Korean Young Adults Research Articles

Investigating the effects of behavioral change, social support, and self-efficacy in physical activity in a collectivistic culture: Application of Stages of Motivational Readiness for Change in Korean young adults.

The study investigated the roles of social support, self-efficacy, and behavioral change in physical activity (PA) in the Korean culture. The subjects were 164 Korean college students. In November 2016, the study participants completed an online survey asking about PA behavior, PA Self-Efficacy, PA Stages of Change (stages of behavioral change in PA), and Social Support for PA. The collected data were statistically analyzed through structural equation modeling. In the results, PA Stages of Change had a direct effect (β = 0.57, p < .01) on PA with an explanatory power of r2 = 0.46. Moreover, PA Self-Efficacy had an indirect (βindirect = 0.29) effect on PA through PA Stages of Change as PA Self-Efficacy had a direct effect (β = 0.50, p < .001) on PA Stages of Change. However, Social Support for PA did not show an effect on other factors. Additionally, Social Support for PA had a correlation of r = 0.45 (p < .001) with PA Self-Efficacy. The study concluded PA Stages of Change is a significant PA predictor. Moreover, high PA Self-Efficacy indirectly helps Korean young adults to be more physically active by fostering advancement on the stages of behavioral change in PA. In contrast, Social Support for PA does not have a significant association with PA or PA Stages of Change. This non-significance of Social Support for PA can be explained with Korea's collectivistic culture. Furthermore, there is a possibility that Social Support for PA can positively affect PA by interacting with PA Self-Efficacy.

How behavioral norm and social influence affect smoking in young adulthood: the experience of Korean young adults

How behavioral norm and social influence affect smoking in young adulthood: the experience of Korean young adults

Distribution of glycated haemoglobin and its determinants in Korean youth and young adults: a nationwide population-based study

The present study aimed to describe the distribution of and to investigate the factors associated with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) values in Korean youth (10–19 years old) and young adults (20–29 years old). Data from the Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2015) were used. A total of 6,418 participants (male 3,140 [53.2%]) aged 10–29 years were included in the analysis. Percentiles of HbA1c were calculated and HbA1c values were compared according to age, sex, and associated factors. The mean HbA1c values (% [mmol/mol]) were 5.42 ± 0.01 (35.7 ± 0.1) for youths and 5.32 ± 0.01 (34.7 ± 0.1) for young adults (P < 0.001). Male participants showed significantly higher HbA1c level than females (P < 0.001). When age was grouped into 5-year intervals, HbA1c was the highest in those aged 10–14 years and the lowest in those aged 20–24 years. After controlling for confounding variables, the HbA1c values of youths and male participants were significantly higher than those of young adults and female participants. The present study provides nationally representative data on the distribution of HbA1c values in Korean youth and young adults. There were significant differences in the level of HbA1c according to age and sex.

Averaged head phantoms from magnetic resonance images of Korean children and young adults

Increased use of mobile phones raises concerns about the health risks of electromagnetic radiation. Phantom heads are routinely used for radiofrequency dosimetry simulations, and the purpose of this study was to construct averaged phantom heads for children and young adults. Using magnetic resonance images (MRI), sectioned cadaver images, and a hybrid approach, we initially built template phantoms representing 6-, 9-, 12-, 15-year-old children and young adults. Our subsequent approach revised the template phantoms using 29 averaged items that were identified by averaging the MRI data from 500 children and young adults. In females, the brain size and cranium thickness peaked in the early teens and then decreased. This is contrary to what was observed in males, where brain size and cranium thicknesses either plateaued or grew continuously. The overall shape of brains was spherical in children and became ellipsoidal by adulthood. In this study, we devised a method to build averaged phantom heads by constructing surface and voxel models. The surface model could be used for phantom manipulation, whereas the voxel model could be used for compliance test of specific absorption rate (SAR) for users of mobile phones or other electronic devices.

Cross-National Differences in Gain-Domain Risk Preferences among Older Populations: Judgment and Decision-Making Behaviors in Rapidly Aging Countries

This research explores the systematic, cross-national differences in choice-inferred risk preferences between American and South Korean (“Korean”) elders. A total of four different sample groups including – the American elders , the Korean elders, the American young adults, and the Korean young adults – were surveyed. All four groups were asked to partake in a two-part questionnaire: one pertaining to their background information and the other consisting of a set of gain-domain choice questions based on hypothetical lottery situations. The result of the study highlights three statistically significant (α=0.05) findings among the groups surveyed: (1) The Korean elderly group tend to be more risk-averse than the American elderly group, (2) the American elderly group tend to be more risk-seeking than the American young adult group, (3) and the Korean elderly group tend to be more risk-averse than the Korean young adult group.

The relationship between masseter muscle thickness measured by ultrasonography and facial profile in young Korean adults.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between masseter muscle thickness, facial morphology, and mandibular morphology in Korean adults using ultrasonography.Materials and MethodsUltrasonography was used to measure the masseter muscle thickness bilaterally of 40 adults (20 males, 20 females) and was performed in the relaxed and contracted states. Facial photos and panoramic radiography were used for morphological analyses and evaluated for correlations with masseter muscle thickness. We also evaluated the correlations of age, body weight, stature, and body constitution with masseter muscle thickness.ResultsIn the relaxing, the masseter was 9.8±1.3 mm in females and 11.3±1.2 mm in males. In the contracted state, it was 12.4±1.4 mm in females and 14.7±1.4 mm in males. Facial photography showed that bizygomatic facial width over facial height was correlated with masseter muscle thickness in both sexes in the relaxed state, and was statistically significantly correlated with masseter muscle thickness in males in the contracted state. In panoramic radiography, correlations were found between anterior angle length and posterior angle length and masseter muscle thickness in females, and between body length and posterior angle length, between anterior angle length and body length, between ramal length and body length, and between body length and condyle length in males.ConclusionMasseter muscle thickness was associated with facial and mandibular morphology in both sexes, and with age in males. Ultrasonography can be used effectively to measure masseter muscle thickness.

Comparison of orbicularis oris muscle strength and endurance in young and elderly adults.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the strength and endurance of the orbicularis oris muscle in healthy Korean (young vs. elderly adults). [Participants and Methods] A total of 60 participants (30 young adults and 30 elderly adults) were recruited. The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument was used to measure orbicularis oris muscle maximal strength and endurance. [Results] Elderly adults showed significantly lower orbicularis oris muscle strength and endurance than younger adults. [Conclusion] This study confirmed a significant age-related decrease in orbicularis oris muscle strength and endurance. The data collected will be useful as a basis for future on speech and swallowing therapy.

Real-time PCR quantification of 9 periodontal pathogens in saliva samples from periodontally healthy Korean young adults.

PurposeFew studies have examined periodontal pathogens from saliva samples in periodontally healthy young adults. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of periodontopathic bacteria and to quantify periodontal pathogens in saliva samples using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays in periodontally healthy Korean young adults under 35 years of age.MethodsNine major periodontal pathogens were analyzed by real-time PCR in saliva from 94 periodontally healthy young adults. Quantification of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Campylobacter rectus, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, and Eikenella corrodens was performed by DNA copy number measurement.ResultsF. nucleatum and E. corrodens were detected in all subjects; the numbers of positive samples were 87 (92.6%), 91 (96.8%), and 90 (95.7%) for P. gingivalis, P. anaerobius, and C. rectus, respectively. Other pathogens were also detected in periodontally healthy subjects. Analysis of DNA copy numbers revealed that the most abundant periodontal pathogen was F. nucleatum, which was significantly more prevalent than all other bacteria (P<0.001), followed by P. anaerobius, P. gingivalis, E. corrodens, C. rectus, and T. denticola. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of each bacterium between men and women. The DNA copy number of total bacteria was significantly higher in men than in women.ConclusionsMajor periodontal pathogens were prevalent in the saliva of periodontally healthy Korean young adults. Therefore, we suggest that the development of periodontal disease should not be overlooked in periodontally healthy young people, as it can arise due to periodontal pathogen imbalance and host susceptibility.

Correction] Health Behaviors and Mental Health of Korean Young Adults from Single Households: Data Analysis from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012)

Correction] Health Behaviors and Mental Health of Korean Young Adults from Single Households: Data Analysis from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012)

A comparative analysis of electronic service quality in the online open market and social commerce: the case of Korean young adults

Past research has revealed that the social commerce market has become both a new opportunity and a threat for companies. However, these studies analyzed the correlation for just one business model and provided inconclusive suggestions. We contribute to fill this gap in the electronic service quality literature by comparing two distinct electronic commerce models: the online open market and social commerce. Using the Kano model and analytic hierarchy process analysis, we empirically investigate 397 young adults in Korea who have experience in using both the online open market and social commerce. The results indicate that (1) the classification and priorities of the two kinds of e-commerce differ and (2) it is worthwhile to consider addressing specific strategies for different business models in order to improve the service quality of the electronic commerce market. We also discuss the main contributions of our research and the implications for managers in terms of improving electronic service quality.

Exploring the Religious Marketplace for Korean Young Adults: Riddles of Secular Change and Innovation

Exploring the Religious Marketplace for Korean Young Adults: Riddles of Secular Change and Innovation

RORA Polymorphism Interacts with Childhood Maltreatment in Determining Anxiety Sensitivity by Sex: A Preliminary Study in Healthy Young Adults.

ObjectiveRecent studies have reported associations of retinoid-related orphan receptor alpha (RORA) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with depression and anxiety disorders. Based on these, we attempt to test whether RORA polymorphism is associated with anxiety sensitivity (AS), the intermediate phenotype of depression and anxiety disorders. Considering gene-environment interactions and sex differences in AS, childhood maltreatment (CM) and sex were considered as confounders.MethodsTwo-hundred and five healthy young Korean adults (female: 98, male: 107; age, 23.0±3.2 years) completed genotyping for the RORA SNP rs11071547, as well as measures for AS and CM. Generalized linear models were used to examine the main and interaction effects of RORA genotype, CM, and sex in determining AS.ResultsThe main effect of RORA polymorphisms was not found (p=0.760) whereas the main effect of CM and interaction effects among sex, genotype, and maltreatment were significant on AS. In separate analyses by sex, the interaction effect between RORA genotype and maltreatment was significant only in males (p<0.001). In females, the main effects of genotype and CM were significant (both were p<0.001), in which both a history of CM and C genotype tended to be associated with higher AS.ConclusionThe association between RORA polymorphism and AS might differ by sex. The interaction between RORA polymorphism and CM was significant only in males whereas RORA genotype and CM independently associated with AS in females. Further studies are encouraged to confirm the relationship between RORA polymorphism and AS.

The influence of gender and cultural values on savoring in Korean undergraduates

The present study investigated antecedents of savoring beliefs and responses in a sample of South Korean college students. Historically, Korea has been strongly influenced by Chinese Confucianism, which emphasizes not only gender-role differentiation and patriarchal norms, but also the dampening of emotions as a culturally appropriate style of positive emotional regulation. We hypothesized that Korean females, relative to males, would reject traditional Asian cultural values in order to gain more empowerment, and would, as a result, report a greater capacity to savor positive experience. Confirming the hypotheses, Korean women, compared to men, reported stronger disagreement with traditional Asian values, greater overall savoring ability, greater capacity for cognitive elaboration, and less use of dampening and greater use of amplifying as savoring responses to positive events. Path analyses supported our hypothesized mediational model in which Korean women, relative to men, more strongly rejected traditional Asian values, which predicted less dampening (but only marginally greater amplifying). We conclude that among young Korean adults: (a) savoring is a relevant concept; (b) traditional Asian values tend to promote dampening of positive emotions; and (c) women more strongly reject traditional cultural values, tend to engage in less dampening and greater amplifying, and perceive greater savoring capacity, relative to men.

Sex-specific association between asthma and hypertension in nationally representative young Korean adults

It has been reported that people with asthma have an increased risk of hypertension. However, little is known about the specific relationship between asthma and hypertension in young adults. Among subjects who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2008–2013, a total of 10,138 young adults (4,226 men and 5,912 women) aged 19–39 years were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The prevalence of ever asthma was 11.1% in men and 8.4% in women. The mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was lower in men with asthma than in men without asthma (p = 0.03), whereas the mean DBP was higher in women with asthma than in women without asthma (p = 0.04). Having asthma was inversely associated with hypertension in men (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.41–0.91). In contrast, having asthma was positively associated with hypertension in women (OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.19–4.02). Our results suggest that asthma pathophysiology might be differentially associated with hypertension in young adults depending on sex.

The effects of individual- and network-level factors on discussion of cancer experiences: Survivors of childhood cancer in Korea

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to identify young adult Korean cancer survivors' individual- (psychological distress, stigma, sociodemographic variables, and cancer-related variables) and network-level factors (relationship type, social support type) that influence discussion of their cancer experiences. Sixty-eight survivors of childhood cancer who were recruited using snowball sampling nominated 245 individuals from their networks, including family and intimate partners (40%) and friends and acquaintances (60%), as people with whom they most frequently interacted. Results of multilevel modeling analysis indicated that higher levels of internalized shame were a prominent individual-level factor associated with a lack of discussion of cancer experiences. Relationship type and support type at the network-level were also significant correlates of discussion of cancer experiences. Programs for reducing the survivors' shame, improving illness identity, and providing professional training for building social relationships that are intimate and in which they could exchange reciprocal support may help Korean childhood cancer survivors to openly share their cancer experiences with others in their social network and to be successful in the journey of cancer survivorship.

Precarious Seoul: Urban Inequality and Belonging of Young Adults in South Korea

South Korea's economic restructuring following the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis increased deregulation, privatization, and labor flexibility, creating new forms of social precarity. This article examines this precarity to rethink the relationship between macrolevel social changes and microprocesses of social life in relation to urban inequality. Drawing on fifteen months of ethnographic research conducted between 2009 and 2011 and in-depth interviews with twenty-two South Korean young adults, the author analyzes how a host of young adults strive for their belonging as they confront their own social precarity in a highly unequal and rapidly changing urban environment. Many young domestic migrants who moved to the Seoul metropolitan area are precarious workers and vulnerable tenants in emerging forms of substandard housing. Their attempts to reconcile the idealized notion of home and their precarious realities reveal the uneven and hidden effects of neoliberal restructuring.

Health Behaviors and Mental Health of Korean Young Adults from Single Households: Data Analysis from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012)

Health Behaviors and Mental Health of Korean Young Adults from Single Households: Data Analysis from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012)

Association between HOMA-IR and Lung Function in Korean Young Adults based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Metabolic syndrome, including obesity and insulin resistance, has been reported to lower lung function in elderly subjects with asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease. This study aimed to find the association between lung function and insulin resistance in Korean young adults. This study used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2013, which is a representative sample of the Korean population. A total of 1,922 young adults aged 19 to 40 were included in the analysis. The association between lung function test and insulin resistance was evaluated. Weighted logistic regression analyses showed a significant negative correlation of insulin resistance with FVC% predicted (correlation coefficient γ = −0.130, P < 0.0001), FEV1% predicted (γ = −0.074, P = 0.004) and FEV1/FVC ratio (γ = −0.059, P = 0.019) in young adults, especially in subjects without asthma (γ for FVC% predicted, FEV1% predicted and FEV1/FVC ratio = −0.138, −0.092, and −0.061, respectively). This study demonstrates an inverse correlation between insulin resistance and lung function in Korean young adults. Young adults with preclinical insulin resistance have a higher risk of impaired lung function.

Sex Differences in Verbal and Spatial Ability among Korean Young Adults

Sex Differences in Verbal and Spatial Ability among Korean Young Adults

Association between childhood and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in Korean young adults with Internet addiction.

Background and aimsAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric comorbidities of Internet addiction (IA); however, the possible mechanisms that contribute to this high comorbidity are still under debate. This study aims to analyze these possible mechanisms by comparing the effect of IA severity and childhood ADHD on inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in young adults with IA. We hypothesized that IA might have associations with ADHD-like cognitive and behavior symptoms aside from childhood ADHD.MethodsStudy participants consisted of 61 young male adults. Participants were administered a structured interview. The severity of IA, childhood and current ADHD symptoms, and psychiatry comorbid symptoms were assessed through self-rating scales. The associations between the severity of IA and ADHD symptoms were examined through hierarchical regression analyses.ResultsHierarchical regression analyses showed that the severity of IA significantly predicted most dimensions of ADHD symptoms. By contrast, childhood ADHD predicted only one dimension.DiscussionThe high comorbidity of inattention and hyperactivity symptoms in IA should not solely be accounted by an independent ADHD disorder but should consider the possibility of cognitive symptoms related to IA. Functional and structural brain abnormalities associated with excessive and pathologic Internet usage might be related to these ADHD-like symptoms.ConclusionInattention and hyperactivity in young adults with IA are more significantly associated with the severity of IA than that of childhood ADHD.