BACKGROUND: Adolescence is the starting period for health behaviors that will affect their lives throughout adulthood. Unhealthy behaviors in Korean adolescents have increased compared to previous generations. To promote health behaviors in this group, a comprehensive measurement of Korean adolescents' health behaviors is necessary. Most previous studies have used revised instruments, which were developed in other cultures, but not tools developed to measure health behaviors based on the perspectives of Korean adolescents. Identifying the perception of health behavior among Korean adolescents is important for the future of health promotion. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate Korean adolescents' perceptions of their health behaviors. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted to attain a condensed and broad description of the health behaviors that adolescents perceived as health-promoting behaviors or risk behaviors. From October to December 2008, 61 Korean middle and high school students were interviewed on their perceptions of health behaviors. Data were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Korean adolescents reported health behaviors related to stress, mental health, sleep habits, dietary habits, weight control, physical activity, hygiene habits, safety, computer use, substance use, health screening and others. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide socio-cultural characteristics about the perception of health behaviors among Korean adolescents and should contribute to guiding assessment of health behaviors in Korean adolescents and provide a reference for developing valuable health-promoting interventions based on these characteristics.
Adolescent* ; Family Characteristics ; Food Habits ; Health Behavior* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Mass Screening ; Mental Health ; Motor Activity ; Qualitative Research ; Risk-Taking

The purpose of the study was to test the reliability and validity of the Korean version of Children's Health Locus of Control Scale(CHLC), an instrument designed to measure health locus of control in children aged 7 to 12. The scale was administered to 467 children in grades 4 to 6, enrolled in 2 elementary schools located in city. The mean age of the subject was 10.03(SD=1.33). The findings were as follows: 1. Cronbach alpha coefficient for internal consistency was .69 for the total, and .67, .65, and .56 on the respective subscales. 2. Construct validity was supported through factorial isolation of three theory consistent subscales: internal, chance, and powerful others. Two items did not fit well with the originally developed subscale. The total percent of variance explained by 3 factors was 34.5%. The result of the factor analysis according to Kaiser's criterion revealed that the scale was consisted of 5 factors. But, The items of the subscales were rather inconsistent with the dimensions of the locus of control concept. 3. There were significant differences according to parent's educational level and occupation, and birth order on the scores of the CHLC. There were no significant differences according to grade level and sex. 4. The score of the CHLC was significantly correlated with the self concept of the children(r=.14, p<.001). The result indicated that the Korean version of Children's Health Locus of Control Scale was valid and reliable in measuring health locus of control concept in children, even though further research is required to reconfirm and increase the reliability of the instrument. CHLC could be used for study explaining the health related behavior of the children and research project to health education program.
Birth Order ; Child* ; Health Education ; Humans ; Internal-External Control* ; Occupations ; Psychometrics* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self Concept ; Child Health

No abstract available.
Rectal Prolapse*

No abstract available.
Health Occupations*

No abstract available.
Animals ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Mice*

The measurement of systolic time intervals has become one of the established quantitative noninvasive tests of cardiac function, especially of left ventricular performance, and remain one of the simplest and most reliable to perform. In an attempt to obtain the normal data of the systolic time intervals, we conducted a study in 89 normal Koreans of 43 males and 46 females. The measurements are obtained from the simultaneous high speed recordings (100mm/sec) of electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, and indirect carotid arterial pulse. The results were as follows. 1. The QS2I, LVETI, and PEPI was 521+/-18 msec, 409+/-13msec, and 112+/-12 msec in males and 529+/-14 msec, 408+/-15 msec, and 121+/-11 msec in females, respectively. 2. The PEP/LVET ratio was 0.29+/-0.04 in males and 0.31+/-0.05 in females. 3. The QS2I and PEPI were significantly more lengthened in femals than in males, but other systolic time interval indices did not significantly relate to the sex. 4. The A2D was significantly shortened with age, but other systolic time intervals did not change with age. 5. According to the regression equations of QS2, LVET, and PEP to the heart rate, QS2 and LVET related more inversely to the heart rate than PEP.
Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Systole*

No abstract available.
Autopsy* ; Diagnostic Errors*

No abstract available.
Bronchiectasis*

A case of Dariers disease was presented and the literatures were reviewed. The patient was 20 year old male whose skin lesions revealed normal skin colored, dirty, scaly, keratotic papules with mild itching on face, anterior chest, back, abdomen, axillae, groins and flexural surfaces of extremities. They had a tendency to aggrevate in summer and improve in winter. Histopathologically, suprabasal lacunae, hyperkeratosis, papiIIomatosis, moderate degree of acanthosis and corps ronds in Iacuna were demonstrated in the epidermis. Dermal papillae surrounded with single layer of basal cells proliferated inta the lacunae. Upper dermis revealed mild nonspecific inflammatory cell infiltrates.
Abdomen ; Axilla ; Darier Disease* ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Extremities ; Groin ; Humans ; Male ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Thorax ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Chondrosarcoma*