To conduct a comparative study of children’s health in South Korea versus North Korea focusing on air pollution.

We used annual mortality rate, prevalence, and environmental indicators data from the World Bank and World Health Organizations (WHO). Trend analysis of the two Koreas was conducted to evaluate changes in health status over time. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to find out the correlation between environmental indicators and children’s health status.

We found a distinct gap in children’s health status between the two Koreas. While North Korea reported a higher death rate of children than South Korea, both showed a decreasing trend with the gap narrowing from 2000 to 2017. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased and that of thinness decreased in both Koreas. Except PM_2.5 exposure, South Korea reported higher figures in most indicators of air pollutant emissions (South Korea, mean (SD)=28.3 (2.0); North Korea, mean (SD)=36.5 (2.8), P-value=0.002).

This study empirically discovered the gaps and patterns of children’s health between South Korea and North Korea. North Korean children experienced more severe health outcomes than children in South Korea. These findings imply that epigenetic modification caused by environmental stressors affect children’s health in the two Koreas despite similar genetic characteristics. Considering the gaps in children’s health between the two Koreas, more attention and resources need to be directed towards North Korea because the necessary commodities and services to improve children’s health are lacking in North Korea.

This study aims to investigate the domographic characteristics, main clinical problems, diagnoses and treatments of child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients.

The statistical analyses were based on the clinical reports and medical records of 111 child and adolescent psychiatric patients who wisited to the outpatient clinic during current 6 months.

1)The sex ratio(male : female) of these 111 patients was 1.1:1 and the most frequent age group was adolescent period(13-18 years of age). In sibling order, the first born child was more prevalent. Almost all the patients had both parents and was accompanied by a mother on the first visit. The most living place of the patients was in Seoul. 2) The main problems visiting our coinic were in following order : somatic symptoms, learning problems, anxiety, fear & restlessness, attention deficits, conduct problems and substance abuse etc. 3) Diagnostic distribution of the patients was in following order : conduct disorder, mood disorder, organic mental disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder etc. 4) The patients who visited to the outpatient coinic above 5 times were more frequent. The more frequently used method for treatments was in the sequence of pharmacotherapy combined with psychotherapy and behavior therapy.

These results suggest that the necessity of the space of special therapy(such as play and behavior therapy) for the children and division of child and adolescent psychiatry is very important in current situation.

This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of abnormal behavior, ada-ptability and intelligence of child and adolescents and the usefulness of KAS(Korean Attitude System) as a screening method to detect the psychopathology of child and adolescents.

478 child and adolescents were completed the instruments of KAS that focused on development of behavior, adaptability and intelligence at the children's medical examination center.

The most influenced subcategories to the disturbance of behavior of the subjects were leadership, cooperation, and emotion (in order). The preference of adaptability was high in the fields of literature, law, technology, medicine and sociology. The mean I.Q. of the subjects was high average and not different in both sex. The subjects with below average of I.Q. were three cases(0.6%) and the two of them were boderline and only one case was mild mental retardation. The total number of patients referred to the department of psychiatry was eight cases(1.7%) and revealed the disturbance of behavior, affect, and thought.

Finally the authors concluded that KAS test performed at the children's medical examination center was useful primary screening method to detect the psychopathology of child and adolescents.