KIHASA has published the KCI-listed Health and Social Welfare Review, Vol. 45, No. 1. This issue features 20 peer-reviewed articles.

Article I: "The Effects of Interregional University Enrollment on Marriage: A Study of Four-Year College Graduates," Bae, Hojoong, Korean Women's Development Institute & Yang, Eunmo, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements

The Republic of Korea has been facing serious social problems caused by regional imbalance in development. This study originated from an effort to understand the challenges faced by Korean youth and to explore the societal implications of low marriage and fertility rates. This study analyzes whether young individuals’ decision to pursue higher education at universities located outside their high school residence area influences their transition to marriage. Utilizing data from the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), provided by the Korea Labor Institute, this study examines the impact of interregional university enrollment on marriage outcomes post-graduation. Specifically, the analysis considers students’ residence in their third year of high school and the location of the university they attended. Employing survival analysis to assess the duration between university graduation and marriage, the findings indicate that interregional university enrollment is associated with a delay in marriage transition. Notably, enrollment at universities located more than 40 kilometers away from the high school residence is linked to a lower hazard ratio for transitioning to marriage. The academic significance of this study lies in its empirical investigation of the relationship between interregional university enrollment and marriage outcomes, leveraging nationally representative panel data. Furthermore, the study provides policy implications by highlighting the economic burdens and regional disparities affecting youth in education and marriage, thereby contributing to discussions on addressing these critical societal issues.

Article II: "Analysis of Personal Information Protection Act Compliance in Privacy Policies of Seoul Medical Institutions: Focusing on Website Disclosures," Tark, Ji Won; Kim, Seo Hyeon; Min, Gi Dan; Jang, Su Yeong; Oh, Jun Hyoung - Seoul Women's University

This study analyzed the current state of privacy policies in medical institutions in Seoul, evaluating differences based on their size. The Personal Information Protection Act requires medical institutions to disclose and state their privacy policies; however, systematic research on actual compliance remains insufficient. Of the 10,004 medical institutions in Seoul (14 tertiary, 44 secondary, and 9,946 primary), we focused on those with websites, examining whether their privacy policies were posted and kept up to date. The analysis found that all secondary and tertiary institutions were running their websites and generally met most legal requirements. However, primary institutions with websites only posted their privacy policies without further updates. This pattern was consistent across institutions, highlighting the need for stronger personal information protection and enhanced measures, particularly for primary medical institutions. This study provides foundational data for improving personal information protection in medical institutions.

Article III: "Young Adults' Subjective Class Identification and Child Planning: Focusing on Gender Differences in Perceived Justice and Trust," Nam, Boyoung; Choi, Yoon Hee; Shin, Ja Hyun - Yonsei University

This study examined gender differences in child planning. We hypothesized young adults' subjective class perceptions, as well as their perceptions of fairness and trust, would influence their child planning. We also tested the moderating effects of fairness and trust perceptions by gender. The results showed that female young adults were less likely to have planned for children than their male counterparts. They also reported lower levels of perceived social fairness and trust. No gender differences were found in subjective class perceptions. For both men and women, the absence of child planning was associated with lower perceptions of subjective class, social fairness, and trust. A key finding was that the moderating effect of fairness and trust perceptions on the effect of subjective class perceptions on child planning was significant only for female young adults. Also, the direct effect of fairness and trust on child planning remained significant only for female young adults, confirming that perceptions of fairness and trust in society are important factors in child planning, especially among young female adults. This study confirms that subjective perceptions of class, fairness, and trust are key factors in young adults' child planning, suggesting the need for gender-sensitive policies and awareness raising efforts.

Article IV: "Impact of The Global Financial Crisis on Depression and Self-Rated Health," Lim, Youna, Institute of Health & Environment, Seoul National University & Lee, Jae-jin, Seoul National University

This study explores the impact of the global financial crisis on depression and self-rated health among individuals. The global financial crisis in this study refers to the one triggered by the 2008 US subprime mortgage crisis. We examined changes in depression and self-rated health status across regions by utilizing the fact that the impact in Korea varied by region. Using a quasi-experimental Differen ce-in-Differences analysis, we tested for causality between the economic crisis and individual health outcomes. The study's results showed that for depression, the pre- and post-crisis analyses did not show significant results based on the affected region. However, regional analysis showed that individuals in Dae-gu/Gyeong-buk were more likely to experience depression than those in Gwang-ju/Jeon-nam/ Jeon-buk/Je-ju. For both pre- and post-crisis periods, the likelihood of poor self-rated health was higher in regions more heavily affected by the crisis. These regional differences in depression and self-rated health suggest that the economic crisis can influence both depression and self-rated health. This study addresses the impact of the global financial crisis on individual health in Korea, where resear ch on this topic remains limited.

Article V: "The Impact of Employment Type on Depression among Young Single-Person Household Wage Earners: An Analysis of the Moderating Effect of Housing Instability," Yang, Yeonjae, Yonsei University Center for Social Welfare Research & Song, In Han, Yonsei University

The rapid increase in single-person households among young adults in South Korea, coupled with their mental health problems and social vulnerabilities, has emerged as a critical social issue. This study aims to analyze the impact of employment type on depression among young single-person household wage workers and examine whether housing instability moderates this relationship. Using data from the “2022 Survey on Youth Living,” the analysis focused on 3,710 single-person household wage workers. The findings are as follows: First, temporary and daily workers exhibited significantly higher levels of depression compared to permanent workers. Second, young adults experiencing housing instability reported higher levels of depression than their counterparts without such experiences. Third, the impact of employment type on depression was more pronounced among young adults facing housing insecurity. This study highlights the need for policies and interventions that ensure employment stability and address housing welfare from a mental health perspective for young single-person household wage workers.

Article VI: "The Social Stigma against Drug Addiction: Application of Attribution-Affection Theory and Contact Hypothesis," Kim, Seon-ja & Seo, Mi-kyung - Gyeongsang National University

The purpose of this study is to propose an anti-stigma strategy by applying the attribution-affection theory and the contact hypothesis, both of which are known to explain the stigma process of mental illness to drug addiction. Applying the attribution-affection theory, it can be assumed that the personal responsibility for drug addiction affects behavioral responses (such as social distance, and helping responses), mediated by emotional reactions (including anger, fear, and pity). The contact hypothesis also assumes that various contact experiences influence behavioral responses mediated by emotion. To verify thesetheories, an online survey was conducted on 462 adults. The results showed that, out of the six paths in the attribution-affection theory, five paths, except for the responsibility awareness-anger-helping response, were verified. Therefore, it was found that the higher the personal responsibility for drug addiction, the higher the anger and fear, the lower the pity, and the higher the social distance, with a lower helping response. However, the contact hypothesis revealed that only the path through which contact experience affects behavioral responses, mediated by pity, was statistically significant. Based on these results, we suggest that the public needs to be educated about drug addiction as a disease requiring treatment, and that media coverage of drug addiction’ recovery experiences is important.

Article VII: "The Impact of Midlife Employment Quality on Multidimensional Poverty in Old Age," Hyeon, Ockju, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs & Jung, Kwangyeol, Anseong-si Senior Welfare Center

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of midlife employment-quality trajectories on multidimensional poverty in old age. To this end, this study utilized data from the Korea Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), specifically from the 12th (2009) to the 26th (2023) surveys. The analysis employed the group-based trajectory method to examine employment-quality trajectories, followed by multiple regression analysis to assess the effects of these identified groups on multidimensional poverty among the elderly. The main findings of this study are as follows. First, employment-quality trajectories were classified into five types: 'high stability', 'medium stability', 'radical fluctuation', 'radical exit', and 'gradual exit'. Second, compared to the 'high stability' group, the 'radical exit', 'medium stability', and 'gradual exit' groups were more likely to experience multidimensional poverty. Based on these findings, the study suggests policies to enhance employment stability and improve employment quality among middle-aged wage workers. Additionally, it recommends extending the duration of unemployment benefits, introducing asset-building programs, and enhancing measures to prevent poverty among elderly women.

Article VIII: "The Relationship Between Adolescent Drug Use and Generalized Anxiety Disorder," Lee, HyunHee & Chun, JongSerl - Ewha Womans University

This study examines the relationship between adolescent drug use and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) by employing Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to ensure homogeneity between drug-using and non-drug-using groups. The study compares the mean differences in GAD between these two groups. Data were sourced from the 19th Youth Health Behavior Online Survey (2023), with habitual drug use experiences as the treatment variable, and gender, grade level, academic performance, and economic status as matching variables. Generalized anxiety disorder served as the dependent variable. The results indicate that the mean GAD scores were significantly higher in the drug-using group compared to the non-drug-using group. Furthermore, gender, academic performance, and economic status were found to have significant associations with GAD. These findings suggest that adolescent drug use is closely linked to mental health issues and may act as a key risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders during adolescence. This study underscores the need to address adolescent drug use within an integrated framework that considers mental health concerns. It highlights the importance of developing comprehensive prevention programs, enhancing access to mental health services for adolescents, and addressing gaps in preventive education to mitigate the risks associated with drug use and promote mental health.

Article IX: "Analyzing Factors Affecting Labor Market Status Recovery of Injured Workers: Focus on Differences by Pre-Injury Labor Market Status," Choi, Seoyoung, Sogang University

This study aims to analyze whether the patterns of status recovery among workers with work-related accidents and diseases differ according to their labor market status at the time of injury. Previous studies analyzing occupational return outcomes of injured workers have primarily focused on the type of return to work and characteristics of return jobs as key criteria. However, these criteria are not independent of workers' labor market status at the time of injury, making it difficult to properly assess the impact of industrial accidents and diseases. Using survival analysis methods, this study presents cumulative survival ratio graphs for status recovery across upper, middle, and lower labor market strata, and examines whether factors affecting the likelihood of status recovery differ by stratum. The analysis reveals that while upper-stratum injured workers have high rates of return to their original workplace, they experience long-term status decline when unable to return. In contrast, middle and lower-stratum injured workers, despite lower rates of return to original workplaces, achieve relatively smooth status recovery through reemployment. Factors influencing status recovery also differed: for upper-stratum injured workers, only returning to the original workplace had significant impact, while for middle and lower-stratum injured workers, both returning to the original workplace and the degree of work capacity reduction significantly affected status recovery. These results demonstrate that mechanisms hindering status recovery of injured workers in the segmented labor market are not uniform, suggesting that workers’ status recovery patterns vary by their labor market position. Based on these findings, this study proposes that return-to-work support policies should be differentiated according to workers' labor market status at the time of injury. Furthermore, it emphasizes that return-to-work support policies should be carefully designed to ensure workers' rights to work at the same labor market status as before the injury, with similar compensation and promotion opportunities.

Article X: "Determinants of Unmet Medical Demands within Single-Person Households: A Sample Selection Probit Analysis of the 2022 Community," Park, Chaelin & Kim, Hyun Woo - Chungbuk National University

The current study empirically examines the key factors affecting unmet medical demands among single-person households. The recent growth in single-person households in South Korea has raised concerns that they may be relatively disadvantaged in accessing medical services. To address this concern, this study utilizes the 2022 Community Health Survey dataset and conducts an in-depth analysis of the determinants of medical demands and unmet medical demands within this population. A two-stage model is employed to separately analyze the occurrence of medical demands and the subsequent unmet demands, distinguishing between the process of demand generation and the occurrence of unmet demands. Key independent variables include economic factors, health status, social networks, the availability of medical infrastructure in the region, and differences between urban and rural areas. The findings reveal that these variables significantly impact unmet medical demands, with systematic differences observed between urban and rural areas.

Article XI: "The Impact of Post-Traumatic Stress on Social Adaptation among Disaster Victims: The Moderating Role of Perception of Disaster Psychological Recovery Support," Kim, Minsung & Woo, Kyungmi - Seoul National University

Post-traumatic stress in disaster victims negatively affects their social adaptation, and adequate psychological support can mitigate this effect. However, studies specifically addressing the relationship between these factors are limited. This study aims to examine the impact of post-traumatic stress on the social adaptation of disaster victims and to verify the moderating effect of perception of psychological recovery support in this relationship. Perception of disaster psychological recovery support was measured using a 5-point scale assessing the sufficiency of support received. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted on the responses of 2,300 disaster victims aged 19 years or older, obtained from the 4th Disaster Victims’ Life Change Tracking Survey (2019). The analysis revealed that higher levels of post-traumatic stress were associated with lower levels of social adaptation, and that the perception of disaster psychological recovery support moderated this relationship. These findings suggest that providing sufficient disaster psychological recovery support is crucial for promoting social adaptation, especially for individuals experiencing high levels of post-traumatic stress. Based on these results, this study discusses policy directions for improving support and enhancing social adaptation for disaster victims.

Article XII: "A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis on Parenting Multiple Children," Kim, Hyun Su, Jeonbok State Institute & Bok, Hye Ri, Sungkyunkwan University

This study focused on families with multiple children and analyzed the motivations for childbirth, parenting experiences, and policy needs of their parents. Accordingly, the study aimed to propose policy measures to increase birthrates by organizing the process and contents of changes in the policies and comprehensively analyzing 10 qualitative studies related to parenting since 2005 via qualitative meta-synthesis. The analysis revealed that some parents with three or more children had planned to have more than one child, but others had additional children due to contraceptive failure, a preference for a specific gender, or recommendations from their social environment. Parenting multiple children was seen as a source of fulfillment and personal growth. Parents expressed a need for increased benefits and supports for families with multiple children. In addition, this study highlighted the need for changing public perception of families with multiple children and for creating a social foundation that enables both parents to balance work and family life. The study discussed policy implications based on these findings.

Article XIII: "Policy Strategies for the International Community and Developed Countries for Healthcare Sustainability," Woo, Kyung-sook, Hanyang University; Kim, Youn-hee, Inha University; Shin, Young-jeon, Hanyang University

This study reviewed the policy goals and strategies of the USA, UK, and Canada, which have established measures to ensure healthcare sustainability. These countries have integrated financial, social, and environmental sustainability into their healthcare systems. In contrast, South Korea has lacked comprehensive discussion regarding the development of indicators to measure sustainability in its healthcare system and evaluate related policies. The findings highlighted the need for South Korea to establish goals and response strategies appropriate to its healthcare context, develop a comprehensive sustainability framework with relevant indicators for policy evaluation, and promote systematic and transparent decision-making processes at the governmental level. Furthermore, efforts are needed to address not only the financial sustainability of the National Health Insurance but also the broader economic, social, and environmental dimensions of healthcare sustainability.

Article XIV: "Unmet Healthcare Needs of People with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Implications for Improving Healthcare Accessibility," Lee, Seunghui, Inje University & Shon, Changwoo, Yonsei University

This study compares unmet healthcare experiences between people with and without disabilities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzes the impact of disability status on these experiences. Data from the 2017 and 2020 National Survey on Persons with Disabilities and the Community Health Survey were utilized. Individuals with common disability types (physical, brain lesion, visual, auditory, and mental disabilities, including intellectual, psychiatric, and autism spectrum disorders) were extracted from the disability survey. Based on Andersen’s healthcare utilization model, a 1:3 propensity score matching (PSM) approach was applied to construct a dataset comprising people with and without disabilities. Differences between the two groups were analyzed using chi-square tests, while the effect of disability status was examined using conditional logistic regression analysis. The results showed that during the pandemic, unmet healthcare experiences among people with disabilities more than doubled compared to the pre-pandemic period, whereas they decreased among those without disabilities. Furthermore, the odds ratio (OR) for unmet healthcare experiences among people with disabilities increased more than fourfold in the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, relative to those without disabilities. These findings highlight the urgent need for policy interventions to address healthcare accessibility issues for people with disabilities during public health crises.

Article XV: "A Study on the Types of Addictive Behaviors," Kim, Yong Seok; Ahn, Joseph; Oh, Eun Jung; Cho, Hanna; Jo, Woo Gwan; Park, Hyun Jung; Kim, Eun Seo; Ko, Hyun Bin; Kim, Seong Goo - The Catholic University of Korea

The increasing severity of addiction in Korean society, coupled with the blurring of boundaries between substance and behavioral addictions, presents a complex challenge. This is the first in-depth analysis of addictive behavior types using the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire (SPQ) in a sample of Korean college students (N=392). The SPQ, a self-report instrument designed to assess multiple addictive behaviors simultaneously, measures 16 addictive behaviors, including substance use, gambling, sexual activity, eating, exercise, shopping, work, and relationships. In this study, the 16 addictive behaviors were categorized into two primary types: Nurturant and Hedonistic addictions. Nurturant addictions encompass behaviors aimed at seeking psychological security or satisfaction in relationships with others, including submissive and dominant compulsive caregiving, submissive and dominant relationship behaviors, shopping, work, binge eating, anorexia, and caffeine consumption. Hedonistic addictions, on the other hand, are characterized by the pursuit of immediate pleasure or satisfaction, including substance use, gambling, sexual behavior, smoking, prescription drug use, and alcohol consumption. Exercise was not clearly categorized into either type. These findings align with previous research, particularly Stephenson et al. (1995). The study also revealed consistent results between the female subsample and the overall sample. The findings have implications for the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies that address the underlying motivations and psychological mechanisms associated with each addiction type.

Article XVI: "A Photovoice Study on the Daily Life Experiences of Out-of-School Adolescents," Jang, Jungeun, Ewha Institute of Social Science & Shim, Hai Sun, Daejeon Public Agency for Social Service

This study applied the photovoice research method to explore the daily lives of out-of-school adolescents from their own perspective and in their own voice. The study participants included seven adolescents who had been out？of？school for at least one year and had been using an out-of-school youth support organization for a minimum of one year. A total of six photovoice sessions were held. The data for analysis consisted of 211 photos submitted by the participants and the transcripts of the recorded photovoice sessions. The participants selected six topics regarding their daily lives to share their experiences. The collected data were analyzed using an inductive qualitative analysis method. The results revealed the following themes: “Choosing to leave school due to academic and health issues”, “School-free life not as easy as expected,” “Changed routines in a free and independent life,” “Balanced self-development in virtues, physical well-being, and spirituality,” “Growth through new challenges and encounters,” and “An uncertain future, yet moving forward with dreams.” This study emphasized the importance of connecting out-of-school adolescents with support systems and providing them with relevant information. It highlights the positive aspects of their growth and resilience as they strive toward college entrance and career preparation within limited out-of-school support systems.

Article XVII: "Validation of the Influence of Housing Poverty Types on Suicidal Thoughts among Youth in Transition to Independent Living," Chun, Hwajin, Seongnam City Council; Kim, Jimin, Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Aged; Shin, Ja Hyun, Yonsei University

The purpose of this study is to examine the types of housing poverty among youth in transition to independent living and to identify the characteristics of each type and its impact on suicidal thoughts. For this purpose, this study utilized the first-wave 2023 panel survey on children receiving support and care, and youth in transition to independent living, conducted by the Child Rights Guarantee Agency. A latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on 490 youths in transition to independent living. To explore the characteristics of the identified housing poverty types and assess their impact on suicidal thoughts, Chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and multiple regression analyses were applied. The latent class analysis classified the housing poverty types among youth preparing for independence into four groups: Type1, the ‘Borderline’ group (18.7%); Type2, the ‘Below Minimum Housing Standards and Lacking Essential Facilities’ group (5.51%); Type3, the ‘Unstable Occupancy and Cost-Burdened’ group (64.08%); and Type4, the ‘Subpar Housing Performance’ group (11.63%). Our analysis showed that the ‘Subpar Housing Performance’ group exhibited significantly higher levels of suicidal thoughts compared to the reference group, the ‘Borderline’ group. Based on the results of the study, the academic implications of housing poverty types among youth in transition to independent living and practical and policy measures to alleviate suicidal thoughts in this population were discussed.

Article XVIII: "An Exploratory Study of Homicide-Suicide among Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities," Kim, Mi Ok; Kim, Hyun Ah; Kim, Hyun Jung - Jeonbuk National University

This study aims to explore the circumstances and realities surrounding cases of child homicide followed by parental suicide among parents of children with developmental disabilities. To achieve this, a content analysis was conducted on 52 news reports related to the homicide of children with developmental disabilities, published since 2000 in BIG Kinds. The findings of the study are as follows: First, from 2000 to 2023, an average of 1 to 3 cases of child homicide involving children with developmental disabilities occurred annually. However, the number of cases tripled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, common characteristics of the parents and children involved in these incidents included parental depression and children's challenging behaviors. Third, the primary reasons for child homicide were identified as despair over the current situation, family hardships, and the burdens of caregiving. Lastly, the outcomes of attempted child homicide were as follows: 48.1% resulted in the child's death, while 51.9% involved both child homicide and parental suicide. Notably, a significant number of parents survived their suicide attempts, highlighting the need for support for these survivors. This study sheds light on the harsh realities faced by individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. It is hoped that the findings will serve as foundational data for the establishment of a robust social support system.

Article XIX: "Demographic Context of Household Change and Growth Components in South Korea: 2000~2020," Woo, Haebong, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs

This study analyses the demographic context and factors of household change over the period 2000-2020. In particular, the increase in the number of households is decomposed into headship rate changes and changes in population distribution to understand the demographic context of household change. The standardization-decomposition analysis shows that approximately one-third of the household growth over the past 20 years is due to the increase in the propensities of persons to form separate households, and roughly two-thirds is due to population growth and changes in the age and marital status distribution. The effect of the increase in the headship rate was strongest among widowed/divorced persons (especially women) aged 65+ and never-married persons in their 20s. On the other hand, the effect of population distribution is more pronounced in the middle-aged and elderly population aged 50+, reflecting the impact of aging baby boomers.

Article XX: "Enhancing Psychological and Emotional Support Program in Korean Children's Hospitals: Experts' Perceptions on Introducing Seacrest Studios," Lee, Gyuri; Yang, Seoyoon, Choi, Hyewon - Kyung Hee University

This study aims to explore the limitations of psychological and emotional support programs and donation culture in Korean children's hospitals and to examine the potential of the Seacrest Studios model in addressing these challenges. To achieve this, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 experts from tertiary hospitals in Korea, and the data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological approach. The findings indicate that Seacrest Studios can facilitate positive changes in the hospital environment by providing pediatric patients with opportunities for self-expression and offering caregivers much-needed respite from their caregiving responsibilities. Furthermore, leveraging media content to engage with the public was found to play a crucial role in enhancing the hospital’s public value and establishing a sustainable donation infrastructure. This study highlights the necessity of fostering a stable healing environment and psychological and emotional support in children's hospitals while providing practical strategies to promote a culture of giving. The findings can serve as a foundation for policy decisions and strategic planning for the future implementation of similar programs.