Young Sam Oh

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the believability and both smoking initiation and cessation among Korean adolescents. The study analyzed data from 308 Korean adolescents aged 18 or younger who reported current use of tobacco products. Participants were divided into three groups: all smokers, conventional cigarette users, and e-cigarette users. Multiple regression and logistic regression analysis were used to examine associations between believability and smoking initiation and cessation. Among all adolescents, higher levels of believability were significantly associated with a later age of smoking initiation and greater likelihood of smoking cessation. For conventional cigarette users, believability significantly predicted smoking cessation, but not initiation age. Believability of pictorial warning labels plays a meaningful role in promoting smoking cessation among adolescents, particularly those using conventional cigarettes. However, its effect on preventing smoking initiation appears limited. These findings support the need for differentiated tobacco control strategies based on product type and user characteristics. These findings underscore the importance of product-specific and psychologically informed interventions for preventing and reducing adolescent smoking.

This study aims to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky sexual behavior among Korean adolescents. Data from the 16th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey were utilized. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the effects of alcohol use on the probability of sex without contraception. The study matched 547 drinkers with 547 non-drinkers based on propensity score matching. In this study, the higher the alcohol consumption among adolescents, the more likely they are to engage in sex without contraception. Also, female adolescents’ alcohol consumption was found to be positively associated with risky sexual behaviors. This study highlights that the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky sexual behavior varied by gender. This suggests that adolescents’ risky sexual behaviors are influenced not only by drinking-related factors but also by personal characteristics.

Despite growing research on adolescent smokers, evidence for the differences between the two smoker groups who are ever quitters and never quitters is limited. The study aimed to examine predictors of nicotine dependence (ND) in Korean adolescents by comparing ever quitters and never quitters. Data from 349 adolescents were collected through an online survey. Among respondents, most of them were male, living with families, and were enrolled at schools. Data were analyzed by dividing participants into two groups – ever quitters and never quitters. The study found that adolescents’ ND was commonly predicted by smoking peers and anxiety. However, schooling status was significantly associated with ever quitters’ ND only. In the total sample, never-quitters were associated with higher ND compared to ever-quitters. This study did not control for differences among ever quitters in terms of the number of attempts to quit smoking and did not significantly control age effects in the sample. Based on study results, we suggest various policy implications. Cessation intervention should be designed keeping in mind the smokers’ previous quit attempts and their motivation. It is also recommended that individually tailored smoking cessation programs be used to address the heterogenous nature of the adolescents.

Negative communications with health professionals are a stressor to older adults in healthcare settings. In this situation, older adults seek health information on the Internet as alternative information sources and may consider this as having the equivalent value of communicating with a health professional. This study examines the relationship between communications with health professionals and online health information seeking in older adults. This study used the Health Information National Trends Survey, Cycle 3, and included participants (N = 743) aged 65 or older who used the Internet. A multiple logistic regression was employed to examine the association of health professional communication with online health information seeking. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the association between health communications and three types of online health information seeking in older adults. Online health information seeking was significantly associated with negative communications with health professionals. Health communications only predicted online health information seeking by oneself, and females were more likely to search for health information on the Internet than males. The results of this study show that older adults’ online health information seeking is an active coping strategy to reduce health risks and improve health promotion in healthcare.

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the relationships between a diagnosis of depression and anxiety disorder (DAD) and using online social media for healthcare. Online social media functions as a vital method of seeking health and disease information, providing low search costs and convenience for users. Because of these benefits, online social media can provide higher accessibility to people with mental health problems. Methods: We used propensity score matching to adjust for baseline differences and reduce confounding effects between DAD and non-DAD groups. Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between a diagnosis of DAD and the use of online social media. Conclusions: Patients with DAD are regarded as active and empowered decision-makers; social media functions as a vital method of seeking health and disease information, providing low search costs and convenience for users.

The purpose of this research is to examine the predictors of smartphone uses for health information–seeking (SHIS) in the Korean elderly. This research applies the comprehensive model of information seeking as a theoretical framework. Data reported in this study are from the 2016 Dementia Literacy Survey, and 235 elderly smartphone users were included in logistic regression model. SHIS was significantly predicted by younger age, higher education levels, having a regular exercise, higher medical expenditures, and health literacy. The findings of this study can help social workers understand the specific features of health information seeking in the Korean elderly.