Earticle

Purpose: The epidemiologic understanding of allergic diseases, including prevalence and risk factors, is needed for allergy management. This study identified the prevalence of and coping patterns for various types of allergies, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), food allergy (FA), and drug allergy (DA), in Nam-gu, Ulsan, one of the most industrialized districts in Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-report multiple choice questionnaire. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and other measures were reviewed to develop the questionnaire. Data was collected from May 9th to November 30th of 2018. Descriptive and frequency analyses were performed to apprehend the prevalence of symptoms, diagnostic rates, diagnosis dates, treatment history, and others. Results: By randomized sampling, 9,102 children from 25 nurseries, 25 kindergartens, and 15 elementary schools participated in the study. The prevalence of asthma, AR, AD, AC, FA, and DA were 11.1%, 48.7%, 15.5%, 17.6%, 15.1%, and 2.0%, respectively. The respective rate of ever being diagnosed with asthma, AR, AD, AC, FA, and DA were 4.2%, 38.4%, 25.5%, 23.3%, 9.7%, and 1.1%, respectively. Last year’s allergy related school absenteeism rates were 10.8%, 4.1%, and 1.3% for asthma, AR, and AD, respectively. Lastly, 59.2% of the participants considered air pollution as the most challenging factor in allergy management. Conclusion: This study comprehensively investigated the current state of various allergic diseases in Nam-gu, Ulsan. The study’s findings are expected to be applied to strategies for decreasing the socioeconomic burden of allergic diseases.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of suicidal attempts in adolescents over 5 years after school dropout. Methods: The data of the Panel Survey of School Dropouts (of 2013 to 2017) conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute were analyzed. The analysis used the 2013 survey data as the baseline and examined suicidal attempts from 2013 to 2017. A total of 776 adolescents were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics, x2 test, t-test, and multiple logistic regression were carried out using SAS 9.2. Results: About 11% (87 out of 776) of the adolescents with an experience of dropout attempted suicide between 2013 and 2017. The risk of suicidal attempts was significantly lower in female (AOR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.87~0.93) than in male adolescents. The higher the self-esteem, the lower the risk of suicidal attempts (AOR: 0.87. 95% CI: 0.78~0.97). The higher the depression level (AOR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05~1.16) and the rate of parental abuse (AOR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02~1.18), the higher the risk of suicidal attempts. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that those who are male, depressed, have low self-esteem or have been abused by their parents are at high risk of suicidal attempts among the adolescents with dropout experiences. Therefore, early intervention is necessary for those at high risk.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of loneliness on habitual drug use in Korean adolescents. Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Using statistics from the 16th (2020) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. A total 54,948 adolescents were included in the analysis. Results: Adolescents were more likely to engage in habitual drug use when they were lonely than when they were not (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.20~2.02). As for sociodemographic characteristics, gender, academic achievement, and living with family were factors influencing habitual drug use. As for health behavior characteristics, perceived stress, depression, current drinking, violence, sexual intercourse, and perceived health were identified as factors affecting habitual drug use. Conclusion: Provision of education that includes loneliness as a factor, which was not previously considered important in school education for preventing habitual drug use of adolescents, should be considered.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of major satisfaction, self-esteem and nursing professionalism on college (life) adjustment in nursing students. Methods: Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 179 nursing students at a university located in Seoul. The collected data were analyzed through the mean and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS 27.0. Results: As a result, the average major satisfaction was 4.08 out of 5, the average self-esteem was 3.02 out of 4, the average nursing professionalism was 3.87 out of 5, and college life adjustment was 3.77 out of 5. Major satisfaction, self-esteem, and nursing professionalism were statistically correlated with college life adjustment. Self-esteem (β=.33, p<.001), major satisfaction (β=.24, p=.003), and major satisfaction at the time of admission (β=.22, p=.002) had a significant effect on college life adjustment. These factors explained 47.7% of college life adjustment (F=24.22, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest there is a need to develop an educational program for nursing students to improve their self-esteem and major satisfaction.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate health behavior changes in Korean adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. Data were obtained from the 15~16th (2019~2020) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. Overall, the data of 112,251 students, 57,303 before the COVID pandemic and 54,948 during the pandemic, were included. The data were analyzed using rao-scott x2-test, t-test, ANCOVA and logistic regression analysis. Results: While sitting time for study decreased, sitting time for leisure increased in the 2020 group compared to the 2019 group. The 2020 group was more likely to skip breakfast and have a higher BMI than the 2019 group. The 2020 group was less likely to consume fruit and engage in moderate and vigorous physical activities than the 2019 group. The 2020 group was less likely to engage in CC, EC, and HTP current smoking and be exposed to secondhand smoke at home, school, and public places than the 2019 group. The 2020 group was more likely to be satisfied with sleep, but less likely to experience stress, depression, suicidal ideation, suicidal plans, and suicidal attempts than the 2019 group. Conclusion: It is necessary to reduce sedentary time, encourage physical activities, manage smoking and drinking rates continuously, and establish a network system to prevent psychological loneliness and isolation for adolescents, which requires participation of experts from the community as a whole.

Purpose: The study aims to identify factors that influence university students’ compliance with infection prevention behaviors in the early stage of COVID-19. Methods: A survey was conducted online from July 29 to August 2, 2020, involving 261 students enrolled in general universities. Frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and multiple regression analysis were carried out on the collected data using SPSS 24.0. Results: The average score of university students’ risk perception of COVID-19 was 3.80, while the average score of health risk communication was 3.92. The average score of efficacy beliefs was 4.42 and the average score of practicing infection prevention behaviors was 4.54. Factors influencing the level of infection prevention behaviors were efficacy of preventive behaviors (β=.48 p<.001), health risk communication (β=.16, p=.003), subjective health status (β=.12, p=.015), and the type of college (β=.11, p=.041). Conclusion: In order to improve college students' infection prevention behaviors related to COVID-19, consideration should be given to providing interventions that focus on accurate knowledge and dissemination of accurate information about new infectious diseases and effectiveness of infection preventive behaviors.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of college life stress and self-efficacy on the well-being of nursing students in the COVID-19 environment. Methods: The subjects of the study were 247 senior nursing students at K University in W City. Data collection was conducted during the period of in-school practice from July 27 to August 10, 2020, using a structured questionnaire. For data analysis, SPSS/WIN 23.0 was used to conduct the t-test, ANOVA, correlation and multiple regression. Results: Factors affecting the subjects’ well-being were grades (t=3.07 p=.002) and major satisfaction (t=2.16 p=.032) among general characteristics. College life stress (t=-5.05, p<.001) was found to have a negative effect on students' well-being, and self-efficacy (t=6.91, p<.001) was found to have a positive effect (F=46.97, p<.001). Conclusion: As a result of the study, college life stress was found to have a negative effect as a factor affecting the subjects’ well-being, while self-efficacy was found to have a positive effect. In conclusion, in order to improve the well-being of nursing students, it is necessary to try various methods to improve self-efficacy and relieve college life stress.