BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity and overweight in childhood has increased dramatically over the past decades globally. Thus, the risk factors of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents must be studied. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to reveal the prevalence of childhood obesity and examine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and z-body mass index (z-BMI) via parental obesity and dietary intake using path analysis. METHODS: Stratified cluster sampling was used to select 17,007 participants aged 6-12 years on two avenues per region in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Path analysis was conducted to examine the mediators between SES and z-BMI. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 13.36% and 8.60%, respectively, and were positively correlated with the father's education level, family income, a birth weight > 3000g, a parental obesity history, vegetable intake and red meat intake (all P < 0.05). Four mediators (paternal obesity history, red meat intake, vegetable intake, and nutritional supplements) were observed, and the four path analyses were significant (all P < 0.05). The adjusted total effects on z-BMI were significant for income (β CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of overweight/obesity in children was notable, and the relationship between SES and z-BMI was mediated by paternal obesity history and dietary intake.
Child ; China/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Eating/psychology* ; Fathers/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity/psychology* ; Pediatric Obesity/etiology* ; Social Class

OBJECTIVES: The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought psychological stress to the public, especially to patients. This study aims to investigate the mental health of patients with COVID-19 in Changsha. METHODS: We took cross-section investigation for the mental health of 112 patients with COVID-19 via questionnaires. Mann-Whitney test, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were performed to compare general and clinical data between the slight-ordinary patients and severe patients. Single sample -tests were used to compare the difference between the factor scores of the Symptom Check-List 90 (SCL-90) in COVID-19 patients with the norm of 2015 and factor scores of SCL-90 in patients with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). RESULTS: The obsessive-compulsive, depression, sleep and eating disorders had the highest frequency among the positive symptoms of SCL-90 in patients with COVID-19 in Changsha. The factor scores of somatization, depression, anxiety, phobia anxiety, sleep and eating disorders in patients with COVID-19 were higher than those of the norm (≤0.001 or <0.05). Slight-ordinary patients with COVID-19 in Changsha showed lower factor scores of somatization, depression, anxiety, and hostility compared with the patients with SARS (<0.001 or <0.05). There was no difference in factor scores of SCL-90 between the patients with severe COVID-19 and those with SARS(>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The levels of somatization, depression, anxiety, phobia anxiety, sleep and eating disorders in patients with COVID-19 in Changsha are higher than those of the norm. However, the mental health of slight-ordinary patients with COVID-19 is better than that of patients with SARS. It needs to provide targeting psychological interventions depending on the severity of patients.
Anxiety ; Betacoronavirus ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; psychology ; Depression ; Feeding and Eating Disorders ; Health Status ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; psychology ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship among personality characteristics, eating habits and food neophobia of high school students. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was applied to 512 students who were in the first and second grade in four different high schools in Gyeong-gi-province. The questionnaire was designed to examine the personality characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. RESULTS: The personality characteristics of both boys and girls had intimacy, openness/intelligence, extroversion, sincerity, and emotional stability from highest to lowest. The girls (2.00) had better eating habits than the boys (1.90)(p < 0.05). To examine the level of food neophobia using the FNS (Food Neophobia Scale), girls tended to score higher in the FNS than boys (36.36 vs. 34.06). The relationship between the personal characteristics and eating habits showed a positive correlation (p < 0.01). The relationship between the personal characteristics and food neophoia revealed a negative correlation with all personal characteristics (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study confirmed the relationship among personal characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. This study is expected to provide ways to teach teenagers how to support their proper eating habits and personality characteristics.
Adolescent ; Eating ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship among personality characteristics, eating habits and food neophobia of high school students. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was applied to 512 students who were in the first and second grade in four different high schools in Gyeong-gi-province. The questionnaire was designed to examine the personality characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. RESULTS: The personality characteristics of both boys and girls had intimacy, openness/intelligence, extroversion, sincerity, and emotional stability from highest to lowest. The girls (2.00) had better eating habits than the boys (1.90)(p < 0.05). To examine the level of food neophobia using the FNS (Food Neophobia Scale), girls tended to score higher in the FNS than boys (36.36 vs. 34.06). The relationship between the personal characteristics and eating habits showed a positive correlation (p < 0.01). The relationship between the personal characteristics and food neophoia revealed a negative correlation with all personal characteristics (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study confirmed the relationship among personal characteristics, eating habits, and food neophobia. This study is expected to provide ways to teach teenagers how to support their proper eating habits and personality characteristics.
Adolescent ; Eating ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans

The purpose of this research is to describe how Hansen's disease patients experienced the modern system of control of Hansen's disease introduced by Japan, and the inimical attitude of society against them in colonial Korea. The study also seeks to reveal the development of the system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients from their home and community to larger society and leprosarium in this era. Sorokdo Charity hospital (SCH), a hospital for Hansen's disease patients, was built in 1916, and vagrant Hansen's disease patients began to be isolated in this hospital beginning in 1917 by the Japanese Government-General of Korea (JGGK). Once the police detained and sent vagrant Hansen's disease patients to SCH, stigma and discrimination against them strengthened in Korean society. Because of strong stigma and discrimination in Korean society, Hansen's disease patients suffered from daily threats of death. First, their family members were not only afraid of the contagiousness of Hansen's disease but also the stigma and discrimination against themselves by community members. If a family had a Hansen's disease patient, the rest of community members would discriminate against the entire family. Furthermore, because Hansen's disease patients were excluded from any economic livelihood such as getting a job, the existence of the patients was a big burden for their families. Therefore, many patients left their homes and began their vagrancy. The patients who could not leave their homes committed suicide or were killed by their family members. The victims of such deaths were usually women, who were at the lower position in the family hierarchy. In the strong Confucian society in Korea, more female patients were killed by themselves than male patients. Moreover, all of patients victims in the murder were women. This shows that the stigma and discrimination against Hansen's disease patients within their families were stronger against women than men. Strong stigma and discrimination made the patients rely on superstition such as cannibalism. Patients believed that there were not any effective medicine. There were a few reports of patients who were cured, and many were treated with chaulmoogra oil in the modern Hansen's disease hospitals. Eating human flesh was known as a folk remedy for Hansen's disease. As such, patients began to kill healthy people, usually children, to eat their flesh. Increased stigma led to increased victims. Hansen's disease patients who left their homes faced many threats during their vagrancy. For survival, they established their own organizations in the late 1920's. The patients who were rejected to be hospitalized in the Western Hansen's disease hospital at Busan, Daegu, and Yeosu organized self-help organizations. The purpose of these organizations was first to secure the medicine supply of chaulmoogra oil. However, as stigma and discrimination strengthened, these organizations formed by Hansen's disease patients demanded the Japanese Government-General of Korea to send and segregate them on Sorok island. They did not know the situation of the inside of this island because news media described it as a haven for patients, and very few patients were discharged from this island to tell the truth. On this island, several hundreds of patients were killed by compulsory heavy labor, starvation, and violence. They were not treated as patients, but as something to be eliminated. Under strong suppression on this island, the patients resisted first by escaping this island. However, in 1937, some patients tried to kill a Korean staff but failed. Attempted murderers were all put in the jail, also located on this island. In 1941, a patient murdered another patient who had harassed other patients, and in 1942, Chunsang Lee, a patient, killed the director of Sorok island. These instances show that there was a system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients in colonial Korea.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Busan ; Cannibalism ; Charities ; Child ; Daegu ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Eating ; Female ; Homicide ; Humans ; Japan ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Leprosy ; Male ; Medicine, Traditional ; Police ; Starvation ; Suicide ; Superstitions ; United Nations ; Violence

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing eating problems among young female adults. METHODS: Participants were 193 young female adults aged 19 ~ 29 years who were recruited in August 2017. Four variables related to eating problems in young female adults, including body image dissatisfaction, self-esteem, trait anger, and depression, were measured using reliable instruments. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program and Amos 24.0 for descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and path analysis. RESULTS: The mean for eating problems in young female adults was 8.99, and 9.8% of subjects were classified as high risk with eating problems. Modified model demonstrated good model fit (χ²/df 0.47, GFI 0.99, AGFI 0.99, NFI 0.99, SRMR 0.022, RMSEA 0.001). Path analysis showed that body image dissatisfaction had the greatest direct effect on eating problems. Depression did not have a direct effect on eating problems, whereas it had indirect effects on eating problems through body image dissatisfaction as the mediating factor. Self-esteem had direct effects on depression and indirect effects on eating problems through depression and body image dissatisfaction as mediating factors. Trait anger had direct effects on depression and body image dissatisfaction and indirect effects on eating problems through depression and body image dissatisfaction as mediating factors. These factors accounted for 46% of the total variance, and the fit indices of the model satisfied the criteria of fitness. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal the important role of body dissatisfaction and psychological factors such as self-esteem, trait anger, and depression on eating problems. These factors influencing eating problems should be considered when developing programs to improve eating problems in young female adults.
Adult* ; Anger ; Body Image ; Depression ; Eating* ; Female* ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Psychology

A menu labeling initiative is a lawful regulation with an aim to promote public health by providing customers the right to make informed menu choices. As college years are a critical period in which students form dietary habits, which are sustained throughout their lives, provision of nutritional information at the university dining services is important to students' health and life. Due to the lack of research on menu labeling at university dining services, the purpose of this study was to examine college students' attitudes and motivations toward menu labeling at university dining services, as well as their use intentions toward nutrition information at university dining services. Data were collected from a self-administered survey distributed to 484 college students who had experienced university dining services. Motivations of university students toward menu labeling were categorized into ‘knowledge pursuit’ and ‘health pursuit’. Students' attitudes toward menu labeling had a positive effect on their intention to use menu labeling at university dining services. The findings of the study indicated that female students, or those who frequently used nutrition information, tended to have higher attitudes, motivations, and use intentions toward nutrition information. The study results suggest that facilitation of healthy eating environments at university dining services by offering nutrition information, and nutrition and health education is necessary.
Critical Period (Psychology) ; Eating ; Female ; Food Habits ; Health Education ; Humans ; Intention* ; Jurisprudence ; Public Health

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop a Korean version of Night Eating Questionnaire (KNEQ) and test its psychometric properties and evaluate items according to item response theory. METHODS: The 14-item NEQ as a measure of severity of the night eating syndrome was translated into Korean, and then this KNEQ was evaluated. A total of 1171 participants aged 20 to 50 completed the KNEQ on the Internet. To test reliability and validity, Cronbach's alpha, correlation, simple regression, and factor analysis were used. Each item was analyzed according to Rasch-Andrich rating scale model and item difficulty, discrimination, infit/outfit, and point measure correlation were evaluated. RESULTS: Construct validity was evident. Cronbach's alpha was .78. The items of evening hyperphagia and nocturnal ingestion showed high ability in discriminating people with night eating syndrome, while items of morning anorexia and mood/sleep provided relatively little information. The results of item analysis showed that item2 and item7 needed to be revised to improve the reliability of KNEQ. CONCLUSION: KNEQ is an appropriate instrument to measure severity of night eating syndrome with good validity and reliability. However, further studies are needed to find cut-off scores to screen persons with night eating syndrome.
Adult ; Anorexia/etiology ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Feeding and Eating Disorders/*psychology ; Humans ; Internet ; Middle Aged ; *Program Evaluation ; *Psychometrics ; Republic of Korea ; Self Report ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Translating ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome is a major health problem in postmenopausal women, along with psychological issues. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and mental health properties targeting middle-aged menopausal women, and analyzed the psychological factors affecting the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. METHODS: The study subjects were 479 postmenopausal women aged 45-64 years, who had taken their routine health screenings from August to October in 2012. The presence of 3 or more of 5 risk factors constitutes diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. Depression, trait anxiety, and stress level were measured by Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Inventory, and Brief Encounter Psychological Instrument, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to confirm the relationship between the metabolic syndrome and psychological characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women was 16.5%. Metabolic syndrome was significantly related with trait anxiety (odds ratio [OR]=16.53, P=0.007) and depression (OR=0.16, P=0.012), after adjusting for age, marital status, educational level, monthly income, body mass index, eating habits and exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Trait anxiety and depression were found to be related with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.
Anxiety ; Body Mass Index ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Mass Screening ; Mental Health ; Metabolic Syndrome X ; Postmenopause ; Prevalence ; Psychology ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Upper gastrointestinal symptoms are more frequent and severe in female than in male outpatients in Japan. This study compared the upper gastrointestinal symptoms between healthy male and female young adult volunteers using a questionnaire. METHODS: In total, 581 third-grade medical students at Saga Medical School aged 22 to 30 years underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and completed a questionnaire (frequency scale for symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease) from 2007 to 2013. Of these 581 students, 298 who were negative for Helicobacter pylori infection and had no particular lesions on endoscopic examination were enrolled in the present evaluation. A symptom was defined as positive when the subject evaluated the frequency of the symptom as sometimes, often, or always. RESULTS: The subjects comprised of 163 males (average age, 23.7 years) and 135 females (average age, 23.1 years). Upper gastrointestinal symptoms were more frequent in the females (75 of 135, 55.6%) than males (69 of 163, 42.3%; P < 0.05), with a high score for 4 symptoms (bloated stomach, heavy feeling in the stomach after meals, subconscious rubbing of the chest with the hand, and feeling of fullness while eating meals). Of the 144 subjects (69 males and 75 females) who complained of these symptoms, the females complained of dysmotility symptoms more often than did the males, but this was not true for reflux symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that females develop upper gastrointestinal symptoms more frequently than do males among the young healthy Japanese population.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Dyspepsia ; Eating ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Esophagitis ; Female* ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Hand ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Japan ; Male* ; Meals ; Outpatients ; Schools, Medical ; Stomach ; Students, Medical ; Thorax ; Unconscious (Psychology) ; Volunteers* ; Young Adult