• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.42
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• pp.69-106
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• 2016

Early marriage in contemporary society has brought about many problems. The practice is encouraged by gender inequality, poverty and social norms. It reproduces social power imbalances including increased economic vulnerability of women, low educational attainment of girls, gender inequality at home and in the labor market, physical and sexual violence against women and their health problems. The Ethiopian government increased the minimum legal age of marriage for women from 15 to 18 years, by revising its family code in 2000 and newly adopting a criminal law in 2005 that includes punishment against any harmful tradition. Nonetheless, early marriage is still widely practiced in many parts of rural Ethiopia. This is because the practice has long been embedded and deeply rooted in the lives of the people. Earlier literature on early marriage in Ethiopia tends to focus only on women's experiences and regard that all early-married people, particularly women, are unhappy with their lives. This paper attempts to explore the issue of early marriage through voices of people with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, in order to address the limitations of the previous literature. This article aims at examining why early marriage has occurred in Ethiopia and how it has affected family life and women's educational attainment, focusing on the case of Meki town. As seen from this study, it is true that early marriage generally had negative influences on the lives of women. However, it is equally true that some men are also victims of the practice while some women have improved their lives by means of it. This implies that we need to listen to the voices of diverse people when we examine early marriage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.133-150
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• 2021

Purpose: The epidemiologic understanding of allergic diseases, including prevalence and risk factors, is needed for allergy management. This study identified the prevalence of and coping patterns for various types of allergies, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), food allergy (FA), and drug allergy (DA), in Nam-gu, Ulsan, one of the most industrialized districts in Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-report multiple choice questionnaire. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and other measures were reviewed to develop the questionnaire. Data was collected from May 9th to November 30th of 2018. Descriptive and frequency analyses were performed to apprehend the prevalence of symptoms, diagnostic rates, diagnosis dates, treatment history, and others. Results: By randomized sampling, 9,102 children from 25 nurseries, 25 kindergartens, and 15 elementary schools participated in the study. The prevalence of asthma, AR, AD, AC, FA, and DA were 11.1%, 48.7%, 15.5%, 17.6%, 15.1%, and 2.0%, respectively. The respective rate of ever being diagnosed with asthma, AR, AD, AC, FA, and DA were 4.2%, 38.4%, 25.5%, 23.3%, 9.7%, and 1.1%, respectively. Last year's allergy related school absenteeism rates were 10.8%, 4.1%, and 1.3% for asthma, AR, and AD, respectively. Lastly, 59.2% of the participants considered air pollution as the most challenging factor in allergy management. Conclusion: This study comprehensively investigated the current state of various allergic diseases in Nam-gu, Ulsan. The study's findings are expected to be applied to strategies for decreasing the socioeconomic burden of allergic diseases.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.107-120
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• 2024

This study aimed to identify factors associated with metabolic abnormalities in non-obese and obese postmenopausal women based on biopsychosocial model. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from 5,335 postmenopausal women who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015-2021). According to logistic analysis with applying a complex simple analysis in SPSS 26.0, biomedical (increased age; a family history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases) and biosocial factors (low educational level) were associated with 1-2 metabolic abnormalities and metabolic syndrome, regardless of adiposity. Additionally, low familial socioeconomic status and prolonged sedentary behaviors were the biosocial and psychosocial factors associated with metabolic syndrome regardless of adiposity. Finally, insufficient physical activity was associated with metabolic syndrome in obese postmenopausal women. Based on these results, tailored strategies should be developed considering the significant factors associated with metabolic abnormalities and adiposity in postmenopausal women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7021-7027
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• 2014

Background: The problem of cancer, especially lung cancer, is very acute in Bangladesh. The present study was conducted to evaluate the risk of lung cancer among Bangladeshi people based on hereditary, socio-economic and demographic factors. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in 208 people (patients-104, controls-104) from January 2012 to September 2013 using a structured questionnaire containing details of lung cancer risk factors including smoking, secondhand smoke, tobacco leaf intake, age, gender, family history, chronic lung diseases, radiotherapy in the chest area, diet, obesity, physical activity, alcohol consumption, occupation, education, and income. Descriptive statistics and testing of hypotheses were used for the analysis using SPSS software (version 20). Results: According to this study, lung cancer was more prevalent in males than females. Smoking was the highest risk factor (OR=9.707; RR=3.924; sensitivity=0.8872 and P<0.0001) followed by previous lung disease (asthma, tuberculosis etc.) (OR=7.095; RR=1.508; sensitivity=0.316 and P<0.0001)) for male patients. Highly cooked food (OR=2.485; RR=1.126; sensitivity=0.418 and P=0.004)) and also genetic inheritance (OR=1.93; RR=1.335; sensitivity=0.163 and P=0.138) demonstrated significant correlation with lung cancer as risk factors after these two and alcohol consumption was not prevalent. On the other hand, for female patients, tobacco leaf intake represented the highest risk (OR=2.00; RR=1.429; sensitivity= 0.667 and P=0.5603) while genetic inheritance and highly cooked food also correlate with lung cancer but not so significantly. Socioeconomic status and education level also play important roles in causing lung cancer. Some 78.5% male and 83.3% of female cancer patients were rural residents, while 58.2% lived at the margin or below the poverty line. Most male (39.8%) and female (50.0%) patients had completed only primary level education, and 27.6% male and 33.3% female patients were illiterate. Smoking was found to be more prevalent among the less educated persons. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study indicate the importance of creating awareness about lung cancer risk factors among Bangladeshi people and making appropriate access to health services for the illiterate, poor, rural people.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.141-151
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• 1993

This study was done about 371 tuberculosis(TB) patients composed 195 newly registered at Kyungju Gun Health Center from May 1989 to April 1990 (Group A) and 176 being treated at hospitals or private clinics from January 1988 to November 1989(Group B). When Group A patients visited and newly registered at Health Center, data was obtained by interviewing with a prepared questionnaire paper. And well trained inquirer visited Group B patients and obtained data by the same method from February 1990 to April 1990. The results are as follows ; Group A was generally lower than Group B in socioeconomic status and in family history of TB, the rate of Group A was 24.1% and higher than 11.9% in Group B(p<0.05). Knowledge about TB was improved more than past, but those who answered that TB is 'a communicable disease' were 59.5% in Group A and 51.7% in Group B(p<0.05). Those answered that TB is 'a inherited disease' were 9.2% and 11.4% each. And 1.7% of Group B answered that TB is 'a incurable disease'. Knowledge about TB treatment also was improved more than past, but in the rate of those who answered that TB is a curable disease provided by well treatment Group B(77.8%) was worse than Group A(91.3%). The rate of those who answered that TB were been able to cure by regularly anti-TB medication were 98.0% in Group A and 89.8% in Group B. Its difference was statistically significant. The rate that patients took the first diagnosis and wanted to receive treatments at the same organ were 34.9% of Group A at Health Center and 72.2% of Group B at hospitals or private clinics. And its difference was statistically significant. In the reasons that Group B knew Health Center treated pulmonary TB but they was treated at hospitals or private clinics, unreliability to Health Center was 48.1%. The reasons that Group A was treated at Health Center were 'because of trust' 63.1%, 'because of low cost' 50.3%, 'because of low cost except trust' 9.3%, 'no specific reasons' 27.7%. In the courses of knowing that TB was controlled at Health Center, 'by neighborhood, health worker and doctors' were 84.9% in Group A and 69.0% in Group B. But 'by TV or radio' were 8.2% in Group A and 14.7% in Group B, 'by school education' 2.5% in Group A and 6.2% in Group B. Conclusively, Group A patients were lower than Group B in socioeconomic status, but better than in knowledge about TB. Its reasons was suggested that Health Center had controlled TB patients better than hospitals and private clinics. But considering, that difference in the rate of the same organ for the first diagnosis and treatment, that the only 63.0% of Group A have treated due to 'reliability to Health Center', and that 48.1% of Group B knew that Health Center treated pulmonary TB but didn't visit it due to 'unreliability to Health Center', that public relations(PR) about use Health Center for pulmonary TB and health education for TB was thought to have to strengthened.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.145-157
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• 1999

This study was performed by the children and adolescents who were abused or neglected physically, emotionally that were selected in child & adolescents psychiatric ward. We investigated the number of these case in admitted children & adolescents, and also observed characteristics of symptoms, developmental history, characteristics of abuse style, characteristics of abusers, family dynamics and psychopathology. We hypothesized that all kinds of abuse will influnced to emotional, behavioral problems, developmental courses on victims, interactive effects on family dynamics and psychopathology. That subjects were 22 persons of victims who be determined by clinical observation and clinical note. The results of the study were as follows：1) Demographic characteristics of victims：ratio of sex was 1：6.3(male：female), mean age was $11.1{\pm}2.5$. According to birth order, lst was 12(54.5%), 2nd was 5(23%), 3rd was 2(9%) and only child was 3(13.5%). 2) Characteristics of family：According to socioeconomic status, middle to high class was 3(13.5%), middle one was 9(41.% ), middle to low one was 9(41%), low one was 1(0.5%). according to number of family, under the 3 person was 3(13.5%), 4-5 was 17(77.5%), 6-7 was 2(9%). according to marital status of parents, divorce or seperation were 5(23%), remarriage 2(9%), severe marital discord was 19(86.5%). In father, antisocial behavior was 7(32%), alcohol dependence was 10(45.5%). In mother, alcohol abuse was 5(23%), depression was 17(77.3%), history of psychiatric management was 6(27%). 3) Characteristics of abuse：Physical abuse was 18(81.8%), physical and emotional abuse and neglect were 4(18.2%). according to onset of abuse, before 3 years was 15(54.5%), 3-6 years was 5(27.5%), schooler was 1(15%). Only father offender was 2(19%), only mother offender was 8(35.4%), both offender was 8(35.4%), accompaning with spouse abuse was 7(27%), and accompaning with other sibling abuse was 4(18.2%). 4) General characteristics and developmental history of victims：Unwanted baby was 12(54.5%), developmental delay before abuse was9(41%), comorbid developmental disorder was 15(68%). there were 6(27.5%) who didn‘t show definite sign of developmental delay before abuse. 5) Main diagnosis and comorbid diagnosis：According to main diagnosis, conduct disorder 6(27.3%), borderline child 5(23%), depression4(18%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) 4(18%), pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified 2(9%), selective mutism 1(5%). According to comorbid diagnosis, ADHD, borderline intelligence, mental retardation, learning disorder, developmental language disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, chronic tic disorder, functional enuresis and encoporesis, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, personality disorder due to medical condition. 5) Course of treatment：A mean duration of admission was $2.4{\pm}1.5$ months. 11(15%) showed improvement of symtoms, however 11(50%) was not changed of symtoms.