• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.192-203
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• 2018

Alcohol consumption among soldiers impairs health status, performance, and increases the risks of injuries and violence. This study examined drinking behaviors, health problems, and violence among enlisted soldiers at Adisorn military unit in Saraburi, Thailand. Data collection using self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 256 enlisted male soldiers in May 2017. Participants were age 20-22 (93%), Buddhists (98%), high school education or lower (93%). They purchased alcohol at their own expense (46.5%). For alcohol consumption, all were lifetime drinkers (100%). The current drinking patterns were different 28.5% were current drinkers, 65.5% are currently abstaining from drinking (64.5%), and 6.6% stopped drinking permanently. The top three alcohol beverages were beer (52.3%), brandy (25.0%), and hard liquor (19.5%). Problems related to alcohol were from lost balance/falls (6.7%), illness (10.2%), driving under the influence (19.5%), and accidents (24.2%). Violence from drinking in the past month was from fighting (28.1%). This study is the first to provide information about alcohol-related problems in enlisted male soldiers. There is the need to offer straightforward advice, brief counseling, and refer soldiers to receive treatment to prevent alcohol-related problems. Online social media and web-based programs were recommended as platforms to provide preventive alcohol message to the enlisted.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.550-558
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• 2016

This study was conducted to provide guideline data for future instructional materials and practice guidelines on reforming the dietary life of military personnel in terms of lowering sodium intake. A total of 264 persons were surveyed to obtain basic data on sodium intake and understanding of sodium. The study also examined the practice that is carried forward in this endeavor. The subjects liked 'kimchi' and 'rice with topping', and these could be the reason for higher salt intake. Career soldiers scored higher in terms of nutrition knowledge than enlisted soldiers (p<0.01). Nutrition education concerning sodium intake was statistically insignificant between the two, whereas career soldiers showed a higher experience rate at these nutrition educational events. Career soldiers also had with higher sodium intake than enlisted soldiers, and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). In terms of practice, officers were more likely to experience difficulty in putting the theory of less sodium into practice than their enlisted soldiers counterparts (p<0.05), and the main reason behind this difficulty was that they did not feel the need to lower their sodium intake. Soldiers should be well educated about sodium and healthy diet during their service. Education should focus on lowering sodium intake and changing their attitudes and awareness of this issue in order to elicit behavioral changes.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.3353-3360
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• 2015

This study was conducted to identify the BMI of enlisted soldiers, to understand the difference between their BMI and that of other men in their age group, and to identify the influence factors of enlisted soldiers' BMI change. The survey has been conducted self-evaluation questionnaire from 23 Feb. 2009 to 31 Mar. 2009 from 4 different forces as methods. Independent-sample T-test, chi-square test and multiple linear regression analysis were used for statistical analysis from 301 collected data. As a result of surveying enlisted soldiers' BMI, their obesity rate 18.6% was lower than 22.1% of other men in their age group. In terms of health behavior, the underweight&normal weight group(2.39) showed higher diet score than the overweight group(2.13), showing that the underweight&normal weight group ate relatively slowly, less spicy and less sweet food compared to the overweight group. The overweight group(2.25) showed lower satisfaction with their body type than the underweight&normal weight group(2.98), while the overweight group(4.01) showed a significantly higher score than the underweight&normal weight group(3.37) for weight control activity. The influence factors of BMI change were diet habit, subjective perception of body type, and weight control activity. In order to improve of enlisted soldiers' BMI, it would be necessary to improve the food service and the snack bars for interventional control of food that influence obesity, rather than personal effort, in addition, education for right body-shape perception and encouraging on weight control activity.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.192-200
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• 2024

Purpose: Traumatic peripheral nerve injury (PNI), which occurs in up to 3% of trauma patients, is a devastating condition that often leads to permanent disability. However, knowledge of traumatic PNI is limited. We describe epidemiology and clinical characteristics of traumatic PNI in Korea and identify the predictors of traumatic complete PNI. Methods: A list of enlisted soldier patients who were discharged from military service due to PNI over a 10-year period (2012-2021) was obtained, and their medical records were reviewed. Patients were classified according to the causative events (traumatic vs. nontraumatic) and injury severity (complete vs. incomplete). Of traumatic PNIs, we compared the clinical variables between the incomplete and complete PNI groups and identified predictors of complete PNI. Results: Of the 119 young male patients who were discharged from military service due to PNI, 85 (71.4%) were injured by a traumatic event; among them, 22 (25.9%) were assessed as having a complete injury. The most common PNI mechanism (n=49, 57.6%), was adjacent fractures or dislocations. Several injury-related characteristics were significantly associated with complete PNI: laceration or gunshot wound, PNI involving the median nerve, PNI involving multiple individual nerves (multiple PNI), and concomitant muscular or vascular injuries. After adjusting for other possible predictors, multiple PNI was identified as a significant predictor of a complete PNI (odds ratio, 3.583; P=0.017). Conclusions: In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of enlisted Korean soldiers discharged due to traumatic PNI and found that the most common injury mechanism was adjacent fracture or dislocation (57.6%). Patients with multiple PNI had a significantly increased risk of complete injury. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of traumatic PNI, which directly leads to a decline in functioning in patients with trauma.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.228-242
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• 2020

In recent years, interest in the welfare of soldiers is increasing. More specifically, soldiers enlisted to fulfill their military service obligations live a group life that is controlled by group life, unlike military officers selected by their will. Therefore, this study aims to verify whether there is an effect of improving the morale of soldiers by increasing the satisfaction of military service meals along with the trend of increasing morale through enhancement of soldier welfare. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, we surveyed 145 army soldiers working in the front and rear areas and used 137 valid samples for analysis. The results of this study are as follows. First, both SERVQUAL (Responsiveness·Assurance, Tangibles) and Servicescape (Spatial Environment, Spatial Design) had a positive (+) effect on military meal satisfaction. Second, military service satisfaction and emotional commitment have a positive (+) effect on morale. Third, satisfaction with military meals has a positive effect on emotional commitment. This research has also shown that improvements in SERVQUAL (Responsiveness·Assurance, Tangibles) and Servicescape (Spatial Environment, Spatial Design) improve military service satisfaction and emotional engagement. Military food service SERVQUAL (Responsiveness·Assurance, Tangibles) and Servicescape (Spatial Environment, Space Design) must pay attention to increase military morale.