• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.33-44
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• 2023

Objective : The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for shoulder pain in manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries and to explore the correlation between shoulder pain and quality of life. Methods : Out of 182 participants initially included, 168 were selected for analysis. The questionnaire had 41 questions, with 15 on the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI) and 26 on the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). Results : It was found that participants' scored 50.75 in the WUSPI, whereas they scored higher in mobility and overhead activity. In addition, participants' WHOQOL-BREF scored 70.48, with a mean score of 2.71, which was lower than ordinary adults' WHOQOL-BREF (mean: 3.11) and that of older people suffering from chronic musculoskeletal system pain (total score: 77.92). Conclusion : The participants' WUSPI showed negative correlations with all items, including the total scores on the WHOQOL-BREF. This suggests that the participants' shoulder pain had a negative impact on their quality of life. Therefore, clinical experts, including occupational therapists, should provide manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries with programs aimed at preventing and managing shoulder pain, thereby contributing to improving their quality of life.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.307-318
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• 2020

The integrated permit system is applied to class 1 and 2 atmospheric and water pollutant discharge facilities in 19 sectors. The fertilizer sector should receive a permit for a period of four years, from 2019 to 2023. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences between the Korean Best Available Techniques (BAT) reference document (K-BREF) and the European Union BAT reference document (EU-BREF) in terms of the process and emission characteristics of fertilizer manufacture. K-BREF is written by focusing on products, whereas EU-BREF is produced on focusing on manufacture process. There are five types of BATs(best available techniques economically achievable) in Korea. These BATs selected mainly to recover and reuse raw meterials and save energy. The number of BATs and BAT-AELs(BAT associated emission level) in K-BREF is smaller than that in EU-BREF. We suggest that BATs and those environmental management parameters in Korea need to further reflect the emission characteristics in the fertilizer sector.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.559-573
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• 2020

The purpose of this study analyzed the overview of corrugated cardboasrd manufacturing industry and then provide direction for improvement. The BREF (BAT reference document) is an important reference for licensees and officer, including the best available techniques for the industry and achievable environmental performance, technical characteristics, and economic information. In the corrugated cardboard manufacturing process, wastewater pollutants are generated throughout the production process, and water is used in the dissociation and aging process. Atmospheric emissions are mostly generated by steam production from boilers and incinerators for the dry process. SO₂, NOx, CO₂, CO, HCl, dust, VOC, and odor were common. In the EU-BREF (European union BAT reference documents) BAT for wastewater have taken up a relatively large proportion. Items of water pollutants in wastewater were common in COD, BOD, N, P, SS, and however EU-BREF had different pollutants such as AOX and salt compared to K-BREF. In order to improve the quality of the K-BREF, it is necessary to devise basic data research method and data acqusitiom method. Consideration should be given to additional environmental management techniques that reflect the emissions characteristics of the corrugated cardboard manufacturing process. In addition, further research is needed to develop methodologies for selecting BATs considering environmental and economic feasibility.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2023

Background: In general, measurement qualities of cross-culturally adapted quality of life (QOL) measures are altered in many aspects, although versions of them are well-validated measures. The latent trait and measurement qualities of the QOL measures for cancer-related samples should be considered when developing cross-culturally adapted measures. Objects: To investigate the latent trait of the translated into Korean World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) administered to different cancer survivors who had palliative rehabilitation care service (PRCS). Methods: A cross-sectional study with 139 cancer survivors who had an experience of cancer survivorship with PRCS were conducted with a two-step analytic procedure including exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to confirm the latent trait and Rasch rating scale modeling to investigate the measurement qualities of the cross-culturally adapted WHOQOL-BREF measure. Results: While the original WHOQOL-BREF measure constitutes a 4-latent trait, the EFA reveals that 24 items constitute six substantial factors. The item loadings are predominantly spread over factors 1 through 4 in a mixed manner of the latent traits, while the loadings of 'physical health' and 'environmental health' latent traits show similarity to what the original measure intended to assess. The latent trait of the cross-culturally adapted WHOQOL-BREF measure administered to different cancer survivors is likely to reveal more dimensions than the original WHOQOL-BREF measure. Person reliability (i.e., analogous to Cronbach's alpha) and separation are measured with 0.92 and 3.48, respectively. All items except the one item (medical treatment item) fit the Rasch rating model. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the latent trait and the measurement qualities of the cross-culturally adapted WHOQOL-BREF measure should be taken into consideration when applying versions of it to various populations.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.8-15
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• 2008

Purpose: Yangsaeng is a traditional health care regimen that incorporates specific principles and methods to promote health and prevent illness, with the aim of improving the health and longevity of life. The present study assessed Yangsaeng and quality of life (QOL-BREF) in Korea. Methods: Data from 346 adults and elderly Koreans was collected by using a self-reported questionnaire. Analysis of the data included descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, t-test, ANOVA and Cronbach's ${\alpha}$. Results: Statistically significant differences in QOL-BREF were evident according to the age, job, religion, education level, economic status and positive thinking. Statistically significant differences were evident in Yangsaeng according to religion, education, economic status and positive thinking. Total QOL-BREF positively related to total Yangsaeng. Morality Yangsaeng, exercise Yangsaeng and sleep Yangsaeng were positively related to all QOL-BREF sub-domains. Conclusions: The Yangsaeng oriental health care regimen can improve QOL, and should be recommended as a means of health promotion and QOL in the Korean culture.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.233-240
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• 2020

Background: Cross-culturally adapted questionnaires may not be comparable to their original version. Objects: To examine concurrent validity of two health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments for the Korean versions of EuroQOL-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) and the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument. Methods: A total of 139 cancer survivors from two rehabilitation institutes was recruited. All participants were registered for palliative rehabilitation care. Both instruments were concurrently administered by health care providers following the second bout of the rehabilitation cares. Rasch partial credit model and Spearman's correlation analysis were used to investigate: 1) dimensionality, 2) hierarchical item difficulty, and 3) concurrent validity using correlations between two instruments. Results: For the WHOQOL-BREF, all items except negative feeling, pain, dependence of medical aid, were found to be acceptable, while all items of EQ-5D were acceptable. There was an evidence of negative correlations between EQ-5D and 4 domains of WHOQOL-BREF. Two correlations were strong (EQ-5D vs. physical health domain, ρ = -0.610, 95% CI = -0.716 to -0.475) and moderate (EQ-5D vs. psychosocial domain, ρ = -0.402, 95% CI = -0.546 to -0.236). Other two correlations were weak (EQ-5D vs. social relationship and environmental domains, ρ = -0.242, 95% CI = -0.401 to -0.075 and ρ = -0.364, 95% CI = -0.514 to -0.207, respectively). Item difficulty calibrations of the two measurements were ranged from -0.84 to 0.86 for the EQ-5D and -1.07 to 1.06 for the WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion: The study provides some supports for the concurrent validity of the two Korean versions of HRQOL instrument, with evidences of weak to strong correlations between the EQ-5D and four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF applied to various cancer survivors. Additionally, the cancer survivors appeared to have more of a tendency to view the EQ-5D items as being slightly more challenging than the WHOQOL-BREF items.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.212-219
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• 2020

Background: Although the original version of the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires are found to be acceptable, the cross-culturally adapted versions may not be comparable to their original version. Objects: To examine dimensionality and construct validity of two Korean versions of the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) and EuroQOL-5 dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaires. Methods: A total of 77 cancer survivors undergoing palliative rehabilitation programs from two rehabilitation institutes was recruited from April 16, 2018 to June 26, 2019. The WHOQOL-BREF and the EQ-5D were filled out by the various cancer survivors following a particular session of rehabilitation programs. The scores were analyzed with Winsteps Rasch analysis computer program using the rating scale model. Rasch fit statistics were used to determine the dimensionality and the item difficulty calibrations of WHOQOL-BREF and EQ-5D. Results: All items except two, negative feeling, need treatment function and pain prevent activity (mean square [MnSq] = 2.42, 1.82 and 2.51, respectively), were found to be acceptable, while two items of the EQ-5D, anxiety/depression and self-care, were misfit (infit MnSq = 1.65 and 0.38, respectively). Item difficulty calibrations of WHOQOL-BREF match person ability measures (i.e., HRQOL) fairly well. However, the person ability distribution showed obvious ceiling effects for EQ-5D. All items of EQ-5D were appeared to be less challenged in comparison with those of WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion: Item-level analysis using the Rasch model supports the quality of culturally adapted items used to measure the HRQOL one exception; that is, whether or not to include misfit items as part of the HRQOL measurements. Additionally, cancer survivors undergoing palliative rehabilitation programs appear to have more of a tendency to view the EQ-5D items as being more challenging than the WHOQOL-BREF.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2023

Background: Equating is a statistical procedure used to create a common measurement scale across two instruments. Item-level information should be taken into consideration so that scores can communicate interchangeably across the instruments. Objects: To investigate a common measurement scale across two health-related quality of life questionnaires (HRQOL) applied to various cancer survivors who underwent palliative care in healthcare institutions. Methods: A total of 139 cancer survivors who underwent palliative care were recruited from two rehabilitation hospitals and an oriental medicine hospital. Participants consisted of various cancer survivors who presented to the sites for palliative care. They were asked to fill out Korean versions of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) and EuroQOL-5 dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaires following the palliative care. For the item level comparison, the Rasch rating scale model was used to investigate how participants regarded individual test items of two instruments in relation to item difficulty calibrations. Results: All items except the three items fit the Rasch model. One item (anxiety/depression) of the EQ-5D and two items (dependence on medical aids and negative feelings) of the WHOQOL-BREF are misfit. The WHOQOL-BREF targets the survivors well, while the EQ-5D is able to target the survivors with lower HRQOL levels with some ceiling effects. By inspecting the item difficulty calibrations of the two instruments, five items of the WHOQOL-BREF are selected as common items in relation to the EQ-5D. These five items are considered compatible with each other. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis reveals that the healthcare item of the WHOQOL-BREF vs the self-care item of the EQ-5D exhibits significant DIF. Conclusion: Findings suggest that one paired item should be taken into consideration when equating the WHOQOL-BREF and the EQ-5D applied to cancer survivors who underwent palliative care.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.263-267
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the validity of WHOQOL-BREF (Brief form of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument) and to explore quality of life (QOL) by using WHOQOL-BREF in patients with stomach cancer after a curative resection. Materials and Methods: Fifty (50) patients with stomach cancer after a curative resection were recruited with informed consents. Age- and gender matched hospital staffs served as controls. The 100-item WHOQOL instrument was employed for the all subjects. The scores of the WHOQOL-BREF, which is a short version (26 questions) of the WHOQOL, and includes four domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental), were compared with those of WHOQOL. Results: The scores of the WHOQOL-BREF were significantly correlated with those of the WHOQOL in all domains. Two domains, physical and social, were associated with worse quality of life in patients with stomach cancer after a curative resection. Conclusion: The WHOQOL-BREF is a valid instrument that is useful for evaluating the quality of life in patients with stomach cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.337-347
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• 2014

There is no known publication about assessment of quality of life (QOL) in Korean HIV patients. We aimed to assess the QOL of HIV patients. We developed Korean version of the WHOQOL-HIV BREF (short forms of WHOQOL-HIV, 31 questions with 6 domains). Survey data from 220 HIV-positive adults were obtained in 14 centers in South Korea. Male were dominant (202/220, 91.8%). Mean age was $40.6{\pm}12.1$. Mean CD4+ T-cell count was $414.9{\pm}226.6/ml$. Overall of WHOQOL-HIV BREF were $53.2{\pm}14.9$ (perfect score=100) (Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ = 0.942). It is similar score comparing to another country (Portugal: 54.75/100, measured by WHOQOL-HIV). Correlations of WHOQOL-HIV BREF score with patients' subjective QOL and with subjective satisfaction were 0.747 (p <0.01) and 0.651 (p <0.01), respectively. WHOQOL-HIV BREF have internal reliability. There is in need of monitoring for QOL of HIV patients in the clinical practice and trials. This survey tool could be used to assess the effect of intervention. Additionally, comparison across countries would be possible and promising.