• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.426-436
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between indoor environmental exposures and behavioral problems in children with allergic diseases. Methods: We used data from 2015 Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC). The subjects of this study included 825 children aged 7 years with asthma, allergic rhinitis, or atopic dermatitis. The data was analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Factors influencing behavioral problems in children with allergic diseases were passive smoking (β=.15, p<.001), painting from 1year after birth until 1 year ago (β=.13, p<.001), using of linoleum as floor materials (β=.09, p<.001), change of wallpaper From 2 years before pregnancy until 1year after birth (β=.08, p<.001), change of wallpaper from 1year after birth until 1 year ago (β=.07, p<.001), keeping hot food or water in plastic container (β=.06, p<.001), remodeling from 1 year after birth until 1year ago (β=.04, p<.001), using of plastic container (β=.03, p<.001), and change of floor materials from 1 year after birth until 1year ago (β=.01, p=.006) which explained about 10% of behavioral problems. Conclusion: This study showed that indoor environmental exposures were associated with behavioral problems in children with allergic diseases. Based on the findings of this study, programs focusing on controlling of indoor environmental exposures may help to prevent and reduce behavioral problems in children with allergic diseases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2016

Viet Nam is a country with the highest rate of adult male smokers in the world. In 2010, the percentage of adult male smokers was 47.4%. Each year in Viet Nam, there are 40,000 lives lost from tobacco-related diseases. The Global Tobacco Youth Survey is an international standardized survey that has been conducted in more than 140 countries. To provide evidence for tobacco control, Viet Nam already conducted two rounds of GYTS in 2003 and 2007. The GYTS in 2014 is the survey's third iteration. This paper aims to document key methodological details and socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents included in the 2014 GYTS in Viet Nam. This survey followed international protocol and was conducted in 13 provinces representative of 6 geographical regions. A total of 3,430 school children, aged 13 to 15 years used a standardized answer sheet to answer 76 questions about seven tobacco-related topics, including prevalence of tobacco use, environmental tobacco smoke, access and availability, media and advertisement, cessation, knowledge and attitudes, tobacco-related school curriculum. This GYTS provides valid and reliable data for monitoring tobacco use among youth in Vietnam and is recommended to be regularly repeated.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.502-517
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• 1998

This research intends to survey family environment, health behavior and health status of the students in urban-rural elementary schools and analyze those factors comparatively, and use the result as basic material for school health teacher to teach health education in connection with family and regional areas. It also intends to improve a pupil's self-abilitiy in health care. The subjects involve 2,774 students of urban elementary schools and 583 student in rural ones, who were selected by means of a multi -stage probability sampling. Using the questionnaire and school documents, we collected data on family environment, health behavior and health status for 19 days. Feb. 2nd 1998 through Feb. 20th 1998. The R -form of Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974) was used in the analysis of family environment(Cronbach's Alpha =0.80). Questionnaires of Health Behavior in School-aged children used by the WHO in Europe(Aaro et al., 1986) and the ones developed by the Health Promotion Committee of the Western Pacific(WHO, 1995)(adapted by long Young-suk and Moon Young-hee(1996)) were used in the analysis of health behavior, as well documents on absences due to sickness, school health room-visits, levels of physical strength, height, weight and degree of obesity were used to determine health status. In next step, We used them with an $X^2$-test, t-test, Odds Ratio, and a 95% Confidence Interval. 1. In two dimensions of three, family-relationship (t=3.41, p=0.001) and system -maintenances(t= 2.41, p=0.0l6) the mean score of urban children were significantly higher than those of rural ones. In the personal development dimension however, there was little significant difference. Assorting family environment into 10 sub-fields and analyzing them, we recognized that urban children were superior to rural children in the sub-fields of expressiveness (t =3.47, p=0.001), conflict (t=0.48, p=0.001), active-recreational orientation (t = 1.97, p=0.049) and organization (t=4.33, p=0.000). 2. Referring to the Odds Ratios of urban-rural children's health behaviors, urban children set up more desirable behavior than rural children wear ing safety belts (Odds Ratio =0.32, p=0.000), washing hands after meals(Odds Ratio = 0.43, p= 0.000), washing hands after excreting (Odds Ratio = 0.39, p=O.OOO), washing hands after coming - home ( Odds Ratio = 0.75, p = 0.003), brushing teeth before sleeping(Odds Ratio =0.45, p=0.000), brushing teeth more than once a day (Odds Ratio =0.73, p=0.0l2), drinking boiled water (Odds Ratio = 0.49, p=0.000), collecting garbage at home(Odds Ratio=0.31, p=0.000) and in the school(Odds Ratio =0. 67, p=0.000). All these led to significant differences. As to taking milk(Odds Ratio = 1.50, p=0.000), taking care of eyesight(Odds Ratio=1.41, p=0.001) and getting physical exercise in(Odds Ratio = 1.33, p=0.0l9) and outside the school(Odds Ratio = 1.32, p=0.005), rural children had more desirable behavior which also revealed a significant difference. There was little significant difference in smoking, but the smoking rate of rural children(5.5%) was larger than that of urban children(3.9%). 3. Health status was analyzed in terms of absences, school health room-visits, levels of physical strength, and the degree of obesity, height and weight. Considering Odds Ratios of the health status of urban-rural children, the health status of rural children was significantly better than that of the urban ones in the level of physical strength(t=1.51, p=0.000) and the degree of obesity(t=1.84, p=0.000). The mean height of urban children ($150.4{\pm}7.5cm$) is taller than that of their counterparts($149.5{\pm}7.9$), which revealed a significant difference (t =2.47, p=0.0l4). The mean weight of urban children($42.9{\pm}8.6kg$) is larger than that of their counterparts($41.8{\pm}9.0kg$), which was also a significant difference(t=2.81, p=0.005). Considering the results above, we can recognize that there are significant differences in family environment, health behavior, and health status in urban-rural children. These results also suggestion ideas for health education. What we would suggest for the health program of elementary schools is that school health teachers should play an active role in promoting the need and importance of health education, develop the appropriate programs which correspond to the regional characteristics, and incorporate them into schools to improve children's ability to manage their own health management.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.396-408
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• 2016

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to determine the relationship between the prevalence of allergic diseases and urinary cadmium concentration among children from six to 12 years of age, and to evaluate the association between cadmium in urine and other immunologically related factors in two elementary schools with different environmental conditions. Methods: Data on physician-diagnosed prevalence over the past 12 months and potential risk factors for allergic disease were collected from survey results drawn from 236 children living in different regions (central urban vs. suburban) from April to July in 2014 by an ISAAC questionnaire. We analyzed cytokine levels in serum through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and urinary cadmium concentration by use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: Concentrations of urinary cadmium in suburban and central urban children were $0.11{\pm}0.11ug/L$, $0.14{\pm}0.17ug/L$, respectively (p>0.05). Results from the analysis of the t-test and chi-square test showed that urinary cadmium levels were positively associated with environmental factors (paternal smoking status, passive smoking, traffic volume and experiences of outdoor odors) and individual genetic factors (parental allergic disease). Cadmium concentrations in urine were also positively associated with the prevalence of allergic disease and immune-related cytokines (eosinophils, IgE, IL-5, IL-33, IL-17). Conclusion: This study suggests that genetic factors (parental history of allergic diseases), environmental factors, and regional status (suburban and central urban) should be considered as probable factors increasing the concentration of urinary cadmium, which has the potential to influence the allergic disease prevalence of school-age children.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.343-350
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• 2008

Asthma and allergic diseases are one of the most common disorders in children. Due to its increased prevalence, as well as the increased morbidity and mortality from these diseases, asthma and allergic diseases have come to be recognized as a major worldwide public health issue. In addition, socioeconomic burden of asthma and allergic diseases has increased in Korea also. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) investigated the worldwide prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases using simple standardized methods because of the comparison of asthma and allergic diseases between the countries. In Korea, several epidemiologic studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of asthma in children. Although these studies showed increased prevalence of asthma among Korean children (from 3.4% in 1964 to 10.1% in 1989), these findings were based on data from small numbers of subjects. The first Nationwide Study of Asthma and Allergies in Korean Children, which utilized the Korean version of ISAAC written and video questionnaire, was conducted in 1995 and the second Nationwide Study of Asthma and Allergies in Korean Children was conducted in 2000, directed by the Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Diseases. We report here the prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases in Korean children and adolescents, and show the changes that occurred over this 5 year period. We also describe the risk factors for development of these diseases in Korean children. We developed Korean versions of the ISAAC written (WQ) and video (AVQ) questionnaires for allergic diseases. In 1995, the enrolled population consisted of 25,117 children selected from 34 elementary school and 14,946 children selected from 34 middle school across the nation, the response rate was 94.8%. In 2000, 27,831 children selected from 34 elementary school and 15,214 children selected from 34 middle school, and the response rate was 96.4%. From these studies, we can confirm that increase of the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in Korea, except the prevalence of food allergy. Especially, the video questionnaire showed increases in the lifetime and 12 month prevalence rates of wheeze at rest, exercise-induced wheeze, nocturnal wheeze, nocturnal cough, and severe wheeze over this period of time in middle school children. In addition, the increase of prevalences of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis was noted significantly. Risk factor analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), passive smoking and living with a dog or cat were associated with higher risk of wheeze. Also the occurrence of fever during infancy and the frequent use of antibiotics were associated with the risk of wheeze. In conclusion, during the 5 year period from 1995 to 2000, the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis has increased in Korean children. BMI, passive smoking, living with a dog or cat, the fever episodes in infancy, and the frequent use of antibiotics in infancy are important risk factors to development of asthma and atopic dermatitis. In the near future, the birth cohort study will be needed to investigate the causes of this increase and the natural course of allergic diseases, then we develop the methods to control asthma and allergic diseases.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2016

PURPOSE : The purpose of this study was to examine the oral health behaviors of child users of local children's centers before and after receiving oral health education in an effort to develop a well-organized oral health education program. METHOD : The subjects in this study were the elementary school students who used 13 different local children's centers in the city of Busan. The questionnaire was intended for children and consisted of 31 items, which were four about eating food, three about washing hands, two about smoking, five about toothbrushing and dental clinic visit, five about tooth damage and dental pain, seven about knowledge and awareness of dental health and six about dental health attitude. RESULT : 1. The rate of the children who replied they didn't brush their teeth on the previous day stood at 5.8 percent before the program, and this rate rose to 13.0 percent after that. The differences were significant(p=0.026). 2. The rate of the former after the program stood at 61 percent, and that of the latter stood at 39 percent. The differences were statistically significant(p=0.019). CONCLUSION : The oral health behaviors were investigated before and after oral health education was provided, and this education was found not to be sufficient enough to change their oral health care. So it seems necessary to increase the frequency of oral health education by providing it twice a year. In addition, oral health education programs geared toward teachers in local children's centers who spend time with children should additionally be strengthened to offer more education to these children.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.393-403
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine depression levels of some Korean mothers of preschool children and to find out how much influence their psychological, parenting and relational characteristics have on their depression. Methods: This study has been conducted to analyze depression-related and -influencing factors of the Korean mothers of preschool children [7th Panel Study of Korean Children (2014)]. Correlation analysis has been used to examine the relationship between the mothers' psychological, parenting and relational factors and their depression. Hierarchical analysis has been employed to clarify the factors associated with depression. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis has found out that the significant predictors of the depression of the Korean mothers of preschool children include age, educational and employment status, monthly income, smoking status in Model 1. The significant variable is self-esteem in Model 2, parenting stress in Model 3, and, lastly, marital conflict in Model 4. Conclusion: Through this study, it has been discovered that the psychological characteristics of the Korean mothers of preschool children are the most influential factor affecting their depression. The results suggest that it is necessary to develop a community program for improving self-esteem and reducing parenting stress of Korean mothers of preschool children in their parenting.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.77-81
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• 2010

Tobacco smoking and secondhand smoke exposure are linked to a number of adverse health outcomes. There is a new concept of thirdhand smoke that is residual tobacco smoke contamination remained after the cigarette is extinguished. This paper reviews published studies examining the residual tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke can be attached to various surfaces and reemitted to air for long period of time. The dynamic process can allow thirdhand smoke exposure to tobacco smoke without direct exposure to secondhand smoke. One critical evidence of the thirdhand smoke exposure was significantly high urinary cotinine level of infant who did not have direct secondhand smoke exposure. Potential exposure to new and more potent chemicals generated from chemical reactions between residual tobacco smoke and ambient air pollutants can get more attention. Considering toxicity and exposure route, children are uniquely susceptible to thirdhand smoke exposure. The review provides strong background information for thirdhand smoke but warrant more researches on this issue.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1030-1039
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• 1997

Background : Impulse Oscillometry is a noninvasive and effort-independent test used to characterize the mechanical impedance of the respiratory system. The clinical potential of the IOS is rapid and demands only passive cooperation which makes it especially appealing for children, for epidemiologic surveys and for conditions in which quiet breathig instead of forced expiratory maneuvers are preferred. However, several studies have shown conflicting results that the role of IOS about detection of smoking induced small airway diseases or early airway obstruction Methods : Study was to evaluate the clinical ability of the IOS to detect about smoking induced early airway obstruction in persons with normal spirometry test. Respiratory asymptomatic study groups were formed that one is non-smoking group, another is smoking group. Results : The parameters of spirometry were not significantly differences between non-smoking group and smoking group. Among the parameters of IOS, total resistance(non-smoking group : smoking group=$2.22{\pm}1.20$ : $2.58{\pm}1.71$), peripheral resistance($1.25{\pm}0.62$ : $1.47{\pm}0.10$), bronchial compliance($0.44{\pm}0.12$ : $0.47{\pm}0.16$) were not statistically significant different (p<0.05), but central resistance and lung compliance were not statistically significant different (unit ; resistance=hPa/l/s, compliance=l/hPa). Resistance(Rrs) was not statistically significant different with changes of frequences(5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35Hz), but Reactance(Xrs) was statistically significant different with low frequences that X5(non-smoking group : smoking group=$-0.62{\pm}0.28$ : $-0.76{\pm}0.48$, p<0.001) and X10($-0.06{\pm}0.19$ : $-0.15{\pm}0.33$, p<0.013) (unit; hPall/s, $hPa{\cong}cmH_2O$). Conclusion : Impulse oocillometer(IOS) is clinically available method to detect about smoking induced early airway obstruction. And clinically potential parameters of IOS were considers that total resistance, peripheral resistance, bronchial resistance, and reactance of low frequency at 5Hz, 10Hz.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10129-10135
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• 2015

Background: Tobacco is a leading preventable cause of deaths worldwide; the situation is particularly serious in the developing countries. Tobacco use amongst the children and adolescents is already a pandemic and they are vulnerable targets of tobacco industry. This is also the case in India. Objectives: 1) Document and monitor the prevalence of tobacco use including smoked, smokeless and other forms of tobacco; 2) Understand student knowledge and attitudes related to tobacco use and its health impact; 3) Assess the impact of tobacco on the oral health status of school-going children in India. Materials and Methods: The sample was 1,500 school children of the age group 12-15 years age. A pretested, close ended questionnaire was administered in the form of extensive face to face interview to understand student knowledge, attitudes and behavior related to tobacco use and its health impact and to assess the prevalence of tobacco use including smoked, smokeless and other forms of tobacco. Oral health status was assessed using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Frequency distribution, Chi-square tests and Odd's ratio was calculated. Results: Prevalence of tobacco usage amongst the prevalence was 20.4%: 9.2% reported smoking, 15.8% used tobacco in the chewable form and 25.3% children were involved in consuming betel nut/areca nuts. The OR (Odd's ratio) for calculus formation was highest for guthka chewers (OR=14.322), paan masala chewers had the highest odds of developing bleeding on probing when compared to the others. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to launch school-based tobacco prevention programs for community awareness of children and the public, as preventing the initiation of a habit is far easier than stopping it.