• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6289-6294
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• 2012

Background: Research evidence suggests a debilitating impact of the diagnosis of cancer on the quality of life of the afflicted individuals, their spouses and their families. However, relatively few studies have been carried out on the impact on the QOL of adolescents living with parents diagnosed with cancer. This paper presents a sub-analysis on the impact of parental cancer (colorectal, breast and lung) on adolescents. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on adolescents aged 13-18 years old. Upon ethical clearance obtained from UMMC Medical Ethics Committee, patients with colorectal, breast or lung cancer and their adolescent children were recruited from the Clinical Oncology Unit of University of Malaya Medical Centre. Respondents who gave consent completed a demographic questionnaire and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, via the post, email, home visit or meetings at the clinics. Results: 95 adolescents from 50 families responded, giving a response rate of 88 percent. The adolescent's mean age was 16 years (ranging between 13-18 years). Adolescents with parental cancer had the lowest mean score in emotional functioning (p<0.05). Male adolescents had significantly higher quality of life overall and in physical functioning compared to female adolescents. Adolescents with a father with cancer had better school functioning compared to adolescents whose mothers had cancer. Families with household income of RM 5000 and above have significantly better quality of life compared to families with lower household income. Conclusions: Adolescent sons and daughters of parents with a cancer diagnosis show lowered QOL, particularly with reference to emotional functioning and school performance. Addressing the needs of this young group has been slow and warrants special attention. Revisiting the risk and resilience factors of adolescents might also inform tailored programs to address the needs of this neglected adolescent population.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.113-128
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and correlates of three types of risk-taking behavior among high school students in Korea in a cross-sectional national sample. A sample of 636 male and 622 female high school students is analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Three types of risk-taking behavior are examined: drinking alcohol, smoking, and premarital sex. The results are as follows: Forty-three percent of students in the sample have ever drunk alcohol, 32% have ever smoked, 11% have experience premarital sex. Risk-taking behavior is more prevalent among boys than among girls. Boys and girls in Seoul are much more likely to have experienced three types of risk-taking behavior. Not having two parents in the family and having lived away from immediate family increase the likelihood of some risk-taking behavior. Students who have a friend with premarital sexual experience are much more likely to have experienced premarital sex themselves. Among sexually active students, having multiple sexual partners is common and prevalence of condom use is low. Reproductive health education at school has no effect on students' sexual behavior. The prevalence of risk-taking behavior among adolescent in Korea is likely to rise in the future. Substantial proportion of adolescents are exposed to the risks of STDs and substantial proportion of adolescent girls risk premarital pregnancy. Current health education programs are inadequate in protecting students from risk-taking behavior. Students whose families do not include both parents and students who live away from their immediate families need special programs to protect them from risk-taking behavior.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2018

This study conducted a qualitative research based on interviews with school teachers and instructors operating external activities about how the management of one's own appearance influence the changes in subjective happiness and self-esteem by focusing on maladjusted students of two alternative schools and ordinary middle and high schools in Gyeongsangnam-do province. Happiness refers to a positive emotion that can be felt continuously throughout life such as life satisfaction, good experience, and positive way of thinking. The sense of happiness is the satisfaction that one feels by interpreting and evaluating his or her experience in a positive way and can be defined as the positive emotions that can be felt when one perceives and uses the strengths and resources that he or she has. Although the self-esteem is formed, changed, and developed throughout life, the self-awareness and self-evaluation develop more actively than other stages of development particularly in adolescence, and the adolescents with low self-esteem are faced with more serious behavioral, scholastic, and psychological issues. I hope the results of this study not only help current adolescents at risk to improve their self-esteem but also become a chance to see the issue of adolescents at risk as a part of social issue instead of limiting the issue as personal or domestic issue by expanding the application scope of the results to adolescents in middle schools and high schools who have the potential of going astray in order to approach the issue on the level of the entire society.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.48-54
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• 2019

Purpose: Liver metabolism plays a pivotal role in the development of metabolic disorders. We aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory risk factors associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in young adolescents from an urban population in Korea. Methods: A population of 120 apparently healthy adolescents aged 12-13 years was included in the cross-sectional design study; 58 were overweight or obese and 62 were of normal weight. We estimated anthropometric and laboratory measurements, including waist-to-height ratio, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, aspartate aminotransferases (AST), ALT, and lipid profiles. Results: The mean ages of the overweight or obese and normal weight participants were $12.9{\pm}0.3$ and $13.0{\pm}0.3years$, respectively. Height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, AST, ALT, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score were significantly higher and the high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index were significantly lower in the overweight/obese participants in comparison to the normal-weight participants (all P<0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, waist-to-height ratio, systolic blood pressure, and HOMA-IR score were independently and positively associated with serum ALT levels. Conclusion: Screening for ALT levels in adolescents may help to differentiate those at risk of metabolic abnormalities and thus prevent disease progression at an early age.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.73-82
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore sexual behaviors among adolescents in multicultural families in Korea. The data were obtained from the 15th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2019. Complex-sample descriptive statistics and the chi-square test were used for data analysis in SPSS 25. Among adolescents in multicultural families, 8.2% reported having sexual experience. Condoms were the most commonly used contraceptive method, and most adolescents received sex education at school. Their likelihood of sexual experience differed according to grade, academic achievement, economic status, residential area, perceived stress, and drinking and smoking experience (p<.001). The results of this study suggest that sex education should be conducted with appropriate consideration of the important factors associated with adolescents in multicultural families.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.315-322
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to explore the association between daily toothbrushing frequency and health risk behaviors of school-going adolescents in poor urban areas of Peru. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 959 school-going adolescents 11~19 years of age in poor urban areas of Peru in 2014. Health risk behaviors we assessed in the study were smoking; drinking; consuming sugar-sweetened soft drinks (more than one cup); leisure time activities including watching television, playing games, and using the Internet; and never or rarely handwashing with soap. Daily toothbrushing frequency was divided into two groups (once and twice daily). For statistical analyses, the chi-square test and hierarchical logistic regression were used at 5% level of significance. Of the total respondents, 63 (14.3%) were boys and 53 (10.3%) were girls and 116 (12.1%) engaged in toothbrushing (${\leq}1$ times daily). According to the adjusted logistic regression analysis for socio-demographic characteristics, two behaviors (leisure time use activities, including watching television, playing games, and using the Internet (odds ratio [OR], 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20~4.35), and never or rarely hand washing with soap (OR, 4.09; CI, 2.48~6.75) were statistically associated with toothbrushing frequency (${\leq}1$ times daily). We found two health risk behaviors (leisure time activities, including watching television, playing games, and using the Internet, and never or rarely handwashing with soap) associated with toothbrushing frequency among adolescents in the study area. Thus, oral health promotion programs should consider these health risk behaviors associated with toothbrushing frequency.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.148-156
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to explore the rates and methods of contraception among Korean adolescents from 2007 to 2009. Methods: The study was a descriptive study. The data were taken from a web-based survey on risk behavior of Korean youth that was conducted between 2007 and 2009 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: Among adolescents, 4.7% in 2007, 4.6% in 2008, and 4.7% in 2009 reported having had sexual intercourse. In those who had sexual experiences, less than 30% reported consistent use of contraception, whereas more than 45% report no contraceptive use at all. A condom was the most frequently used contraceptive method and its use has increased continuously among contraceptive users. Some of the adolescents were, nevertheless, using unreliable methods such as withdrawal or the rhythm method. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that most adolescents are not using contraception consistently and some were relying on unreliable contraceptive methods. Efforts to raise awareness about consistent and correct contraceptive use and the importance of dual protection are essential.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.15-28
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aims to examine factors affecting depression of adolescents by using the data of the 17th Korean Youth Health Risk Behavior Survey(2020). Methods: The total sample was 54,848 students who are in middle or high school. In this study, sociodemographic variables, health behavior variables, and stress were input to examine the effect on depression. The data was analyzed with χ²-test and hierarchical regression by SPSS statistic program. Results: The results showed that depression was related to sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and stress factors. In the result of hierarchical regression analysis, it was found that not only stress but also other variables had an effect on depression, which had a statistically significant effect. Conclusions: It was found that there are various causes such as environmental aspects and health behaviors that surround adolescents' depression rather than a single factor such as stress. Also, stress and depression are reciprocal rather than causal. Adolescents should be subdivided into groups such as grade, gender, or academic performance to relieve stress and depression at the same time through specific interventions.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.517-528
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• 2022

Due to its excellent diagnostic performance, CT is the mainstay of diagnostic test in adults with suspected acute appendicitis in many countries. Although debatable, extensive epidemiological studies have suggested that CT radiation is carcinogenic, at least in children and adolescents. Setting aside the debate over the carcinogenic risk of CT radiation, the value of judicious use of CT radiation cannot be overstated for the diagnosis of appendicitis, considering that appendicitis is a very common disease, and that the vast majority of patients with suspected acute appendicitis are adolescents and young adults with average life expectancies. Given the accumulated evidence justifying the use of low-dose CT (LDCT) of only 2 mSv, there is no reasonable basis to insist on using radiation dose of multi-purpose abdominal CT for the diagnosis of appendicitis, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Published data strongly suggest that LDCT is comparable to conventional dose CT in terms of clinical outcomes and diagnostic performance. In this narrative review, we will discuss such evidence for reducing CT radiation in adolescents and young adults with suspected appendicitis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2021

Background: Anemia is an important health problem affecting approximately 25% of the global population. Although its prevalence is decreasing worldwide, few studies have examined the prevalence of anemia in Korean adolescents. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anemia in Korean adolescents over the past 21 years using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods: We investigated the prevalence of anemia in adolescents aged 10-18 years for the period 1998-2018 according to sex, age, residential area, and household income. The effects of menarche age and menstruation were examined in female adolescents for the period 2001-2018. Results: Among the total 11,782 participants, the weighted prevalence of anemia was 4.0%. The prevalence of anemia in male participants significantly decreased (from 3.0% to 0.5%, P<0.001), whereas that in female participants did not change significantly over time (from 7.9% to 8.5%, P=0.054). The average age at menarche was 12.4±0.0 years; the prevalence of anemia in females increased from age 13 years onward. Multivariate analysis revealed that anemia was more common in female than male participants (odds ratio [OR], 9.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.19-13.57; P<0.001). In female adolescents, the prevalence of anemia increased with age (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.15-1.38, P<0.001) and was 3.6 times higher after than before menarche (OR, 3.65; 95% CI, 2.21-6.05, P<0.001). Conclusion: Over the 21-year study period, the prevalence of anemia decreased among male adolescents but did not change in female adolescents. In female adolescents, age and menarche were identified as significant risk factors that require continued attention.