• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.469-477
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the factors that affect the severity of urinary incontinence and the quality of life of women with urinary incontinence. Methods: An exploratory correlation research design was applied and the sixty women who responded that they currently experience involuntary urine leakage at least once per week were invited to participate in the study. Results: According to the study results, the factors that significantly contribute to the severity of urinary incontinence were age, number of parity, and number of normal deliveries. Other influencing factors, such as obesity, menopausal state, hysterectomy, and number of episiotomies, were not significant to predict the severity of urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence frequency per week and duration of experiencing urinary incontinence were shown to be factors that significantly affect quality of life. Conclusion: In women above 60 years old, multiparity, and multiple experiences of vaginal delivery tended to present a higher level of severity of urinary incontinence. In addition, women with higher frequencies of urinary incontinence per week and a longer duration of urinary incontinence showed a lower level of quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.483-492
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare anxiety, depression and quality of life according to the severity of urinary incontinence in married women. Method: The participants were 168 married women aged 30-65 years who experienced urinary incontinence. The data were collected from May to July, 2006 using a structured questionnaire. Frequencies, percent, means and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, $X^2-test$ and Scheffe test with SPSS win 14.0 program were used to analyze the data. Results: The distribution of urinary incontinence severity was mild 87.5%, or moderate 12.5%. Significant differences in the severity of urinary incontinence were found for the general characteristics of age, education level, having a job and having a spouse and for the obstetric characteristics of type of delivery, and menopause. Differences in the score for anxiety(t=-2.41, p=0.001) and quality of life(t=5.50, p<0.001) according to the severity of urinary incontinence were statistically significant. Conclusion: Women with moderate to severe urinary incontinence should be screened for psychosocial factors. Severity of urinary incontinence in married women negatively affects their quality of life. Further research is needed to determine factors predicting the quality of life for incontinent women.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.66-71
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• 2012

Purpose: We analyzed treatment result to examine the outcome for patients with sacral chordoma and to determine relevant prognostic factors. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 19 patients with sacral chordoma seen at out institution between 1990 and 2010. There were 9 men and 10 women with mean age of 56 years. The average follow up was 63 months (range, 25-144 months). 15 patient received surgical treatment, six of these patient had wide, eight had marginal, one had intralesional margin and 4 patient treated with Radiation therapy only. Results: The disease free and overall survival rate for all 19 patients was 34.7% and 79.7% at 5-years, respectively. Statistical analysis using the log-rank test revealed no significant difference between the surgery and radiation therapy groups in overall survival (p=0.54). Nine of 19 patients had local recurrence at a median of 2.5 years postoperatively. Seven of these 9 patients had distant metastasis at a median of 4.5 years postoperatively. Among the variables, tumor size (p=0.033) and tumor involvement of above S3 (p=0.032) were independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Nine of 15 patients who received surgical treatment had postoperative complication such as voiding difficulty and incontinence. Conclusion: Careful consideration of the patient general condition and predictable complication of the treatment might be the best way to improve patient's survival and quality of life.