KJCKorea
Journal Central

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors influencing non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among out-of-school youth in Korea, using the integrated theoretical model of self-injury development and maintenance. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved secondary data analysis from the 2021 Korean Teenagers' Mental Health Status Survey. The sample included 752 out-of-school youths. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the χ²-test, independent t-test, and hierarchical logistic regression. Results: This study found that 321 out-of-school youths (42.7%) experienced NSSI. Factors associated with NSSI included higher levels of childhood abuse, increased depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem, higher perceived stress, and being boys. Conclusion: Mental health services should be provided to out-of-school youth who have experienced childhood abuse, exhibit high levels of depressive symptoms and perceived stress, and have low levels of self-esteem. Additionally, there is need to carefully identify and address NSSI in this population. Moreover, it is necessary to provide evidence-based, comprehensive, and tailored interventions to protect out-of-school youth from NSSI, considering sex.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the annual eye examination (AEE) rates before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to identify differences in rates according to individual and social factors. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using raw data from the Community Health Survey in 2019 and 2020, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 52,127 (25,880 in 2019 and 26,247 in 2020) individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) were included. A complex sample analysis method was used to calculate the means and standard errors of the AEE rates. Further, the difference in AEE rates between 2019 and 2020 was analyzed using the Z statistic. Results: The AEE rates of study participants were 45.6±0.4 in 2019 and 45.4±0.4 in 2020 (Z=0.35, p=.375). There was a significant difference in the AEE rates depending on perceived health status (“good”: Z=1.07, p=.224; “average”: Z=-2.95, p=.005; “bad”: Z=0.76, p=.299) and awareness of blood sugar levels (“yes”: Z=2.34, p=.026; “no”: Z=3.10, p=.003). Conclusion: No significant difference in the AEE rates for individuals with DM before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed. Multifaceted efforts from the government are essential to maintain the continuity of health services. Additionally, nurses can help provide accurate information to reduce fear of infection. Further study is suggested to determine changes in AEE rates using cumulative data throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the directions for the use of telemedicine by analyzing domestic media reports on telemedicine using keyword network analysis. Methods: Data for media reports on telemedicine was collected using the Big Kinds website, targeting articles reported by five major broadcasting companies from January 1, 1991, to October 20, 2024. The retrieved articles were saved in an MS Office Excel file and analyzed using the NetMiner 4.4 program. Results: Totally, 867 news articles were retrieved, with 179 articles finally selected for analysis. Since reporting in May 2000 on the development of an internet-based remote system enabling health management for chronic diseases, the number of reports increased with 19 articles in 2013, 36 in 2014, 21 in 2015, and 15 in 2016. In 2020, 27 articles were published owing to the impact of COVID-19. The telemedicine-related news articles generated a word network comprising 720 nodes and 4,283 links, with a network density of 0.02. The average degree of connectivity was 11.89, and the average path length was found to be 1.91. Centrality analysis revealed that keywords such as "Service," "Healthcare," "Medical Personnel," "Profit," "Welfare," "Visiophone," "Chronic," and "Prescription" had high centrality in terms of degree, closeness, and betweenness centrality. Conclusion: The study confirmed the development of telemedicine and changes in social interest, revealing that it is a complex field and involves technological progress, social demands, legal discussions, and ethical responsibilities. Telemedicine also holds potential to address regional and societal issues.