• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2020

There is a noticeable gap in the personnel structures of clinical laboratories between North Korea and South Korea. In North Korea, 'Laboratory Doctor' is similar to the workforce of 'Medical Technologist (commonly known as Clinical Laboratory Technologist or Medical Laboratory Scientist)' in South Korea. Considering preceding research based on the verbal evidence of North Korean healthcare personnel defectors, it is estimated that the status of laboratory doctor in North Korea generally corresponds to physician and feldsher (such as physician assistant in Western countries). Physicians and feldshers are trained and fostered for five and a half years in medical universities and for three years in medical vocational schools (so-called junior college of medicine). Unlike South Korea, the North Korea's healthcare personnel system does not subdivide the tasks, education, qualifications and law regarding the specialties of health experts. It is thought that the Korean Association of Medical Technologists needs to collaboratively search and present the milestones for establishment of a professional system on clinical laboratory personnel in North Korea through cooperative research on policies with the related organizations for better preparation of the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.160-167
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• 2015

This study is to investigate the relationship between health promoting lifestyles around the psychosocial aspects such as depression, stress and self-esteem of young North Korean defectors. In particular, the purpose is mentally still less of a mature compared to adults, adolescents need greater understanding. For this purpose, North Korean Youth 150 people were surveyed, questionnaires 85 parts were used in the final analysis excluded from the additional 65. To analyze the factors affecting the health of life was performed multiple linear regression. Analysis result, general self, school self, stress had significant influence on health promoting lifestyles. The conclusion of this study is social psychology factors such as stress self-esteem of North Korean Adolescents refugees is addressed health promoting lifestyles and causal relationship, and promote health of adolescents shows wonderful self-esteem. It suggests that the necessary establishment. This effort is called for to reliably establish the North Korean youth to be part of a future South Korean society.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.89-111
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• 2012

Since the U.S. government officially accepted North Korean(NK) as refugees starting in 2006, about 120 North Koreans have come to and been living in the United States. However, little is known in regard to what the North Korean refugees need for a qualify life. This study aims to explore the essential experiences of North Korean defectors who have settled in the United States after escaping North Korea. Research inquiries are why North Korean refugees have chosen the United States for their settlement, and how they are living in the United States. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with eight NK refugees. For data analysis, grounded theory approach by Strauss and Corbin(1998) was employed. The data analysis identified the central phenomenon, protective and risk factors, and core actions and consequences of NK refugees' adjustment in the U.S. The central phenomenon was "voluntary choose to come to the U.S." The core action and consequences in the process of their adjustment were 'searching for the meaning of life,' and 'achieving acculturation.' The findings may provide deeper understanding on the situation of North Korean refugees in the U.S. and implications for how to help them adjust well in the society.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.413-421
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to improve the satisfaction of college foodservice customers by analyzing the correlation between college student satisfaction with foodservice and customer loyalty. The questionnaire was distributed to 480 customers at six universities in Busan. The average customer satisfaction score was 2.76, and customer satisfaction was highest with food, followed by sanitation, environment, and service (in decreasing order). Customers reported the frequency with which they were satisfied when using university foodservice operations (on an increasing scale from "almost never" to "more than five times") in four areas: food (p<0.001), service (p<0.01), sanitation (p<0.05), and environment (p<0.001). The average scores of customer loyalty, intent to purchase again, intent to advertise by word-of-mouth, and intent to switch were 2.67, 2.83, 2.52, and 2.67, respectively, and these scores demonstrated differences according to frequency of foodservice use (p<0.001). Food, service, sanitation, and environment correlated significantly (+) with customer loyalty. Intent to repeat purchase showed the highest correlation with food quality (p<0.05), and intent to advertise by word-of-mouth and to continue patronizing foodservice demonstrated the highest correlations with service (p<0.01). After classifying customers into four groups according to customer satisfaction and loyalty, a comparison was done to determine satisfaction and loyalty by each customer strata. In the "loyalist" group, satisfaction with environment and the intent to advertise by repurchase were significantly higher than in the other groups (p<0.001). In "defectors" group, satisfaction with service and the intent to advertise by word-of-mouth were significantly lower than in the other groups (p<0.001).

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.387-395
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of socio-demographic, household, social support, health-related factors on adolescent internet use time. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine factors affecting adolescent internet using time, and this study used the 2014 10th Korean Youth Health Risk Behavior On-line Survey data by Centers for Disease and Prevention. Results show that as for socio-demographic factors, being male, lower economic status, being middle school student, and having poor academic grade were; as for household factors, youth-led, one-parent, grandparent(s), multicultural, and North Korean defectors family were; as for social support factors, the absence of family support, the absence of friend support and the absence teacher support were; and as for health-related factors, less exercise, higher level of stress, and lower level of subjective happiness were associated with increased internet using time. Based on these results, convergent implications about effective intervention strategies that adolescents can use internet appropriately were discussed in the section of conclusion.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of North Korean refugees' trust in South Korea health service. Methods: This study surveyed 168 North Korean refugees aged 19 and over living in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Gangwon. The collected data were analyzed by frequency analysis, t-test, analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression analysis to analyze the effect on the trust of refugees. Results: The difference analysis showed statistically significant difference according to duration of residence and employment status. The determinants of North Korean refugees' trust in South Korea health services were duration of residence, basic communication skills, health communication skills, and experience of health service. Conclusion: In order to increase the trust of North Korean defectors in South Korea medical services, it is necessary to resolve communication problems and improve the satisfaction of health services. For this, the interpreter service should be activated. And specific education should be given to the North Korean refugees about the health care system and the utilization methods of health service in Korea.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2010

Objectives : This study investigated the influence of traumatic experience on the ego identity, self-esteem, and general psychopathology of adolescent North Korean refugees. Methods : The participants were 146 adolescents North Korean refugees who attended H High School for North Korean refugees. We divided the subjects into two groups according to the severity of their traumatic experience : the more-traumatic-experience group and the less-traumatic-experience group. Each group performed self-report assessments including an assessment to reveal demographic characteristics, the Traumatic Experiences Scale for North Korean Defectors, the Scale for Ego identity, the Scale for Self-esteem and the Symptom Check-90-Revision (SCL-90-R). Statistical analysis of t-test and multiple regression utilized SPSS 12.0 for Window for comparison between more-traumatic-experience group and less-traumatic-experience group. Results : The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among adolescents North Korean refugees was 37%. The factor with the greatest influence on ego identity was length of time living in South Korea, while, for self-esteem the most influential factor was perception of health. The more-traumatic-experience group had lower self-esteem scores on some subscales of the Scale for Ego identity. They had higher scores on all SCL-90-R subscales than the less-traumatic-experience group. Conclusion : Adolescent North Korean refugees experienced high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder. The more traumatic-experience-group had lower self esteem and poorer ego identity and mental health than the less-traumatic-experience group.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.63-82
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• 2019

Libraries are recently emerging as the core institutions designed to resolve the information equality that is forecasted to further deepen with the arrival of the fourth industry revolution era. This study thus analyzed the trends of studies on the library services offered to people suffering information inequality in Korea, and proposed measures for the activation of the research and future studies so as to strengthen the domestic library services targeting the people suffering information equality and to promote the research. As a result, proposed as measures for the activation of research were (1) Policy support and project expansion at the national level, (2) Various approaches and research environment creation at the academic level, (3) Strengthening of services for the various levels of people suffering information inequality and deployment of professional librarians at the level of libraries, and (4) Encouraging librarians to enroll with graduate schools and to conduct research. Further, proposed were the future studies that can be approached according to the various levels of people suffering information inequality, such as disabled people, multicultural family members, elderly people, children, youth, agricultural and fishing areas, low-income people, and refugees(North Korea defectors).

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.129-141
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• 2019

As the number of minority students such as multicultural, North Korean defectors, and low-income groups increases, more research is needed in science education to help their learning. Due to the various growth backgrounds and learning environments of the underprivileged students, there is a big difference in the individual characteristics of the group rather than the whole group characteristics. In this study, we conducted about 50 hours of science lessons for seven students in the underprivileged class, categorized them by observing and interviewing the characteristics of their science learning. Seven underprivileged students showed five different learning patterns, these are 'I love science', 'I think I know science', 'I want to know science', 'I need to know science', and 'I don't know what I want'. Although the scientific activities they experienced were not all of an excellent educational quality, their interest in science learning has increased with their experience in science activities. It shows the need to provide more abundant science experience and educational opportunities for these minority students who can only experience science learning under the public educational system.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze research trends and find whether Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of refugees could affect structural or functional changes of brains of those under MRI, focusing on volumes, functional connectivities, and metabolites. Methods: A literature search was done using PubMed, Embase, RISS, and KMBase to identify studies that matched our research purpose. A total of eight studies were identified using Prisma flow diagram by two reviewers independently. Results: Eight studies were identified. Three studies were on North Korean defectors as subjects. The number of studies that observed structural changes, functional changes, and metabolite changes in brains was 2, 5, and 2, respectively. Although each study observed various parts of the brain, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was observed commonly in three studies. The PTSD group showed reduction of ACC volume and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) metabolite in ACC compared to the non- PTSD group. When exposed to negative stimuli, the PTSD group showed higher neural activity than the non-PTSD group, but not vice versa. Conclusion: ACC showed significant difference in volume, neural activity, and NAA metabolite between the PTSD and the non-PTSD group, resulting in significant differences in structural changes, functional changes, metabolite changes, respectively. This study showed the need for conducting more research using various biomarkers to clarify the relationship between PTSD of refugees and their brain changes.