PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the toilet training status (TTS) of Korean toddlers and their mothers' level of knowledge of toilet training (TT) and to identify the relationship between toddlers' TTS and mothers' level of knowledge of TT.
METHOD
The participants in this study were 315 12-29 month old infants and their mothers recruited from outpatient clinics of hospitals and day care centers. T-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
TTS of Korean toddlers showed was more advanced compared with previous research samples except for independent hand washing after toileting and this improved with age. The mothers showed higher understanding of the importance of a positive experience and a different pace for each child in the appropriate period for toilet training but less appreciation of the readiness of child to initiate TT. There was a significant correlation between TTS and mothers' level of knowledge of TT.
CONCLUSION
Using the above findings, health professionals who work with children and their families need to develop parent education programs on TT that will promote toddlers' physical and socio-emotional development.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to develop a safety education program for elementary school students by comparing elementary school teachers and students on their demands for safety education.
METHOD
The data were collected from 1,754 1-6th grade elementary school students and 335 elementary school teachers (6 elementary schools) using self- report questionnaires.
RESULTS
1) The mean score for level of demand for safety education by elementary school teachers was 4.43 (+/-.44) and for students, 4.01(+/-.65). 2) There was a significant difference in the level of demand for safety education between the elementary school teachers and students (t=-14.46, p=.000). 3) There were significant differences in the level of demand for safety education according to teachers' gender (t=-4.36, p=.000), teachers' concern about a safe life (t=5.14, p=.000), teachers' perception of a safe life (t=3.08, p=.002), students' gender (t=-3.89, p=.000), students' grade (t=5.06, p=.000), students' concern about safe life (t=13.09, p=.000), students' safe life practices (t=11.64, p=.000), students' previous experience of safety education (t=2.02, p=.045), and students' recognition of the importance of safety education (F=67.31, p=.000).
CONCLUSION
To develop effective safety education programs for elementary school students, it is necessary to give precedence to demands and interest in safety education of the students.

OBJECTIVE
School nurses should be knowledgeable about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and have tolerant attitudes to children with ADHD. This study was done to identify school nurses' knowledge about, and attitudes to, ADHD.
METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted. The participants were the 245 members of a school nurse association in C province in southern part of Korea. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Of the 245 packets mailed to members, 126 (51.4%) were returned, and of these, 122 packets (49.8%) were suitable for data analysis. School nurses in this study lack knowledge about ADHD. Moreover, school nurses reported low tolerance in their attitudes toward children with ADHD. There was no significant correlation between knowledge and attitudes in the management of ADHD among school nurses.
CONCLUSION
Findings from this study show that school nurses have limited knowledge about ADHD and its treatment with stimulation medication. Moreover, their attitudes toward children with ADHD were in the low tolerant range. An educational program on ADHD for school nurses need to be developed and provided to facilitate the school nurses' role in assessing and caring for children with ADHD.

PURPOSE
This study was done to investigate effect of Meridian massage on the growth of infants and on parenting stress and parenting self-efficacy in their mothers.
METHOD
The participants were 65 mothers of infants who visited one public health center in Yangju City. Data were collected from February, 2007 to December, 2007. Infants in the experimental group were given Meridian massage for 50 minutes (lecture 20 minutes, practice 15 minutes, preparation and arrangement 15 minutes) once a week for 6 weeks. Percentages, means with standard deviation, Fisher's Exact Test, chi-square test, Repeated Measured ANOVA and ANCOVA were used, with the SPSS program, to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Infants in the experimental group showed an increase in height compared to those in the control group, but there was no difference in infant weight between the two groups. Compared to the control group, mothers in the experimental group has significantly less Parenting Stress and Parenting Self-efficacy.
CONCLUSION
The above findings suggest that maternally administered Meridian massage should be applied in clinical practice to improve growth of infants, emotional condition of mothers and interaction between infants and their mothers.

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of questionable development according to developmental screening testing for children, and to explore biological and environmental risk factors of developmental delays.
METHOD
The study participants were 153 children under two years of age. A questionnaire and Home Observation for measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory were used to collect data, and Korean Denver II was administered.
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of questionable development was 11.1%. Significant differences in biological factors between the normal development group and questionable development group were the rate of prematurity, twins, the educational level of mother and father's and the presence of an illness in the mother (p<.10). Maternal acceptance in HOME was significantly different between the two groups. The factors related to questionable development that were significant in the logistic regression analysis were prematurity (OR=3.56, p=.026), and maternal acceptance in HOME score (OR=.629, p=.028).
CONCLUSION
Early developmental screening tests seem necessary for all children, especially for prematurely born children. Also, child rearing environments were identified as significant factors in the development of all children. These findings suggest that the HOME scores might be useful in identifying children at risk for developmental delays, and that interventions for these children will probably be more effective if their mothers are helped to provide a more appropriate social environment.

PURPOSE
In this study the effects of Self-Development program on self-esteem and communication in middle school students were examined.
METHOD
Forty-three middle school students in D City participated in a survey, which was carried out from October to November, 2007. To test the effects of the Self-Development Program, the students were divided into two groups, an experimental group (23) and a control group (20). The research design used in this study was a nonequivalent control group pre-posttest quasi-experimental research design. The research tools included a self-esteem scale and a communication scale. Chi-square test, paired t-test, and t-test were used to analyze the data with the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program.
Result
Significant differences were found in self-esteem scores between the experimental group and the control group. But there were no significant differences between the two groups on communication scores.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that the Self-Development program is a useful nursing intervention for improving the self-esteem of middle school students.

PURPOSE
This study was done to identify types of gender role identity in female adolescents and to investigate the relationship between types of gender role identity and depression.
METHOD
The research design for this study was a descriptive survey design using convenience sampling. Data were collected through self report questionnaires from 1,497 female high school students in Seoul. Data were analyzed using SPSS 10.0 program.
RESULTS
The androgyny gender role identity was most common (33.9%). Of the types of gender role identity that had a significant relationship with depression. androgyny gender role identity had the lowest significant relationship to level of depression level, followed by masculinity, femininity, and undifferentiated type.
CONCLUSION
It is necessary that nurses provide interventions to help female adolescents develop gender role identity toward androgyny.

PURPOSE
This study was done to estimate the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) and its risk factors for AD in children living in the community.
METHOD
Random samples of 10,236 were selected from 43 kindergarten (1,418) and 57 elementary (8,718) students in K city. Data from 1,079 (kindergarten children) and 7,271 (elementary) students were used in the final analysis. The Korean-translated modified version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISSAC) questionnaire was used in this cross-sectional survey. Parents answered the survey questionnaire.
RESULTS
The lifetime and last 12-month prevalence of AD were 40.15%; 30.86% in kindergarten children and 33.56%; 25.37% in elementary children. The lifetime and last 12-month prevalence of AD diagnosis were 40.8%; 18.68% in kindergarten children and 34.36%; 12.63% in elementary children. The lifetime prevalence of AD treatment was 25.93% in kindergarten children and 22.07% in elementary children. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that risk factors for AD were age, allergic disease, age of house, carpets, pets.
CONCLUSION
The study suggests that prevalence of AD has increased among children in the community. These data can be used to manage possible risk factors that are predictors of childhood AD.

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to identify the status of health management and to evaluate the need for health professionals in day care centers in the South Korea.
METHOD
Data were obtained from 360 child care providers in 16 provinces from May to August, 2007. Data was analyzed using SPSS WIN 14.0.
RESULTS
Safety education (traffic. 83.8% general safety. 71.6%) was provided more often than the other topic of education. All health related education was provided by child care providers. When minor health problems occurred, the most common management strategy was to send the child home (36.1%). During emergency conditions, majority of child care providers preferred taking the children to medical centers without giving any emergency care and 19.4% reported sending the child home without any immediate care. Child care providers recognized the need for health care professionals.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest the need for services of health professionals in day care centers to satisfy the needs and expectations for health management in these centers. As health professionals, public health nurses or pediatric nurse practitioners may play an important role in health management of children in day care centers.

PURPOSE
This study was done to identify sexual maturity, sexual knowledge and sexual attitude in late elementary school children and to provide basic data to develop more concrete and practical applications for sexual education.
METHOD
The participants were 1,959 fifth and sixth graders from 8 elementary schools in Busan and Gyungnam.
Result
Sexual maturity for boys was at the 1.3+/- .6 stage and pubic hair 1.2+/- .6. Breast maturity for girls was at the 2.3+/- .7 stage, and pubic hair, 1.7+/- .8. Of the boys, 5.9% had experienced nocturnal emission, and of the girls, 20.9% had experienced menarche. Sexual knowledge was lower than the mean. They were not well informed about contraception and sexual disease. Sexual knowledge of girls and of sixth graders was higher than boys and fifth graders. The more mature students had higher sexual knowledge. Sexual attitude was generally positive but was more positive for girls than for boys. Sexual maturity, sexual knowledge, and sexual attitude were positively correlated.
CONCLUSION
Because sexual maturity comes earlier, systematic sexual education is needed for elementary students. Institutional and economic support should continue to be given to the sexual education programs in school, home and community.

PURPOSE
This study was done to determine the effects of a neurofeedback program on brain function and stress in occupational high school students.
METHOD
A nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized with pre-posttest design was used with 62 students. Data collection was done from July to December, 2007. The neurofeedback training was given for 30 minutes at a time, three times a week for 12 weeks. Brain function was measured by brain waves in the frontal lobes of the students and analyzed by eight brain quotients characterizing patterns of EEG rhythms. The instrument used to measure stress was a scale for stress from regular daily life.
RESULTS
After neurofeedback training, the level of brain quotients in students in the experiment group increased(t=2.36, p<.05) and the level of stress decreased(t=-3.59, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
The results of the study suggested that a neurofeedback program is effective for brain function improvement and stress reduction in high school students. Therefore, the conclusion of this study is that neurofeedback programs can be useful to increase brain function and decrease stress in occupational high school students.