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• Immunization is being delayed due to vaccine hesitancy and negative attitudes toward vaccination. • Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) and Vaccination Attitude Examination Scale (VAX) are recently developed for accurate measurement. • Korean versions of the VHS and VAX showed good psychometric properties in adults. Strategies for reducing vaccine hesitancy and negative attitudes toward vaccination and measures to accurately assess them have been developed worldwide. The Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) and Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale (VAX) are reliable and valid tools. This study evaluates the validity and reliability of the Korean versions of the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (K-VHS) and Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale (K-VAX). We translated the VHS and VAX into Korean using forward and backward translations and tested their psychometric attributes. We collected data from a sample of 2,292 Koreans, recruited in June 2021 from a large online panel using quotas for age and gender. We used content validity, construct validity with confirmatory factor analysis, concurrent validity, and convergent validity to assess the validity of the scales, and tested their reliability with evaluations of internal consistency and stability. The K-VHS and K-VAX showed good model fits in the validity tests, with seven items for one factor and 12 items for four factors, respectively. The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94 for the K-VHS, and 0.86 for the K-VAX) and stability (ICC = 0.86 for the K-VHS, and 0.88 for the K-VAX) of the measures indicated that they are reliable. Both tools are effective psychometric instruments for assessing vaccine hesitancy and vaccination attitudes in Korean adults. K-VHS and K-VAX would be useful for predicting vaccination behaviors in novel infectious disease contexts and communicating the evidence needed to develop related policies or programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to examine the association between morningness‐eveningness preferences, sleep duration, weekend catch‐up sleep duration and depression among Korean high‐school students. A total of 8,655 high‐school students participated from 15 districts in South Korea and completed an online self‐report questionnaire. The following sleep characteristics were assessed: weekday and weekend sleep duration, weekend catch‐up sleep duration, morningness‐eveningness preference, perceived sufficiency of sleep, self‐reported snoring and sleep apnea, daytime sleepiness, and sleep environment. Age, gender, body mass index, number of private classes, proneness to internet addiction, and depressive mood were also evaluated. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to compute odds ratios for the association between depression and sleep characteristics, after controlling for relevant covariates. Eveningness preference was a significant predictor of depressive mood (adjusted OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.47–1.99). Weekend CUS durations that were ≥2 hr and enrollment in numerous private classes were associated with a lower risk for depression (0.68, 0.55–0.85; 0.76, 0.60–0.95; respectively). Female gender, underweight and obese body weight, short weekday sleep durations, excessive daytime sleepiness, perceived excessiveness and insufficiency of sleep, self‐reported snoring and sleep apnea, proneness to internet addiction and a non‐optimal sleep environment were associated with an increased risk for depression. Eveningness preference and insufficient weekday sleep duration were associated with an increased risk for depression. Weekend CUS duration ≥2 hr reduced the risk for depression. Diverse aspects, including sleeping habits and sleep‐related environmental factors, should be considered to reduce depressive symptoms in late adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies indicate that circadian preference is associated with various energy metabolism and metabolic disorders. However, little is known about the associations between a circadian rhythm and blood lipid levels, especially in humans. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the circadian rhythm affects serum lipid levels in Korean adults. We designed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the associations between circadian preference and blood lipid levels in Korean adults. A total of 1984 participants (range of age 19–81 years) were included in this study. Propensity scores were calculated using logistic regression with age, sex, and body mass index. A total of 435 subjects were evaluated by propensity score matching analysis, equally distributed into morningness, intermediate, and eveningness groups, each with 145 subjects. Circadian preference was evaluated by the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Participants with the evening preference had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non–HDL-C) when compared with those with morning or intermediate preference, after adjusting for confounding variables. Regarding other lipid parameters, both total cholesterol/HDL-C and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C in the evening preference are significantly higher than those of other circadian preferences. Evening preference was also significantly associated with a higher atherogenic index of plasma. Our study demonstrates that there is a significant association between circadian preference and blood lipid levels. Our findings suggest that individuals with evening preference could have a greater risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. • Circadian rhythms regulate a variety of physiological functions in humans. • This cross-sectional study was conducted using 1:1:1 propensity score matching. • Evening preference potentially has a more atherogenic lipid profile. • The circadian rhythm plays a key role in lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]