30% of Out-of-School Youth Have Poor Health... High Incidence of Kidney and Hypertension Diseases

Analysis of Health Checkup Results for 5,654 People in 2022
Increase in Fast Food Like Hamburgers with Age Up

A survey revealed that 3 out of 10 out-of-school youths require special health care.

Out-of-school youths refer to adolescents who have dropped out, withdrawn, deferred, are unregistered, or have not enrolled before completing the regular education curriculum after graduating from elementary, middle, or high school.

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On the 6th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that an analysis of health checkup data for 5,654 out-of-school youths aged 9 to 18 last year showed that 25.9% (1,462 individuals) were suspected of having diseases.

By disease, the order was ▲kidney disease (563 individuals, 10.0%) ▲hypertension (393 individuals, 7.0%) ▲dyslipidemia (195 individuals, 3.4%) ▲liver disease (193 individuals, 3.4%). Additionally, 4.8% (269 individuals) were suspected of having two or more diseases.

The proportion of individuals immune to hepatitis B was 27.7% (1,272 individuals), indicating that 7 out of 10 youths need hepatitis B vaccination, and 7 youths (0.2%) were suspected of hepatitis C.

Among 1,661 youths who underwent optional testing, 3 (0.2%) were suspected of syphilis, and 8 (0.5%) of chlamydia. No youths were suspected of HIV or gonorrhea.

Among 4,147 youths who received oral examinations, 1,312 (31.6%) required treatment, and 445 (10.7%) needed caution, indicating poor oral health management. 831 youths (20.0%) had dental caries. The average number of cavities was 2.7, with periodontal disease at 14.8% (613 individuals) and malocclusion at 20.9% (866 individuals).

The average height was 144.6 cm for elementary school age, 163.2 cm for middle school age, and 166.3 cm for high school age, while the average weight was 40.1 kg, 56.1 kg, and 63.2 kg, respectively.

Skipping Breakfast Increases with Age... Dependence on Fast Food Rises

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Regarding lifestyle habits, the rate of regular breakfast consumption decreased with age, while the intake of instant foods such as soft drinks and hamburgers increased.

The rate of regular breakfast consumption was highest at 82.3% for ages 9-12, 65.8% for ages 13-15, and 40.4% for ages 16-18, showing a decline with age. Conversely, the daily consumption rate of instant foods was 11.9%, 15.8%, and 22.5%, respectively, showing a gradual increase.

Additionally, as age increased, the rate of exercising vigorously enough to sweat or become breathless at least three times a week decreased, while the rate of spending more than two hours a day on the internet or gaming increased.

The rate of engaging in intense physical activity at least three times a week was highest at 68.4% for ages 9-12, 44.5% for ages 13-15, and 34.7% for ages 16-18, decreasing with age. In contrast, the time spent on the internet or gaming for more than two hours daily was 16.6%, 43.7%, and 58.9%, respectively, increasing with age.

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Conducts Free Health Checkup Program for Out-of-School Youths

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The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been conducting a free health checkup program for out-of-school youths since 2016 to promote their health.

For youths suspected of having diseases, the ministry links them to special support projects for at-risk youths, providing treatment and surgery costs through city, county, and district offices. For out-of-school youths requiring treatment, the regional Dream Dream Centers offer health guardian services, supporting treatment and medical expenses at six national veterans hospitals nationwide (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon).

Furthermore, to enhance the health of out-of-school youths, starting next year, the basic health checkup items will be expanded from the current 17 to 26 items, including eye diseases, ear diseases, skin diseases, waist circumference, high-density and low-density (HDL·LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Additionally, for mental health care addressing depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity, each out-of-school youth support center conducts 'psychological, emotional, and environmental diagnostic scale' tests and connects youths to professional counseling institutions.

Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, stated, "In the current situation of decreased physical activity and nutritional imbalance among youths, it is very important to instill correct health awareness and help them develop healthy lifestyle habits to prevent adult diseases in advance. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will actively support out-of-school youths to regularly check their health status and detect diseases early."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.