Multidimensional measures of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating were studied in samples of 12-15 years old middle school children. Consistent with feminist theories associating body dissatisfaction with rapid social change, Korean girls (n=272) exhibited the greatest body dissatisfaction and the most behaviors associated with disordered eating and were followed in order by Korean boys (n=276), US girls (n=251), and US boys (n=220). The results, which replicated Jung and Forbes (2006) report of greater body dissatisfaction among Korean than among US college women, suggest that (1) these differences originate prior to adolescence, and (2) the sociocultural variables producing greater body dissatisfaction in Korean girls and women also influence body dissatisfaction among boys.

To compare differences in the construction of women's images across the United States and South Korea, this study examines advertisements in fashion and beauty magazines of the two countries. The content analysis includes product/service types, models' characteristics, and the degrees of female objectification in this advertising venue. More body-related than non-bodyrelated product ads are prevalent in magazines from both countries, yet Korean magazines feature more body-related ads than those in the United States. Caucasian models are predominantly used across the two countries, including Korean publications. Although both Korean and U.S. women are predominantly portrayed as decorative objects, models are more often shown as submissive and passive in Korea but a greater emphasis is on body and sexuality in the United States. The homogenized beauty standards and high levels of objectification observed across the two countries demand marketing strategies that are more inclusive of diverse, active images of women.

COVID-19 has severely impacted socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. To support pandemic control strategies, geographically weighted negative binomial regression (GWNBR) mapped COVID-19 risk related to epidemiological and socioeconomic risk factors using South Korean incidence data (20 January 2020 to 1 July 2020). We constructed COVID-19-specific socioeconomic and epidemiological themes using established social theoretical frameworks and created composite indexes through principal component analysis. The risk of COVID-19 increased with higher area morbidity, risky health behaviours, crowding, and population mobility, and with lower social distancing, healthcare access, and education. Falling COVID-19 risks and spatial shifts over three consecutive time periods reflected effective public health interventions. This study provides a globally replicable methodological framework and precision mapping for COVID-19 and future pandemics.

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