• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.315-322
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to explore the association between daily toothbrushing frequency and health risk behaviors of school-going adolescents in poor urban areas of Peru. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 959 school-going adolescents 11~19 years of age in poor urban areas of Peru in 2014. Health risk behaviors we assessed in the study were smoking; drinking; consuming sugar-sweetened soft drinks (more than one cup); leisure time activities including watching television, playing games, and using the Internet; and never or rarely handwashing with soap. Daily toothbrushing frequency was divided into two groups (once and twice daily). For statistical analyses, the chi-square test and hierarchical logistic regression were used at 5% level of significance. Of the total respondents, 63 (14.3%) were boys and 53 (10.3%) were girls and 116 (12.1%) engaged in toothbrushing (${\leq}1$ times daily). According to the adjusted logistic regression analysis for socio-demographic characteristics, two behaviors (leisure time use activities, including watching television, playing games, and using the Internet (odds ratio [OR], 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20~4.35), and never or rarely hand washing with soap (OR, 4.09; CI, 2.48~6.75) were statistically associated with toothbrushing frequency (${\leq}1$ times daily). We found two health risk behaviors (leisure time activities, including watching television, playing games, and using the Internet, and never or rarely handwashing with soap) associated with toothbrushing frequency among adolescents in the study area. Thus, oral health promotion programs should consider these health risk behaviors associated with toothbrushing frequency.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.46
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• pp.288.1-288.12
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• 2018

Background: Diarrheal and intestinal infectious disease caused by inadequate drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is not only a great concern in developing countries but also a problem in low-income populations and rural areas in developed countries. In this study, we assessed the exposure to inadequate WASH in Korea and estimated the burden of disease attributable to inadequate WASH. Methods: We used observational data on water supply, drinking water, sewage treatment rate, and hand washing to assess inadequate WASH conditions in Korea, and estimated the level of exposure in the entire population. The disease burden was estimated by applying the cause of death data from death registry and the morbidity data from the national health insurance to the population attributable fraction (PAF) for the disease caused by inappropriate WASH. Results: In 2013, 1.4% of the population were exposed to inadequate drinking water, and 1.0% were living in areas where sewerage was not connected. The frequency of handwashing with soap after contact with excreta was 23.5%. The PAF due to inadequate WASH as a cluster of risk factors was 0.353 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.275-0.417), among which over 90% were attributable to hand hygiene factors that were significantly worse than those in American and European high-income countries. Conclusion: The level of hand hygiene in Korea has yet to be improved to the extent that it shows a significant difference compared to other high-income countries. Therefore, improving the current situation in Korea requires a continuous hand washing campaign and a program aimed at all people. In addition, continuous policy intervention for improvement of sewage treatment facilities in rural areas is required, and water quality control monitoring should be continuously carried out.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the health behaviors and health status of adolescents in multicultural families according to gender. Methods: The study used raw data of the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey performed in 2016. The 12th survey was conducted on 67,983 adolescents in 400 middle schools and 400 high schools. Among them, 759 adolescents were included in this study. Their data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, $x^2$-test, and Pearson's correlation. Results: There were significant differences in economic status, smoking experience, age of drinking onset, vigorous physical activity, soft drink consumption, toothbrushing after lunch, handwashing with soap before eating at school and eating at home and after coming home, BMI, subjective health status, stress, depression, and allergic rhinitis according to gender in multicultural adolescents. For boys, significant positive correlations were found between age and the age of drinking onset, between academic achievement and economic status, and between the age of smoking initiation and the age of drinking onset. However, there were significant negative correlations between economic status and stress and between subjective health status and stress. For girls, age had positive correlations with academic achievement, the age of drinking onset, BMI, and stress and economic status had positive correlations with academic achievement, the age of smoking initiation, and subjective health status. Also, the age of smoking initiation had positive correlations with the age of drinking onset and BMI. Lastly, there were negative correlations between age and economic status, between age and subjective health status, academic achievement and the age of smoking initiation, economic status and stress, and subjective health status and stress. Conclusion: The results of this study are expected to be useful as basic data for planning health interventions for boys and girls in multicultural families.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.67-75
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• 1991

This study was conducted to evaluate the difference of staphylococcal colonization between lactating mothers and nursery stares. Samples were obtained from the hands and noses of the newborn(admitted to S Univ. hospital's nursery from 1991. 5. 23 to 6. 8), their mothers and nursery staffs. They were cultured, and then the presence/absence of pathogenic staphylococci in them were analyzed by Fisher exact probability test which led to these conclusion of significance as follows: 1. No differences were detected in pathogenic rate of nasal swab culture between breast~fed newborns and formula-fed ones. 2. Delivery type and hospitalization the ones from the brest-fed newborns show high rate of Sta. aureus coa(+). In case of either C-sec delivery or long (more than 4 days) hospitalization, formula-fed ones in case of NSVD or short (less than 3 days) hospitalization. 3. The ones from breast feeding mothers show higher sta. aureus coa(+) than those from nursery staffs, which was of no significance statistically. Considering nursery staffs only, however, the comparison of those with the data in April indicates that the pathogen rate is higher for hand than nose, and Sta aureus coa(+) for hand is far lower in June than in April, which was statistically significant. These results lead us to infer that newborn infection in hospitalization could be largely reduced by maintaining the ordinary hygienes. Such as the handwashing of mothers as well as nursery staffs (directly involved in newborn care) Thus the pre-enterance hand washing of a mother who visits the nursery only for breast feeding (without any other medical responsibility) should be done, like other medical agents, with $0.05\%$ chlorhexidine antiseptics rather than simple soap cleansing; the one 'that is worth emphasizing thoroughly.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.206-220
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between practice and infectious diseases in elementary, middle and high school students. Methods: In 16 metropolitan cities and province of the Korea, the students who from fourth grade of elementary school to third grade of high school were surveyed by personal interviews and an web-based online survey from 5 to 25 September, 2014. We analyzed data with chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Common cold, diarrhea, and eye infections were more prevalent among students in higher grade than lower grade. In particular, common cold was more prevalent among girls than boys, using hand sanitizer than washing with soaps, and students who wash the dorsal side of hand than not wash the dorsal side of hand. Conclusions: Higher-grade students showed low status of hand washing practice. Hand washing was determined as the fact which influences to increase the prevention of communicable disease such as common cold. Considering the fact that youth groups have higher risk of being infected due to their group life, schools are recommended to provide adequate educations regarding proper hand washing practice with soap.