[Anger and health status in late school-age children].
OBJECTIVE
This cross-sectional study was designed to identify anger-expression types in late school-age children and investigate the relation between the identified anger-expression types and their health status.


METHODS
One thousand twenty seven children in elementary school fifth and sixth grades were recruited from November to December, 2004. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, 2-test, ANOVA, Duncan's multiple comparison test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test.


RESULTS
Three anger-expression types in late school-age children were found; Anger-out/in, Anger-control, and Low anger-expression types. Children frequently using the anger-out/in type among the three types and with a higher state anger reported higher psychosomatic symptoms and depression. Children from a divorced or separated family reported higher state anger.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that a specific anger management program needs to be developed for late school-age children with high state anger and frequently using the anger out/in expression type. For understanding the anger level and the anger expression types of Korean school-age children, further research needs to be done with large samples using a randomized sampling method.
Park
Young-Joo
YJ
College of Nursing, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. yjpark@korea.ac.kr
Park
Eun Sook
ES
Kim
Soo Jeong
SJ
Yang
Seung Sook
SS
Shin
Hyun Jeong
HJ
Im
Hye Sang
HS
Moon
So-Hyun
SH
D000786:Anger; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology