• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.523-529
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Commensality, eating together with others, is a major representation of human sociality. In recent time, environments around commensality have changed significantly due to rapid social changes, and the decline of commensality is perceived as a serious concern in many modern societies. This study employs a cross-cultural analysis of university students in two East Asian countries, and examines cross-cultural variations of perceptions and actual practices of commensality and solo-eating. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The analysis was drawn from a free-list survey and a self-administrative questionnaires of university students in urban Korea and Japan. The free-listing survey was conducted with a small cohort to explore common images and meanings of commensality and solo-eating. The self-administrative questionnaire was developed based on the result of the free-list survey, and conducted with a larger cohort to examine reasons and problems of practices and associated behaviors and food intake. RESULTS: We found that Korean subjects tended to show stronger associations between solo-eating and negative emotions while the Japanese subjects expressed mixed emotions towards the practice of solo-eating. In the questionnaire, more Korean students reported they prefer commensality and tend to eat more quantities when they eat commensally. In contrast, more Japanese reported that they do not have preference on commensality and there is no notable difference in food quantities when they eat commensally and alone. Compared to the general Korean cohort finding, more proportion of overweight and obese groups of Korean subjects reported that they tend to eat more when they are alone than normal and underweight groups. This difference was not found in the overweight Japanese subjects. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed cross-cultural variations of perceptions and practices of commensality and solo-eating in a non-western setting.

• Journal of Korea Planning Association
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.109-121
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to understand the perceptions of stakeholders in environmental conflicts. The private rental housing project in Busan Sasang-gu Jurye 3 District, which took place in 2017 is one of many cases of environmental conflicts between developers and local residents. The case is considered as a typical failure of collaborative governance that has consequently caused negative impacts to both local residents and government. To understand why local residents could not come to consensus even though the majority of them were against the development project, we analyzed residents' perceptions and subjective opinions towards environmental conflicts. This study adopted 'Q methodology' to investigate human subjectivity. The results showed three distinguished types of subjectivity structures. Each type was named as 'collaborative governance advocates', 'public administration distrusters', and 'current local government supporters' based on their characteristics. Participants in all three types showed opposition to environmental damages that can be caused by the private rental housing development, but they revealed different perspectives on the importance of public participation and institutional responsibility in the process of decision-making. This study makes better understand what makes it difficult to build collaborative governance as a means of overcoming environmental conflicts.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.319-334
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• 2023

Purpose: This study investigated the prevalence and perceptions of workplace violence against registered nurses (RNs) in hospitals. Methods: One thousand RNs replied to a nationwide survey from November 14 to December 22, 2022. They reported their general characteristics, prevalence of and their responses to different types of workplace violence from patients, family caregivers, physicians, and nurse peers, as well as their perceptions of workplace violence management systems. Results: A total of 71.1% of the RNs reported that they had experienced workplace violence in the last six months. The violence and sexual harassment experienced from patients and family caregivers were 57.3% and 19.1%, respectively. Furthermore, violence, sexual harassment, and workplace harassment from physicians were experienced by 24.6%, 4.0%, and 7.4%, respectively, of the RNs, and those from nurse peers by 21.4%, 3.1%, and 11.3%, respectively. The RNs stated that they often responded to workplace violence with passive and inactive behaviors, which were more serious toward physicians' workplace violence or sexual harassment from different perpetrators. Only 69.5% were aware of their hospital's workplace violence management systems, while only 14.7%~27.4%, according to the type of hospital (p=.471), perceived the systems as effective. Multiple important strategies were identified to prevent workplace violence. Conclusion: Critical suggestions are discussed for the prevention of workplace violence, including protecting the human rights of healthcare professionals, inter-organizational collaboration, and a culture of person-centered healthcare, and training nurse managers' competency in managing workplace violence.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.181-196
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• 2024

This study examined the influence of perceptions of food risk and food labeling on the purchase of labeled food items and the intention to pay higher prices for safe food. Data were obtained from the Korea Rural Economic Institute's Consumer Behavior Survey for Food 2020. The analysis focused on the responses of 6,355 consumers, all of whom were mainly responsible for food purchases. The analysis investigated the moderating effect of food risk perception on the relationship between food labeling perception and the purchase of labeled food. Regarding the purchase of labeled food, statistically significant effects were noted for gender, educational level, perception of food labeling, and perception of food risk; however, the interaction effect of perceptions of food labeling and food risk was not statistically significant. With regard to the intention to pay higher prices for safe food, except for age, statistically significant effects were observed for gender, educational level, food expenditure, perception of food labeling, and perception of food risk; moreover, the interaction effect of perceptions of food labeling and food risk was significant. The results indicate that consumers reporting low food labeling perception and low purchase of labeled food were most vulnerable regarding food safety; therefore, it is necessary to provide such consumers with food label provision methods and specified education programs.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.455-465
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to explore human rights sensitivity and the perception of patients' rights among nursing students. For the study, 253 nursing students from K and D universities located in Daegu and the Gyeongbuk region were asked to participate. Methods: Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0; in addition, descriptive statistics, a t-test, and a one-way ANOVA were used. Results: The average human rights sensitivity score was 2.40 out of 5 points. Human rights sensitivity was significantly different in education experiences in regards to human rights after getting into nursing school and in nursing courses, as well as experiences of clinical practice. Among the six episodes that measured human rights sensitivity, nursing students reported the highest score on the right to the pursuit of happiness of older people and the lowest score was reported on the right to privacy. The average score of patients' rights perception was 4.53 out of 5 points. In particular, nursing students considered the right to enjoy human worth/dignity and the right to equality to be the most important of patients' rights. Patients' rights perception, in general, was significantly different depending on the number of family members. Conclusion: It is needed to develop an effective nursing curriculum in order to improve nursing students' human rights sensitivity and foster positive perceptions regarding patients' rights.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.355-364
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• 2011

Objectives: Though sulfur dioxide (SO2) is used widely at workplaces, itseffects on humans are not known. Thresholds are reportedwithout reference to gender or age and occupational exposure limits are basedon effects on lung functioning, although localized effects in the upper airways can be expected. This study's aim is to determine thresholds with respect to age and gender and suggests a new approach to risk assessment using breathing reflexes presumably triggered by trigeminal receptors in the upper airways. Methods: Odor thresholds were determined by the ascending method of limits in groups stratified by age and gender. Subjects rated intensities of different olfactory and trigeminal perceptions at different concentrations of $SO_2$. During the presentation of the concentrations, breathing movements were measured by respiratory inductive plethysmography. Results: Neither age nor gender effects were observed for odor threshold. Only ratings of nasal irritation were influenced bygender. A benchmark dose analysis on relative respiratory depth revealed a 10%-deviation from baseline at about 25.27 mg/$m^3$. Conclusion: The proposed new approach to risk assessment appearsto be sustainable. We discuss whether a 10%-deviation of breathingdepth is relevant.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.439-448
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of knowledge level on the perceptions and attitudes toward BSE(Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) and American beef. A survey was conducted with university students in a metropolitan area. Out of 590 questionnaires distributed, 481 were analyzed(81.5% response rate). The data was analyzed using SPSS windows(ver. 14.0). In evaluation of the BSE-related knowledge level, the average correct answer rate was 42.6%(the lowest 21.0% ~ the highest 64.9%). There were significant differences in perception and attitude based on the BSE-related knowledge level. In three groups of knowledge levels(top, middle, bottom), the bottom level group tended to be more concerned regarding the origin of beef than the top and middle level groups. Moreover, as the level of knowledge increased, people tended to consider American beef safe. In their attitude toward the government's move to re-import American beef, the top level group tended to think positively. On the other hand, the top level group had negative attitudes toward the media coverage of American beef. As the level of knowledge decreased, the rate of menu selectivity was higher. This research suggests that people need to be educated in BSE-related knowledge. Through the education of BSE-related knowledge, people will gain a more correct understanding and attitude towards American beef, which will help livestock and food service industries grow.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.sup1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2013

Multicultural scholarship in sport and exercise psychology should help us understand and apply cultural competencies for all to be physically active. In the present study, two Asian countries, Japan and Singapore, were chosen. The participation rate for physical activities among adolescent girls tends to be lower than that of boys in both countries. Thus, the purpose of the project was to gain knowledge and understanding about sociocultural factors that may explain adolescent girls' perceptions and behaviors toward sport, physical activity, and physical education (PE). A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with focus groups was used to understand meanings of physical activity among Buddhist Japanese, and Hindu Indians and Christian Chinese from Singapore. Each focus group consisted of four or five girls and female researchers. Based on the analysis, we created four themes which were "cultural identities", "Asian girls and sport/physical activities", "PE experiences", "motivation for future involvement". The Buddhist Japanese, Hindu Indian, and Christian Chinese participants each reported unique physical activity experiences, and all the participants were aware of how Asian culture may affect being physically active. Experiences of PE classes were similar but perceptions of their PE attire were different for Christian Chinese and Hindu Indian adolescent girls. Based on the results, the importance of nurturing cultural competencies and ways to encourage girls to be physically active throughout life were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.390-407
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• 2021

The study aims to assess the current status of sustainable clothing habits from the perspective of consumers. Awareness and management behavior regarding microplastics from fashion products and usage of fleece and faux fur were investigated. A random online survey involving 413 women was conducted to figure out their perceptions on microplastics that are shedded from fashion products such as fleece and faux fur. The results indicate that 73.6% were not aware of the fact that microplastic is released during the washing process of fleece and faux fur. Furthermore, only 26.6% of the respondents who were aware of microplastics from clothing washing were making efforts to reduce its emission. The respondents considered product sustainability more in the selection stage than in the management stage (p<.001). The results revealed that, although the respondents were highly aware of the risk of environmental pollution that microplastics pose, they were neither fully cognizant of the fact that microplastics may come from fashion products, nor did they make efforts to reduce its emissions. Compared with respondents in their 20's, respondents in the age of 30-40 years seemed more aware of microplastics from fashion products and exerted more effort to reduce its emission.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.361-368
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• 2023

Background: This study aims to investigate the perceptions of dentists and dental hygienists regarding quality dental job conditions and to identify differences in perceptions based on job type. Methods: As a result of conducting face-to-face and online surveys, data from a total of 132 people were analyzed. In order to investigate the perception of quality job conditions, the importance of a total of 13 items was investigated, and the work policies and job satisfaction of the current workplace were examined. Since the data did not follow a normal distribution, a non-parametric test, the Mann-Whitney U test, was performed. Results: Both dentists and dental hygienists perceived income and working hours to be of priority importance for quality job conditions. Dental hygienists valued holiday support and welfare, human relations, and personal development potential more than dentists (p<0.05). Looking at differences by job type, dental hygienists rated all conditions as more important than dentists except income, indicating a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). In terms of the work policies, 96.2% of the practices in the study were required to have the four types of social security contributions, but fewer had flexible working hours (19.7%), healthcare support (23.5%), and incentives (25.0%). Of the participants, 60.6% had parental leave available at their workplace, and dental hygienists had statistically significantly higher job satisfaction when parental leave was available (2.57 points) than when it was not (p<0.05). Conclusion: Quality dental jobs are an important factor in keeping workers happy and maintaining an efficient practice. Dental practice owners need to pay attention to the quality of jobs required by the dental workforce, provide flexible working hours and welfare programs such as parental leave, and create a workplace atmosphere and human resource management system that supports the use of these programs.