Purpose: This study examined the prevalence of food allergies and allergenic factors in a selected sample of children living in Seoul, Korea, along with their dietary habits, environmental factors, and diseases as risk factors for food allergy. The results of this study will provide basic data for addressing food allergies. Methods: We selected 3,004 preschool and school-age children, aged 0~12, in the 25 districts of Seoul as the study sample. Structured self-report questionnaires were administered over a two-month period in July-August 2018, and the children's parents recorded the answers on their children's behalf. The research tools in this study included the Korean version of the questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Results: The physician-diagnosed prevalence rate of food allergies was 14.2%, while 20.4% of the children experienced allergic symptoms at least once and 17.4% reported symptoms within the previous 12 months. The children's symptoms included skin problems (88.1%), gastrointestinal issues (19.2%), oral issues (16.7%), respiratory issues (12.7%), and systemic issues (1.3%). The causes of allergies included eggs, peaches, milk, peanuts, and shrimps. The factors influencing the experience of food allergies were the consumption of cereal (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.092 .10; p = 0.013), potatoes (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.33~2.65; p < 0.001), and fast food (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.10~2.72; p = 0.017). Having food allergy symptoms was associated with a higher risk of experiencing asthma (aOR, 4.22 95% CI, 3.10~5.76; p < 0.001), allergic rhinitis (aOR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.03~3.15; p < 0.001), and atopic dermatitis symptoms (aOR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.88 4.40; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Episodes of food allergies warrant examining regular food consumption and placing dietary restrictions through early diagnosis as these episodes may imply the presence of other allergies. Our findings offer basic insights into the patterns, prevalence and symptoms of children's food allergies in Seoul, and our findings will contribute to identifying effective interventions for food allergies.

This study aims to explore ways to apply PBL to the college general writing course for foreign undergraduates, and to suggest the instructional design plan for intermediate and advanced learners of the Korean language.First of all, this paper reviewed the goals of general writing education at university, discussed the specificity of foreign undergraduates, and examined the possibility of applying PBL to college writing. In addition, this study analyzed the demands of problem-solving skills from the school, and from within society, along with the needs for writing education of 151 foreign undergraduates.Based on the above discussion, this study proposed the goal of college general writing for foreign undergraduates in order to cultivate their problem-solving ability, their critical thinking ability, their creativity, and their communication and collaboration ability. In addition, it presented the instructional model applying PBL in the writing process. This model can be differentiated according to the Korean proficiency standards. Lastly, through the course plan of K university, the problem to solve, the team composition, the learning support tools, and the required final product for intermediate and advanced learners are presented.

This study aimed to find more effective ways to conduct online classes by comparing the foreign students’ perceptions regarding synchronous and asynchronous classes in a liberal arts writing course. While asynchronous online writing classes ran in the first semester, synchronous classes ran in the second semester of 2020 at A university. The survey of satisfaction, which included the perceptions of the foreign students, was given to students studying Korean at the intermediate and advanced levels after each semester. As a result of this survey, we learned that the difference in the style of the student’s online classes did not affect their perception of the teaching contents, nor their perception of their instructors. However, students perceived synchronous classes more positively than asynchronous classes. In particular, there was a significant difference when it came to interactions. For instance, the advanced students were more positive about the synchronous classes regarding their concentration levels, their “sense of presence,” and their overall understanding of their instructor’s feedback. However, both levels of students were positive about the asynchronous classes when it came to their management of the learning process. Through this study, we confirmed that the synchronous class is suitable for liberal arts writing courses, which implement writing practice and feedback. However, additional materials, such as prerecorded lectures, should be provided according to the students’ Korean level and other considerations.