PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data to develop safety education programs in elementary school. METHOD: Analysis is made based on textbooks for 1st-6th-grade elementary school students published by Korea Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development. RESULTS: 1) Among the textbooks. only , , , and courses dealt with safety education. 2) The contents of safety education included traffic safety, water safety, indoor and outdoor safety, fire, emergency measures, misuse and abuse of drug, smoking, toy safety, sports safety, leasure safety and disasters. However, the contents were theoretical, fragmentary, local and limited. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the consents of safety education must be strengthened, and more practical and more behavior-oriented in consideration of activities.
Disasters ; Education* ; Emergencies ; Fires ; Humans ; Korea ; Play and Playthings ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sports ; Staff Development

OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenia patients have deficits of prediction and learning related to dopaminergic dysfunction. It is hypothesized that there would be different characteristics in associative learning of reward approach and loss aversion between controls and patients. METHODS: Participants were 23 healthy participants and 20 out-patients fulfilling criteria for schizophrenia according DSM-IV-TR. Using a monetary incentive contingency reversal task, successful learning rates, numbers of trials and errors till learning, numbers of trials of maintaining learning, response times were measured. Characteristics of learning were compared between controls and patients. RESULTS: Physical anhedonia and PANSS negative symptom scores correlated with the number of trials while loss aversion was maintained. Overall correct response rates were decreased in patient group, particularly during reward approach learning. Patients required more trials and errors to learn reward approach than controls. There were no significant differences in learning performance and reaction times between groups during loss avoidance learning. CONCLUSION: These results support previous reports of deficits in reward-driven learning in schizophrenia. However, anhedonia and negative symptoms were associated with the preserved function of loss avoidance learning.
Anhedonia ; Avoidance Learning ; Humans ; Learning ; Motivation ; Outpatients ; Reaction Time ; Reinforcement (Psychology) ; Reward ; Schizophrenia

Early detection and intervention is critical in improving prognosis of developmental disorders. Developmental delay can have many different causes and the clinical features of developmental delay are diverse according to its etiologic causes and severity. The vast and rapid growth of the child's neurobehavioral repertoire from birth through adolescence requires the physician's abundant experience, knowledge, and understanding of development. Here, we summarize instruments for use in neurodevelopmental assessment of infants and toddlers, focusing on motor development, which is the most frequent complaint listed in the developmental clinic.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Infant ; Parturition ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the influence of area-level factors on adolescent suicide and to determine which variables differ according to age and sex.METHODS: We selected variables that were available for collection through an online database from 2005 to 2015 in the Korean Statistical Information Service and the Korea Labor Institute. We used administrative districts of Korea in 2017 for geographical classification. We examined the relationships between regional suicide rates and area-level variables in male and female subjects aged 10–14 years and 15–19 years. In addition, we analyzed area-level variables in adolescents aged 15–19 years according to sex.RESULTS: Our findings indicated that several area-level variables affected adolescent suicide rates, varying according to age and sex. Economic problems were shown to be more associated with suicide in male adolescents than in female adolescents. On the other hand, social fragmentation and health services were shown to be more associated with suicide in females.CONCLUSION: Suicide in adolescents was attributable to area-level factors such as economic status, social fragmentation, and community health services. By identifying area-level variables affecting adolescent suicide rates, we will be able to contribute to implement mental health policies related to adolescent suicide.
Adolescent ; Classification ; Community Health Services ; Female ; Hand ; Health Services ; Humans ; Information Services ; Korea ; Male ; Mental Health ; Suicide

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate gender differences with respect to the internalization or externalization of symptoms according to the amount of time spent engaged in extracurricular education. METHODS: The study included a community sample of 755 boys and girls (mean age, 6.6 years), collected from five elementary schools in Gunpo, South Korea. Primary caregivers completed a questionnaire which included information on demographics, the amounts of time children spent in extracurricular education and with other activities, and an adapted form of the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2). Gender differences regarding externalizing and internalizing behavior problems were examined according to extracurricular education. RESULTS: With respect to the boys, there was a difference in the frequency of those who had externalizing behavior problems according to their time spent in extracurricular education. In contrast, the girls exhibited no difference. With respect to those children who spent a lot of time engaged in extracurricular education, there was a gender-specific difference only with respect to externalizing behavior problems. CONCLUSION: A gender-specific difference exists only in terms of externalizing behavior problems according to time spent engaged in extracurricular education.
Caregivers ; Child ; Demography ; Humans ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the association between norepinephrine transporter gene (SLC6A2) polymorphisms and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to examine the relationship between the genotypes and allele variants of SLC6A2 and results of the Korean version of the parent ADHD rating scale (K-ARS). METHODS: We examined the association between ADHD and norepinephrine transporter gene polymorphism using DNA from 137 Korean children with ADHD and 120 normal controls. We compared the genotype distributions and allele frequencies of SLC6A2 polymorphism between the control group and the ADHD group. Then, we correlated the children's K-ARS mean totals, inattention scores, and hyperactivity/impulsivity scores with the genotypes and alleles for each SLC6A2 polymorphism. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in genotype and allele distribution for each SLC6A2 polymorphism, as shown by the Chi-square test (p>.01). There was a trend toward a difference in allele frequency in rs 5568, but it was not statistically significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons (p=.048). Also, there were no significant differences in K-ARS scores according to the genotypes and alleles for the SLC6A2 polymorphisms. CONCLUSION: Our study found no significant evidence of an association between SLC6A2 polymorphisms and ADHD.
Alleles ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; DNA ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Norepinephrine ; Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; Parents

BACKGROUND: Early identification and appropriate management of mild chronic renal failure has been increasingly recognized as an important opportunity to delay the progression of renal disease. Many physicians rely on serum creatinine (Scr) as a screening test for renal impairment; however, Scr levels can remain within the normal range even when renal function is significantly impaired in certain group of patients. METHODS: The subjects were 20, 245 persons who were enrolled a regular health check up program, Jan. 1997 to Jun. 2001, at Ajou University Hospital, Korea. We identified GFR below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 as abnormal and found the percentage of patients with Scr value from 1.1 mg/dL to 1.4 mg/dL and their sex and age distribution, using GFRs calculated by Cockroft-Gault Equation, MDRD Equation, and Kang's Equation. RESULTS: Average Scr was 1.07+-0.13 mg/dL in male and 0.82+-0.11 mg/dL in female. Among 34 University hospital in metro Seoul area, 11 hospital used 1.4 mg/dL as normal upper limit of Scr and 7 hospital used 1.3 mg/dL. Taking normal Scr upper limit as 1.3 or 1.4 mg/dL, the frequency of GFR below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 3.9-50% in males and 75-100% in females, although some differences existed according to the equation used. CONCLUSION: Currently used normal Scr upper limit 1.3, 1.4 mL/dL was found to be much too high and we concluded a downward adjustment is needed and one-time test is not adequate to conclude renal impairment but several regular tests are required.
Age Distribution ; Creatinine* ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Reference Values* ; Seoul

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to investigate association of norepinephrine transporter gene (SLC6A2) polymorphism and side effects of osmotic-release oral system methylphenidate (OROS MPH) in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: We recruited drug naive children with ADHD (N=97). We administered OROS MPH by tolerable dosage. At week 8 of treatment, parents completed the Barkley's side effect rating scale. We analyzed two SLC6A2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs192303 and rs3785143, with blood of subjects. We compared the frequency and severity of each side effect among SLC6A2 genotypes of 2 SNPs. RESULTS: In the analysis of frequency of each side effect, irritability differed according to rs192303 and rs3785143 genotype. In comparisons of severity, talking less and disinterest differed according to rs192303 genotype. In the case of rs3785143, severities of disinterest and irritability were involved with genotype. CONCLUSION: Side effects of OROS MPH showed an association with SLC6A2 genotype.
Child ; Genotype ; Humans ; Methylphenidate* ; Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Parents ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing, and obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation are the known risk factors. However, results of previous studies regarding the relationship between MetS and inflammation have not been consistent. This study aimed to identify the associations between C-reactive protein (CRP) and MetS and its components in obese and non-obese men and women. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015), and a nationally representative sample of 3,013 Korean adults aged 40–78 years were included. Those with cardiovascular disease, cancer, CRP level >10 mg/L, white blood cell count >10,000/mm3, chronic kidney disease, and lung/liver disease were excluded. RESULTS: Approximately 11.0%, 50.0%, 8.4%, and 48.8% of non-obese men, obese men, non-obese women, and obese women presented with MetS (P<0.001), respectively. In all four groups, those who presented with MetS or its components showed a higher high-sensitivity (hs-CRP) average than those without. Multivariate regression analysis showed the increased risk of developing MetS with higher quartiles of hs-CRP level in obese (3rd and 4th quartiles: odds ratios [ORs], 3.87 and 2.57, respectively) and non-obese women (4th quartile: OR, 2.63). The different components also showed increased ORs in the four groups. However, no statistically significant trend in the relationship was found in men. CONCLUSION: Low-grade inflammation may increase the risk of MetS in Korean women independent of adiposity. However, due to the cross-sectional design of the present study, further studies must be conducted to identify the causal relationship between inflammation and metabolic disorders.
Adiposity ; Adult ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Insulin Resistance ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors

Background: Depression is a global mental health concern that negatively affects individuals’ health and increases medical costs. This study aimed to assess whether early depression management is cost-beneficial and effective from the perspective of quality indicators. Methods: Data of patients newly diagnosed with depressive disorder between 2012 and 2014 as well as follow-up data until 2020 were extracted from the National Health Insurance Service database. Hospitalization, emergency room visits, and annual medical expenses were set as dependent variables to estimate the effect of depression and information on medical expenditures. Six quality indicators developed by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service comprised independent variables. Results: In total, 465,766 patients were included in this study. Patients who met the quality indicators were more likely to be hospitalized with a psychiatric diagnosis. Furthermore, patients who met the quality indicator of revisiting within 3 weeks of their first visit had greater psychiatric and overall expenses during the early treatment phase; however, the overall expenses gradually decreased over time. Conclusion High-quality initial treatment for depression can be cost-effective in the long term; however, further studies are needed to discern its immediate clinical effects.