Earticle

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effects of health education on health knowledge and health promoting behaviors in elementary school students. Methods: 17 sessions of health education were provided to the fifth graders in two elementary schools in Gyunggi Province and data were collected from 268 students. The data of 250 students who had responded both pretest and posttest were analyzed using SPSS program. Results: The scores of health knowledge for mental health, social health, sex and health were lower than other domain. The scores of knowledge for drug abuse/smoking and disease prevention/management were higher than other domain. Overall health knowledge was improved significantly from 0.60 at pretest to 0.81 at posttest (t=15.98, p<.001). The score of health promoting behaviors at post test was higher than score at pre test but this change was not significant (t=-0.91, p<.365). Conclusion: Health education had significant effects on health knowledge and we need to maintain and activate health education in elementary schools. Health education did not have significant effects on health promoting behaviors,we need to do further research for understanding why and how we improve health promoting behaviors.

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the level of communication, problem-solving, and self- directed learning competencies, academic and English achievement of healthcare major students in university and to determine the effect of three main competencies on their academic and English achievement. Methods: The participants were college students studying in health care related major at a four-year university in D-city who agreed to participate in this study. Some of their data were intentionally excluded as their answers were incomplete or missing and finally 272 surveys were analyzed. Results: It was found that they have high level of general life competencies of which the subcategories are communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning competency. GPA and TOEIC score which are the indicators of academic and English achievement were found to be correlated with the level of three competencies. Self-directed learning competency is assumed to be main cause variable of these achievement. Conclusion: As those students who have higher academic and English achievement also show high level of communication, problem-solving and self-directed learning competency. It is argued that a new curriculum that can contribute to improve communication, problem-solving and self-directed learning competency should be developed and implemented.

Purpose: This study was done to construct and test a structural model to explain factors associated with middle school students’ suicidal ideation focusing on mediating effects of anger and depression Methods: Data was collected by questionnaires from 349 students selected randomly in 11 middle schools in D city. The data were analyzed using PASW 18.0(win) and AMOS 18.0(win) program. Results: Model fit indices for the hypothetical model were in good agreement with the recommended levels (CFI=.957, GFI=.945). Based on the constructed model, depression was significantly affected by anger directly, and suicidal ideation was directly influenced by depression, indirectly by anger. It was confirmed that depression turned out to be a important mediating variable on suicidal ideation and anger in middle school students. Conclusion: The results suggest that intervention strategies for dealing with anger or depression is important to reduce the suicidal ideation in middle school students. In addition, specific nursing intervention plans, including fostering of humanistic and achievement-focused educational environment, peer support programs, and individual counselling, need to be developed and implemented to control a feeling of anger and depression.

Purpose: This study aimed to understand freshman's experience during a mentoring program at a newly opened nursing college. Methods: The study was qualitative research using focus groups. Data were collected through in-depth interviews performed from May 2 to May 30, 2011. The focus group interviews were conducted with 15 freshmen on their experiences with their mentors. The data were analyzed by the Colaizzi's method, in which the meaningful statements were extracted. Results: We identified the six categories from sixteen theme-clusters and thirty five themes: 1) meaningful relationship, 2) unexpected help, 3) realization, 4) solidification of one's determination, 5) establishment of a mentor image, and 6) wistful sense. Conclusion: The mentoring program was effective for a nursing college freshman to develop their vision and identity as a professional nursing.

Purpose: This study was to explore the differences of Korean and Chinese university students for developing smoking cessation program. Methods: The Data was collected from 120 Korean, 103 Chinese undergraduate students by using structured questionnaire from 1st April to 31st July, 2012. Results: The necessity of smoking cessation training was found that there were differences between two groups, showing that 60% of Korean university students and 35% of Chinese university studying in Korea were award of the necessity. For the score of smoking knowledge, there were significant differences between two groups, showing 13.60 from Korean students and 14.63 from Chinese students, but there were no differences towards Smoking attitude, self-efficacy related to smoking cessation, and Nicotine dependency. On the other hand, there were no significant differences toward demand of overall smoking cessation training between Korean and Chinese students, showing 43.4 and 45.1 scores in each group. Conclusion: The results of this study would be helpful to develop smoking cessation programs and health promotion strategies for both Korean and Chinese university students.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence and ecological characteristics of excessive television viewing among elementary school students in Seoul. Methods: Secondary data, representative sample of 11,082 subjects in Seoul was used. After prevalence of the excessive television viewing was identified by using factor analysis, 6 main factors explaining the ecological indicators was founded. After identifying prevalence of the excessive television viewing, by using factor analysis, we found 6 main factors explaining the ecological indicators. After categorizing factors into socio- psychological and lifestyle characteristics, we were investigated the odds ratio of excessive television viewing per characteristics by using multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of excessive television viewing was 29.7% among the elementary school student in Seoul. The prevalence were higher in male, higher grade, and non-South of the Han River. Socio- psychological indicators which expressed excessive television viewing were annoying or bullying, scolding from teacher, depressed mode, thought for a runaway from home, an experience of diet, and negative body image. Life style indicators were a lower intake of fruit and vegetables, a higher intake of Ramyun and soft drink, a worse life style of hand washing, and wearing safety equipment. Conclusion: Lifestyle of television viewing was the comprehensive results from family, school, and society rather than a personal preference. Therefore, it is necessary to educate the hazard of excessive television viewing, to reenforce the students' health competence, to activate a safe leisure program as an alternate of television viewing, and to develop a recommendation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare life skill's levels of adolescents. Methods: This was descriptive comparative survey using as convenience sample of 460, fifth and sixth grades in elementary school in Seoul Korea. The life skill was measured by life skill scale that 78 items regarding self esteem, social skill, decision making skill, and goal setting skill. Collected data were analyzed by frequency, mean, t-test and Pearson correlation using the SPSS/WIN 20.0. Results: The family-related self-esteem was higher (26.02±3.73) than other self-esteem score. Low family-related self-esteem associated with health behavior such as current drinking, accessing to pornography sites on internet in adolescents. There was a significant positive correlation between self-esteems (cognitive, peer, family, body, general), decision making skill and goal-setting skill. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that it is important to develop a program that focuses on enhancing family-related self-esteem to effectively reduce the risk behaviors among adolescents.

Purpose: This study was designed to identify the relationship between smartphone addiction and psychiatric symptoms and the difference in severity of psychiatric symptoms by the degree of smart phone addiction in order to raise awareness of mental health problem. related to smartphone addiction in college students. Methods: Two hundreds and thirteen university student survey data was collected from December 5th to 9th of 2011 in South Korea using smartphone Addiction Scale, and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision that was translated with korean for the psychiatric symptoms. Results: Respondents were classified as upper addicted (25.3%) and lower addicted group (28.1%). Addicted scores were positively correlated with psychiatric symptom scores. Obsessive-compulsive score was the most highly correlated with addiction scores. There were significant different in psychiatric symptom scores by the groups. Upper groups was 1.76 times higher than lower in total psychiatric scores. The addicted group used smartphone significantly longer per day and more satisfied with than lower addicted group. Conclusion: Although the smartphone was first introduced not so long ago, the addiction rate is exponentially increasing in students. The results proved that there is an inevitable correlation between the smartphone addiction and the severity of psychiatric symptoms.