Latent classes of smartphone dependency trajectories and predictors of classes among middle school students in South Korea.

PURPOSE: With widespread use of smartphones, side effects of smartphone dependency among adolescents are emerging as a social problem. Screening high-risk groups is important for appropriate interventions to prevent smartphone dependency in early adolescence. This study thus aimed to identify latent classes of smartphone dependency trajectories and predictors of classes among South Korea's middle school students. DESIGN AND METHODS: We used data from 2164 middle school students from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (2018-2020). Latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) was performed to confirm the longitudinal trajectory, and latent class growth modeling (LCGM) was performed to identify latent classes of middle school students' smartphone dependency. Then, multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore predictors of the classes. RESULTS: The LGCM showed that the trajectory of all middle school students' smartphone dependency increased (intercept 30.65, slope = 1.09). However, the LCGM identified three latent classes: (1) low-stable (intercept 23.01, nonsignificant slope), (2) medium-increasing (intercept 30.37, significant increasing slope), and (3) high-increasing (intercept 37.79, significant increasing slope). Predictors of each latent class included gender, aggressive behavior, self-esteem, parental smartphone dependency, parenting attitude, and negative peer relationships. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the smartphone dependency trajectory of all adolescents is not the same, and there are latent classes with different trajectory patterns. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: These findings may contribute to the development of nursing interventions for the smartphone dependency of adolescents. Such interventions should encourage positive factors and eliminate negative factors and, especially, involve parents.

The effect of peer relationship enhancement programs on the prevention of smartphone addiction among late school-age children in South Korea.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effectiveness of a peer relationship enhancement program in preventing smartphone addiction among late school-age children. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study employed a non-equivalent control pretest-posttest design. The participants (the experimental and control groups comprised 27 and 25 participants, respectively) included late school-age children who were registered at eight community children's centers in a region in South Korea. The program comprised group-based play and art activities, spanning 12 sessions, each of which was 90 min long. The outcome variables were peer relationships, depression, self-control, and smartphone addiction. Data were collected through baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up assessments and analyzed through repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA). RESULTS: This program had a significant effect on peer relationships, depression, and smartphone addiction; however, no effect was found on self-control. CONCLUSION: The peer relationship enhancement program of this study was effective in preventing smartphone addiction by improving peer relationships and reducing depression in late school-age children. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The peer relationship enhancement program can be utilized in various pediatric nursing settings to prevent smartphone addiction. Therefore, it contributes to the expansion of the field of pediatric nursing practices.

Change in Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Skin-Colonizing Staphylococcus aureus in Korean Patients with Atopic Dermatitis during Ten-Year Period.

BACKGROUND: A small subset of adolescents atopic dermatitis (AD) tends to persist. This also leads to get more antibiotics exposure with advancing years. Antibiotic resistance has been regarded as a serious problem during Staphylococcus aureus treatment, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). OBJECTIVE: It was investigated the S. aureus colonization frequency in the skin lesions and anterior nares of adolescent AD patients and evaluated the changes in S. aureus antimicrobial susceptibility for years. METHODS: Patients who visited our clinic from September 2003 to August 2005 were classified into group A, and patients who visited from August 2010 to March 2012 were classified into group B. To investigate the differences with regard to patients' age and disease duration, the patients were subdivided into groups according to age. Lesional and nasal specimens were examined. RESULTS: Among the 295 AD patients, the total S. aureus colonization rate in skin lesions was 66.9% (95/142) for group A and 78.4% (120/153) for group B. No significant changes in the systemic antimicrobial susceptibilities of S. aureus strains isolated from adolescent AD patients were observed during about 10-year period. The increased trend of MRSA isolation in recent adolescent AD outpatients suggest that the community including school could be the source of S. aureus antibiotic resistance and higher fusidic acid resistance rates provides evidence of imprudent topical use. CONCLUSION: Relatively high MRSA isolation and fusidic acid resistance rates in recent AD patients suggest that the community harbors antibiotic-resistant S. aureus.

Successful treatment of localized cutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium scrofulaceum with clarithromycin.

Cutaneous infection arising from Mycobacterium scrofulaceum, a nontuberculous mycobacteria, has rarely been reported, and most of the reported infections were disseminated forms in patients with AIDS or other immunocompromising illness. We describe an occurrence of localized mycobacterial skin infection caused by M. scrofulaceum in a previously healthy child that manifested as a red nodule on the cheek. A biopsy specimen of the lesion demonstrated granulomatous infiltration in the dermis. M. scrofulaceum was isolated from culture of a tissue specimen. Polymerase chain reaction amplified specific fragments for M. scrofulaceum. The patient was treated successfully with clarithromycin as monotherapy for 6 months, leading to complete healing without recurrence during a follow-up period of 2 years.

Infiltrative trichilemmal carcinoma treated with 5% imiquimod cream.

BACKGROUND: Trichilemmal carcinoma (TLC) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm that occurs in the sun-exposed skin of the elderly. Although the clinical behavior of TLC appears to be relatively indolent, wide excision or Mohs micrographic surgery is the recommended treatment owing to its locally aggressive growth. Recently, imiquimod has become an important part of the armamentarium in the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer. OBJECTIVE: This article serves to remind dermatologists that in addition to Mohs micrographic surgery and surgical excision, imiquimod 5% cream may have a role in the treatment of TLC. METHODS: In addition to a review of the literature, we present a case of TLC successfully treated with 5% imiquimod cream. CONCLUSION: Its nonsurgical approach and excellent cosmetic result make imiquimod 5% cream another promising therapeutic option for TLC, even though it is histologically infiltrative.

Pustular psoriasis and the Kobner phenomenon caused by allergic contact dermatitis from zinc pyrithione-containing shampoo.

Zinc pyrithione is a shampoo ingredient that has been shown to be safe and effective for dandruff and scalp psoriasis. It is thought to decrease the cell turnover rate in hyperproliferative dermatoses such as psoriasis, and also has fungistatic and antimicrobial activity, although its exact mode of action is unknown. In psoriasis, external factors, such as trauma, infection and drugs, may provoke aggravated manifestations of psoriatic skin lesions. Rarely, irritant or allergic mechanisms are likely causes of psoriatic flare and Kobnerization. A patient had had stable psoriasis for 25 years and no any other skin disease. Within 20 days, she developed an aggravated scaly erythematous patch on the scalp, where a shampoo had been applied, and simultaneously developed pustular psoriasis on both forearms. Patch testing showed a relevant sensitization to zinc pyrithione, and we observed symptomatic aggravation by provocation testing with zinc pyrithione shampoo. We report a rare case of psoriasis aggravated by the induction of allergic contact dermatitis from zinc pyrithione after using antidandruff shampoo.