• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find stress mediation strategies for pandemic task forces in the future by identifying role stress experienced by local officials in public health centers working as COVID-19 response task force. Whether they suffered from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to COVID-19 was also determined. Methods: Subjects for this research were 185 public health center workers in 7 northern Gyeonggi cities with at least three months of COVID-19 response task force experience. The investigation lasted for two months, from February to March of 2021. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The average role stress of research subjects was 2.79±0.60. There were 64 subjects (34.6%) who answered 'yes' for trauma experience due to COVID-19. Subjects' role stress by sociodemographic and role characteristics displayed statistically significant differences in gender (t = -2.74, p= .007), age (F = 6.41, p= .002), profession (F = 0.01, p= .014), and COVID-19 response task (F= 3.01, p= .019). Specifically, role stress was higher for females than for males, those who were in their 20's (than 40's), a nursing profession (rather than others). Role stress was also higher in COVID-19 confirmed response work or in a self-quarantine work. There was a significant difference in trauma according to COVID-19 response roles (χ² = 26.59, p= < .001) and other tasks given or not (χ²= 9.48, p= .002). Conclusion: It is necessary to take measures to reduce COVID-19 response task force's role stress and trauma.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.113-120
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was conducted to provide scientific data supporting the development of health programs for enhancing adolescents' health, by understanding factors influencing their self-rated health. It conducted a composite sample χ² test of 54,848 adolescents, to understand differences in the self-rated health depending on their sociodemographic characteristics, stress and depression levels, and also implemented a logistic regression analysis, to verify the factors influencing their sense of self-rated health. As a result of the study, Male students were healthier than female students; students with greater scholarly attainments and higher economic levels were more healthier; and students who had less stress and experienced no depression showed higher sense of self-rated health. Therefore, in order to improve the self-rated health of adolescents, it is necessary to continuously manage through the establishment of a customized health promotion program.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.273-294
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• 2023

Background: Most developed countries are working to improve their universal health coverage systems. This study investigates regional disparities in unmet healthcare needs and their causes in South Korea. Additionally, it compares the unmet healthcare needs rate in South Korea with that of 33 European countries. Methods: The analysis incorporates information from 13,359 adults aged 19 or older, using data from the Korea Health Panel. The dependent variables encompass the experience of unmet healthcare needs and the three causes of occurrence: "burden of medical expenses," "time constraints," and "lack of care." The primary variable of interest is the region of residence, while control variables encompass 14 socio-demographic, health, and functional characteristics. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, accounting for the sampling design, is conducted. Results: The rate of unmet healthcare needs in Korea is 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0%-13.3%), which is approximately 30 times higher than that of Austria (0.4%). The causes of unmet healthcare needs, ranked in descending order, are "lack of care," "time constraints," and "burden of medical expenses." Predictive probabilities for experiencing unmet healthcare needs and each cause differ significantly between regions. For instance, the probability of experiencing unmet healthcare needs due to "lack of care" is approximately 10 times higher in Gangwon-do (13.5%; 95% CI, 13.0%-14.1%) than in Busan (1.3%; 95% CI, 1.3%-1.4%). The probability due to "burden of medical expenses" is approximately 14 times higher in Seoul (4.1%; 95% CI, 3.6%-4.6%) compared to Jeollanam-do (0.3%; 95% CI, 0.2%-0.4%). Conclusion: Amid rapid sociodemographic transitions, South Korea must make significant efforts to alleviate unmet healthcare needs and the associated regional disparities. To effectively achieve this, it is recommended that South Korea involves the National Assembly in healthcare policy-making, while maintaining a centralized financing model and delegating healthcare planning and implementation to regional authorities for their local residents-similar to the approaches of the United Kingdom and France.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2023

Objective: There is a growing interest in the safe use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find ways to improve education about safe medication use by investigating the status of medication use of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and by evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward safe medication use. Methods: In this study, a self-report questionnaire was conducted on pregnant or breastfeeding women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The questionnaire consisted of the following four sections; 1) sociodemographic characteristics of participants, 2) experience of medication use, 3) experience of being educated on safe medication use, and 4) knowledge, attitudes, and practices about medication use during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Results: A total of 203 participants were included in the analysis. Of these, 38.4% reported to take prescription medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Regarding education on safe medication use, nearly 90% of the participants answered that they were not educated or were unsure whether they had it. In the knowledge-attitude-practice evaluation on safe medication use, the knowledge level was the highest (mean, 4.45), followed by the attitude level (mean, 3.58) and the practice level (mean, 3.33). The preferred education method of the participants was online education using a computer or mobile phone application, etc. Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a need for systematic and effective education that can link knowledge of safe medication use with attitudes and practices in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between the frequency of consumption of sports drinks and energy drinks and aerobic physical activity in the 6-29 year old group in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The sociodemographic characteristics, aerobic physical activity, and beverage intake of the subjects were calculated using composite sample descriptive statistics, and the mean difference between groups was analyzed by cross-tabulation, χ²-test, and binary logistic regression analysis. High-intensity aerobic activity was analyzed as an increase in the intake frequency of sports drinks(ionic drinks, vitamin drinks) and energy drinks(high-caffeine drinks) (p<0.05). Compared to moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, high-intensity aerobic physical activity was analyzed as a factor influencing the increase in beverage intake frequency. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity and beverage consumption, which is a critical issue for promoting health both now and in the future, and to developed an intervention program based on the findings. Through this study, we aimed to gather basic data that can help people live healthy lives, and raise both individual and societal awareness of the importance of making better beverage choices.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.242-249
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• 2023

Objectives: Following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, adolescents have experienced decreased physical activity and a decline in mental health. This study analyzed the association between changes in depressed mood after the COVID-19 pandemic and physical activity among adolescents. Methods: The analysis was based on the results of the 17th Youth Health Behavior Online Survey conducted in 2021, which included 54848 middle and high school students in South Korea. Information on physical activity included low-intensity physical activity lasting >60 min/day, high-intensity physical activity, and strength training exercises. A logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between physical activity and changes in depression after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and previous depression, adolescents who performed strength training exercises more than once per week had a 0.95-fold lower risk (odds ratio [OR]=0.948, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.905-0.994, p=0.027) of increasing depression after the COVID-19 pandemic, while the risk of decreasing depression increased by 1.22-fold (OR=1.215, 95% CI=1.131-1.305, p<0.001). The results were not significant for low-intensity physical activity for >60 min/day and high-intensity physical activity. Conclusion: Strength-training exercises are significantly associated with the prevention of depression among adolescents following the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.945-958
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Food literacy (FL) is a crucial skill for selecting sustainable and healthy food options, necessitating the identification of vulnerable groups in the community using valid measurement tools. Identifying weak domains in FL is essential for enhancing the overall FL. This study examined the FL levels of Seoul citizens based on their sociodemographic characteristics and assessed the relationship between FL, food intake, and weight status. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study utilized the data from the Seoul Food Survey, a cross-sectional study employing representative samples of Seoul citizens. Data collection occurred from September to October 2021, with 4,039 citizens aged 18 yrs and above participating in face-to-face surveys. Thirty-three FL items were assessed, comprising 14 items in the nutrition and safety (NS) domain, eight items in the cultural and relational (CR) domain, and 11 items in the socio-ecological (SE) domain. In addition, data on food intake sufficiency and obesity status were collected. The descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance, and logistic regression analysis were used for analysis. RESULTS: Men, students, young adults, older citizens, and people experiencing food insecurity had the lowest scores for all the FL domains. The highest quartile group of NS scores had a higher probability of consuming adequate servings of vegetables and fruits, with significant linear trends observed (P for trend < 0.05). In all three FL domains, the odds ratio for obesity was significantly lower in the groups with high FL scores (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A close relationship was observed between low FL, obesity, and food intake, even after controlling for other covariates. Vulnerable groups with low FL were also identified. Therefore, it is essential to develop programs to improve FL and the health and well-being of these groups.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2024

This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of health check-up recipients in their 20s and 30s in Korea and identify factors influencing the participation rate in order to enhance the rate of health check-ups. The study population and methods utilized data from the 8th year of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, specifically the 2nd year (2020), and targeted 1,453 Korean residents aged between 20 and 30. The factors affecting health check-up participation were divided into sociodemographic factors, health behavior factors, mental health factors, and medical utilization factors, and both simple logistic regression analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted. The analysis results showed that educational level, marital status, type of health insurance, employment status, and subjective level of health were the factors influencing health check-up participation among Korean individuals in their 20s and 30s. These research findings can serve as foundational data for improving the health check-up participation rate among individuals in their 20s and 30s.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.32.1-32.10
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• 2023

Background: Although many studies have been conducted on worker fatigue and sickness absence, the association between fatigue and sickness absence is unclear in Korean workers. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of worker fatigue on future sickness absence. Methods: The study was conducted on workers who received medical check-ups at a university hospital for two consecutive years (2014-2015). During check-ups in the first year, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) was used to assess fatigue levels, and during check-ups in the second year, sickness absence was surveyed to determine whether they had been absent from work due to physical or mental illness during previous 12 months. The χ² test was used to analyze relationships between sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, fatigue levels, and sickness absence. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression analysis controlled for confounding factors. Results: A total of 12,250 workers were included in the study, and 396 (3.2%) workers experienced more than one day of sickness absence during the study period. Adjusted ORs for sickness absence were 3.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.64-4.28) in the moderate-fatigue group and 6.87 (95% CI: 4.93-9.57) in the high-fatigue group versus the low-fatigue group. For men in the moderate- and high-fatigue groups, adjusted ORs for sickness absence were 3.40 (95% CI: 2.58-4.48) and 8.94 (95% CI: 6.12-13.07), and for women in the moderate- and high-fatigue groups, adjusted ORs for sickness absence were 2.93 (95% CI: 1.68-5.10) and 3.71 (95% CI: 1.84-7.49), respectively. Conclusions: Worker fatigue is associated with sickness absence during the following 12 months, and this association appears to be stronger for men than women. These results support the notion that sickness absence can be reduced by evaluating and managing work-related fatigue.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.103-112
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• 2023

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in late 2019, had a profound impact on global public health and disrupted the daily lives of people worldwide. Particularly, university students faced a challenging situation as their university life underwent a drastic transformation due to long-term remote learning and isolation measures. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in daily life during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and depressive symptoms among university students aged between 19 and 29 in Korea. Methods: We analyzed data from the nationally representative 2020 Community Health Survey (CHS). Among the 229,269 participants, 9,279 university students aged 19-29, either enrolled or on leave, were selected. After excluding 401 cases with missing values, the final sample comprised 8,878 individuals. Using multivariate logistic regression with a complex sample design, we explored the association between daily life changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and depressive symptoms. Results: Changes in daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with depressive symptoms in Korean university students aged 19 to 29, even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health-related factors, and COVID-19-related aspects (OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.09~1.50). Conclusion: Our study suggests that when examining the impact of COVID-19 on health issues, it is crucial to consider the changes in daily life caused by the pandemic. These findings can provide insights into the psychological well-being of university students during times of crisis.