Reflections on obesity,exercise,and musculoskeletal health

Obesity is a disease that has become an epidemic in economically developed countries,and manifests itself at increasing rates in economically developing countries.Obesity is associated with a variety of comorbidities,such as metabolic disease,diabetes,cardiovascular diseases,and musculoskeletal disorders,all resulting in tremendous costs to health care systems around the world,a reduced capacity for work,and reduced quality of life for people with obesity,coupled with physical inactivity,thereby producing a vicious circle of inactivity-induced diseases that enhances obesity.     

A paradox of learning

Adult education in South Korea has been faced with rapid change under globalization since the 1990s. This article tries to describe the current situation of South Korean adult education and to point out emerging problems. Many problems experienced in South Korea are appearing in other countries, as some of them have been caused by globalization. Therefore, international co-operation is required to resolve those problems and deal with the future of adult education.     

Hearing dogs: a longitudinal study of social and psychological effects on deaf and hard-of-hearing recipients

The organization Hearing Dogs for Deaf People provides assistance dogs that alert their deaf or hard-of-hearing recipients to key sounds, thus increasing their independence and also providing companionship. Fifty-one recipients took part in a longitudinal study to monitor the dogs' working performance over time and to examine the social and psychological effects of having a Hearing Dog. The Profile of Mood State (POMS) questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were used together with a Hearing Dog Questionnaire (HDQ) specifically developed for this study. There were a number of significant differences in measures of well-being between the period prior to placing the Hearing Dog and the period after placement, but there were no comparable differences during the year-long waiting period prior to placement of the dog. Recipients reported significant reductions in hearing-related problems such as response to environmental sounds; significant reductions in measures of tension, anxiety, and depression; and significant improvements in social involvement and independence. The longitudinal nature of this study supports evidence that these improvements persist for some time after the placement of a dog, with significant differences being reported, in many cases, up to 18 months after acquiring a dog.