• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.6 no.6
• /
• pp.551-558
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this research was to investigate how university students' nutrition beliefs influence their health behavioral intention. This study used an online survey engine (Qulatrics.com) to collect data from college students. Out of 253 questionnaires collected, 251 questionnaires (99.2%) were used for the statistical analysis. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed that six dimensions, "Nutrition Confidence," "Susceptibility," "Severity," "Barrier," "Benefit," "Behavioral Intention to Eat Healthy Food," and "Behavioral Intention to do Physical Activity," had construct validity; Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliabilities were tested for item reliability. The results validate that objective nutrition knowledge was a good predictor of college students' nutrition confidence. The results also clearly showed that two direct measures were significant predictors of behavioral intentions as hypothesized. Perceived benefit of eating healthy food and perceived barrier for eat healthy food to had significant effects on Behavioral Intentions and was a valid measurement to use to determine Behavioral Intentions. These findings can enhance the extant literature on the universal applicability of the model and serve as useful references for further investigations of the validity of the model within other health care or foodservice settings and for other health behavioral categories.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.90-101
• /
• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate influencing factors of health problems which the vinyl house farmers had experienced. Method: Based on PRECEDE model, this study was done with 110 respondents(50 to 69 years old), working in vinyl house and living in the remote area where the primary health post located. Results: Quality of life was low in economical status, emotional status, and physical function. Health problems were founded as pain and chronic fatigue that were caused by physical symptoms, weakened physical strength, and increased blood pressure and cholesterol. Behavioral and environmental factors were related with lack of exercise, irregular eating habit, curtailed sleep, overwork, wrong working postures, stress, and non-fulfillment of safety standard during spraying pesticide. Self efficacy was low in excercise practice, working way, and stress management. Conclusion: The Health Promotion Program for vinyl house farmers should be developed to improve health promoting behavior and self efficacy, to reduce stress, and to strengthen physical function.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.74-83
• /
• 2014

Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects depend on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. This review addresses the systemic pathophysiology of individual organ systems associated with mercury poisoning. Mercury has profound cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic toxicological effects.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.269-271
• /
• 2012

The chicken has been growing in Korea for more than a thousand years according to the history book and commercially rising for broiler meat only since 1960's. As income increased mainly due to improved economy, it changes the habit of eating especially chicken meat. The structure changes into a coordinated production and marketing system which forced the prevailed small and independent producers to become a contract farmer under the vertically controlled practices. This coordinated structure began in 1970's and evolved continually to occupy around 90 percent of the market in 2010 with some ten (10) private brands being advertising. The industrial organizations have also conducted the generic promotion by a farmer's check-off program. Over the past 20 years, chicken import steadily increased to meet about 25 percent of the domestic market while the export showed negligible growth. As a whole, the structure change and international trade devoted to increased chicken consumption from 2 kg with the independent operation to 11 kg currently under the coordinated system and import. It is predicted that chicken consumption will grow in years to come and the import will also increase in addition to local productions, considering the free trade agreement that has already been in practice with EU and US to open the market eventually from all sources of supply worldwide.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.7039-7043
• /
• 2013

A liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrrini (OV), is the major cause of the high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in North-eastern Thailand. The prevalence of OV infection remains high in various parts of the country, especially in wetland rural areas where a large proportion of the community work in agriculture and continue the traditional practice of eating raw or uncooked cyprinoid fish products. The national control program seems to have had little impact in many of these areas, and it has been difficult to make precise assessments of the overall effectiveness of the program. Therefore there is a need for a community-based approach to prevent infection with the parasite, ideally involving as many players as possible. Here we document an attempt to assess the best means to prevention on the basis of a community intervention in three villages in north-east Thailand, with participation of representatives of Health Promotion Hospitals of the Ministry of Public Health with dedicated staff, but also school teachers, independent government sponsored village health volunteers, and housewives responsible for cooking and diet selection. An action plan was followed, allowing detailed discussions of practical proposals, their introduction and then repeated reflection and further proposals at the individual village level.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.173-183
• /
• 1993

This study reports the relationship between life-style and physical, mental health status in college students. The questionnaire survey was carried out from September to October, 1991. The questionnaire included life-style, physical health condition centered on unhealthy habits and complaints about physical symptoms, and mental condition which was assessed by Zung's self-rating depression scale(SDS). Days absent from school during the last year in males(3.6) were significantly more than those in females (1.0). Days catching the common cold were more in females than in males. The amount of complaints and the SDS score were significantly higher in females than in males. In the relationship between physical and mental health status and individual health habits, abscence-days from school significantly correlated with regular life, snacking, physical exercise, smoking, drinking. The amount of complaints and the SDS score were significantly associated with regular life, regular meal-time, eating breakfast, nutritional balance and physical exercise. In the relationship between health practice index to health status, the group having good habits showed significantly less days catching the common cold, less complaints, less SDS score and less amount of stress. It was also shown that life-style correlated with physical and mental health status.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.3399-3402
• /
• 2012

A liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrrini (OV), is the major cause of the high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in Thailand. The prevalence of OV infection remains high in various parts of the country, especially in Northeast Thailand and particularly in wetland rural areas where a large proportion of the community work in agriculture and continue the traditional practice of eating raw or uncooked cyprinoid fish products. The national control program seems to have had little impact in many of these areas, and it has been difficult to make precise assessments of the overall effectiveness of the program. This paper is the first report of prospective research project designed to monitor the impact of the national control program in rural communities located in a northeastern province and at high risk of OV infection. The participants in this initial survey were 1,569 villagers, aged 20-65 years, living in two subdistricts of Yasothon Province. Stool examinations showed that 38.68% were infected with OV. Males were slightly more likely to be infected than females, but the difference was not statistically significant. Infection was found to be positively associated with age in both males and females. The preliminary data indicate that the population selected for study is suitable for the purpose of the monitoring project.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.476-481
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND: A higher frequency of family meals is associated with good dietary habits in young people. This study focused on the relationships of family meal frequency with food neophobia and personality traits in adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHOD: For this purpose, we administered a survey to 495 middle school students in Seoul metropolitan city, after which the data were analyzed using the SPSS (18.0) program. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationships among dietary habits, personality traits, and food neophobia according to frequency of family meals. RESULTS: Dietary habits, personality traits, and food neophobia all showed significant differences according to the frequency of family meals. Further, eating regular family meals was associated with good dietary habits (P < 0.001) and was linked with improved extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness/intellect (P < 0.001). On the other hand, it showed a negative relationship with food neophobia (P < 0.001). The relationship between dietary habits and food neophobia showed a negative correlation (P < 0.01). The relationship between dietary habits and personality traits showed a positive correlation (P < 0.01). Lastly, the relationship between personality traits and food neophobia showed a negative correlation (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, the frequency of family meals affects dietary habits, personality traits, and food neophobia in adolescents.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.315-328
• /
• 1997

The purpose of this study was to explore the process of smoking behavior of college women with a history of smoking. The subject were 48 female students selected by theoretical sampling from a womens' university in Korea. The data were collected by in-depth interviews using audiotape recordings done over a period of seven months. The data were analyzed simultaneously by a constant comparative method in which new data were continuously coded into categories and properties according to strauss and corbin's methodology. Analysis of the data resulted in identification of 15 categories representing 34 concepts. The results of this study were as follows : 1. Smoking in college women is caused by either curiosity or antagonism toward male smokers 2. The meaning(phenomena) of smoking behavior in college women is justifiable or regretable 3. Smoking occurs in connection with eating, during period of psychological conflict or as an habitual practice 4. Smoking behavior is related to the perception of harmfulness to health, influence of others and the accessability of cigarettes. 5. College women experinced a change in their state of health, emotional relaxation, change in their social relationships It is suggested that the results of this study may contribute to the development of strategies for the purpose of decreasing smoking behavior among female college students.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.304-312
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: International students face dissimilar food environments, which could lead to changes in dietary behaviors and anthropometric characteristics between before and after migration. We sought to examine the risk factors, including dietary behaviors, acculturation, and demographic characteristics, related to overweight subjects residing in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study, collecting data from 142 Chinese international students (63 males, 79 females) in 2013. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 25.4 years, and almost half of them immigrated to South Korea to earn a master's degree or doctoral degree (n = 70, 49.3%). Chinese international students showed an increase in skipping meals and eating speed, but a decrease in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in South Korea compared to when they lived in China. We found a statistically significant increase in weight (69.4 ${\rightarrow}$ 73.9 kg) and BMI (22.4 ${\rightarrow}$ $23.8kg/m^2$) for male subjects (P < 0.001) but no change for female subjects. We also found that overweight subjects were more likely to be highly acculturated and male compared with normal-weight subjects. CONCLUSION: Among Chinese international students living in South Korea, male and more highly acculturated subjects are more vulnerable to weight gain. This study provides useful information to design tailored nutrition intervention programs for Chinese international students.