to be at greater risk for depressed mood than those who had an undistorted BWP. Conclusions : These findings suggest that how women perceive their body weight may be an important predictor and/or mediator of UWCB and depressed mood among adult Korean women.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.286-298
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• 2006

The study aimed to identify major factors related to global self-rated health of the community-dwelling elderly people in rural areas. Interviews were conducted with 433 persons over 65 years of age. The socio-economic characteristics, chronic disease status, measures of functional and mental health, life satisfaction, health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, exercise, social activity, dietary habit, and food intakes were analyzed to determine their influence on self-rated health index. Data on food intake were obtained through the 24-hour recall method. The self-rated health of rural elderly was poor or very poor as reported by 42.6% and 52.4% of the men and women, respectively. Poor self-rated health was found to be related to elderly aged $65{\sim}74$, female, absence of work, more chronic diseases, dependence on Instrumental Activity Daily Living (IADL), higher mental unhealthy days, lower current life satisfaction, less social activity, lower dietary habit scores, lower intake of total food, fruit, eggs, fishes & shell fishes, vitamin C (%RDA), and Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR). The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that poor self-rated health index is significantly associated with more chronic diseases, mental unhealthy days, gastrointestinal disease, musculoskeletal disease, less social activity, and lower intake of fruits. The results also suggested that improving the nutritional status and functional ability, and reducing the burden of chronic diseases are beneficial to the self-rated health index of the elderly.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.413-423
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the changes of health behaviors and concepts via self-reflection after health education with 6 videotapes for undergraduate students. Method: After the first semester in 2011, we collected the data for evaluating their own health-related life-style. Using qualitative content method, the data were analyzed. Result: Thirty-nine students participated in this study. Average age was 22.7 years, and 27 were male. Thirty-seven students replied unhealthy diet pattern; irregular meal time and binge. Four themes and 11 subjects emerged. The four themes were new perception for health and illness, evaluation of own health state, checking for health-related lifestyle, and trying to change for a healthy life pattern. The eleven subjects were chance to change their health habits, new perception about illness experience with family, uncertainty about upcoming health, worry about disease occurring, grasp the facts of unhealthy diet pattern, less exercise, growing stress, high-pressure drinking culture in the university, increasing concern for a healthy life, trying to change lifestyle, and difficulty in changing lifestyle. Conclusion: From the results of this study, we concluded that self-reflection on the health behaviors after health education with videotapes could reinforce to change health behaviors and concepts for undergraduate students.