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Brief Communication
- Validation of the Korean version of the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS-K): a non-invasive self-report tool for epidemiological use
- Jeeeun Kim, Dahye Kim, Hyojin Pyun, Woon-Kyeong Jeong, Yuen Mi Cheon, Soo Ji Lee, Joohon Sung
- Epidemiol Health. 2025;47:e2025059. Published online October 24, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025059
- 1,541 View
- 60 Download
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Abstract
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Supplementary Material -
AbstractAs the average age of pubertal onset continues to decline, the need for reliable and culturally appropriate tools to assess pubertal development has become increasingly important. However, no validated, non-invasive, self-report instrument has been available for use in Korea. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the Korean version of the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS-K). The original PDS was translated using a forward–backward translation procedure and reviewed by experts to ensure cultural relevance. The PDS-K was administered to a total of 217 elementary school students (grades 4-6). Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were evaluated using Cronbach’s α, item–total correlations, Cohen’s kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The PDS-K demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α: boys=0.79; girls=0.74) and good test–retest reliability (ICCs: 0.77 for boys; 0.87 for girls). Sex-specific patterns of pubertal progression were also observed. Although further validation across broader age groups and against clinical benchmarks is warranted, the PDS-K provides a practical and culturally adapted tool for the non-invasive assessment of pubertal development and holds promise for large-scale epidemiological research.
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SummaryKorean summary
사춘기 발달은 아동과 청소년의 신체적·정신적 건강에 중요한 변화를 동반하며, 조기 사춘기는 다양한 건강 문제와 연관될 수 있다. 본 연구는 한국어판 사춘기 발달 척도(PDS-K)의 신뢰도와 타당도를 검토하고, 초등학생을 대상으로 그 활용 가능성을 탐색하였다. 연구 결과, PDS-K는 자기보고식 평가 도구로서 일정 수준의 신뢰도와 성장 관련 지표와의 연관성을 보였으며, 성별에 따른 사춘기 발달 양상 차이를 반영할 수 있음을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 아동·청소년의 사춘기 발달을 이해하고, 조기 사춘기와 관련된 건강 문제의 선별 및 예방적 접근에 활용될 수 있는 잠재력을 시사한다.Key Message
Despite the rising prevalence of early puberty in Korea, there is currently no culturally appropriate, non-invasive tool for assessing pubertal development in non-clinical settings. This study developed and evaluated the Korean version of the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS-K), demonstrating its reliability and feasibility. The PDS-K also effectively captured sex-specific patterns in pubertal progression. As a brief and self-administered instrument, the PDS-K is a feasible, culturally adapted tool for non-invasive pubertal assessment in Korea, with potential for large-scale use once further validated.
Original Article
- Can resident registration expiration statistics due to death be used for near-real-time mortality tracking? A validation study using 2023 data from Korea
- Jin-Hwan Kim
- Epidemiol Health. 2025;47:e2025042. Published online August 3, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025042
- 3,202 View
- 57 Download
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Abstract
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AbstractOBJECTIVES
Real-time mortality tracking is essential for public health surveillance, especially during emergencies such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In Korea, delayed availability of vital statistics (VS) data has hindered timely mortality monitoring. This study evaluates whether National Administrative Data (NAD) on resident registration expiration due to death, provided by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, could serve as a reliable alternative for near real-time mortality surveillance.METHODSWe compared mortality counts between VS and NAD for 2023 at multiple geographic levels (county, province, and nation) and across demographic strata (sex and age groups). The analysis was conducted in 3 stages: comparing overall mortality counts, analyzing county-level distributions, and assessing equivalence through correlation analyses, scatter plots, and density plots.RESULTSNAD showed strong agreement with VS at the national level, reporting only 0.4% more deaths overall (0.2% for male, 0.6% for female). Notable differences were observed in early childhood mortality, with NAD showing 16.8% fewer deaths for neonates (age 0) and 14.8% more for ages 1-4, as well as in monthly variations (5-9%). Correlation analyses indicated extremely high consistency between the 2 data sources across all geographic levels (correlation coefficients ≥0.999), especially at the national and provincial levels.CONCLUSIONSNAD provides a reliable alternative to VS for real-time mortality surveillance in Korea, providing comparable accuracy with much-improved timeliness. Although some variations are present in specific age groups and monthly trends, these can be addressed through appropriate analytical strategies. The recent availability of sex-specific and age-specific data in NAD since 2023 establishes it as a valuable infrastructure for mortality surveillance. -
SummaryKorean summary
- 행정자료(NAD)는 통계청 사망통계(VS)와 높은 일치도를 보여 신속한 사망 감시체계 구축에 활용할 수 있다. - 2023년부터 NAD에 성별·연령별 정보가 포함됨에 따라, 한국의 공중보건 위기 대응을 위한 핵심적인 사망 감시 인프라로 발전할 수 있게 되었다.Key Message
- National Administrative Data (NAD) demonstrates high concordance with Vital Statistics (VS), making it applicable for establishing rapid mortality surveillance systems. - With the inclusion of sex- and age-specific information since 2023, NAD has evolved into a critical mortality surveillance infrastructure for South Korea's public health emergency response.
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