ABSTRACT
Background@#Irresponsible alcohol consumption by university students in our country continues to increase regardless of the sex; it also causes various problems. The blackouts experienced by the students cause social issues, and increased rates of alcohol-based dementia and alcohol use disorder. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the factors related to alcohol-induced blackouts experienced by university students. @*Methods@#We used a structured questionnaire. Overall, 1,325 male and female attending four of the four-year universities in Gangwon-do were included in this study. Their living and drinking conditions, family’s drinking capacity, sleep, depression, anxiety and stress were investigated and the realtionship with the experience of blackout was investigated using the SPSS 24.0 statistical software. @*Results@#Based on the alcohol consumption habits, 360 male (42.3%) and 221 female (46.6%) experienced blackouts. Alcohol use disorder was found in Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test - Korean revised version (AUDIT-K), 330 male (38.8%) and 265 female (55.9%). We found that the older male and female, the more they lived alone, the more frequently they drink alcohol in the family, the more they drink, and the more blackout experience, the more frequently they experience blackout (P40% of the university students experienced blackouts; female experienced blackouts more frequently than male. The blackouts were related to lifestyle, family drinking, problem drinking and depression in both male and female.
ABSTRACT
Background@#Smartphone usage time has been increasing every year causing smartphone addiction, also known as cell phone dependency. This study investigated and analyzed the effects of family characteristics on adolescent smartphone use. @*Methods@#The subjects were 908 middle school students in Gangneung whose legal guardians agreed to participate in the study. We investigated general characteristics, family structure, smartphone usage time of family members, using Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (K-SAPS), Family APGAR, and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III (FACES III). The participants were classified into three groups according to the scores of the SAPS: addiction proneness, addiction tendency group, and normal user. @*Results@#The prevalence of the addiction proneness group was 47 (5.2%). The K-SAPS scores were higher in the following categories: female (P<0.001); more monthly allowance (P<0.05); lower academic performance (P<0.001); fewer hours of exercise (P<0.001); longer smartphone usage time (P<0.001); and younger owners of smartphones (P<0.05). In family characteristics, the K-SAPS scores were significantly higher in single parent families (P<0.05), longer smartphone usage time of mother and siblings (P<0.05), less time spent watching TV with family members (P<0.05), more exposure to smartphones in childhood (P<0.05), and less time spent with mother (P<0.05). The K-SAPS scores were significantly higher when family APGAR, family adaptability, and cohesion scores were lower (P<0.001). @*Conclusion@#This study indicated that the smartphone addiction in middle school students is closely related to smartphone usage of family members and family functions. Therefore, family behavior that can be corrected should be considered for counseling to prevent smartphone addiction.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Current guidelines for the treatment of hyperlipidemia propose lifestyle modification as a first-line intervention. The aim of this study was to identify the factors which determine responsiveness of LDL-cholesterol lowering to lifestyle modification in hypercholesterolemic patients. METHODS: A total of 109 patients aged between 30 and 70 years (52 men and 109 women) who were diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia between July 2007 and February 2008 at Asan Medical Center were enrolled in this study. The patients were educated on lifestyle modifications by trained family physicians. We measured clinical, anthropometric, lifestyle parameters and lipid profiles initially and at eight weeks after education. Stepwise multiple linear regression models were used to assess covariates and variance components. RESULTS: The serum level of LDL-cholesterol decreased in both women (8.0 +/- 15.37%, P < 0 .001) and men (4.95 +/- 9.81%, P < 0.001). In women, dietary adherence (beta = 0.267, P = 0.004), change in physical activity duration (beta = 0.196, P = 0.034) and menopausal state (beta = -0.207, P = 0.026) were significant predictors in response of percent change in LDL-cholesterol. In men, dietary adherence (beta = 0.372, P = 0.007) was a predictor in response of percent change in LDL-cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Adherence to lifestyle modification was a main factor which had influenced on response of percent change in LDL-C levels. In women, however, menopausal state was also an important factor.