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Abstract Despite the significant impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on various factors related to adolescent mental health problems such as stress, sadness, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts, research on this topic has been insufficient to date. This study is based on the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web–based Survey from 2006 to 2022. We analyzed the mental health problems of adolescents based on questionnaires with medical interviews, within five income groups and compared them with several risk factors. A total of 1,138,804 participants were included in this study, with a mean age (SD) of 15.01 (0.75) years. Of these, 587,256 were male (51.57%). In 2022, the recent period from the study, the weighted prevalence of stress in highest income group was 40.07% (95% CI, 38.67–41.48), sadness was 28.15% (26.82–29.48), suicidal ideation was 13.92% (12.87–14.97), and suicide attempts was 3.42% (2.90–3.93) while the weighted prevalence of stress in lowest income group was 62.77% (59.42–66.13), sadness was 46.83% (43.32–50.34), suicidal ideation was 31.70% (28.44–34.96), and suicide attempts was 10.45% (8.46–12.45). Lower income groups showed a higher proportion with several risk factors. Overall proportion had decreased until the onset of the pandemic. However, a significant increase has been found during the COVID–19 pandemic. Our study showed an association between household income level and the prevalence of mental illness in adolescents. Furthermore, the COVID–19 pandemic has exacerbated mental illness among adolescents from low household income level, underscoring the necessity for heightened public attention and measures targeted at this demographic.

Abstract Previous studies have examined the prevalence of allergic diseases in adolescents 1–2 years after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, more data is needed to understand the long-term impact of COVID-19 on allergic diseases. Thus, we aimed to examine the trend of the atopic dermatitis prevalence in Korean adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic across 14 years. Additionally, we analyze the risk factors of atopic dermatitis (AD) based on the results. The Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency conducted the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey from 2009 to 2022, from which the data for this study were obtained. Prevalence trends were compared across subgroups, and the β difference (βdiff) was calculated. We computed odds ratios to examine changes in the disease prevalence before and during the pandemic. This study included a total of 917,461 participants from 2009 to 2022. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis increased from 6.79% (95% CI 6.66–6.91) in 2009–2011 to 6.89% (95% CI 6.72–7.05) in 2018–2019, then decreased slightly to 5.82% (95% CI 5.60–6.04) in 2022. Across the 14 years, middle school student status, low parent’s highest education level, low household income, non-alcohol consumption, non-smoker smoking status, no suicidal thoughts, and no suicide attempts were associated with increased risk of atopic dermatitis, while female sex, rural residence, high BMI, low school performance, low household income, and no feelings of sadness and despair was associated with a small increase. This study examined the prevalence of atopic dermatitis across an 18-year, and found that the prevalence increased in the pre-pandemic then decreased during the start of the pandemic and remained constant throughout the pandemic. This trend could be explained mainly by the large scale social and political changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Prior research has predominantly focused on the overall effects of the tobacco tax increase and the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent smoking behavior. However, there is a need to examine both the immediate and sustained associations of these two factors on subgroups of adolescents, employing an interrupted time-series model. We aimed to investigate the immediate and sustained association of tobacco tax increase and the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent smoking prevalence. This study utilized data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey to analyze the prevalence of current smoking among all participants (CSP) and the prevalence of daily smoking among current smokers (DSP) of Korean adolescents (n = 1,159,995; mean, age 14.99; male 51.5%) over 18 years from 2005 to 2022. The study examined 18-year trends in CSP and DSP among Korean adolescents, emphasizing the influences of the 2015 tobacco tax increase and the COVID-19 pandemic, using β coefficients and their differences (βdiff) from an interrupted time-series ARIMA model. While CSP exhibited a decreasing trend, DSP exhibited an increasing trend. Tobacco tax increase was associated with both the short and long terms in smoking prevalence, however, the short-term association on prevalence (CSP, − 3.076 [95% CI, − 3.707 to − 2.445]; DSP, − 4.112 [95% CI, − 6.488 to − 1.735]) was stronger. The pandemic was associated with an immediate increase in DSP (9.345 [95% CI, 5.285–13.406]). These effects were strongest among adolescents from low economic status and those exposed to familial secondhand smoking. Supportive programs for adolescents in low-income families will help overcome the effects associated with the pandemic. As a tobacco tax increase was associated with a reduction in smoking prevalence, this could be one method to overcome the effects of the pandemic.

This study aimed to construct and test structural equation modeling of the causal relationship between quality of healthcare, patient satisfaction, and intent to revisit perceived by patients using regional hub public hospitals. In this study, data of 2,951 outpatients and 3,135 inpatients were collected using the "2018 Regional Hub Public Hospital Operational Evaluation." A structural equation model was used to understand the relationship between patient satisfaction and intent to revisit, and bootstrap analysis was performed. In the direct effect, outpatients were presented in the order of the physician's practice service, the hospital's environment, and patient satisfaction. Inpatients were in the order of the physician's practice service and, medical staff's kindness and consideration,; patient satisfaction was shown in this order. In the indirect effect, the outpatients were presented in the order of physician's practice service, medical staff's kindness and consideration, and hospital's physical environment. Inpatients were introduced in the order of medical staff's kindness and consideration, nurse's practice service, physician's practice service, and patient satisfaction. Regional hub public hospitals need high-quality medical services and efforts from all departments to treat patients with sincerity to improve patient satisfaction and increase intent to revisit.