• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.93-105
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was to examine the independent and mediating effect of socioeconomic position and social relationship on depression. Methods: The study analyzed the data from the 2014 Korea Welfare Panel Study(n=9,172) using descriptive statistics, Kendall's rank correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis and the Sobel test. Results: Much of the connection between parental socioeconomic position and respondent depression was explained by respondent educational attainment in men but was not in women. A large portion of the association between educational attainment and depression was explained by type of household and satisfaction with social relationship among men. The effect of educational attainment on depression was fully mediated by type of household among women. The effect of type of household on depression was partly mediated by satisfaction with social relationship in men and women. Lastly, educational attainment, type of household and satisfaction with social relationship had an independent association with depression among men, but educational attainment was not statistically significant among women. Conclusions: Our study illuminated the importance of the independent and mediating effect of parental and respondent socioeconomic position and social relationship in the production of depression for South Korean adults.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.1-39
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• 2020

This paper analyzes the effect of marriage subsidy, which was provided by some municipalities of South Korea from 2006, on marriage. Marriage subsidy, targeted for international marriage between Korean men and foreign women, increases the economic incentive for international marriage. Using the Korean marriage record during 2004-2018 and exploiting the variation in marriage subsidy across regions(administrative level 2, si/gun/gu) and years with difference-in-differences method, I find that marriage subsidy significantly increases the probability of a single Korean man marrying a foreign woman. I found no evidence on crowd out effect on marrying a Korean woman, and the effect of subsidy on total marriage was significantly positive. Subgroup analysis shows that the effect of marriage subsidy on international marriage was strongest for the older and high school graduated men.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.136-141
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• 2010

North Korean defectors who settle in South Korea have experienced severe food shortage and transition of food environment which could affect their health status. However, little is known about their anthropometric measurements and dietary intake after settlement in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to compare anthropometric measurements and dietary intake between North Korean young adults who defected to South Korea and those of South Koreans. We hypothesized that North Korean young adults' physiques and dietary intake would be poorer than that of South Koreans. We compared anthropometric measurements and dietary intake from 3-day food records in a cross-sectional study of 103 North Korean young adult defectors, aged 12 to 24 and 309 South Korean subjects. North Korean subjects were significantly shorter (4.9 to 10.8 cm) and lighter (6.0 to 12.5 kg) than the control group. Body mass index were significantly different between North and South Korean groups only in men. North Korean young adult defectors had lower mean daily intakes of energy and most nutrients and food groups compared to the control group, while North Korean subjects had higher nutrient density diet than that of South Koreans. The proportion of subjects who had dietary intakes of nutrients of less than the Estimated Average Requirement was higher in North Korean subjects than in controls except for in the cases of vitamin A and vitamin C. In conclusion, we recommend providing nutrition support programs for North Korean young adult defectors to secure adequate nutrient intake.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.7-18
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• 2018

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine how clothing retail buyers (i.e., retail buyers, merchandisers, and storeowners), who are involved in assortment planning and retail buying use assortment criteria in their decisions. Comparisons are made between criteria used by men's wear and women's wear retail buyers as well as criteria used by male and female retail buyers. Research design, data, and methodology - A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data both in English and Korean. After conducting two pilot tests, the survey was conducted in Seoul, South Korea. Mantrala et al.'s 17 inputs of product assortment planning model with 23 assortment criteria from other previous studies were used. Results - Significant differences existed in consideration of assortment criteria between men's wear and women's wear retail buyers as well as between male and female retail buyers. Men's wear retail buyers rated the importance of sales history criteria (i.e., sales history, previous year's sales of same/similar styles) significantly lower than women's wear buyers did. Female retail buyers rated sales history criteria and weather criteria (i.e., unpredicted weather change, forecasting information of weather) significantly higher than male retail buyers did. Conclusions - This study provides guidelines for retail buyers regarding what criteria to use in what situations and how to organize assortment criteria from the most important criterion to the least one. In addition, the findings help them understand other retail buyers' buying behavior.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.48-62
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• 2020

Originating in South Korea, Taekwondo has been globally popular among individuals who desire to improve their health in a unique fashion. The Taekwondo uniform, one of the essential factors within the sport, needs to possess both functionality and size suitability to support dynamic movements within Taekwondo. This study investigated the development of patterns in Taekwondo uniforms by suggesting patterns that reflect physical suitability derived from appearance tests and movement functionality tests of the uniforms. More specifically, we selected a sample uniform and conducted a dressing test, which considered both the aesthetics and the functionality of the garment. Then, we considered size suitability, which allowed us to design practical Taekwondo uniform patterns that encompassed more variation in body sizes of both men and women. The result of the dressing test was that women's uniforms typically required more factors compared to men's uniforms due to women's relatively smaller physiques. Based on this result, we revised the pattern to also encompass the minor differences in uniforms between men and women. In the end, the Taekwondo uniforms for women required more modifications than those for men.

• Women's Studies Review
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.139-173
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• 2012

This paper examines the delayed situations for gender equality in South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese families despite the challenge to the gender division of labor in modern society, and to analyze the contradiction between the notions of gender equality and the experiences women face in East Asia countries. Using EASS data, we analyze the effective difference over the division of household labor according to women's age and length of school time, attitude for gender division of labor, couple's labor time, and family network. In South Korea and Taiwan, men's actual ratio of household division is higher than Japanese men's. On the other hand, Japanese women's ratio of household division is the highest in spite of their progressive attitude for gender equality. It is due to the difference of women's working time among the countries. In South Korea and Taiwan, women tend to work in full time job, so that they seem to inevitably reduce the time for household labor. The family characteristics have an effect on the women's ratio of household division in Taiwan, and the feature of women's employment does in South Korea. The high percentage of three-generation household contributes to the reduction of housework burden in Taiwan. In South Korea, the higher women's education levels, the higher the women's ratio of household division. Women's weakened bargaining power for household labor is due to the relatively low level of high-educated women's economic participation in South Korea. This paper reveals the effective factors on the gender division of household labor. We propose the necessity of the macro-level analysis as well as the analysis of the personal and conjugal feature.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7165-7169
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate any association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes with the risk of lung cancer in a South Korean population. Methods: We conducted a large-scale, population-based case-control study including 3,933 lung cancer cases and 1,699 controls. Genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: In logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and smoking, we did not find any association between GSTM1 or GSTT1 and LC risk in women. However, in men, the GSTM1 and GSTTI null genotypes were borderline associated with risk (OR=1.18, 95% CI=0.99-1.41 for GSTM1, OR=1.18, 95% CI=0.99-1.41 for GSTT1), and combined GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes conferred an increased risk for LC in men (OR=1.39, 95% CI=1.08-1.78). The OR for the GSTT1 null genotype was greater in subjects aged 55 years old or younger (OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.09-1.92 for men; OR=1.36, 95% CI=0.97-1.90 for women), than in those over age 55 (OR=1.03, 95% CI=0.83-1.27 for men; OR=0.86, 95% CI=0.66-1.12 for women) in both genders (p for interaction <0.05). Conclusions: In the Korean population, the GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes are risk factors for LC in men; the GSTT1 null genotype has a more prominent effect on LC risk in younger people (age 55 years and under) than in older individuals.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.282-292
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• 2023

Objectives: Bone health in early adulthood, as individuals approach peak bone mass, plays a critical role in preventing osteoporosis later in life. This study aimed to investigate the associations between lifestyle and dietary factors, anthropometric measurements, and urinary bone resorption markers in young adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 healthy Korean adults (50 men and 50 women) in their 20s and early 30s. Bone mineral density (BMD), anthropometric measurements, dietary intake (24-hour recall), and urinary bone resorption indicators (deoxypyridinoline and N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen) were analyzed. Variables were compared between the osteopenia and osteoporosis groups (OSTEO group: 30% men and 60% women) and the healthy control group. Results: Men in the OSTEO group were significantly taller than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Women in the OSTEO group had significantly lower body weight and body composition (muscle and body fat) than those in the normal group (P < 0.01). Men in the OSTEO group had a significantly higher intake of animal calcium (Ca) than those in the normal group (P < 0.05). Women in the OSTEO group had significantly higher dietary fiber, vitamin A, Ca, plant Ca, and potassium intake than did those in the normal group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in caffeinated beverage consumption, eating habits, or urinary bone resorption indicators between the OSTEO and control groups of either sex. Conclusions: In our study of young South Korean adults, we observed low bone density levels, with particularly low BMD in taller men and underweight women. We found a higher nutrient intake in the OSTEO group, indicating the possibility of reverse causality, a phenomenon often found in cross-sectional studies. Therefore, there is a need to further elucidate dietary factors related to osteoporosis in young adults through prospective cohort studies involving a larger population.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: To investigate the relationship between hearing impairment and alcohol drinking patterns in South Korean adults. Subjects and Methods: Data collection was performed by Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Data analyses were performed from February 20 to March 3, 2018. Data from 3,860 adults 20 years of age or older without a history of malignancy or chronic otitis media in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 database who participated in the health questionnaires, and who had available results from otologic examinations that included pure tone audiogram, were included. Pure-tone average hearing thresholds were calculated at 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz. Hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average >40 dB in one or both ears. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test was used to evaluate drinking statuses of subjects. Data were analyzed using the complex-sample χ²-test of independence and a complex-sample logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 29,954,319 individuals in the weighted cross-sectional study population, 15,106,040 (50.4%) were men and 14,848,098 (49.6%) were women. A total of 8.1% of men and 7% of women had hearing impairment. The degrees of drinking with appropriate, risky, and hazardous drinking habits were 58.2, 32.1, and 9.7% among men; and 76.4, 12.5, and 11.1% among women, respectively. Among men, the odds ratio of hearing loss increased by 2.506 times when comparing hazardous and appropriate drinking (confidence interval, 1.083 to 5.800, p=0.002). Moderate alcohol consumption (≤2 drinks per day) was not protective for hearing in either group. Conclusions: As hazardous drinking tends to coexist with hearing impairment in men, appropriate prevention and intervention strategies should be emphasized. A longitudinal study to investigate harmful drinking and the mechanism of hearing loss should be performed.

• Journal of Audiology & Otology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: To investigate the relationship between hearing impairment and alcohol drinking patterns in South Korean adults. Subjects and Methods: Data collection was performed by Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Data analyses were performed from February 20 to March 3, 2018. Data from 3,860 adults 20 years of age or older without a history of malignancy or chronic otitis media in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 database who participated in the health questionnaires, and who had available results from otologic examinations that included pure tone audiogram, were included. Pure-tone average hearing thresholds were calculated at 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz. Hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average >40 dB in one or both ears. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test was used to evaluate drinking statuses of subjects. Data were analyzed using the complex-sample χ²-test of independence and a complex-sample logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 29,954,319 individuals in the weighted cross-sectional study population, 15,106,040 (50.4%) were men and 14,848,098 (49.6%) were women. A total of 8.1% of men and 7% of women had hearing impairment. The degrees of drinking with appropriate, risky, and hazardous drinking habits were 58.2, 32.1, and 9.7% among men; and 76.4, 12.5, and 11.1% among women, respectively. Among men, the odds ratio of hearing loss increased by 2.506 times when comparing hazardous and appropriate drinking (confidence interval, 1.083 to 5.800, p=0.002). Moderate alcohol consumption (≤2 drinks per day) was not protective for hearing in either group. Conclusions: As hazardous drinking tends to coexist with hearing impairment in men, appropriate prevention and intervention strategies should be emphasized. A longitudinal study to investigate harmful drinking and the mechanism of hearing loss should be performed.