Search Results (16)

Background/Objectives: Nursing students are often exposed to bullying in clinical settings. Bullying in a practice environment is an important issue that causes psychological, physical, and mental health problems in nursing students. However, in South Korea, few qualitative studies have examined bullying among nursing students in clinical practice environments. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of bullying among South Korean nursing students during clinical practice. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study using a semi-structured interview guide was employed to collect data from nursing students in a focus group. Overall, three focus groups were used, with seven students in each group comprising males and females. The sample size was based on data saturation and saturated on three focus group discussions, giving a sample size of 21. Purposeful sampling was used to select students who had completed one or more semesters of clinical practice (six credits, 270 h) from two nursing colleges. Interviews were conducted in May 2025. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: A total of 23 meaning units, 14 themes, and 7 thematic clusters were identified. Seven overarching thematic clusters emerged: (1) exposure to harsh speech; (2) experiencing physical harm; (3) being considered a sexual object; (4) disrespected as a nursing student; (5) assigned tasks beyond an individual’s capabilities; (6) restricted educational opportunities corresponding to clinical practice objectives; and (7) discriminatory treatment due to healthcare professionals’ prejudice. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for raising the awareness of bullying and applying the strategies to prevent bullying and protect nursing students during clinical practice. Full article

Malocclusion can arise due to various causes and may impact not only temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders but also overall systemic health. This study aimed to evaluate the association of individual occlusal characteristics with sleep quality and stress levels in female college students. Occlusal analysis was conducted using T-Scan III on 84 participants (age: 21.7 ± 2.09), while sleep quality and stress levels were assessed using the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and self-reported stress questionnaires, respectively. Sleep quality was categorized as “good sleeper” (≤5 points) or “poor sleeper” (>5 points). Stress levels were classified as Normal (≤13), Initial stress (14–16), Moderate stress (17–18), or Severe stress (≥19). The results indicated no significant differences in sleep quality based on occlusal characteristics. However, participants with Type A occlusion (posterior contact without anterior contact) exhibited higher stress scores than those with Type B occlusion. Correlation analysis showed a weak negative association between stress scores and occlusion type, but no significant relationship was found between occlusal characteristics, sleep quality, and stress levels. In conclusion, individual occlusal characteristics have limited explanatory power regarding their effects on sleep quality and stress. Full article

In recent years, the Korean government has begun to encourage college students to start businesses due to college students’ employment difficulties. The government has implemented various policies to support college students to start businesses. In this study, we attempted to determine the relationship between ES (entrepreneurship), EA (entrepreneurial attitude), and ESE (entrepreneurial self-efficacy), psychological variables known to affect EI. Data were collected from 415 male and female college students in Korea via a mobile survey. The structural equation model analysis revealed that ES and ESE had positive effects on EI, and the effect of ESE was greater than that of the other variables. The effect of ESE on EA was significant only in the group without EE(NEL) but not in the group with EE(EL). When ES influenced EI, EA had no mediating effect, and when ESE influenced EI, EA played a mediating role positively only in the NEL group. This study identified previously unrecognized ES factors as predictors of EI and showed that ESE is a relatively strong predictor of EI again. This implies that, in order to increase the EI of college students, it is necessary to increase the entrepreneurial ability characterized as objective, rational, realistic, and stable, such as ESE. One of the useful methods is to provide entrepreneurship education to them. Full article

Background: This study aimed to determine whether self-regulation acts as a mediating factor in the relationship between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior, targeting Korean female college students. Obesity-related stress and weight control behaviors are important factors affecting an individual’s health and well-being, and self-control, a psychological trait, can play a pivotal role in regulating how individuals respond to stress and engage in weight management behaviors. Methods: This study employed a descriptive correlational design. A total of 109 female college students with overweight and obesity participated in the study. We used a self-report questionnaire to measure obesity-related stress, self-control, and degree of weight control behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis, and bootstrapping using Hayes’ PROCESS macro for mediation. Results: Significant relationships between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior (r = 0.25, p < 0.001), obesity-related stress and self-control (r = −0.36, p < 0.001), and weight control behavior and self-control (r = 0.26, p < 0.001) were observed. Self-control showed an indirect mediating effect on the relationship between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior (Β = 0.37, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Through the research results, it was confirmed that self-control is a factor that has a mediating effect in the relationship between obesity-related stress and weight control behavior among female college students with overweight and obesity. These results underscore the importance of addressing self-control strategies in interventions aimed at promoting healthy weight management among female college students with overweight or obesity. Full article

College students’ physical activity and depression are important factors that can predict physical and psychological health after middle age. In particular, it is necessary to approach these two variables with interest in female college students who show less physical activity and a higher tendency to depression than male students, especially at a time when physical activity is reduced due to COVID-19. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between differences in depression according to the amount of physical activity before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and variables for female college students. A total of 467 students attending colleges in two cities participated in the study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess physical activity and depression, respectively. For the analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation analysis were conducted. The results are as follows: first, the total physical activity of female college students decreased, and depression increased due to COVID-19. Second, depression levels differed among female college students according to their level of physical activity before and after the pandemic. Finally, a negative correlation was found between the amount of physical activity and the level of depression among female college students. In conclusion, the amount of physical activity and depression of female college students were judged to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and thereafter, experimental studies to reduce depression in female college students by increasing physical activity are required. Full article

An active lifestyle elicits many health benefits. This study’s aim is to understand the actual of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) of female university students in Korea who are experiencing stress due to, e.g., study and employment. LTPA is the degree of exercise participation in leisure time; it is cardiovascular and strength-based behavior occurring within recreation, exercise or sport and provides a positive effect on life satisfaction and psychological well-being. LTPA has been recommended as a method of reducing menstrual symptom severity. However, a lack of evidence exists to support a clear relationship between LTPA and menstruation in female university students. Health consciousness (HC) refers to the degree of interest in one’s health, and Korean female university students pay considerable attention to their body shape, diet habits, and LTPA. This study investigated female university students (K University in Gangwon-do, D University in Busan, and U University in Ulsan) in three metropolitan cities in Korea. Specifically, after seeking cooperation from the person in charge of each university, the purpose of this study was explained. In addition, after promising to provide coffee coupons to students who wish to respond to the survey, cooperation was sought in recruiting research subjects through the person in charge of each university. In addition, a total of 36 surveys that did not have contents filled in fully or gave inconsistent answers were excluded among all survey participants. Chi-square test, t-test and univariate one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis were performed for between groups (HC, LTPA, intention to participate in LTPA). The LTPA results in relation to the menstruation patterns of Korean female college students are shown. First, there were no significant differences between menstruation (regular vs. irregular) and general LTPA during non-menstrual time periods (χ² = 5.828, p < 0.212). However, female university students with regular menstruation patterns had higher LTPA after menstruation compared to female university students with irregular menstruation. Second, there were significant differences in the relationships among HC (p = 0.000), amount of LTPA (p = 0.002), and intention to perform LTPA (p = 0.002), according to the menstruation patterns (regular vs. irregular) of Korean female university students. In other words, those with regular menstruation patterns showed higher HC, amount of LTPA and intention to participate in LTPA than those with irregular menstruations. Third, there were significant differences in the relationship among HC (p = 0.000), amount of LTPA (p = 0.000), and intention to participate in LTPA (p = 0.000) according to LTPA of Korean female university students. Causation cannot be inferred from correlational studies. Therefore, female university students ultimately have different HC and participation in LTPA depending on menstruation regularity. Full article

Work engagement is a factor that has key influence on learning outcomes for college students. The psychometric properties of the Korean version of the 17-item Utrecht work engagement scale for students (UWES-S) survey have yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the 17-item UWES-S among Korean college students. A total of 248 college students were recruited from three universities in South Korea. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS and the Mplus program. Among 248 college students, the mean age was 21.19 years, and 87.5% of the students were female. Reliability was deemed satisfactory by Cronbach’s alpha 0.940, McDonald’s omega 0.941, and composite reliability 0.941. Construct validity was supported by confirmatory factor analysis results (CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91, SRMR = 0.05, RMSEA = 0.08). Convergent validity was supported by the significant relationship between academic engagement and burnout (r = −0.344, p < 0.001). Our findings showed that the Korean version of the 17-item UWES-S was a reliable and valid instrument. This instrument can be used to assess and improve work engagement in college students. Full article

Korean young adults are exposed to higher career stress than ever before, and such stress exerts a negative impact on mental health outcomes. The present study aimed to understand the mediating effect of career stress on the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and mental health using a sample of 420 Korean college students. The present study also investigated the moderating role of mindfulness in the mediated pathways across gender groups. This study’s results showed that there are considerable gender differences in this relationship. Career stress significantly mediates the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression and life satisfaction only for females. Study findings also indicated that the moderating effect of mindfulness was more remarkable for female students than for male students. Implications and future directions are discussed. Full article

Excessive focus on appearance or lookism requires social attention as it can have negative consequences on individuals’ psychological and mental states related to health and sustainable social practice. As part of a healthy and sustainable social practice, this study tests the mechanism of enhancing appearance-related health campaign’s effectiveness through the O1-S-O2-R framework. Participants were 220 Korean college students with being 141 male and 78 female and they completed an on-line survey. The result of SEM analyses confirmed the O1-S-O2-R model. As the result of hypotheses testing, health campaign contents suggesting anti-lookism and diverse beauty standards have attracted the attention of people whose parents conversed using relatively less healthy-appearance talk when growing up and who had higher self-objectification scores with body surveillance and body shame. Interpersonal conversations and thoughts on the media content played a mediating role in the model, while health campaigns had a higher persuasive effect on campaign evaluation and the behavior intention of spreading the campaign’s content. Implications of the findings were discussed regarding health campaign designers and individuals, including parents, in education settings. Full article

For many years, body dissatisfaction was considered a western phenomenon, and was studied mostly in Caucasian women. Recent studies, however, suggest that these issues are also present in men and in other ethnic groups. This research investigated the differential effects of various sociocultural pressures transmitted from the media, one’s parents, and one’s peers on the drives for thinness and muscularity, and body dissatisfaction among 1125 Korean college students (56% male) using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that, after controlling for body mass index and exercise, media pressures exerted the largest effects on participants’ body ideals and, in turn, body dissatisfaction across both genders (β = 0.44, and 0.30, p < 0.05, for females and males, respectively). This study’s results also indicate that there are considerable gender differences in this relationship. Specifically, the results show that parental and media pressure had significant indirect relationships with body dissatisfaction via the drive for thinness among females, while peer and media pressures had significant indirect relationships with body dissatisfaction via the drive for muscularity among males. As body dissatisfaction is known to significantly affect an individual’s mental and physical health, future research needs to identify relevant influential factors in this area, as well as the paths they have leading to increased body dissatisfaction. Full article

This study examines Korean college students’ rates and the severity of various negative consequences resulting from the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption and the unique factors that are affecting this problem in the Korean context in comparison to other countries. It assesses how much gender, age and other associated respondent characteristics mediate alcohol use and the resulting negative consequences among the population. A stratified representative sample of 4803 valid student respondents attending 82 colleges participated in the alcohol consumption survey, of which 95% reported drinking in past 12 months. Drinking is measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) screening tool. Based on this test, composite scores for each participant were computed and students were grouped into four risk groups: (a) nondrinkers, (b) light drinkers, (c) moderate drinkers and (d) heavy drinkers. Outcome measures include 21 validated items evaluating self-reported alcohol-related negative consequences. Rates of negative consequences are reported for each drinking risk group stratified by gender. Descriptive statistics, stepwise regression, multivariate linear regression and MANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. The study found that female respondents in the sample who consumed alcohol in the past 12 months drank 11.5 percent less than males (AUDIT-C score μ = 6.0 and 6.7, respectively), and there was a greater proportion of females (5.1 percent) who were nondrinkers than males (4.6 percent). Yet, when females drank, they experienced 11.8 percent more negative consequences on average than males (μ = 1.9 and 1.7, respectively). The study attempts to explain this apparent contradiction. The self-reported rates for many individual negative consequences also varied discernibly by gender. The study concludes with suggestions for how alcohol prevention on Korean college campuses would benefit from targeting females and males differently. Full article

Although participating in regular physical activity has many benefits, female Korean college students tend to have much lower participation rates than their male counterparts. An effective means of increasing physical activity among female college students is sport participation. The purpose of this study is to incorporate three types of psychological needs from self-determination theory as precursor background variables into the theory of planned behavior to predict sport participation among female Korean college students. Our dataset consisted of 494 female undergraduate students attending Kyung Hee University in South Korea. Using structural equation modeling, the direct and indirect effects of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and psychological needs satisfaction such as competency, relatedness, and autonomy were examined. Although attitude towards and perceived behavioral control over sport participation were significantly associated with intention in all three models, subjective norm was not significantly associated with intention in any model. Satisfaction of the psychological needs for competency, relatedness, and autonomy had positive indirect effects on sport participation. This study underscores the importance of addressing the satisfaction of these three basic psychological needs when designing future sport promotion interventions for female college students. Full article

Purpose: Healthy sexuality is an important issue in the transition to adulthood. To maintain healthy sexuality, contraceptive self-efficacy could be the most significant predictor of safe sexuality. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between gender roles and the healthy sexuality of South Korean college students. Method: A cross-sectional study through self-report questionnaires was administered to college students in South Korea. In total, 499 students completed the demographic information questionnaire, the Sexual Attitudes Scale, Sexual Autonomy Scale, and Condom Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: A multiple regression analysis indicated that the contraceptive self-efficacy of male students was predicted by their junior year and sexual autonomy, while that of the females was predicted by their senior year and sexual autonomy. Conclusion: Sexual education focusing on sexual autonomy should be provided for the safe and healthy sexual expression of college students. Full article

The limited research on bullying, mental health (MH), and help-seeking for Asian American (ASA) college students is concerning due to the public health importance. Korean drama (K-Drama) television shows may be an innovative approach to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) on bullying. This study examined whether the KAB about school bullying improved after watching a K-Drama and asked participants about their perspectives of using a K-Drama as an intervention. A convenience sample of college students (n = 118) watched a K-Drama portraying school bullying and MH issues. Pre-/post-tests on KAB on bullying were conducted. Interviews (n = 16) were used to understand their experiences with K-Dramas. The mean age was 22.1 years (1.6 SD), 83.9% were female, and 77.1% were ASAs. Many reported experiences with anxiety (67.8%), depression (38.1%), and school bullying victim experience (40.8%). Post-test scores revealed significant differences in knowledge by most school bullying variables (e.g., victim; witness) and MH issues. There were varying significant findings in post-test scores in attitudes and behaviors by these variables. Participants reported that they “love” the drama, felt an emotional connection, and thought that K-Dramas can be an educational tool for ASAs. K-Dramas may be an effective population-level tool to improve health outcomes among ASAs. Full article

Early detection of metabolic syndrome (MS) in young adults can lead to decreased aggravation and help prevent diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of MS and its components in Korean college students and was based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which used a stratified multistage probability sampling design. In total, 6.5% male and 4.1% female students had MS; of these, 26.6% of male and 25.8% of female students presented with at least one MS component. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were significantly higher in men than in women, and all of these variables showed significant differences according to BMI. As the BMI increased, the level of each anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical variable increased. Although only a few students in Korea had three or more risk factors, the proportion of college students with one risk factor for MS was relatively high. Therefore, educational and intervention programs should be conducted in college students with overweight or obesity so that they can change their lifestyle to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Full article