• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.201-211
• /
• 1999

Objectives：This study investigated the characteristics of detained delinquent adolescents and variables related to the repeated crime during 6 months after release. Methods：The socio-demographic and crime-related characteristics of 73 detained adolescents were evaluated by semi-structured interviews and police records, and the psychological characteristics of them measured by the MMPI. We also compared the characteristics between subjects with and without repeated crime during 6 months after release. Results：1) Most of detained adolescents had families with low socioeconomic status(77%) and broken families(48%). Sixty-six percent of them were dropped out of school. The most frequent crime pattern was theft(49%), and with accomplice(77%). Seventy-five percent of total subjects had the records of previous conviction. Of the previous convictions, seventy-eight percent was same with the present crimes. 2) Subjects with repeated crime during 6 months after release were younger and had higher T-score on Pa scale of MMPI than the subjects without repeated crime. More adolescents with repeated crime had broken families than those without repeated crime. They also showed the crime-related characteristics of higher percent of theft among crime patterns, higher incidence of previous conviction, younger age of the first crime, and shorter crime-free duration from the last to present crime. Conclusion：These results of present study suggest that the development and the persistence of adolescent delinquency would be resulted from interaction of factors of individual, family, school, and community. By the comparison between subjects with and without repeated crime, it was found that familial dysfunction, younger age at first crime, presence of previous conviction might be the risk factors for repeated delinquency. To prevent repeated crime of delinquent adolescents more effectively, early therapeutic intervention and the development of programs to help adaptation in school and community would be essential.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.27-36
• /
• 1975

The success of the family planning program in Korea is reflected in the decrease in the growth rate from 3.0% in 1962 to 2.0% in 1971, and in the decrease in the fertility rate from 43/1,000 in 1960 to 29/1,000 in 1970. However, it would be erroneous to attribute these reductions entirely to the family planning program. Other socio-economic factors, such as the increasing age at marriage and the increasing use of induced abortions, definitely had an impact on the lowered growth and fertility rate. Despite the relative success of the program to data in meeting its goals, there is no room for complacency. Meeting the goal of a further reduction in the population growth rate to 1.3% by 1981 is a much more difficult task than any one faced in the past. Not only must fertility be lowered further, but the size of the target population itself will expand tremendously in the late seventies; due to the post-war baby boom of the 1950's reaching reproductive ages. Furthermore, it is doubtful that the age at marriage will continue to rise as in the past or that the incidence of induced abortion will continue to increase. Consequently, future reductions in fertility will be more dependent on the performance of the national family planning program, with less assistance from these non-program factors. This paper will describe various approaches to help to the solution of these current problems. 1. PRACTICE RATE IN FAMILY PLANNING In 1973, the attitude (approval) and knowledge rates were quite high; 94% and 98% respectively. But a large gap exists between that and the actual practice rate, which is only 3695. Two factors must be considered in attempting to close the KAP-gap. The first is to change social norms, which still favor a larger family, increasing the practice rate cannot be done very quickly. The second point to consider is that the family planning program has not yet reached all the eligible women. A 1973 study determineded that a large portion, 3096 in fact, of all eligible women do not want more children, but are not practicing family planning. Thus, future efforts to help close the KAP-gap must focus attention and services on this important large group of potential acceptors. 2. CONTINUATION RATES Dissatisfaction with the loop and pill has resulted in high discontinuation rates. For example, a 1973 survey revealed that within the first six months initial loop acceptance. nearly 50% were dropouts, and that within the first four months of inital pill acceptance. nearly 50% were dropouts. These discontinuation rates have risen over the past few years. The high rate of discontinuance obviously decreases the contraceptive effectiveness. and has resulted in many unwanted births which is directly related to the increase of induced abortions. In the future, the family planning program must emphasize the improved quality of initial and follow-up services. rather than more quantity, in order to insure higher continuation rates and thus more effective contraceptive protection. 3. INDUCED ABORTION As noted earlier. the use of induced abortions has been increase yearly. For example, in 1960, the average number of abortions was 0.6 abortions per women in the 15-44 age range. By 1970. that had increased to 2 abortions per women. In 1966. 13% of all women between 15-44 had experienced at least one abortion. By 1971, that figure jumped to 28%. In 1973 alone, the total number of abortions was 400,000. Besides the ever incre.sing number of induced abortions, another change has that those who use abortions have shifted since 1965 to include- not. only the middle class, but also rural and low-income women. In the future. in response to the demand for abortion services among rural and low-income w~men, the government must provide and support abortion services for these women as a part of the national family planning program. 4. TARGET SYSTIi:M Since 1962, the nationwide target system has been used to set a target for each method, and the target number of acceptors is then apportioned out to various sub-areas according to the number of eligible couples in each area. Because these targets are set without consideration for demographic factors, particular tastes, prejudices, and previous patterns of acceptance in the area, a high discontinuation rate for all methods and a high wastage rate for the oral pill and condom results. In the future. to alleviate these problems of the methodbased target system. an alternative. such as the weighted-credit system, should be adopted on a nation wide basis. In this system. each contraceptive method is. assigned a specific number of points based upon the couple-years of protection (CYP) provided by the method. and no specific targets for each method are given. 5. INCREASE OF STERILIZA.TION TARGET Two special projects. the hospital-based family planning program and the armed forces program, has greatly contributed to the increasing acceptance in female and male sterilization respectively. From January-September 1974, 28,773 sterilizations were performed. During the same time in 1975, 46,894 were performed; a 63% increase. If this trend continues, by the end of 1975. approximately 70,000 sterilizations will have been performed. Sterilization is a much better method than both the loop and pill, in terms of more effective contraceptive protection and the almost zero dropout rate. In the future, the. family planning program should continue to stress the special programs which make more sterilizations possible. In particular, it should seek to add the laparoscope techniques to facilitate female sterilization acceptance rates. 6. INCREASE NUMBER OF PRIVATE ACCEPTORS Among the current family planning users, approximately 1/3 are in the private sector and thus do not- require government subsidy. The number of private acceptors increases with increasing urbanization and economic growth. To speed this process, the government initiated the special hospital based family planning program which is utilized mostly by the private sector. However, in the future, to further hasten the increase of private acceptors, the government should encourage doctors in private practice to provide family planning services, and provide the contraceptive supplies. This way, those do utilize the private medical system will also be able to receive family planning services and pay for it. Another means of increasing the number of private acceptors, IS to greatly expand the commercial outlets for pills and condoms beyond the existing service points of drugstores, hospitals, and health centers. 7. IE&C PROGRAM The current preferred family size is nearly twice as high as needed to achieve a stable poplation. Also, a strong boy preference hinders a small family size as nearly all couples fuel they must have at least one or more sons. The IE&C program must, in the future, strive to emphasize the values of the small family and equality of the sexes. A second problem for the IE&C program to work. with in the: future is the large group of people who approves family planning, want no more children, but do not practice. The IE&C program must work to motivate these people to accept family planning And finally, for those who already practice, an IE&C program in the future must stress continuation of use. The IE&C campaign, to insure highest effectiveness, should be based on a detailed factor analysis of contraceptive discontinuance. In conclusion, Korea faces a serious unfavorable sociodemographic situation- in the future unless the population growth rate can be curtailed. And in the future, the decrease in fertility will depend solely on the family planning program, as the effect of other socio-economic factors has already been maximumally felt. A second serious factor to consider is the increasing number of eligible women due to the 1950's baby boom. Thus, to meet these challenges, the program target must be increased and the program must improve the effectiveness of its current activities and develop new programs.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.137-152
• /
• 2000

North Korean fugitives is one of various nominations referring to the North Koreans who have secretly crossed the territorial border of their country. It is a new terminology that huts gained wider usage in our society as we entered the 1990s. North Koreans list various motives for escaping their county, such as food shortage and disillusionment of belief in the system. Most of the forced repatriation of North Korean escapees takes place in China. The purpose of this study examines the family knife of female fugitives from North Korea in order to provide pertinent alterntives which are needed to secure basic human right of the female fugitives and enable them to keep stability of their family lives and to adapt themselves into new socio-cultural circumstances in China. For this, the preliminary survey performed to examine the demographic characteristics on the female fugitives; to find out the incentives and channels of their escape out of North Korea; to investigate what types of family life and family relationship they manage in China; to grasp their problems and need of family life in adaptation into Chinese society. The specific questions for grasping the general characteristics of the female fugitives are composed of age, education level residential district in North Korea. In order to find out main causes and influential factors of their escape from North Korea, the following questions are included: what the most important incentives and motives are; the frequency of escape; and whether they discuss their escape with their family or not. The questions to find out their present actual life situations in China are about difficult things to adjust in China, family life, relationship with husband, and their conversational diction, the degree of their mastering the chinese language, the degree of their adaptation to chinese way of living, and so forth, which reveal to what extent they are adapted themselves to new cultural situation in China. This study collected the data through face-to-face personal interview from July to October, 1999 Yenben province along the China-North Korea border. Data from 202 female fugitives were used in final analysis. This study uses the SAS PC program for windows, Ver, 6.12 to analyze the data such as the distribution of frequency, percentage, mean and so on. The results from this analysis are follows; the most principal motive of North Korean women's escape to china is to eat to live because of famine. Concerning the year when the fugitives escape from North Korea, all of the interviewees haute escaped since 1990. After escape their continual contact with their family in North Korea, 81.7% of the respondent have not been in touch with their family. The main reasons for their not contacting with their family in North Korea are that it is not helpful although they contacts with their family. Female fugitives from North Korea have difficulties in life. They have rather stable relationship to their husband, but they have experienced difficulties in other aspects of family life. Their main difficulties are largely from their relationships to husbands'family members, and from the problems relate to their family in North Korea, and their children. Based on this study, further research has to present supportive policies that help North Korean female escapees live without being deprived and protect their human rights. And the development of practical program to help their efficient social adaptation has to be continued without stop together.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.109-116
• /
• 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was oral health related quality of life among elderly population in some rural area, Korea. Methods: 546 participants (male 196, female 350) aged more than 65 years (mean $71.4{\pm}4.6\;years$) were surveyed cross-sectionally. All the subjects were examined short-form of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) by face to face interview. Categorical responses of strata-adjusted Wilcoxon correlation and Kruskal-Willis test and multiple regression analysis after adjusting for socio-demographic variables were adapted for statistical analysis. Results: 1. As for sub-factors of the quality of living related to oral health, the drop in social ability was 4.61, the drop in mental ability 4.53, the drop in physical ability 3.99, mental inconvenience 3.98, social disadvantages 3.82, physical pains 3.77, and functional division 3.44, on the average. 2. As for the quality of living related to oral health, there were statistically significant differences in functional restrictions by gender, the educational level, and the presence of occupation, in physical pains by gender, the educational level, family members living together. mental inconvenience by gender, the educational level, the presence of occupation. and in the drop in physical ability by gender, the educational level, monthly incomes. There were statistically significant differences in the drop in physical ability by gender, the educational level. in the drop in social ability by the educational level, the presence of occupation, monthly income. and in social inconvenience by age, the presence of occupation, monthly income. 3. There were statistically significant differences in the general quality of living related to oral health by gender, the educational level, the presence of occupation.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.13-23
• /
• 2009

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of social support with health status and health behavior. Methods:　This study was conducted with 79 elderly people in Gunja-ri, Dongsan-myun, Chuncheon. We performed face to face interview which was composed of socio-demographic characteristics, social support, health status and health behavior. The association between social support and result variables was analysed by Chi-square test and logistic regression. We used SAS ver9.1 for statistic analysis. Results: Mean age of the study population was 72.0$\pm$7.0, social support score was 14.3$\pm$4.7 with full marks of 20 and 36.25% of the total population were shown to have depression. When the social support score was changed, depression (p=0.0007) and physical exercise (p=0.0312) showed significant difference. The self-rated health status was significantly related to the relationship with family members (OR=0.25, 95% CI=0.07-0.95) and the quality of sleep was also significantly associated to the relationship with family members (OR=0.21, 95% CI=0.06-0.73). The physical exercise was done significantly less in the group without close friends than in the group with many close friends (OR=0.21, 95% CI=0.05-0.94) and the depression was significantly more in the group without community participation than in the group with community participation (OR=4.79, 95% CI=1.62-14.15). Conclusions: Through this study, we could conclude that the social support factors are associated with health status and health behavior. Therefore, to improve the health status of rural elderly, we need to approach to develop social support.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.42 no.10
• /
• pp.1592-1599
• /
• 2013

Despite numerous studies regarding overweight or obese children, only a limited number of studies have investigated the effect of underweight. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of underweight among school-aged children. A total of 493 students (86 underweight and 407 normal weight students) aged 11 to 13 years were included in our study. Socio-demographic characteristics, eating habits, health information, self-perception of weight, weight-control efforts and birth-related information were collected by using survey questionnaires for children and parents. Dietary information was obtained by two 24-hour food records, which were completed by both children and their parents. The prevalence of underweight was significantly higher in girls than boys, and the frequency of medical treatment and flu symptoms were higher in underweight children than normal ones. Overall, girls tended to overestimate their own weight; this misclassification was greater among underweight girls. Birthweight was positively correlated with current weight (P<0.05) and height (P<0.01) in girls, but these correlations were not seen in boys. In conclusion, underweight girls had inappropriate self-perception of weight, and underweight in girls may be related with birthweight and inadequate dietary intakes. Therefore, it is important to build a well-designed framework that integrates efforts of home, school, and community to maintain a healthy weight with balanced diet and exercise throughout the lifetime.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.131-144
• /
• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to identify the associations of empowerment and social capital (such as social participation and trust) with self-rated health in Korean communities with poor health. Methods: This study used the data from community health interviews conducted at 29 administrative sections (dong, eup, or myeon) with high mortality from August to October in both 2010 and 2011 as part of the Health Plus Happiness Plus Projects in Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The study subjects comprised 6,383 individuals composed of approximately 220 adults randomly sampled from each administrative section. The empowerment was measured with five-point Likert scale responses to seven perceived control questions (two at the individual level, five at the community level). The social participation was measured with 'participation in formal and/or informal group' and trust using responses to three questions about trust of others. Results: The high empowerment scores at both individual and community levels, social participation in informal groups, and high trust level had independent and significant associations with good self-rated health after adjusting for socio-demographic factors (sex, age, marital status, occupation, and food affordability) and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise) in the logistic regressions. There were weak but significant associations among empowerment, social participation, and trust levels. Conclusions: Empowerment, social participation, and trust were weakly inter-related and significantly associated with self-rated health. More studies are warranted for empowerment and other social capital indices in health promotion.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.84-95
• /
• 2012

Background: In Korea, private health insurance has neglected to induce externality on national health insurance by moral hazard. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to explore the influence of private health insurance on unnecessary medical utilization among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Method: The study examined a population of 449 patients (admission, 384; out-patient; 85) diagnosed with simple cervical or lumbar sprain without neurological symptoms at 20 small hospitals or clinics in Gwangju and Jeollanam provinces from Jul. 1 to Aug. 31 2008. The data were collected using structured, self-administrated questionnaire which collected information such as whether or not the patient was admitted (as a dependent variable), whether or not they had private health insurance (as a independent variable), and covariates such as socio-demographic characteristics, the factors related to the sprain, and characteristics of the insurance provider. Results: From hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that the admission rate of patient with private health insurance was higher than that those without it (Odds ratio=3.31, 95% Confidence interval; 1.14-9.58), meaning that private health insurance was an independent factor influencing the admission of patients with these conditions. Other determinants of admission were patient age and physician referral. Conclusions: This study is the first empirical study to explore the influence of private health insurance on inducing moral hazard in admission services, specifically among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Regulation of benefits provided by private health insurance may be necessary, as the effect of this moral hazard may mean existence of externality.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.22-41
• /
• 1999

This study intended to analyze the health promoting behaviors, compare their factors according to the shift pattern of duties of women workers who were working in the industrial workplace and present basic data in planning systematic and effective programs of health promotion for three-shift system and day-duty. Using Quota Sampling, 219 women workers were selected as subjects from 5 workshops which had 50 settled workers up to 300 and 10 factories which had more than 300 located in Taegu and Kyung-Book Province. Data were collected by means of questionnaire from September 12 to September 30, 1998. As the instruments of the study were used Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile(HPLP) which was adapted and adjusted by Seo, Y. O. for health promoting behavior, the one developed by Moon, J. S. (1990) for health-belief, the one developed by Sherer et al.(1982) and then adapted by Oh, H. S. for self-efficacy, and the one developed by Park, J. W. (1985) for social support. The analysis of data were performed with Cronbach's ${\chi}^2$-test, t-test, ANCOVA, Kendal tau, Pearson correlation, Stepwise Multiple Regression test using SPSS program. The results of the study are as follows : 1. There was a significant difference in age(${\chi}^2=32.46$, p=0.000), career (${\chi}^2=18.47$, p=0.000), working day(t=-3.18, p=0.000) by the shift pattern of duties in terms of socio-demographic characteristics. 2. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups on the health promoting behaviors (t=2,52, p=0.012). The score of three-shift group on health promoting behaviors was 2.27, showing that it was lower by .13 than that of day-duty group(2.40). 3. ANCOVA involving age, career and working day as covariables, which had revealed significant difference before, showed that health promoting behaviors by the shift patterns of duties was significantly different(F=4.88, p=0.028). 4. In consideration of variables that have an influence on health promoting behavior by the shift pattern of duties, social support occupied 19.4% of health promoting behavior in the three-shift group and 22.5% including the sense of self-efficacy. In the day-duty group, social support occupied 34.4% of health promoting behavior. 5. The score of three-shift group(2.94) was significantly lower than that of day-duty group(3.12) in the perceived benefit of health-belief(t= -3.29, p=0.001), while the score of three-shift group (2.48) was significantly higher than that of day-duty group(2.24) in the perceived barrier (t=4.22, p=0.000). In the sense of self-efficacy(t=-4.20, p=0.000), the score of three-shift group(3.24) was significantly lower than that of day-duty group(3.53) while in social support(t=-4.56, p=0.000) the one of three-shift group(2.64) was significantly lower than that of day-duty group(2.88). The suggestions are as follows on the basis of the results of this study : 1. It is required to develop health promoting program that takes the shift pattern of duties of women workers into consideration. In addition, there are special demands on developing nursing strategies for health promoting behavior of three-shift workers. 2. It is required to develop specific strategies for social support which is the most significant factor to the health promoting behavior for women workers. 3. It is necessary to develop some programs for improving the sense of self-efficacy, social support, and health-belief of three-shift workers. To achieve these tasks, industrial nurses should play an active role and improve the ability of self-health care of women workers.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.116-129
• /
• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed to identify the associations of social capital with suicidal thoughts and attempts in Korean communities with poor health. Methods: We used the data from community health interviews conducted at 40 administrative sections (dong, eup, or myeon) with high mortality from August to October in 2010, 2011, and 2012 as part of the Health Plus Happiness Plus Projects in Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The 8,800 study subjects composed of 220 adults systematically sampled from each administrative section were asked if they had thought about suicide or had attempted suicide within 1 year. The social participation was measured with 'participation in formal and/or informal group' and trust using responses to three questions about trust of others. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt within 1 year were 10.4% and 0.8%, respectively. The logistic regression analysis revealed that those who participated in only informal groups, or had highest trust level reported less suicidal ideation, or attempt after adjusting for socio-demographic factors (sex, age, marital status, occupation, and food affordability), self-rated health, and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise). Conclusions: This study suggested social capital such as social participation and trust was associated with less suicide ideation and attempt. More studies are warranted for the association of social capital with suicidal behavior.