PURPOSE: For 3 consecutive years from 2012–2014, we analyzed the causative factors for why the Jeju Island had the highest obesity prevalences of school children among the 15 provinces in Korea. METHODS: From our analysis of 28,026 elementary school children with obesity or normal weight in the 15 provinces, we analyzed 12 factors related to eating habits, exercise habits, lifestyle, and mental health. The differences between the obese and normal weight children were researched. Finally, Jeju was compared with Seoul, which has the lowest obesity prevalence in school age children. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi square test of PASW Statistics ver. 18.0. RESULTS: Compared to the normal weight group, the obese group had significantly higher rates of consuming soft drinks (p<0.001), fast food intake (p=0.019), skipping breakfast (p<0.001), insufficient sleep (p<0.001), bullying experiences (p=0.001) and runaway impulses (p=0.012). Compared to Seoul, Jeju Island had significantly higher rates of Ramen intake (3.4% vs. 5.4%, p=0.021) and meat intake (46.0% vs. 52.9%, p=0.003). On the other hand, Jeju Island was significantly lower than was Seoul in their fruit intake (83.4% vs. 67.1%, p<0.001), vegetable intake (71.4% vs. 64.2%, p=0.001), and intense physical activity (63.4% vs. 47.7%, p<0.001). Meanwhile, insufficient sleep (15.4% vs. 9.6%, p<0.001) and runaway impulses (5.6% vs. 3.3%, p=0.027) in children were significantly lower in Jeju Island than in Seoul. CONCLUSION: The results of the obesity factor analysis of elementary school students in Jeju Island can be used as useful educational material for lowering the obesity prevalence in Jeju community.
Breakfast ; Bullying ; Carbonated Beverages ; Child* ; Eating ; Fast Foods ; Fruit ; Hand ; Homeless Youth ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Meat ; Mental Health ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Pediatric Obesity* ; Prevalence* ; Seoul ; Vegetables

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relationship between depression, attachment and addiction problems in runaway youths. METHODS: We sent a questionnaire package to 187 runaway youths in 18 adolescent shelters. The questionnaire package collected their sociodemographic data and included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Inventory of Parent Attachment (IPA), Korean Internet Addiction Self-Scale (K-Scale), Korean version of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and Korean version of the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. RESULTS: The percentage of youth with depression was 28.8% (N=54). In the depression group, there were significantly more problematic alcohol users (53.06%, p=.0199) and significantly lower IPA scores (p=.0064). There was a significant negative correlation between depression and a IPA, and significant positive correlation between depression and the K-Scale. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that runaway youths with depression have more problematic alcohol drinking and attachment problems.
Adolescent* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Child ; Depression* ; Homeless Youth* ; Humans ; Internet ; Parents ; Tobacco Use Disorder

PURPOSE: This study carried out a preliminary analysis of available literature and used the ecological approach to define a research hypothesis with focus on individual, family, and school variables related to early adolescents' urge to run away. This study also aimed to examine the influence of each of these variables in order to build a forecast model showing which variables have more influential on early adolescents' urge to run away. METHODS: Materials were collected from 433 male and female fifth- and sixth-grade students at two schools in Gyeonggi Province. Analysis was carried out using SPSS/WIN 18.0. Frequency analysis, chi2-test, t-test, correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis were conducted. RESULTS: The results indicate that personal factors related to runaway impulse are gender and previous runaway attempts, family-related factor family functionality, and school-related factor the area of stress from study. CONCLUSION: Based on the study results as above, individual, family, and school interventions need to be developed.
Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Homeless Youth ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a risk behavior scale for Korean middle school adolescents. METHODS: The process included construction of a conceptual framework, initial items, verification of content validity, selection of secondary items, and extraction of final items. The participants were 717 adolescents from six middle schools in three cities. Item analysis, factor analysis, criterion validity, and internal consistency were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Fifty seven items were selected for the final scale, and categorized into 4 factors explaining 48.11% of total variance. The factors were labeled as latent problem behavior (38 items), suicidal behavior (7 items), runaways (3 items), and internet negative use (9 items). The scores for the scale were significantly correlated with crisis. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 57 items was .92. CONCLUSION: The above findings indicate that the risk behavior scale has good validity and reliability when used with Korean middle school adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Child ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Homeless Youth ; Humans ; Internet ; Reproducibility of Results ; Risk-Taking*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore gender-role identity and cyber delinquency in high school students. METHODS: Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA. The data survey was conducted with 1,208 conveniently selected high school students in Seoul, Gyung-gi and Chung-chung province. RESULTS: The cyber delinquency score was 38.94 and androgyny gender role identity was most common (34.0%). There were significant differences in cyber delinquency by academic year, gender, school record, economic status, educational background of parents, experiences of smoking, drinking, runaway, and gender-role identity. According to gender-role identity, the masculinity group showed highest cyber delinquency and the undifferentiated, androgyny, and femininity groups followed respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings are expected to make a contribution to creation of ideal interventions and to help discover early stage cyber delinquency in high school students as approached by gender role identity.
Adolescent ; Child ; Drinking ; Educational Status ; Femininity ; Gender Identity ; Homeless Youth ; Humans ; Juvenile Delinquency ; Masculinity ; Parents ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore gender-role identity and cyber delinquency in high school students. METHODS: Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA. The data survey was conducted with 1,208 conveniently selected high school students in Seoul, Gyung-gi and Chung-chung province. RESULTS: The cyber delinquency score was 38.94 and androgyny gender role identity was most common (34.0%). There were significant differences in cyber delinquency by academic year, gender, school record, economic status, educational background of parents, experiences of smoking, drinking, runaway, and gender-role identity. According to gender-role identity, the masculinity group showed highest cyber delinquency and the undifferentiated, androgyny, and femininity groups followed respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings are expected to make a contribution to creation of ideal interventions and to help discover early stage cyber delinquency in high school students as approached by gender role identity.
Adolescent ; Child ; Drinking ; Educational Status ; Femininity ; Gender Identity ; Homeless Youth ; Humans ; Juvenile Delinquency ; Masculinity ; Parents ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: In recent years, the problem of runaway youths, which is rapidly increasing and worsening in nature, has emerged as a serious problem to individuals, home and the society as a whole. Against this back drop, this study was designed to illuminate the danger signals through extensive analysis of factors influencing the running away of middle-school students and, on this basis, build a forecast model on runaway middle-school students. METHOD: The subjects of this descriptive survey on the causal relation were 592 subjects enrolled in middle schools selected through convenience sampling. The data collected from June 19 to July 19, 2003 were analysed through the SPSS 10.0 program. The differences between the runaway group and the non-runaway group were determined through chi-square and t-test. Also logistic regression analysis was conducted on the basis of the purposeful selection method for constructing the forecast model. RESULT: The findings are as follows: Individual-related factors predicting runaway middle-school students were smoking experience, delinquent experience, psychosomatic symptoms and stress. A home-related factor was attachment to family. A society-related factor was the number of delinquency friends. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that a broad intervention program should be provided to middle-school students' culture related to runaway group. It is also recommended that a variety of individual, home and society-related programs should be developed for the runaway group.
Adolescent ; Child ; Friends ; Homeless Youth* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Running ; Smoke ; Smoking

OBJECTIVES: There were two objectives in this study 1) to investigate the psychosocial characteristics and mental health status of runaway adolescents, 2) to compare mental health status, family environments (family violence, parental conflict, parental alcohol drinking) by gender. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study done on 151 residents of a runaway adolescent shelter. This study was conducted from 12th May to 24th May 2003. Self-rating questionnaire used include demographic data, SCL-90-R, family adaptability cohesion evaluation scale III, conflict tactics scales 2 and children of alcoholics screening test. RESULTS: Most participants were single parent, with low education level. Adolescents in shelters scored significantly high on the somatization, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation, psychoticism scales on the SCL-90-R. Female adolescent scored significantly higher on the obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility scales on the SCL-90-R. Male adolescents scored significantly higher statistically on the CAST. These results suggest that more systematized and individualized psychiatric intervention is necessary to help them during sheltered living. CONCLUSION: Runaway adolescent report significant level of psychopathology, family conflict, parental alcohol problem. These results suggest that more systematized, individualized psychiatric approach is necessary to help runaway adolescent in shelter.
Adolescent* ; Alcoholics ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Family Conflict ; Homeless Youth* ; Hostility ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mental Health* ; Parents ; Psychopathology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Single Parent ; Violence ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: There were two objectives in this study 1) to investigate the psychosocial characteristics and mental health status of runaway adolescents, 2) to compare mental health status, family environments (family violence, parental conflict, parental alcohol drinking) by gender. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study done on 151 residents of a runaway adolescent shelter. This study was conducted from 12th May to 24th May 2003. Self-rating questionnaire used include demographic data, SCL-90-R, family adaptability cohesion evaluation scale III, conflict tactics scales 2 and children of alcoholics screening test. RESULTS: Most participants were single parent, with low education level. Adolescents in shelters scored significantly high on the somatization, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation, psychoticism scales on the SCL-90-R. Female adolescent scored significantly higher on the obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility scales on the SCL-90-R. Male adolescents scored significantly higher statistically on the CAST. These results suggest that more systematized and individualized psychiatric intervention is necessary to help them during sheltered living. CONCLUSION: Runaway adolescent report significant level of psychopathology, family conflict, parental alcohol problem. These results suggest that more systematized, individualized psychiatric approach is necessary to help runaway adolescent in shelter.
Adolescent* ; Alcoholics ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Family Conflict ; Homeless Youth* ; Hostility ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mental Health* ; Parents ; Psychopathology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Single Parent ; Violence ; Weights and Measures

We conducted the screening of sexually transmitted infections to define the prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections and status of sexual risk behavior among homeless adolescents (10-19 yr old) in Korea. Adolescents who ran away from home and are under the care of youth shelters in ten cities in Korea served as the study population. Participants filled out a self-administered questionnaire related to sexuality. First-void urine was analyzed for chlamydial and gonococcal infection by strand displacement amplification (BDProbTec(TM)ET, BD Diagnostic Systems, MD, U.S.A.). A total of 175 adolescents from 15 youth shelters took part in the study. Their median age was 16 yr, and 54.9% of them reported having sexual intercourse at least once. The prevalence of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae among homeless adolescents was 12.6% and 15.4%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with the infections were number of sexual partners during the past year and lifetime. This is the first community-based sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening among adolescent in Korea. Screening programs targeting sexually active adolescents are important for detection of STIs. They should be considered an alternative population-based surveillance system in order to control STIs nationally.
Adolescent ; Adolescent Behavior ; Adult ; Child ; Chlamydia Infections/diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Chlamydia trachomatis/*genetics ; Female ; Gonorrhea/diagnosis/*epidemiology ; *Homeless Youth ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Mass Screening/*methods ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae/*genetics ; Population Surveillance/methods ; Questionnaires ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior