Bongseog Kim and Mi Jung Park Table 2. Dissatisfaction Rate (%) in Terms of Weight and Height Group Dissatisfaction / Fair / Satisfaction Weight dissatisfaction Boys 34.4 / 28.2 / 37.4 Girls 32.1 / 26.7 / 41.2 Height dissatisfaction Boys 26.2 / 23.6 / 50.2 Girls 30.2 / 27.7 / 42.1 Weight dissatisfaction Underweight 37.9 / 32.4 / 29.7 Normal 29.0 / 28.2 / 42.8 Obesity 62.5 / 25.0 / 12.5 Height dissatisfaction Short stature 36.9 / 20.0 / 43.1 Normal 27.8 / 25.5 / 46.7 Tall stature 0 / 14.3 / 85.7 NS, non significant. *p value between boys and girls for weight dissatisfaction. p value between boys and girls for height dissatisfaction. p value among weight group for weight dissatisfaction. §p value among height group for height dissatisfaction. Fig. 1. Total problems scores by weight and height status. No significant differences among three groups. Fig. 2. Specific psychological problems by weight group. The underweight and the obese groups had higher scores for social problems than normal weight group (p < 0.05 respectively). SP, social problems; W, social withdrawal; SC, somatic complaints; AD, anxious/depressed; TP, thought problems; AP, attention problems; DB, delinquent behaviors; AB, aggressive behaviors; SexP, sex problems; EL, emotional lability. each CBCL problem score by height status. As a whole, the prevalence rate of CBCL total problems score in the clinical range was 3 percent (12/405). These children showed no differences in terms of weight or height, compared with normal students (Table 3). Among the factors related, only school performance was negatively correlated with the total problems score (p < 0.01) (Table 4). 342 Yonsei Med J http://www.eymj.org Volume 50 Number 3 June 2009 2 NS* NS < 0.001 0.01§ R - 0.20 - 0.04 - 0.20 0.02 0.02 - 0.06 - 0.05 0.05 p-value NS NS < 0.01 NS NS NS NS NS Table 3. Correlations between the Total Problems Score and Related Factors Height SDS Weight SDS School performance score Paternal height (cm) Maternal height (cm) Socioeconomic status Parental education level Number of family member BMI, body mass index; SDS, standard deviation score; NS, non significant. DISCUSSION There were three major findings from this study: 1) approx- imately one-third of elementary school students expressed dissatisfaction with their height or weight, 2) there was no significant difference in total CBCL problem scores accord- ing to weight or height status, and 3) the prevalence of pro- blematic cases was 3 percent and the CBCL problems score was dependent on school performance, but not on weight or height status. As expected, obese children showed significantly higher weight dissatisfaction than normal or underweight children. Prejudice and discrimination toward obese individuals persist despite nationwide increases in the prevalence of obesity in Korea.27 Negative attitudes and behaviors toward obese individuals are likely to be exacerbated by ideali- zation of thinness that prevails in our society. Therefore, it is possible to consider that obesity leads children to have inferiority complexes about their outward appearance, to