South Korean Children Research Articles

The development of the self-other distinction in perceptions of social influence.

Prior research documents that adults in Western cultures perceive others as more susceptible to social influence than themselves (Pronin et al., 2007). Study 1 (N = 318) investigated the cultural generalizability of this asymmetric perception effect by examining young adults in South Korea, where conformity is relatively valued, and a comparison sample of young adults in the United States. The results documented that, counter to theoretical accounts emphasizing the centrality of motivated reasoning, the self-other distinction was just as strong in South Korea as it was in the United States. Study 2 (N = 102) examined the development of this tendency among 6- to 12-year-old South Korean children and showed that this asymmetry is first present at around age 9. These findings suggest that asymmetric perceptions of conformity are robust and emerge over the course of development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparison of the accuracy and bias of Demirjian’s method for East Asian children and development of Japanese population-specific age estimation formulae

Despite the increased global mobility owing to the development of the international community, there remains a need for population-specific methods to estimate children’s ages. Therefore, this study aimed to substantiate the necessity for a Japanese-specific age estimation method by contrasting the formerly reported age estimation accuracy and bias using Demirjian’s method for Chinese, Taiwanese, South Korean, and Japanese children. We analyzed 1,558 panoramic radiographs from Japanese children (777 boys and 781 girls), assessed the maturity of seven left permanent teeth using Demirjian’s criteria, and calculated the estimated age using Demirjian’s method. The accuracy of the estimated ages was compared with previous reports of children from other East Asian countries which used the same age estimation method. Chinese, Taiwanese, and South Korean boys and girls were all reported to be older than their chronological ages, with the Eastern and Northern Chinese regions being the only exceptions. The same was true for Japanese children: the estimated ages of both sexes tended to be higher than their chronological age. However, there were significant variations in the values, indicating the differences in tooth growth and development between East Asian countries and sexes. Therefore, new regression equations specific to the Japanese population were formulated, and their accuracy was evaluated as the final result of this study.

Nutritional status of North Koreans and related perceptions among South Korean adults

Objectives: North Koreans have been facing chronic food shortages and malnutrition. This study examined the nutritional status of North Koreans and the perceptions of South Korean adults regarding their nutritional status. Methods: The nutritional status was examined using nutritional indicators for the general population, children, and reproductive-aged women in North Korea. An online survey was conducted among 1,000 South Korean adults aged 19–69 years to investigate their perceptions regarding the nutritional status of North Koreans.Results: Although the nutritional status of children in North Korea has consistently improved, significant progress in the general population and reproductive-aged women in the country remains elusive. The prevalence of malnutrition among North Korean children has decreased to a level that is not considered severe based on international standards, although it shows a substantial difference from that among South Korean children. The prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity in North Korea remains over 40%. South Korean adults perceive the nutritional status of North Koreans as being more severe than it is in reality. Notably, a significant inconsistency exists between the perceived and actual nutritional status of North Korean children, with over 95% of South Korean adults perceiving North Korean children’s malnutrition as being more severe than it actually is. Moreover, South Korean adults in their 20s to 40s tended to perceive the nutritional status of North Koreans as being more severe than those in their 50s to 60s did.Conclusions: The nutritional status of North Koreans is a matter of concern. The disparity between South Koreans’ perceptions of the nutritional status of North Koreans and the actual status highlights the need for accurate information dissemination to effectively address malnutrition in North Korea. These efforts could be instrumental in enhancing public awareness and fostering social consensus on food aid and nutritional support programs for North Korea.

School, family, and children's development in Time Storeand Be Friend with The Sky

In recent years, many South Korean children's literary works have been translated into Vietnamese. Meanwhile, some beautiful Vietnamese pieces are translated into Korean. The translation has led to cultural interactions through literature, expanding the horizon of young readers in the two countries. From that reality, the article applies the juxtapositional model of comparison to examine two pieces of workTime Storeby L.N. Young(2015) [1](South Korea) andBe Friend with the Skyby N.N.Anh(2019) [2](Vietnam) to explore new meanings of each work. Iftime storeemphasizes the role of time pressure on children in modern society,Be Friend with the Skyaffirms the healing role of love for children. By juxtaposing these two pieces of work and specifically analyzing child characters in their interactions with school, family, and their self-advocacy, the article shows dialogues in opposite directions, which eliminates the viewpoint of the role of adults towards children in the two pieces of work mentioned above. Besides, through the juxtapositional model of comparison, the article also discusses the interactions between Vietnamese and South Korean children's literature in the early 21stcentury.

Age-related effects of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and subsequent asthma exacerbation in children.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes community-acquired pneumonia in children and increases asthma risk, but large studies are lacking. To assess the link between M. pneumoniae infection and to asthma exacerbation, in children with allergies, and age of infection impact. This retrospective cohort study analyzed medical records of South Korean children between January 2002 and December 2017. The study's exposure was hospitalization with an M. pneumoniae-related diagnosis, and the outcome was defined as asthma exacerbation, confirmed by hospitalization at least 6 months after M. pneumoniae infection, with alternative validation using asthma diagnosis and systemic steroid prescription records. Hazard ratios (HRs) for asthma exacerbation risk were estimated for the matched cohort using a Cox proportional hazards model stratified by allergic comorbidities. Time-dependent covariates and age-stratified exposure groups were used to calculate odds ratios. The study included 84,074 children with M. pneumoniae infection and 336,296 unexposed children. Follow-up for 12.2 ± 2.3 years found the exposed group had a significant risk of asthma exacerbation (HR 2.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.67-3.06) regardless of allergic comorbidities. The risk was highest (over threefold) in children infected between 24 and 71 months. Sensitivity analysis using an alternative definition of the outcome showed an HR of 1.38 (95% CI 1.35-1.42), further supporting the association between M. pneumoniae infection and asthma exacerbation. M. pneumoniae infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of subsequent asthma exacerbation regardless of allergic comorbidities. Further research needed for understanding and confirmation.

Longitudinal relations of screen time duration and content with executive function difficulties in South Korean children

ABSTRACT Research has consistently shown that excessive screen time (ST) is harmful to children’s cognitive development including executive function (EF). Most studies have investigated the long-term consequences of excessive ST and have not explored how content impacts cognitive development. Thus, the current study aimed to examine (1) the associations among the duration and content of ST and EF difficulties and (2) the interaction effect of ST duration and content on EF difficulties. A total of 1,484 third-grade children participated in the study and were followed up one year later. ST duration was measured by the average daily hours on smart devices and computers, and ST content was assessed by the extent to which children engaged in educational or recreational ST. EF difficulties were measured by parental reports of their child’s EF-related behaviors. The results showed ST duration did not predict EF difficulties one year later. However, higher levels of educational ST predicted fewer EF difficulties. A significant interaction effect between ST duration and educational ST demonstrated the benefits of educational ST were not present in children with higher levels of duration. These findings provide a foundation to develop more practical, efficient, and specific ST guidelines considering both ST content and duration.

Child maltreatment, low self-control, and delinquent behaviour of early-aged adolescents

Until now, there has been limited research on the specific relationship between exposure to child maltreatment, the development of low self-control and subsequent delinquency among non-western samples from a general theory of crime perspective. To address this research gap, this study explores the role of low self-control as a mediator between exposure to child maltreatment and delinquent behaviour of South Korean children. By using longitudinal data from South Korean children, structural equation modeling was employed to examine this relationship. The results of the analysis indicated that child maltreatment significantly influenced the development of low self-control in children. Also, the findings revealed that low self-control mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and delinquent behaviour. In other words, consistent with the proposition of the general theory of crime, children’s low self-control played a mediating role in the impact of exposure to child maltreatment on their engagement in delinquent behaviour. Based on these findings, the importance of early interventions to prevent child maltreatment and foster the self-control level of children is suggested.

What makes children aged 10 to 13 engage in problematic smartphone use? A longitudinal study of changing patterns considering individual, parental, and school factors.

The current research aimed to discover classification concerning problematic smartphone use in children. Furthermore, to investigate their longitudinal trajectories, as well as to discover the connection concerning problematic smartphone usage by individual, parental, and school factors. A total of 2,399 South Korean children who were in the 4th grade (female 1,206 (50.3%), age 10-13 years) at baseline. Latent class growth analysis was utilized to discover typologies in problematic smartphone use and their longitudinal trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to find various associations among problematic smartphone use and individual, parental, as well as school factors. The results identified three distinct trajectories of problematic smartphone use: (1) a high-level group (7.7%), (2) a mid-increasing group (62.5%), and (3) a low-increasing group (29.8%). The increasing group showed the highest level of problematic smartphone use. Gender, self-esteem, social withdrawal, exercise, parental inconsistency, monthly income, and teacher support were significant predictors. The findings suggest that there are distinct developmental trajectories concerning problematic smartphone usage of childhood. The results show that the early discovery of children in danger of problematic smartphone use and targeted interventions aimed at reducing parental inconsistency and social withdrawal, improving self-esteem, exercise, and teacher support may be effective strategies for preventing problematic smartphone usage during childhood.

‘통일감수성’의 교육적 가능성으로서의 2000년대 이후 한국 아동·청소년 문학 연구

The purpose of this study is to attempt two studies related to unification education. The first is to reflect on the existing concept of ‘unification sensitivity’, and the second is to rethink unification sensitivity in terms of ethics and publicness based on this reflection. The three goals of ‘unification sensitivity’ are as follows. First, we feel compassion by experiencing the suffering of others. Second, develop a sense of identification that the pain of others can become your pain. Lastly, this sense is expanded to include social and public ethical sensibilities. Based on these findings, this paper provided the possibility of ‘unification sensitivity’ education targeting Korean children's literature since 2000s that featured North Korean immigrants. The possibilities provided are as follows: 1. Through Jo Gyeong-suk's novels, we indirectly experience the lives of North Korean immigrants and recognize their suffering. 2. Through Park Gyeong-hee's novels, we re-recognize the emotions of compassion that have been thought to be different between North Korean immigrants and South Korean children, and compare and contrast ‘my pain’ and ‘their pain’ along the same line. 3. In Jeon Seong-hee’s novels, ‘unification sensitivity’, which has been limited to the personal level(in terms of identification with compassion), is expanded to public sensitivity. Expanding the unification sensitivity mentioned in this paper to ethical sensitivity and the public domain can contribute to diversifying not only unification education but also unification discourse.

Investigating the occurrence of autoimmune diseases among children and adolescents hospitalized for Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is common in the general population and may be followed by immune dysfunction, but links with subsequent autoimmune disease remain inconclusive. To estimate the association of M. pneumoniae infection with the risk of subsequent autoimmune disease. This retrospective cohort study examined the medical records of South Korean children from 01/01/2002 to 31/12/2017. The exposed cohort was identified as patients hospitalized for M. pneumoniae infection. Each exposed patient was matched with unexposed controls based on birth year and sex at a 1:10 ratio using incidence density sampling calculations. The outcome was subsequent diagnosis of autoimmune disease, and hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated with control for confounders. Further estimation was performed using hospital-based databases which were converted to a common data model (CDM) to allow comparisons of the different databases. The exposed cohort consisted of 49,937 children and the matched unexposed of 499,370 children. The median age at diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection was 4 years (interquartile range, 2.5-6.5 years). During a mean follow-up time of 9.0 ± 3.8 years, the incidence rate of autoimmune diseases was 66.5 per 10,000 person-years (95% CI: 64.3-68.8) in the exposed cohort and 52.3 per 10,000 person-years (95% CI: 51.7-52.9) in the unexposed cohort, corresponding to an absolute rate of difference of 14.3 per 10,000 person-years (95% CI: 11.9-16.6). Children in the exposed cohort had an increased risk of autoimmune disease (HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.21-1.31), and this association was similar in the separate analysis of hospital databases (HR: 1.25; 95% CI 1.06-1.49). M. pneumoniae infection requiring hospitalization may be associated with an increase in subsequent diagnoses of autoimmune diseases.

The influence of perceived parenting styles on Korean children's delinquent behaviors when accounting for gender differences

AbstractParenting styles studies which used US data have shown positive effects of authoritative parenting styles and negative effects of permissive and authoritarian parenting styles on the adolescents' behavioral development. The effects of parenting styles were predictive within the juvenile population of the United States. The current study introduces questions about the influence of culture and gender on the association between parenting styles and children's delinquent behaviors. It focuses on South Korean culture, which is influenced by Confucian philosophy emphasizing obeying parents and importance of the role of the son in the family. This study uses ordinary least squares regression to examine data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2010 collected by the National Youth Policy Institute from 2010 to 2016. Results indicated that male South Korean children respond positively to the authoritarian parenting style, but parenting style does not influence female South Korean children, at least when it comes to delinquency. These results indicate that culture and gender influence the association between parenting style and delinquency among children and broaden the applicability of parenting style research.

The association between adverse childhood experiences and self-harm among South Korean children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Adolescent self-harm is a public health problem. Research suggests a link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and self-destructive behaviors. Few studies, however, have examined the effects of ACEs on self-harm among Asian adolescents. This study explored the association between lifetime ACEs and a history of self-harm among Korean children and adolescents in elementary, middle, and high schools. A cross-sectional, retrospective medical record review was conducted on a dataset of a national psychiatrist advisory service for school counselors who participated in the Wee Doctor Service from January 1 to December 31, 2020. The data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression to predict self-harm. Student cases (n=171) were referred to psychiatrists by school counselors for remote consultation. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the odds of self-harm were higher among high school students (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=4.97; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.94-12.76), those with two or more ACEs (aOR=3.27; 95% CI=1.43-7.47), and those with depression (aOR=3.06; 95% CI=1.32-7.10). The study's findings provide compelling evidence that exposure to ACEs can increase vulnerability to self-harm among Korean students. Students with a history of ACEs and depression, as well as high school students, require increased attention during counseling. School counselors can benefit from incorporating screening assessment tools that include questions related to ACEs and depression. Establishing a systematic referral system to connect students with experts can enhance the likelihood of identifying self-harm tendencies and offering the essential support to prevent self-harm.

Exploring the Characteristics of Self-Drawings Produced by Taiwanese and South Korean Children

Exploring the Characteristics of Self-Drawings Produced by Taiwanese and South Korean Children

Attention mechanisms and emotion judgment for Korean and American emotional faces: an eye movement study.

This study investigates attention mechanisms and the accuracy of emotion judgment among South Korean children by employing Korean and American faces in conjunction with eye-tracking technology. A total of 42 participants were individually presented with photos featuring either Korean or American children, and their task was to judge the emotions conveyed through the facial expressions in each photo. The participants' eye movements during picture viewing were meticulously observed using an eye tracker. The analysis of the emotion judgment task outcomes revealed that the accuracy scores for discerning emotions of joy, sadness, and anger in Korean emotional faces were found to be significantly higher than those for American children. Conversely, no significant difference in accuracy scores was observed for the recognition of fear emotion between Korean and American faces. Notably, the study also uncovered distinct patterns of fixation duration among children, depending on whether they were viewing Korean or American faces. These patterns predominantly manifested in the three main facial areas of interest, namely the eyes, nose, and mouth. The observed phenomena can be best understood within the framework of the "other-race effect." Consequently, this prototype formation leads to heightened accuracy in recognizing and interpreting emotional expressions exhibited by faces belonging to the same racial group. The present study contributes to a deeper understanding of how attention mechanisms and other-race effects impact emotion judgment among South Korean children. The utilization of eye-tracking technology enhances the validity and precision of our findings, providing valuable insights for both theoretical models of face processing and practical applications in various fields such as psychology, education, and intercultural communication.

Trends in Ankyloglossia and Surgical Treatment among Pediatric Patients in South Korea

The objective of this study was to investigate trends in ankyloglossia and its surgical treatment among pediatric patients in South Korea from 2011 to 2020. Data from Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)’s Healthcare Bigdata Hub were used for analysis of the ankyloglossia diagnosis rate and frenum surgery rate. Considering annual population change, crude rates per 100,000 were calculated and analyzed. To investigate other factors of frenum surgery incidence besides gender and age, pediatric patient sample data from HIRA were used. The diagnosis rate of ankyloglossia increased from 204.4 in 2011 to 356.6 per 100,000 people in 2020, while the frenum surgery rate increased from 26.8 to 34.3 per 100,000 people. Males were more likely to receive frenum surgery than females. Surgeries were more likely to be done at a hospital instead of a clinic or a general hospital. In the age group of 0 - 4 years, the largest number of frenum surgeries were performed in pediatrics, and in the age group of 5 - 9 years, the largest number of surgeries were conducted in pediatric dentistry. In the older age groups, the largest proportion of frenum surgeries were performed in the departments of conservative dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery. The diagnosis of ankyloglossia and the operation of frenum surgery among South Korean children increased during the last decade. Since the function of the tongue can affect maxillofacial development in many aspects, pediatric dentists should pay more attention to the functional management of intraoral soft tissue in growing children.

Linking neighbourhood safety and children's internalizing and externalizing problems: Mediating role of maternal depression

AbstractThis study examined the relationship among neighbourhood safety, maternal depression and child behaviour problems among Korean children in South Korea. Using the 2019 Panel Study on Korean Children (N = 1127), we found that residing in less safe neighbourhoods was associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems. Additionally, results from mediation analysis showed that the relationships between neighbourhood safety and internalizing and externalizing problems were significantly mediated by maternal depression in South Korea. These findings suggest that maternal depression may be an important mechanism linking unsafe neighbourhoods to South Korean children's behaviour problems.

Racialised identity, racism and the mental health of children and adolescents

As a social justice issue, it is suggested that racialised identity may represent a critical moderator in the association between racism and adverse mental health. We performed a meta-moderation analysis of studies on racialised identity, racism and adverse mental health in children and adolescents. We searched Pubmed, Web of Science, SocINDEX, PsychInfo, Medline, CINAHL and EBSCO Academic Search Ultimate for peer-reviewed articles published between January 2013 and December 2022. Nine studies, encompassing 2146 Black, Moroccan, Turkish, Indigenous, South Korean, Latinx and Multi-heritage children and adolescents between the ages of 7 and 16, were included, covering depressive symptoms, substance use, internalising symptoms and externalising symptoms. A random effect meta-analysis reported a medium size positive correlation of 0.26 (95% CI = 0.20–0.32) between racism and adverse mental health. A comparison between internalising and externalising symptoms revealed a smaller positive correlation of 0.25 (95% CI = 0.09–0.41) for internalising symptoms and a slightly larger positive correlation of 0.30 (95% CI = 0.19–0.41) for externalising symptoms. A small negative moderation of −0.07 (95% CI = −0.17 to 0.02) was found for racialised identity in the association between racism and internalising symptoms, whilst no moderation was found between racism and externalising symptoms. Overall, a negligible moderation of −0.02 (95% CI = −0.08–0.05) was found for racialised identity in the association of racism to adverse mental health. These findings suggest that the effect of racism on internalising symptoms is slightly stronger for children and adolescents with lower racialised identities and slightly weaker for those with higher racialised identities.

Cultural differences in maternal emotion control values and children's expressive flexibility

AbstractExpressive flexibility is the ability to express or suppress one's emotions to meet the demands of the situation. Recent work suggests that expressive flexibility is associated with better adjustment. However, few studies have focused on expressive flexibility in children. In addition, there is a dearth of research on possible correlates, such as culture, parental emotion socialization, and socioeconomic status, that may be associated with expressive flexibility competencies in children. The purpose of this study was to investigate cultural differences in children's expressive flexibility, maternal emotion control values (ECVs), and their relations to family socioeconomic status (SES) during middle childhood in a sample of European American (N = 31, M age = 9.61 years; 54.8% males), Korean American (N = 38, M age = 9.16 years; 55.3% males) and South Korean children (N = 77, M age = 9.74 years; 51.9% males). Mothers reported on demographics and their emotion control values. Children's expressive flexibility ability was assessed using a lab‐based observational measure. Multivariate analyses of covariance controlling for SES, child age, and gender suggested significant cultural differences in expressive flexibility, with the U.S. children (both European and Korean Americans) scoring higher on expressive flexibility compared to their South Korean counterparts. Results also suggested significant cultural differences regarding maternal ECVs; Korean Americans were more similar to South Koreans, both scoring higher on ECVs than European Americans. Socioeconomic status, but not maternal ECVs, were associated with children's expressive flexibility, independent of child age, sex, and culture.

The Paradox of the DMZ: Making War, Division, and Unification Intelligible Through Korean Picture Books

Abstract: In South Korea, remnants of the Korean War are everywhere, especially at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the 160-mile strip separating the two Koreas. The DMZ is a paradox: a site of intense militarism and great biodiversity, virtually untouched over decades of division. Inspired by Sohyun An's research on how American and international children's books portray the Korean War, we examine how South Korean picture books portray the paradox of the DMZ, specifically how it exists and what its future might be. We analyze five picture books alongside our observations at a DMZ peace park and war museum, and consider how these books contribute to what South Korean children might learn about division and war, the DMZ, and the complexities of unification and commercialization.

Marital satisfaction and parental warmth in predicting children's peer social competence

This study tested longitudinal dyadic interdependence in parental marital satisfaction, parental warmth, and children's peer social competence using a nationally representative sample of South Korean children (N = 2107; 49.2% girls). The first seven waves of data collected annually from the birth of a child were used where parents (mothers: M = 31.31 years, SD = 3.72; fathers: M = 33.84, SD = 4.03 at W1) reported marital satisfaction and parental warmth and preschool teachers (M = 29.70 years, SD = 6.92, 99.3% females at W5) rated children's peer social competence. Children's peer social competence was positively predictive of paternal warmth and vice versa, whereas it was not predictive of maternal warmth, which in turn negatively predicted children's subsequent peer social competence. Findings highlight positive family-to-school spillover and the intertwined interdependence between parents and between parents and children.