Background
Sleep duration is associated with hearing loss, especially presbycusis, which is the most common type of hearing loss; however, there is limited evidence regarding this association among the Korean population. We aimed to determine the relationship between sleep duration and high-frequency hearing loss in Korean adults aged ≥40 years.
Methods
We examined 5,547 Korean adults aged ≥40 years who completed audiometric tests and questionnaires regarding sleep duration during the 2010–2012 cycle of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mild presbycusis was defined as >25 decibels (dB) and <40 dB, whereas moderate-to-severe presbycusis was defined as >40 dB pure tone averages at high frequencies (3,000, 4,000, and 6,000 Hz) for both ears. Additionally, the sleep duration was divided into quartiles. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting for covariates.
Results
The prevalence of presbycusis in South Korean adults was 62.1%, of which 61.4% showed moderate to severe presbycusis. The incidence of moderate-to-severe, but not mild, presbycusis showed a significant positive correlation with sleep duration.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that sleep duration is associated with the prevalence of presbycusis.

Citations

• Prevalence and sex differences in moderate-to-severe hearing loss among older adults: a cross-sectional study
  Chunhao Li, Yue Fan, Fangxu Yan, Haibo Huang, Xin Xia, Shuwen Guan, Zijun Yue, Guangliang Shan, Xingming Chen
  BMC Geriatrics.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Joint association of sleep duration and depression with new-onset hearing loss: a national cohort study
  Fang Wang, Yu-Jun Xiong, Da-Ming Shao, Tian Lv, Shiqin Chen, Qian-Yuan Zhu
  Frontiers in Nutrition.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sleep characteristics and hearing loss in middle-aged and older adults: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2018
  Kening Jiang, Adam P. Spira, Nicholas S. Reed, Frank R. Lin, Jennifer A. Deal
  Sleep Epidemiology.2024; 4: 100082.     CrossRef
• Age-related hearing loss and its potential drug candidates: a systematic review
  Shiyu Hu, Qingru Sun, Fei Xu, Ninghua Jiang, Jianli Gao
  Chinese Medicine.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
Muscle strength has been suggested as a cardiovascular marker. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between hand grip strength and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in the Korean population.
Methods
A total of 9,083 participants aged 20–80 years from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2016 were investigated.
Results
Among men, both relative and dominant hand grip strength showed a positive association with diastolic blood pressure in those aged 65–80 years (95% confidence interval, P-value of dominant and relative hand grip strength: β=0.06, 0.01; P<0.05). Among women, relative and dominant hand grip strength showed a positive relationship to diastolic blood pressure in those aged 20–64 years (β=0.06, 0.01; P<0.001). Body mass index was positively associated with dominant hand grip strength in younger women (β=0.18, P<0.05), whereas it was positively associated with relative hand grip strength in all sex and age groups. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein showed a negative association with relative and dominant hand grip strength in all women, although the same association was observed only in younger men. Diabetes was inversely related to hand grip strength in younger women and men.
Conclusion
Increased hand grip strength may be associated with lower C-reactive protein in women and with less risk of diabetes in the Korean adult population. Further prospective studies are needed for the determination of causality between cardiometabolic markers and hand grip strength.

Citations

• Sex-specific associations between grip strength and metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional study
  Hyejin Chun, Miae Doo
  Preventive Medicine Reports.2026; 67: 103509.     CrossRef
• The impact of reduced muscular fitness on cardiometabolic risk factors in children aged 9–11 years
  Eva Rodríguez‐Gutiérrez, Ana Torres‐Costoso, Lidia Lucas‐de la Cruz, Arthur E. Mesas, Vicente Martínez‐Vizcaíno, Ana Díez‐Fernández
  Acta Paediatrica.2024; 113(6): 1364.     CrossRef
• Association between handgrip strength and metabolic syndrome in relation to gender and adiposity among middle aged and older Saudi populations
  Shaea A. Alkahtani, Ghedeir M. Alshammari, Aishah Alzuwaydi, Abdulaziz Alfuhaid, Abeer A. Al-Masri, Rizwan Qaisar, Syed Shahid Habib
  The Aging Male.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Higher dietary methyl donor micronutrient consumption is associated with higher muscle strength in adults: a cross-sectional study
  Amin Mirrafiei, Parisa Radkhah, Mahla Chambari, Samira Davarzani, Nadia Babaee, Kurosh Djafarian, Sakineh Shab-Bidar
  British Journal of Nutrition.2024; 131(11): 1926.     CrossRef
• The combined effect of handgrip strength and obesity phenotype on the risk of stroke in Chinese middle-aged and elderly: A cohort study
  Kai-jie Qi, Qiang Li, Gao-lei Lu, Min-jie Zhang, Min-zhe Zhang, Jia-min Yan, Qi-qiang He
  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.2024; 124: 105481.     CrossRef
• The Relationship Between Health Parameters, Body Size, Elements of Lifestyle, and Hand Grip Strength in a Group of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Aged 40–98, from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
  Myadagmaa Jaalkhorol, Agata Cieślik, Myagmartseren Dashtseren, Anya Khairat, Otgonbayar Damdinbazar, Gerelmaa Ochirdorj, Tsetsegsuren Khurelbaatar, Ganbayar Batmunkh, Ulemjjargal Ganzorig, Sławomir Kozieł
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2024; 14(1): 102.     CrossRef
• Relación entre adiposidad corporal y fuerza de prensión manual con la preocupación por la alimentación en deportistas universitarios
  Jorge Mendez-Cornejo, Ruben Vidal-Espinoza, Fernando Alvear-Vasquez, Ana Belen-Guzman, Rossana Gomez-Campos, Marco Cossio Bolaños
  Nutrición Clínica y Dietética Hospitalaria.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• C-reactive protein and muscle-related measures over 14 years in Chinese community-dwelling older adults
  Suey S.Y. Yeung, Timothy Kwok, Jean Woo
  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.2023; 106: 104878.     CrossRef
• Increasing muscular strength to improve cardiometabolic risk factors
  Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Jose P. Lopez-Lopez, Maria Camila Tole, Daniel D. Cohen
  Clínica e Investigación en Arteriosclerosis.2023; 35(3): 144.     CrossRef
• Handgrip strength is associated with risks of new-onset stroke and heart disease: results from 3 prospective cohorts
  Guochen Li, Yanqiang Lu, Liping Shao, Luying Wu, Yanan Qiao, Yi Ding, Chaofu Ke
  BMC Geriatrics.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Increasing muscular strength to improve cardiometabolic risk factors
  Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Jose P. Lopez-Lopez, Maria Camila Tole, Daniel D. Cohen
  Clínica e Investigación en Arteriosclerosis (English Edition).2023; 35(3): 144.     CrossRef
• Lower handgrip strength levels probably precede triglyceride glucose index and associated with diabetes in men not in women
  Jia Zheng, Lu Zhang, Min Jiang
  Journal of Diabetes Investigation.2022; 13(1): 148.     CrossRef
• Changes in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and metabolic indices according to grip strength in Korean postmenopausal women
  Y. N. Kim, J.-h. Jung, S. B. Park
  Climacteric.2022; 25(3): 306.     CrossRef
• Factors Associated with Handgrip Strength Among Older Adults in Malaysia
  Shamsul Azhar Shah, Nazarudin Safian, Zulkefley Mohammad, Siti Rohani Nurumal, Wan Abdul Hannan Wan Ibadullah, Juliana Mansor, Saharuddin Ahmad, Mohd Rohaizat Hassan, Yugo Shobugawa
  Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare.2022; Volume 15: 1023.     CrossRef
• Associations of handgrip strength with morbidity and all-cause mortality of cardiometabolic multimorbidity
  Yanqiang Lu, Guochen Li, Pietro Ferrari, Heinz Freisling, Yanan Qiao, Luying Wu, Liping Shao, Chaofu Ke
  BMC Medicine.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Association between Grip Strength, Obesity, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among the Community-Dwelling Elderly Population in Taiwan
  Chun-Yung Chang, Nain-Feng Chu, Ming-Hsun Lin, Shu-Chuan Wang, Der-Min Wu, Ming-Kai Tsai, Chieh-Hua Lu
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(18): 11359.     CrossRef
• Association of Absolute and Relative Handgrip Strength with Prevalent Metabolic Syndrome in Adults: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2014–2018
  Sunghyun Hong, Minsuk Oh, Youngwon Kim, Justin Y. Jeon
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(19): 12585.     CrossRef
• Factors Influencing the Muscle Strength of the Elderly Without Activity Restrictions By Gender
  Myoungjin Kwon, Moonkyoung Park, Hyun Joo Kim, Jong Im Kim, Sun Ae Kim
  Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing.2021; 23(1): 43.     CrossRef
• Relationship Between Handgrip Strength and the Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus Among Korean Adults: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2014-2018
  Sung-hyun Hong, Ji-yong Byeon, Ji-hee Min, Dong-hyuk Park, Won-hee Cho, Justin Y. Jeon
  Exercise Science.2021; 30(1): 110.     CrossRef
• Role of handgrip strength in predicting new-onset diabetes: findings from the survey of health, ageing and retirement in Europe
  Guochen Li, Yanan Qiao, Yanqiang Lu, Siyuan Liu, Yi Ding, Xing Chen, Chaofu Ke
  BMC Geriatrics.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Association between Adjusted Handgrip Strength and Metabolic Syndrome in Arab Men
  Shaea Alkahtani
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(20): 10898.     CrossRef
• Association between relative handgrip strength and abdominal obesity, type-2 diabetes and hypertension in a Mexican population
  Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán, Pedro Delgado-Floody, Ilse Adriana Gutiérrez-Pérez, Felipe Caamaño-Navarrete, Daniel Jerez-Mayorga, Óscar Zaragoza-García, Isela Parra-Rojas
  Nutrición Hospitalaria.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Dietary Calcium Intake and Fat Mass in Spanish Young Adults: The Role of Muscle Strength
  Ana Torres-Costoso, Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno, Rubén Fernández-Rodríguez, Irene Sequí-Dominguez, Sara Reina-Gutiérrez, Sergio Núñez de Arenas-Arroyo, Miriam Garrido-Miguel
  Nutrients.2021; 13(12): 4498.     CrossRef
• Grip Strength as a Cardiometabolic Marker
  Jungun Lee
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2020; 41(5): 271.     CrossRef

Citations

• Higher Intakes of Nutrients are Associated with Improved Health-Related Quality of Life among Individuals with Comorbidities
  Hai Duc Nguyen
  American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.2026; 20(2): 289.     CrossRef
• Effectiveness of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation in Preventing Respiratory Tract Infections in Children
  Soo Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2022; 43(3): 155.     CrossRef
• Interactions between nutrient intake and comorbidities for quality of life in premenopausal and postmenopausal women
  Hai Duc Nguyen
  Menopause.2022; 29(11): 1285.     CrossRef
• Effects of vitamin D on mood and sleep in the healthy population: Interpretations from the serotonergic pathway
  Laura M. Huiberts, Karin C.H.J. Smolders
  Sleep Medicine Reviews.2021; 55: 101379.     CrossRef
• Relationship between vitamin D deficiency and psychophysiological variables: a systematic review of the literature
  Mariluce Rodrigues Marques Silva, Waleska Maria Almeida Barros, Mayara Luclécia da Silva, José Maurício Lucas da Silva, Ana Patrícia da Silva Souza, Ana Beatriz Januário da Silva, Matheus Santos de Sousa Fernandes, Sandra Lopes de Souza, Viviane de Olivei
  Clinics.2021; 76: e3155.     CrossRef
• Vitamin D status was not associated with anxiety, depression, or health-related quality of life in Middle Eastern and African-born immigrants in Sweden
  Lena E Granlund, Anna K Ramnemark, Christer Andersson, Marie C Lindkvist, Margareta Norberg, Eva M Fhärm
  Nutrition Research.2020; 75: 109.     CrossRef
• Role of vitamin D deficiency in type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy development
  Anna P. Stepanova, Tatiana L. Karonova, Anna A. Bystrova, Vadim B. Bregovsky
  Diabetes mellitus.2018; 21(4): 301.     CrossRef
• Vitamin D Studies: Mistaking Correlation for Causation
  Seung-Won Oh
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2016; 37(4): 203.     CrossRef

Background
The value of endoscopy is more increasing as a tool of the cancer screening, and many studies are now progressed for decreasing the inconvenience of patients who undergo the endoscopy. There are some overseas studies that the video-education before procedures like colonoscopy or coronary angiography increases the satisfaction and decreases the anxiety of the patients. But in Korea, there is lack of studies about the methods of decreasing the anxiety of the patients before procedures especially endoscopy.Methods: We carried out the survey with 95 patients underwent the endoscopy in the medical health checkup center of National Health Insurance Medical Center during 19 July 2008 to 8 September 2008. The patients who had the medical history of gastrectomy, had pains due to another diseases and had a prescription about psychiatric medicine including hypnotics were excluded.Results: Statistically there are no differences between two groups of the video-education and the paper-education according to age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, numbers of former endoscopy, smoking history and educational standard. The video-education is more effective than the paper-education in decreasing the anxiety index between before and after the education.Conclusion: The prior video-education for the patients awaiting endoscopy can decrease the anxiety about procedure. Moreover, it can decrease the suffi cation of the patients and increase the satisfaction of physicians. If the patients feeling the prior anxiety are educated with the video before undergoing endoscopy, the video-education is very effective to decrease the prior anxiety of the patients.

Background
As the metabolic syndrome is increased, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increased. In recent studies, metabolic syndrome is related to serum uric acid. And some authors reported the association of uric acid and NAFLD. We have studied the association of serum uric acid and NAFLD. Methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of 3,430 subjects out of 6,731 individuals who had visited the Health Promotion Center at the National Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital for the purpose of a regular check-up from January 2005 to April 2008. We excluded who showed evidence of more than moderate alcohol consumption, hepatitis B or C, or severe hepatic dysfunction. Results: Among 3,430 participants, 1,775 subjects (51.7%) were diagnosed with NAFLD and 1,655 subjects (48.3%) were control. Age, BMI, triglyceride, fasting glucose, uric acid were greater in the patients with NAFLD than in the controls. The severity of NAFLD is related to uric acid. When uric acid is divided in 4 groups, elevation of uric acid is associated with risk for NAFLD. This relationship is showed in similar pattern when adjusting for age, sex, BMI, triglyceride, fasting glucose. The uric acid elevation of 1mg/dL is associated with the increase of 1.11 fold in risk for NAFLD. Conclusion: The risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is related to uric acid. And the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with uric acid.

Citations

• Prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Korean Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery
  Ki Hyun Kim, Yoonhong Kim, Kwang Il Seo, Kyung Won Seo
  Journal of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.2022; 11(2): 63.     CrossRef
• Systematic review on the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in South Korea
  Hwi Jin Im, Yo Chan Ahn, Jing-Hua Wang, Myung Min Lee, Chang Gue Son
  Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology.2021; 45(4): 101526.     CrossRef
• Subclinical steatohepatitis and advanced liver fibrosis in health examinees with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 10 South Korean cities: A retrospective cross-sectional study
  Eun-Hee Nah, Seon Cho, Hyeran Park, Dongwon Noh, Eunjoo Kwon, Han-Ik Cho, Daisuke Tokuhara
  PLOS ONE.2021; 16(11): e0260477.     CrossRef

Background
: There is a significant amount of evidence to indicate that some of the changes attributed to aging process can be partially reversed by GH replacement. But the GH replacement for somatopause with functional GH deficiency is still controversial. The aim of this study was to explore whether the short term GH replacement improved physical, emotional and sexual function as well as body composition.

Methods : A total of 31 adults with functional growth hormone deficiency were assigned to receive rhGH with an initial daily dose of 1.05 IU, six times a week. For evaluating physical change a 25-item questionnaire was administered to patients at initial visit and 6 months later. Body composition was determined by bioimpedence analysis at initial visit and 6 months later as well. We compared the changes for each variable using Wilcoxon's rank and Friedman's test.

Results : Serum IGF-1 level at 3 and 6 months were increased significantly by 31% and 43%, respectively, compared to baseline (P＜0.0001). Lean body mass and percent body fat at 6 months of treatment showed a 2.2% increase and a 7.6% decrease with statistical significance. The score of the questionnaire at 6 months of treatment increased significantly in physical changes (P＜0.0005), sexual function (P＜0.001), self perception of physical appearances (P＜0.02), chronic fatigue & immunity (P＜0.03), and vitality (P＜0.05).

Conclusion : Adults with functional growth hormone deficiency showed improvements in not only body composition, but also physical function and appearances and sexual function after 6 months of treatment with rhHGH.

Background
: There is a clinical need for a reference value based on healthy adults in Korea. The aim of this study was to define IGF-1 concentration in healthy Korean adults and to investigate the factors relative to IGF-1 level.

Methods : By reviewing the medical records of a hospital in Korea, healthy 112 men and 109 women aged over 40 years were studied. We determined the serum IGF-1 levels of both groups according to age, sex, health behaviors, lipid profile, bone mineral density, serum albumin, waist circumference, body mass index, total testosterone, and FSH.

Results : IGF-1 had no sexual difference in any age group (258.7±84.3 ng/mL for men, 263.7±86.8 ng/mL for women), but correlated negatively with age (r=-0.43 and -0.35 for men and women, respectively). The mean decline was 49.6 ng/mL and 43.9 ng/mL per 10 years for men and women, respectively. IGF-1 correlated positively with serum albumin, total cholesterol, and bone mineral density of spine and femur neck. The multiple regression analysis showed that the most powerful factors influencing IGF-1 level was serum albumin (R²; 0.13) followed by age, bone mineral density of femur neck, and total cholesterol.

Conclusion : We present a reference value for IGF-1 in healthy Korean adults aged over 40 years. The most powerful factor influencing IGF-1 level was serum albumin.

Background
: Recent advances have been made in the treatment of acute stroke, but the effectiveness of the new therapies is highly time dependent. Patients with acute stroke often arrive at the hospital too late to receive the maximum benefit from these new stroke therapies. Efforts to reduce delay time of therapy for acute stroke may be more effective if the factors that delay hospital arrival are identified and targeted for specific intervention. So we studied about reason of delay of hospital presentation in patients with acute stroke.

Methods : The 85 acute stroke patients group who admitted to the Young-dong severance hospital from April to August 1999 were enrolled in this study. We collected clinical data from the medical record, including demographic characteristics, date and time of symptom onset, date and time of presentation to the hospital, medical history, and symptoms at stroke onset. And informants about stroke, method of transportation, the patient's interpretation of the symptoms were interviewed. We defined early arrival as within 3 hours of awareness of symptoms.

Results : The 85 patients were interviewed, early arrival were more likely to arrive by ambulance (P<0.001), admit via emergency department(p=0.001), interpret their symptoms as a stroke(P=0.005) and use readings as a informants about stroke(P=0.027) than late arrivals. Also they were younger than late arrivals(P=0.027). Main reason of delay of hospital presentation was because they expect spontaneous improvement(43%), mistake as other disease(23.3%), arrive via other medical institute(20%).

Conclusion : Late arrivals expected spontaneous improvement, misinterpreted their symptoms as those of other disease and didn't choose proper medical institute for acute management. Considerable education is needed to increase the knowledge about stroke and proper acute management.

Background
: The prevalence of hepatitis C in blood donors have been reported to be 1.5% to 2.0% and 85-90% of post-transfusion hepatitis patients show anti-HCV positive results. Most agree that hepatitis C is readily spread by way of contact with blood, but a discernible history of parenteral exposure is identified in only 40% to 50% of cases. Thus other possible nonparenteral routes of transmission such as vertical, sexual and intrafamilial contact transmission need to be explored. In this study, we investigated the clincial characteristics of anti-HCV but also by HCV-PCR to explore the possibility of HCV infection through nonparenteral household contact.

Methods : Past history, physical examination, liver function tests, HCV-PCR, hepatitis B viral markers, abdominal ultrasonography and liver biopsy were done in 161 anti-HCV seropositives from May, 1991 to August, 1996. Of the 161 seropositives, 42 seropositives' family members, 98 subjects, were available for investigation by anti-HCV, HCV-PCR and liver function teste to doc-ument intrafamilial HCV infection; thier respective relationships to the index seropositive were noted.

Results : The 161 anti-HCV seropostives were classified as follows: 34 in the carrier group(21.1%). 41 in the acute hepatitis group(25.5%), 32 in the chronic hepatitis griyo(19.9%), 24 in the liver cirrhosis group(14.9%) and 30 in the hepatoma group(18.6%). The positive rates of HCV-PCR were 55.2% in total, 46.1% in the carrier group, 55.0% in the acute hepatitis group, 76.4% in the chronic hepatitis group, 40.0% in the liver cirrhosis group, and 42.8% in the hepatoma group. The 98 family members were all anti-HCV seronegative. The positive rates of HCV-PCR in these family members were 10.2% in total, 7.1% in spouses, 28.6% in siblings, and 8.3% in children.

Conclusion : Anti-HCV seropositives were in various clinical states of liver disease due to HCV infecton. Although none of the family members showed anti-HCV positive results, HCV-PCR was positive in 10.2% of the family members indicating the need to perform HCV-PCR to detect HCV infection.

Background
: Means to measure death anxiety, death depression and sense of symbolic immortality with approved validity and reliability does not yet exist in Korea.

Methods : Existing English questionnaires such as Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS), Death Depression Scale (DDS), Sense of Symbolic Immortaligy Scale (SSIS) were translated into Korean by 5 translators, and then reviewed by 3 non-participants of translation for collegial summary and this summary was counter-translated again by another 2 non-participants. Another 3 non-participants of translation and counter-translation were chosen to examine the two sentences of each item. Then reexamination was done by retranslating and counter-translating the parts with errors. After pretest on ordinary people. The completed questionnaires were given to medical students, residents and nurses of a university hospital. Pastors and missionaries were selected as comparison group.

Results : Kuder-Richardson or Cronbach-α that represent internal consistency of TDAS, DDS and SSIs was 0.69, 0.84 and 0.78. The three sentences that lowered internal consistency of SSIS was deleted. BDI and DDS showed a positive correlation (0.32, P=0.02), suggesting proved construct validity. Correlation coefficient that proves construct validity of TDAS and DDS was 0.54 (P<0.01), of SSIS and TDAS -0.23(P=0.04), of SSIS and DDS -0.29(P=0.01). The TDAS and DDS(P<0.01), DDS and BDI(P=0.02) have shown a positive correlation were shown. There was significant difference in the score of SSIS(P<0.01). The same results in cases where the 3 sentences was deleted.

Conclusion : Korean versions of TDAS, DDS and SSIS were reliable and valid.

Background
: Adolescence offers unique opportunities for investment in health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the common physical symptoms and diseases and medical utilization rate and the prevalence of health behaviors among school-aged adolescents.

Methods : This study was carried in 1998. Subjects consisted of 3,771 adolescents (ages 10 to 18) who attended an elementary, middle, and high school in Seoul and 3,246 parents. Self-report questionnaire was administered to the students and their parents to measure self-reported physical and psychosocial problems, practice of health behavior, medical care utilization rate, and the most common diagnosis.

Results : 1)Academic performance was the most common psychosocial problem for adolescents and their parents. 2)The perceived health status was highest in middle school students, lowest in female high school students. 3)As adolescents went to higher grades, the medical institute and dental clinic utilization rate tended to be decreased, and oriental clinic utilization rate did not change. The most common diagnosis during the past year was dental caries. The next most common diagnosis was respiratory infection. Accidents(males), headache(females) were more common in high school than middle school. 4) The most frequently reported symptom was fatigue in middle and high school students. More than half of female high school students reported fatigue, dizziness, headache, dysmenorrhea, hypersomnia during the last month. 5) The higher their grade was, the less adolescents practiced behaviors. 21.9% of males and 1.9% of female high school students were smokers. 34.5% of males and 13.3% of female high school students drank alcohol on a regular bases. The prevalence of obesity was 12.0% in males, 10.0% in female high school students. Male adolescents tended to deal with stress with leisure activities, female adolescents did by talking about their problems with related people.

Conclusion : This overview of health associated issues among adolescents provided a unique view of differences in health care needs between younger and older teens and between male and female teens. These data have meaningful implications for health promotion program for adolescents.