Background
Although breakfast provides essential nutrients and energy, skipping this meal has become increasingly common among young adults in Korea. In this study, we examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and body composition.
Methods
We analyzed data from 17,763 students aged 18–39 at Seoul National University (2018–2022). Participants were categorized based on their breakfast frequency: non-skippers, 1 to 3-day skippers, and 4 to 7-day skippers. Measurements included body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage, fat mass index (FMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI). Multivariable logistic and linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, alcohol use, smoking, physical activity, sleep, and food consumption frequencies were used.
Results
Obesity (17.4% vs. 14.8%) and abdominal obesity (10.0% vs. 7.8%) were higher in those skipping breakfast 4 to 7 d/wk compared with non-skippers. Skipping breakfast was not significantly associated with abdominal obesity in either sex. In women, the odds of obesity were higher (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.14–2.15; P=0.006), whereas no significant difference was observed in men. Men who skipped breakfast had increased body fat percentage (coefficient, 0.87; P<0.001) and FMI (coefficient, 0.18; P=0.009) and decreased FFMI and SMI. Women showed increased body fat percentage (coefficient, 0.92; P<0.001) and FMI but no significant differences in FFMI or SMI.
Conclusion
Skipping breakfast adversely affects body composition by increasing body fat percentage and FMI. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Citations

• Cumulative circadian disruption factors and metabolic syndrome
  Jungun Lee
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2025; 46(3): 125.     CrossRef

Background
The use of e-cigarettes is increasing globally, particularly among young adults. Although several use them to quit smoking, their effects are controversial. The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) was used to assess nicotine dependence in the smoking cessation process. This study examined changes in FTND scores among young adults using different types of cigarettes over a 1-year period.
Methods
Prospective cohort data were collected from cigarette users at higher education institutions in the lower northern region of Thailand to analyze changes in FTND scores over a 1-year period. E-cigarette users and combined users were compared with conventional cigarette users. A marginal structural model (MSM) with an inverse probability of weighting (IPW) was used to adjust for time-dependent and time-independent confounders.
Results
Of the 133 participants, 58 were e-cigarette users (43.6%), 33 were combined cigarette users (24.8%), and 42 were conventional cigarette users (31.6%). The results revealed that when both time-dependent and time-independent confounders were adjusted using MSM with IPW, e-cigarette users had a 0.20 decrease in the mean FTND score, and combined users had a 0.47 decrease in the mean FTND score compared to conventional cigarette users. However, the difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion
The use of e-cigarettes or combined cigarettes did not significantly affect nicotine dependence levels in young adults over a 1-year period. Consequently, e-cigarettes should not be recommended to reduce nicotine dependence among young adult cigarette users. Further studies are required to determine whether e-cigarettes affect smoking cessation rates.

Background
Recent studies have reported that chronic mental health problems often emerge in young adulthood. This study elucidated the independent effects of smoking and drinking on depressed mood in young adults by sex.
Methods
We used Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted in 2014, 2016, and 2018. A total of 3,391 participants aged 19–35 years, without serious chronic diseases, were recruited for this study. Depression was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).
Results
Smoking behavior, current smoking, and number of days smoked were significantly associated with higher PHQ-9 scores in both men and women (all P<0.05). However, past and ever smoking were positively associated with PHQ-9 scores only in women (all P<0.001). Regarding alcohol consumption, the age at which drinking first began was negatively associated with PHQ-9 scores in both men and women (all P<0.001), but the amount of alcohol consumed at 1 time was positively associated with PHQ-9 scores only in women (P=0.013). Men who drank 2–4 times a month and women who had not drunk during the past year had the lowest PHQ-9 scores.
Conclusion
Smoking and alcohol consumption were independently associated with depressed mood in young Korean adults, which was more pronounced in women, and exhibited sex-specific characteristics.

Citations

• Women’s Health and Primary Care
  Seung-Won Oh
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2024; 45(1): 1.     CrossRef
• Pharmacotherapy guidelines for smoking cessation in primary healthcare clinics
  Cheol Min Lee, Yu Jin Paek, Yoo Bin Seo, Eon Sook Lee
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 230.     CrossRef

Citations

• Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression among Adults Suffering from Migraine in Spain
  Jesús Cebrino, Silvia Portero de la Cruz
  Brain Sciences.2023; 13(12): 1630.     CrossRef
• Food Choice Motives, Physical Activity Level and Body Mass Index Status Among Undergraduates Students: A Cross-sectional Study
  Sharina Barkiah Muhamad Azhar, Divya Vanoh, Keerthana Sree Ganggaya
  Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences.2023; 19(6): 151.     CrossRef
• Effects of a Lifestyle Intervention on Health-Promoting Behavior, Psychological Distress and Reproductive Health of Overweight and Obese Female College Students
  Ju-Hee Nho, Soo-Wan Chae
  Healthcare.2021; 9(3): 309.     CrossRef
• Eating Speed, Physical Activity, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Are Independent Predictors of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean University Students
  Minjeong Kang, Mingyu Joo, Haeryun Hong, Hyunsik Kang
  Nutrients.2021; 13(7): 2420.     CrossRef
• Pain Prevalence, Management and Interference Among University Students in South Korea: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study
  Hee Jun Kim, Sunjoo Boo, Timothy J Meeker
  Journal of Pain Research.2021; Volume 14: 2423.     CrossRef
• Physical Activity and Physical Fitness among University Students—A Systematic Review
  Vidran Kljajević, Mima Stanković, Dušan Đorđević, Drena Trkulja-Petković, Rade Jovanović, Kristian Plazibat, Mario Oršolić, Mijo Čurić, Goran Sporiš
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 19(1): 158.     CrossRef
• Objectively Measured Physical Activity in Migraine as a Function of Headache Activity
  Daniel G. Rogers, Dale S. Bond, John P. Bentley, Todd A. Smitherman
  Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain.2020; 60(9): 1930.     CrossRef
• Stress, Emotional Intelligence and the Intention to Use Cannabis in Spanish Adolescents: Influence of COVID-19 Confinement
  Cristina Liébana-Presa, María Cristina Martínez-Fernández, José Alberto Benítez-Andrades, Elena Fernández-Martínez, Pilar Marqués-Sánchez, Isaías García-Rodríguez
  Frontiers in Psychology.2020;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Analysis of Motivational Climate, Emotional Intelligence, and Healthy Habits in Physical Education Teachers of the Future Using Structural Equations
  Gabriel González-Valero, Félix Zurita-Ortega, Ramón Chacón-Cuberos, Pilar Puertas-Molero
  Sustainability.2019; 11(13): 3740.     CrossRef
• Gender Differences and Relationships among Lifestyle and Reproductive Health in University Students
  Ju-Hee Nho, Hee Sun Kim
  Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2019; 25(4): 446.     CrossRef
• Physical Activity-Related Injury and Its Associated Factors among Middle School Students in Southern China
  Weicong Cai, Yang Gao, Wenda Yang, Fuyuan Cheng, Dongchun Tang, Liping Li
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2018; 15(6): 1244.     CrossRef
• Country and Gender-Specific Achievement of Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines: Latent Class Analysis of 6266 University Students in Egypt, Libya, and Palestine
  Walid El Ansari, Gabriele Berg-Beckhoff
  Nutrients.2017; 9(7): 738.     CrossRef

Background
: Upper gastrointestinal diseases are relatively important in Korea. There are various studies on upper gastrointestinal diseases, especially relationships with Helicobacter pylori, but studies on young adults are relatively fewer. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to know the prevalence of various upper gastrointestinal diseases and the association with Helicobacter pylori among young policemen.

Methods : Diagnosis and classification of upper gastrointestinal diseases were made in 260 policemen, who visited the outpatient department of family medicine at one general hospital in Seoul from March 2, 2001 to December 31, 2002.

Results : The frequencies of upper gastrointestinal diseases were gastritis (62.2%), duodenal ulcer (14.4%), gastric ulcer (7.5%), duodenitis (6.9%), and no active lesion (9.0%). The frequency of multiple upper gastrointestinal disease was chronic superficial gastritis and duodenal ulcer (37%), chronic superficial gastritis and duodenitis (21.9%), and acute gastritis and duodenal ulcer (16.4%), and these groups comprised the most with 75.3%. The location of the lesion was found at antrum (62.2%) and duodenum (21.6%). Ulcer stages in gastric and duodenal ulcer were mostly in active stage. Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric and duodenal ulcer were 36% and 85.4%, respectively.

Conclusion : Most symptomatic patients had lesions which were found at antrum and duodenum as in other studies. Ulcer diseases in duodenum were much more frequent than those in stomach, which probably be associated with Helicobacter pylori. Therefore, suitable examination and treatment are necessary.

Background
: The elderly is known to have many different clinical laboratory data compared with the young adults. There have been rare studies comparing tumor markers and rheumatoid factors between young adults and the elderly in Korea. This study was conducted to evaluate the differences in tumor markers and rheumatoid factor between elderly and young adults.

Methods : We gathered 94 healthy elderly cases and 91 healthy young adults who have taken periodic health examination from November 1996 to February 1997 at one hospital. We compared the mean of rheumatoid factor and tumor markers between two groups and took multiple regression analysis.

Results : In the elderly, the mean of CEA and AFP are significantly higher than young adults. The number of abnormally elevated rheumatoid factor is significantly higher in elderly group, but in case of CEA the number of abnormal data is not significantly different. The CEA level is significantly high in smoker group than non-smoker group. The factors that increase the CEA level are old age, smoking amount, albumin level. The factors that increase the AFP level are old age, hemoglobin level. The factor that increase the rheumatoid factor is old age only.
Conciusions: When we interpret the level of tumor markers and rheumatoid factor, we must consider the patient's age. Aging is a factor that is associated with CEA, AFP, rheumatoid factor.