• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.35-49
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to analyze variables associated with smoking and selected health behaviors. This study targeted adult men and women over 20 of age. The sample population was drawn from the national sample, and the samples were chosen from the telephone book. A total of 1,500 cases were collected through a telephone based interview survey. As a tool for this study, a structured questionnaire was developed. the variables included self-perceived health status, and selected 7 health behaviors; smoking behavior, physical activities, eating habit, weight control, alcohol consumption, stress management, and cancer exam. The healthy life practice actions of Trans-theoretical model have been classified into five stages. Smokers were more likely than non-smokers to positive attitudes toward smoking and the impact of smoking in this study. This means that smokers's awareness toward the impact of smoking is very week. Smoking behavior was significantly related to other health related behaviors based on the correlation analysis. However, gender, engaging in regular physical activities, moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages, and receiving a cancer examination were the variables that can explain and predict a person's stages of adopting a non-smoking behavior. Self perceived health status was closely related to other health behaviors. Gender, age, and monthly household income were important demographic variables that have significant relationship with the self-perceived health status. Among the health behaviors, regular physical activities and weight control were significant predictable variables. Similar results have been found in the National health and Nutrition examination survey in Korea. As a result of this study, it was found that among the selected health behaviors, engaging in physical activity was an important variable to increase positive sense of health and non-smoking behaviors. Educational and policy level input is needed to increase awareness and provide chances to participate in fitness activities. To those who maintain exercise, the environmental support and diffusion of knowledge information and education data should be strengthened. To change attitudes toward smoking, more in-dept awareness campaign and education should be provided according to people's different behavioral status. In addition, not only diffusing health education data and delivering knowledge information through related programs, but also environmental support system that helps an individual maintain his/her action is required. Such a support system means settlement of the health enhancement base of school, workplace and community should be carried out, and the policy level support and regular programs should be provided and spread to the unit of community.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.249-266
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• 1996

AIDS and the spectrum of Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) infections present a monumental challenge to the health of the Korean public. In response to this special challenge, I think public education and voluntary behavior changes are the most effective measures to fight the spread of the disease. Adolescents represent a critical risk group for prevention and intervention programming. Research indicates sexually active adolescents, homosexual contact, illicit drug use are an gradually increasing. These characteristically adolescent risk-taking behaviors suggest the need for schools and communities to mobilize intervention strategies. Schools are highly efficient ways to reach a majority of young people in Korea with HIV prevention programs. These programs include substantial attention to sexual and drug use behaviors with the long term objective of a multidimensional school health program. Information resulting from risk behavior surveillance activities and guidance on school health curricula is particularly useful. What is needed for adolescents is a revamping of education to give students the critical thinking and analytic skills that allow them to apply knowledge, make decisions, and think independently. The best HIV preventive education provides young people with opportunities to learn and practice just those skills. In the early stages of HIV education were focused solely on information. Providing information is easy but unfortunately, behavior change is not that simple to activate. Information must be combined with values exploration and skilly building, including responsible decision making, negotiation, refusal, and critical thinking skills. The same knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for effective HIV prevention also prevent or reduce other risks, including other sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and alcohol or other drug use. The role of other youth serving organizations in HIV prevention is also important: parental and youth involvement is needed; it's important to presidential and governament leadership is essential to prevention education; promote integrated adolescent programs, to enhance health and education sector collaboration; and of course, we need to expand research on adolescent health and engage the media in health promotion. Among these changes, a school-based systematic health education of AIDS is certainly one of the essentials.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine levels of knowledge, attitude towards infant oral health, and related health behavior of parents. Methods: The sample consisted of 380 parents who were providing care for a child ranging in age from 11 to 16 months. Results: Participants obtained information on infant oral health via the internet, infant care books, and friends. While showing the correct attitude towards infant oral health, the parents were ill-informed regarding infant oral health and engaged in low levels of appropriate health behavior. There were statistically significant differences in infant oral health knowledge according to parents age, education, income, and age of infant. Attitude towards infant oral health was significantly different according to parents education and income. Also, there were significant differences in health behavior practice for infant oral health according to parents age, income, caregiver, and infant age. A significant positive relationship was found between knowledge and attitude to infant oral health. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that for maintenance and improvement of infant oral health, the parents and caregivers of infants should be provided with information and specific methods for infant oral health care.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.667-674
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• 2015

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy in Malaysia, where data are limited regarding knowledge and barriers in regard to CRC and screening tests. The aim of the study was to assess these parameters among Malaysians. Materials and Methods: The questionnaires were distributed in the Umra Private Hospital in Selangor. The questionnaire had four parts and covered social-demographic questions, respondent knowledge about CRC and colorectal tests, attitude towards CRC and respondentaction regarding CRC. More than half of Malay participants (total n=187) were female (57.2%) and 36.9% of them were working as professionals. Results: The majority of the participants (93.6%) never had a CRC screening test. The study found that only 10.2% of the study participants did not consider that their chances of getting CRC were high. A high percentage of the participants (43.3%) believed that they would have good chance of survival if the cancer would be found early. About one third of the respondents did not want to do screening because of fear of cancer, and concerns of embarrassment during the procedure adversely affected attitude to CRC screening as well. Age, gender, income, family history of CRC, vegetable intake and physical activity were found to be significant determinants of knowledge on CRC. Conclusions: The major barriers identified towards CRC screening identified in our study were fear of pain and embarrassment. The findings have implications for understanding of similarities and differences in attitude to CRC amongst elderly patients in other cultural/geographic regions.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.149-166
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• 1999

Self-care and the performance of their own role might be important for the prevention of complications and improvement of quality of life in hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure(CRF). To improve well-being and quality of life for the patients, the author estimated the level of self-care and associating factors through a questionnaire. The information was composed of the knowledge for hemodialysis and renal disease, the level of self-care, health belief, supports from the family, disease-related stresses, personal characteristics, medical history, relationships with medical personnel, etc. The data was gathered from 126 hemodialysis patients who were undergoing hemodialysis in one university hospital and five hospitals in Kyungsangnam-Do area from December 1997 to January 1998, and was analyzed by PC SAS program(version 6.12) with the level of significance($\alpha$=0.05). The mean age of subjects was 47.0$\pm$13.5years with no significant difference in gender distribution. The mean duration of hemodialysis was 39.0 months, and their frequencies of hemodialysis were more than three times per week(77.0%). Only 21.4% had the specific education on hemodialysis and CRF. In the level which was expressed as the score out of 100, the mean of knowledge was 90.7$\pm$9.1 and the mean of self-care was 73.9$\pm$12.7, that means, they only partially carried their knowledge into practice. They showed a significant correlation between knowledge and health belief($\gamma$=0.282); self-care and health belief($\gamma$=0.357), family supports and knowledge($\gamma$=0.221), self-care($\gamma$=0.402), health belief($\gamma$=0.431); and health belief and stress($\gamma$=-0.361). Age, religion, marrital status, education, and relationships with medical personnel showed positive correlations, and smoking showed negative correlation with self-care. In the multiple regression with the level of self-care as dependent variable, and each of the characeristics as independent variables, supports from the family($\beta$=6.615=0.158), the experience of disease specific education($\beta$=4.959), relationships with medical personnel($\beta$=6.615), current smoking($\beta$=-6.986), and current drinking ($\beta$=-7.095) were detected as significant factors. The value of R-square was 34%. In summary, to promote the level self-care and to improve the well beings and Quality of life for the hemodialysis patients, it would be emphasized that they terminate smoking and drinking, and it would be recommended that the education programs and supports from the family be strengthened. And, because there was a considerable difference between the level of knowledge and self-care, it would also be emphasized to propose the education programs which focused on execution. In addition to that, there is a need to improve relationships between the patients and medical personnel through positive changes in the attitudes of the medical personnel.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.474-485
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• 2012

Purpose: The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses [QSEN] initiative group has identified six competencies (patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics) for pre-licensure nursing education along with related knowledge, skills, and attitudes for each competency. The purpose of this article is to illustrate a teaching strategy that uses films to demonstrate the QSEN competencies in undergraduate nursing students. Method: A literature review was conducted to define QSEN competencies, and six feature-length commercial movies were selected through a systematic process. We provided film titles and their synopses that can be useful in teaching the QSEN six competencies to undergraduate nursing students. Results: Patch Adams for patient-centered care, Wit for teamwork and collaboration, Lorenzo's Oil for evidence-based practice, Am$\acute{e}$lie for quality improvement, Blindness and The Island for informatics can be applied in nursing classroom practices. Conclusion: Establishing the connection between QSEN competencies and cinenurducation is novel, yet it would provide a unique opportunity for nurse educators seeking to overcome the challenge of better preparing future nurses. In future studies, additional films should be considered to enhance nursing educational strategies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2515-2519
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• 2015

Purpose: To determine knowledge levels of working and student nurses about cervical cancer and prophylactic cancer vaccines. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 259 nursing students in the Department of Nursing and 137 nurses working in Health Research and Practice Center, approved to participate in the study between April-June 2012. The study was performed universally without selecting a sample. A questionnaire that was prepared for evaluating participants' knowledge and attitudes about human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine was distributed to the nurses and data obtained from the forms were transferred to SPSS 15.00 program and statistically analyzed. Results: It was found that 54.8% of the student nurses were between 21-24 years old and 13.1% of working students were between 25-28 years old. When student nurses and working nurses were compared in terms of their knowledge about the causes of cervical cancer, their ideas about prevention from cervical cancer with HPV vaccine, their ideas about possible risks of HPV vaccine and conservation ratios of HPV vaccine, it was observed that there were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05). When student nurses and working nurses were compared in terms of the information-source about HPV, ways of HPV contamination, awareness about people who are susceptible to HPV contamination and age of HPV vaccination, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusions: It was found that all nurses had some knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV vaccine, but this was not sufficient. Therefore; it is recommended to use verbal, written and visual communication tools intensively in order to have topics on cervical cancer, early diagnosis and prevention in bachelor and master programs for nurses, to inform society about cervical cancer and HPV vaccine for public health and to teach precautions for its prevention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.295-300
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• 2012

Breast self-examination (BSE) is important for early diagnosis of breast cancer (BC). However, the majority of Turkish women do not perform regular BSE. We aimed to evaluate the effects of education level on the attitudes and behaviors of women towards BSE. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 413 women (20-59 years), divided into university graduates (Group I, n = 224) and high school or lower graduates (Group II, n = 189). They completed a 22-item scale assessing the knowledge level, attitudes and behaviors regarding BSE, and the Turkish version of the Champion's Revised Health Belief Model. A significantly higher number of women in Group II did not believe in early diagnosis of BC. A significantly higher number of Group I had conducted BSE at least once, and their BSE frequency was also significantly high. Moreover, a significantly lower number of Group I women considered themselves to not be at risk for BC and the scores for "perceived susceptibility" and "perceived barriers" were significantly higher. Logistic regression analysis identified the university graduate group to have a higher likelihood of performing BSE, by 1.8 times. Higher educational levels were positively associated with BSE performance. Overall, the results suggest that Turkish women, regardless of their education level, need better education on BSE. Consideration of the education level in women will help clinicians develop more effective educational programs, resulting in more regular practice and better use of BSE.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.396-417
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• 1991

In order that nursing care an essential quality of nursing practice be acceptable and satisfying, it is necessary that client's culture be respected and that nursing practice be appropriate to that culture. Since cultural elements are an important influence on health practices and life patterns related to medical treatment, recovery from and prevention of disease, nurses need to have an understanding and knowledge of social and cultural phenomena to aid in the planning of nursing interventions. To understand the health practices surrounding health and illness, the health beliefs and practices of both folk and professional healing systems should be ascertained. Cultural data are required to provide care of high quality to clients and to reduce possible conflict between the client and the nurse. It is nursing's goal to provide clients from various cultures with quality nursing care which is satisfying and valuable. The problem addressed by this study was to identify Korean health practices which would contribute to the planning of professional caring practice with the culture : ultimately this study was intended to make a contribution to the development of the science of nursing. The concrete objectives of this study were ; 1) to identify Korean health practices, 2) to interpret the identitial health practices through traditional cultural thought, and 3) to compare the Korean health practices with those of other cultures. The investigator used the ethnosceintific approach outlined by spradly in a qualitative study. To discover ancestral wisdom and knowledge related to traditional health practeces, the subjects of this study were selected from residents of a small rural mountain village in south west Korea, a place considered to be maintaining and transmitting the traditional culture in a relatively well -preserved state because of being isolated from the modern world. The number of subjects was 18, aged 71 to 89. Research data were collected from January 8 to March 31, 1990. Five categories of health practices were identified : “Manage one's own mind”, “Moderation in all thing”, “Live in accord with nature”, “Live in mutuality with others”, and “Live to the best of one's ability”. Values derived from these ways of thinking from Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism help fashion a traditional way of life, examplified by the saying “Benifience to all”. Korean thought and philosophy is influenced primerily by Confucianism, Confucian principles of ethics, embedded deeply in the peoples' minds, form the idea that “heaven and human being are intimately united” based on concept that “heaven is, so to speak, reason”. Twoe Gae's theory of existential subjectivity develops the concept of self which is the basis of the spirit of reverence in modern Confucian philosophy. The human md is granted from heaven out of the idea of matter, and what control the mind is the spirit of reverence. Hence the idea of “The primacy of the mind" and provided that one should control one's own mind. The precepts of duty to parents, respect for elders and worship of ancestors, and moderation in all behavior put a restraint on life which directed that one live earnestly according to Nature's laws with their neighbors. Not only Confucianism, but also Buddism and Taoism have had an important effect upon these patterns of ideas. When compared with western culture, Korean health practices tend to be more inclusive, abstract and intuitive while westerner health practices found to be mere concrete, practical and personal. Values and beliefs based and pragmatism and existentialism infuence western civilization, Ethical values may be founded on utilitarianism, which considers what is good for the persons in their circumstances as the basis of conduct and takes a serious view of their practical lives including human aspirations rather than an absolute truth. These philosophical and ethical ideas are foundations for health practices related to active, practical and progressive attitudes. This study should be enable nursing not only to understand clients as reflections of the traditional culture when planning nursing practice, but to dovelop health education corresponding to cultural requiments for the purpose of protection against disease and improvement of health, and thus promote sound health practice. Eventually it is hoped that through these processes quality nursing care as the central idea of the science of nursing will be achieved.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.195-198
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• 2012

To date, there was no controlled-study regarding awareness and knowledge of colorectal cancer in the Turkish population. We therefore designed a questionnaire consisting of items related to socio-demographic parameters, medical and family history and questions of awareness and knowledge about colorectal cancer for use in a descriptive cross-sectional study. An interviewer-administered technique was applied and 450 subjects were interviewed in the outpatient clinics at Near East University Hospital. Among all subjects, 337 were found to be eligible for the study group. Exclusion criteria were age below 18 years, any cancer history, family history of colorectal cancer, current colorectal problems, history of any diagnostic or therapeutic interventions for colorectal diseases. All participants stated that they heard about colorectal cancer. When asked about the lifetime risk of colorectal carcinoma, only 25.4% of women and 37.9% of men estimated correctly. Univariate analysis revealed that the total awareness score was significantly correlated with age, marital status, parenthood and fecal occult blood testing history. On multivariate analysis of independent predictors for awareness of colorectal cancer were found to be history of fecal occult blood testing, age and marital status were found to be the most important determinants. As a conclusion, opportunistic screening with fecal occult blood test by physicians from non-gastrointestinal specialties not only helps to reduce the mortality but also increases the awareness of colorectal cancer.