The recent announcement by the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) took many by surprise. According to the KEDI, unlike general literacy rate, reading literacy rate (38%) among Koreans which is an individual's ability to understand the information we face on daily base such as directions on prescribed medication ranked at the bottom of all Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries. If we accept it as it is, it raises serious questions about Koreans' abilities to read, comprehend, and process necessary information required of functioning properly in the society. Furthermore since the information we get in the medical settings is usually more difficult to understand than other basic information we face in our daily lives, it may be assumed that health illiteracy among Koreans could be much higher and that the ramifications of it would be very much costly. Despite this seriousness of the reading illiteracy among Koreans, to the best of our knowledge, no attempts have been made to address and determine the prevalence of health illiteracy and relate it to the public health educational issue. More specifically, the effectiveness of health education materials has never been analyzed in this regard for the improvement of health education in Korea. The purpose of this article is to introduce a new concept of health literacy to the Korean public by reviewing the existing studies in the West and encourage researchers in the public health education field to look at the concept of health literacy as one of the possible strategies to design and develop more effective health education campaigns in Korea.
Delivery of Health Care* ; Education ; Educational Status ; Health Education ; Health Literacy* ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Public Health

BACKGROUND: There is substantial evidence on the association between lower education and unhealthy behaviors. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. This study aimed to examine whether income, health literacy, and social support mediate the association between education and health-related behaviors. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted in metropolitan areas in Japan from 2010 to 2011 among residents aged 25-50 years. Data from 3663 participants were used in this study. Health literacy was measured using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale. Health-related behaviors were current smoking, poor dietary habits, hazardous drinking, and lack of exercise. Poisson regression analyses with robust variance estimators were conducted to examine the associations between education and these health-related behaviors. Multiple mediation analyses were conducted to estimate the magnitudes of the mediating effects of income, health literacy, and social support on these associations. RESULTS: Less educated participants had higher risks of all unhealthy behaviors. Income mediated the associations of education with smoking (6.4%) and exercise (20.0%). Health literacy mediated the associations of education with dietary habits (15.4%) and exercise (16.1%). Social support mediated the associations of education with dietary habits (6.4%) and exercise (7.6%). The education-drinking association was mediated by income in the opposite direction (-10.0%). The proportions of the total effects mediated by income, health literacy, and social support were 9.8% for smoking, 24.0% for dietary habits, -3.0% for drinking, and 43.7% for exercise. CONCLUSIONS These findings may provide clues for designing effective interventions to reduce educational inequalities in health-related behaviors.
Humans ; Japan ; Health Behavior ; Educational Status ; Exercise ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Health Literacy ; Cognition

OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of the home literacy environment on children's emotional regulation skills and the mediating role of the parent-child relationship between them. METHODS: A stratified cluster sampling approach was employed to select 1 626 preschool children from five kindergartens in Nanjing. Questionnaires were used to collect detailed information on the home literacy environment, children's emotional regulation skills, and the parent-child relationship. A mediation model was established using the Process program in SPSS macro, and the significance of the mediation effect was tested using the Bootstrap method. RESULTS: The findings revealed a positive correlation between the home literacy environment and children's emotional regulation skills (r=0.217, P<0.001), as well as parent-child intimacy (r=0.065, P<0.01). Conversely, a negative correlation was found between the home literacy environment and parent-child conflict (r=-0.129, P<0.001). Additionally, parent-child conflict demonstrated a negative correlation with children's emotional regulation skills (r=-0.443, P<0.001), while parent-child intimacy exhibited a positive correlation (r=0.247, P<0.001). The home literacy environment exerted a significant direct effect on children's emotional regulation skills (β=0.162, P<0.001), and the mediating effect of the parent-child relationship accounted for 25.54% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS The home literacy environment significantly influences children's emotional regulation skills, with the parent-child relationship partially mediating this relationship.
Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Literacy ; Reading ; Emotional Regulation ; Parent-Child Relations ; Educational Status

The burden of suicide increases globally in ages 15-19 as they are more vulnerable to risky behaviors [8]. The Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study of 2013 (YAFS4) suggests further analysis and accounting for other related variables to determine if a true relationship between educational attainment and suicide is reflected. An analytic cross-sectional study was employed using secondary data from the YAFS4. The proportion of suicide attempt among the different education levels and its confounders was determined using point and interval estimates, whereas the association between educational attainment and suicide attempt was determined through multiple logistic regression analysis. Results revealed a high prevalence of suicide attempt among those with 'No schooling/Elementary' (38.36%), who have used alcohol (36.15%) and drugs (50.82%), and identified as 'bisexual' or with an 'identity crisis' (52.00%). Overall, there was an association between educational attainment and suicide attempt. The odds of suicide attempt was 1.69 times higher among those with “No schooling/Elementary” as compared to those “College Graduates or Higher”, and was the only group found to be statistically significant even after controlling for socioeconomic status. An association exists between educational attainment and suicide attempt, wherein having a lower level of education has higher odds of suicide attempt. The study suggests that interventions start as early as elementary school and focus on the out-of-school youth. Additionally, future research may also look further into the confounding effects of socioeconomic status and the mechanisms involved.
Educational Status ; Suicide, Attempted ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVETo measure, evaluate health literacy and discover its relative factors among residents of three cities in China.

METHODSMultiple cluster sampling was employed and 3300 respondents were surveyed by self-designed questionnaires in Beijing, Datong and Shenzhen city during May to September in 2011. Information on demographic characteristics, health knowledge and health literacy was collected. Respondents' health literacy scores were statistically reported and evaluated referring to education level. To explore relative factors of health literacy, multiple linear regression model with score of health literacy as dependent variable, respondents' demographic characteristics and health knowledge as independent variables was built by multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTSQuestionnaires were conducted among 3300 residents and resulted in 90.9% (3000/3300) qualified sample return. Respondents were (31.6 ± 12.0) (15 - 65) years old, who got (19.92 ± 5.17) (2 - 28) scores in the health literacy test with an average correct rate of 71.1%. The proportion of subjects with low (< 20.5 grades), medium (20.5 - 24.5 grades), and high (> 24.5 grades) level of health literacy were 46.6% (1398/3000), 33.1% (993/3000) and 20.3% (609/3000) respectively. The multiple linear regression model showed that positive correlation factors of health literacy included health knowledge (β = 0.28), education level (β = 0.28), income (β = 0.14), gender (β = 0.05), nationality (β = 0.05), registered permanent residence (β = 0.05) (all P values < 0.05) and the negative correlated factors included age (β = -0.28), occupation (β = -0.05), respectively (all P values < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONOver 50% residents in the three studied cities had medium and above health literacy. The positive correlated factors of health literacy included health knowledge, education level, income, gender, nationality, registered permanent residence and the negative correlated factors included age and occupation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; Educational Status ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Literacy ; Humans ; Income ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population ; Young Adult

Though there is a long-standing debate on the faculty 'inbreeding' of Korean medical schools, one knows little about what and how is the status. Based on [Current Educational Status of Medical Schools] by the Korean Council of Deans of Medical College, the basic data on the medical professors are presented. By May 2000, the total of 7,511 professors were in 41 medical schools. Among them, 6,963 (92.7%) were M.D. More than 90% of M.D. professors of 9 medical schools(19.5%) were their own graduates, while those of 15 medical schools(36.6%) do not have the majority of graduates and they are relatively new ones. Many medical professors(3,114, 44.7%) works at the medical schools that they graduated. However, eight schools established before 1955 have their own graduates 40.8% of M.D. professors, and 14 schools established from 1965 to 1982 have 57.7%. Korean medical schools have trend that they have chosen their own graduates as medical professors. And the relatively new schools follows the trend.
Educational Status ; Humans ; Inbreeding* ; Schools, Medical*

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of children below 24 months in the district of Pekan, Pahang, and identify the contributing factors. Methods: Using a cross-sectional methodology, a total of 910 children was selected by random sampling from four public health clinics. Anthropometric measurements were taken and weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-forheight were calculated in Z scores. Immediate caregivers of children were interviewed by using a pretested validated questionnaire to assess their socioeconomic, demographic, educational and occupational status. Results: Of the 910 children who participated in the study, the majority were Malay (70.1%), while the remaining comprised indigenous or Orang-Asli (OA) children. Prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight were 28.7 %, 15.6 % and 19.0% respectively. There were more underweight males than females. Wasting was most common among children aged below 6 months. Stunting was more prevalent in children between 12 to 24 months. Obesity was seen in 7.3% of the sample. Maternal education, employment and socio-economic status had a significant influence on wasting and underweight. Children were vulnerable to stunting as age advanced, whereas prevalence of wasting tended to decrease. Conclusion: Malnutrition exists in significant proportions among children below 24 months in the Pekan district. This study identified low birth weight along with age, race, gender, large family size and socio-economic status as important risk factors of malnutrition.
Nutritional Status ; Child Nutrition Disorders ; Educational Status ; Social Conditions ; Pahang

PURPOSE: We performed a two-and-a-half year follow-up study of strategy factors in successful learning to predict academic achievements in medical education. METHODS: Strategy factors in successful learning were identified using a content analysis of open-ended responses from 30 medical students who were ranked in the top 10 of their class. Core words were selected among their responses in each category and the frequency of the words were counted. Then, a factors survey was conducted among year 2 students, before the second semester. Finally, we performed an analysis to assess the association between the factors score and academic achievement for the same students 2.5 years later. RESULTS: The core words were "planning and execution," "daily reviews" in the study schedule category; "focusing in class" and "taking notes" among class-related category; and "lecture notes," "previous exams or papers," and "textbooks" in the primary self-learning resources category. There were associations between the factors scores for study planning and execution, focusing in class, and taking notes and academic achievement, representing the second year second semester credit score, third year written exam scores and fourth year written and skill exam scores. Study planning was only one independent variable to predict fourth year summative written exam scores. CONCLUSION: In a two-and-a-half year follow-up study, associations were founded between academic achievement and the factors scores for study planning and execution, focusing in class, and taking notes. Study planning as only one independent variable is useful for predicting fourth year summative written exam score.
*Achievement ; *Education, Medical ; Educational Measurement ; Educational Status ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; *Learning ; *Students, Medical

INTRODUCTIONMany different strategies exist to try and encourage students to increase their knowledge and understanding of a subject. This study was undertaken to measure the effect of student-based construction of multiple choice questions (MCQs) as a stimulus for the learning and understanding of topics in clinical surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThe study was carried out at the University of Adelaide, Australia and had 2 components. Fourth-year students were required to provide a case study during a surgical attachment and half of the group was asked to supplement this with MCQs. These students were pre- and post-tested and the effect of the additional intervention (MCQ-construction) measured. Fifth-year students were polled on their preferred methods of learning before and after a learning exercise in which they were asked to undertake a case presentation and create some MCQs.

RESULTSThe MCQ questions designed by the students were of a high standard and clearly displayed an understanding of the topic concerned. The 4th-year students in the MCQ construction group showed equivalent outcomes as the case study control group. Students initially ranked MCQ-construction amongst the least stimulating methods of learning, but after the exercise their opinion was significantly more favourable, although still much less than traditional learning methodologies (tutorials, books).

CONCLUSIONSConstruction of MCQs as a learning tool is an unfamiliar exercise to most students and is an unpopular learning strategy. However, students are capable of producing high quality questions, and the challenge for medical faculties is how best to use this initiative to the students' advantage.

Australia ; Educational Measurement ; methods ; Educational Status ; Humans ; Learning ; Students, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; standards

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between decision-making factors(theoretical knowledge, expertise, empowerment, intuition) and participation in proportion to nurses's clinical experience. METHOD: Data was collected by quota sampling from July 10, 2001 to August 22, 2001 from 132 clinical nurses who work for 3 General hospitals. Data was analyzed using SPSSWIN 10.0 with crosstab, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULT: Expertise(F=34.347, p=.000), empowerment(F=29.316, p=.000), and participation(F=3.276, p=.041) were significantly different among 3 clinical experience groups. Clinical experience correlated with expertise(r=.551, p=.000) and empowerment(r=.492, p=.000), and Decision-making participation also correlated with expertise(r=.351, p=.000) and empowerment(r=.265, p=.002). Decision-making participation is effected by theoretical knowledge(under 3.00yr clinical experience), expertise(3.01-5.00yr), and empowerment(above 5.01yr). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that factors(theoretical knowledge, expertise, or empowerment) on decision-making participation varies as nurses's clinical experience differs. Therefore, decision-making needs bilateral agreement between staff nurses and nurse managers rather than the responsibility of one.
Adult ; *Decision Making ; Educational Status ; Female ; Humans ; Nurses/*psychology