Effects of Age at First Childbirth and Other Factors on Central Obesity in Postmenopausal Women: The 2013–2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Waist circumference is one of the key components of metabolic syndrome. Recent studies demonstrated that the reproductive profile was associated with metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women. This study focused on the association between central obesity and age at first childbirth. It also considered other factors associated with central obesity in postmenopausal women. METHODS: This study was based on the 2013–2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and involved 3,143 naturally postmenopausal women. These women were divided into three groups according to their age at first childbirth: 19 years or younger (n=252), 20–29 years (n=2,695), and 30 years or older (n=196). Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed to evaluate the effects of various reproductive factors, including other confounding factors. RESULTS: During adjustment for confounding factors, in the early age at first childbirth group, odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for central obesity decreased. In the final model, younger age at first childbirth was not significantly related to central obesity (waist circumference more than 85 cm) in naturally postmenopausal women after adjusting for other confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Younger age at first childbirth was not significantly associated with central obesity after adjustment for confounding factors.

The influence of family functioning on psychosocial dysfunction in children

BACKGROUND: A large number of children with psychosocial dysfunction are not recognized within schools or primary care settings. In several research, an increasing amount of attention has been paid to the importance of low family support as a predictor of psychosocial dysfunction in children. Our study examined the agreement and relationship between the lack of family support as measured by the Family APGAR and child psychosocial dysfunction as screened by the Pediatric Symptom Checklist(PSC). Therefore, We studied the usefulness of Family APGAR as a screening tool of child psychosocial dysfunction. METHODS: We set 643 children that are engaged in elementary school. We gave a questionnaire to their parents and made them record the questionnaire which contained the sociodemographic data, past history of child and parents, the Family APGAR and the translated Pediatric Symptom Checklist(PSC). Finally, we analysed only 506 complete data. We use the SAS/PC 6.12 that is a statistical analysis program. RESULTS: Children with a lack of family support(APGAR) were 5.1 times as likely to receive scores indicating dysfunction on the PSC(PSC). Families with a lack of support were significantly more likely to report low parental educational achievement and low income. Sixty percent of children from families with a lack of support were identified as having a psychosocial dysfunction by the PSC rating; however, only 24% percent of the children identified with psychosocial dysfunction by the PSC had scores indicating poor family functioning on the Family APGAR. Families with a lack of support had significantly higher total scores on PSC(mean=20.2) than families with adequate support(mean=11.9). The strength of the agreement between the Family APGAR and the PSC was k=.29. CONCLUSION: A lack of family support is associated with child psychosocial dysfunction as assessed by the PSC. However, the Family APGAR was not a sensitive measure of child psychosocial dysfunction, and thus it supplements, but does not replace the PSC.