• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.333-340
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to confirm the association between cognitive function and oral health status in the elderly. Methods: In this study, 5,794 respondents, aged 55 or older, who had participated in the 7th aging research panel survey were used. Statistical analyses were performed using a complex samples cross-tabulation analysis, complex samples general linear model, and a complex sample multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: After analyzing the cognitive function of the elderly according to their oral health conditions, it was found that suspicions of dementia (19.6%) and cognitive function decline (25.9%) were more common for those who wore dentures than for those who did not wear dentures (p<0.001). Compared to those who did not wear dentures, those who wore dentures were linked to a 1.665 times higher suspicion of dementia (p<0.001). In comparison, cognitive decline was 0.964 times lower when the number of natural teeth increased by 1, and it was 0.941 times lower when the oral health evaluation index for the elderly increased by 1 point (p<0.001). Conclusions: As a result of this study, it was confirmed that cognitive function and oral health status are related in the elderly. Therefore, systematic measures for oral health management and oral health promotion should be prepared in tandem with awareness of possible cognitive decline in the elderly.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the depression and cognitive function of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: 243 aged over 65 in Won-Ju in South Korea participated in this study. Data were collected from April to June 2013 through interviews. This study utilized the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form, the Korean version of MMSE-DS (MMSE for Dementia Screening), and infirmity testing for basic health status. Descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2$, t-test, ANOVA, $Scheff{\acute{e}}^{\prime}s$ test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used. Results: 75.3% of the participants belonged to the depression group, and the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 17.3%. There were significant differences in depression and cognitive function according to gender, educational level, type of insurance, subjective health, frailty, and whether to be a client of home care service. The level of depression was significantly higher and the level of cognitive functions was significantly lower in older adults in home care services than in community-dwelling older adults. Conclusion: This study is meaningful in that it included older adults in home care services to provide information to develop effective prevention programs for improving cognitive functions. The results of this study can be used to develop future community prevention and intervention.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.359-364
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• 2021

Aim: We aimed to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sleep and work-related impaired cognitive and emotional functioning in police employees. Methods: This study included 410 participants (52% men) employed in a police district in Norway at baseline, of which 50% also participated in the study at 6 months later follow-up. The questionnaires included items measuring work schedule, sleep length, insomnia, as well as impaired cognitive and emotional functioning at work. Results: The results showed that insomnia was related to impaired work-related emotional functioning measured at baseline, and to impaired cognitive functioning measured at both baseline and follow-up. Sleep length and rotating shift work were not associated with future decline in cognitive or emotional functioning. Conclusion: Our study indicates that the relationship between insomnia and emotional functioning at work may be transient, whereas insomnia can be related to both immediate and future impaired cognitive functioning. Replication of the findings in larger samples is advised. The findings call for an emphasis on the prevention and treatment of sleep problems among police employees as a mean of maintaining and improving cognitive and emotional functioning at work, and thereby reducing the risk for impaired performance and negative health and safety outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive functions, depression, and life satisfaction among the elderly receiving visiting nursing services. Methods: The subjects of this study consisted of 221 elderly individuals who were receiving visiting nursing services from a public health center located in Gyeonggi-do. The Mini-mental State Examination Korea version (MMSE-K), Geriatric Depression Scale-short form-Korea version (GDS-K), and Life Satisfaction Scale were utilized to determine cognitive functions, depression, and life satisfaction, Collected data was analyzed by the SPSS PC Win 12,0 program. Results: The prevalence of cognitive impairment (MMSE-K$\leq$24) was 86.4%, and the proportion of severe depression (GDS-K$\leq$10) was 22,6%, Older age, lower education, and low income were associated with cognitive impairment, and low education, no religion, and low income were associated with depression. Cognitive function negatively correlated with depression. Life satisfaction level was fairly low and was not associated with any variables. Conclusion: The high prevalence of cognitive impairment and low life satisfaction status were determined among low-income elderly who were registered at a visiting health care center. Thus, in the future at visiting health care services, efficient and various programs for the elderly should be tried, to improve cognitive functions and reduce depression. Additionally, consistent evaluation studies for those programs will be required.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.67-78
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• 2019

Objectives: To identify the factors affecting the cognitive function according to the education level of people aged 65 or older. Methods: This study used the data from the 2014 survey of living conditions and welfare needs of Korean older adults. A total of 10,248 people were analyzed in the final analysis, not including those who responded by proxy and those who did not participate in cognitive function tests. Cognitive function was measured by Mini Mental State Examination -Dementia Screening(MMSE-DS), and logistic regression was performed using the SPSS/WIN 24.0 program. Results: There were differences in factors affecting cognitive function depending on the education level. Overall, regular exercise had a positive effect on maintaining cognitive function, and the higher the education level, the more important it was to maintain the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(IADL). In addition, for lower education levels, improving the life satisfaction was important to prevent the decline of cognitive function. Conclusions: Based on the results of this research, it is suggested that customized approaches shoud be taken according to education level when developing and implementing programs to prevent the decline of cognitive function.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.41-50
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was done to identify differences in factors influencing cognitive function according to the cognition of community dwelling elders. Methods: A convenience sample of 565 community dwelling elders participated in this study and from May to June, 2010 trained research assistants collected data using structured questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation, and multiple regression with the SPSS Win 15.0 version. Results: The elders had a slightly low degree of cognitive function. Of the 565 elders, 41.1% were in the normal group for cognitive function and 58.9% in the mild impairment group. Although there were no significant differences in general characteristics between the groups, factors influencing cognitive function were different. Factors influencing elders in the normal group were leisure activity and moderately good health status. These variables accounted for 5.7% of the variance in cognitive function. Factors influencing elders in the mild impairment group were leisure activity, depression, and education level limited to elementary school graduation. These variables accounted for 19.9% of the variance cognitive function. Conclusion: This study provides comprehensive understanding of factors influencing cognitive function in elders. Differentiated nursing interventions according to degree of cognitive function are suggested.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.83-96
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• 2021

Background & objectives: Cognitive function decline is a main factor influencing the overall life of the elderly and places a burden of society. The aime of this study was to investigate the risk factors of cognitive function decline of elderly living alone and living with a spouse. Methods: This study used the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing from 2014 to 2018. 243 older adults who lived alone and 1,155 lived with a spouse with the Korean version of Mini Mental State Examination scores in normal range at the time of 2014 were included in the analysis. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the difference of risk factors affecting cognitive function decline between in elderly living alone and elderly living with a spouse. Results: Cognitive function decline incidence rate of elderly living alone was 30.5% and the elderly living with a spouse showed 23.0%. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the risk factors of cognitive function decline in the elderly living alone was age and residential area, while in the elderly living with a spouse were age, education level, social networks, and depression. Conclusions: The factors that affect the cognitive function decline of the elderly living alone and the elderly living with a spouse were different. Accordingly, other measures to prevent cognitive decline are necessary.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.210-215
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• 2013

Background: This study aimed to identify the impacts of job stress and cognitive failure on patient safety incidents among hospital nurses in Korea. Methods: The study included 279 nurses who worked for at least 6 months in five general hospitals in Korea. Data were collected with self-administered questionnaires designed to measure job stress, cognitive failure, and patient safety incidents. Results: This study showed that 27.9% of the participants had experienced patient safety incidents in the past 6 months. Factors affecting incidents were found to be shift work [odds ratio (OR) = 6.85], cognitive failure (OR = 2.92), lacking job autonomy (OR = 0.97), and job instability (OR = 1.02). Conclusion: Patient safety incidents were affected by shift work, cognitive failure, and job stress. Many countermeasures to reduce the incidents caused by shift work, and plans to reduce job stress to reduce the workers' cognitive failure are required. In addition, there is a necessity to reduce job instability and clearly define the scope and authority for duties that are directly related to the patient's safety.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.203-209
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• 2018

Background: Night shift work is associated with many problems such as sleep deprivation, sleepiness, decreased cognitive performance, increased human errors, and fatigue. This study set out to measure cognitive performance, melatonin rhythms, and sleep after different consecutive night shifts (7 vs. 4) among control room operators (CORs). Methods: The participants included 60 CORs with a mean age of 30.2 years (standard deviation, 2.0) from a petrochemical complex located in Southern Iran. Cognitive performance was assessed using the n-back task and continuous performance test. To evaluate melatonin, saliva was collected and tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. To assess sleep and sleepiness, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale were used, respectively. Results: Individuals who worked 7 consecutive night shifts had a significantly better cognitive performance and sleep quality than those who worked 4 consecutive night shifts. However, salivary melatonin profile and sleepiness trend were not affected by shift type. Conclusion: The main duty of CORs working night shifts at the studied industry included managing safety-critical processes through complex displays; a responsibility that demands good cognitive performance and alertness. It is suggested that an appropriate number of consecutive night shifts in a rotating shift system should be planned with the ultimate aim of improving CROs performance/alertness and enhancing safety.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2011

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among a group of community-dwelling elderly and to determine if there were differences in general characteristics, activities of daily living (ADL), perceived health status (PHS) between the MCI group and group of elderly with normal cognitive function. Methods: This study utilized a descriptive survey design. Six hundred and five subjects over the age 65 were recruited from an S public health center, Seoul. Data were gathered through a variety of instruments: MoCA-K, K-MMSE, K-MBI, S-IADL, and PHS scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 18.0 using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test and t-test. Results: The prevalence of MCI among the subjects was 46.0%. Differences in IADL, PHS, age, education, sex, and residing with a spouse were statistically significant between groups. The MCI group had lower IADL, lower PHS, were older, and had lower educational levels than the group with normal cognitive function. Further, the MCI group was less likely to live with a spouse. Conclusion: It is suggested that MCI group should be targeted in developing and implementing nursing strategies to prevent dementia and improve the elderly cognitive function.