• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.74-83
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• 2011

Objectives: This study aimed to identify and assess the factors related to the awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension based on jurisdictional areas of primary health care posts in a rural community of Korea. Methods: This study was performed on 4598 adults aged over 30 years in a rural community and we measured their blood pressure (BP) from October. 2007 to August. 2009. Hypertension is defined as a condition characterized by a systolic BP ${\geq}$ 140 mmHg, a diastolic BP ${\geq}$ 90 mmHg or reported treatment with antihypertensive medications. We analyzed the factors related with the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension using chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension was 34.7%. The age-adjusted rates of hypertension awareness, treatment and control were 50.6%, 93.9% and 64.1%, respectively. Awareness of hypertension was related with increasing age. Higher awareness was found among men who were felt more stress, were obese and had hypercholesterolemia, and among women who were regulary taking medicine for hypertension, were obese and had diabetes mellitus. In women, the hypertension treatment was related a Medical aid and education for hypertension management. Controlled hypertension was more common among men who were educated about the management of hypertension and among women who had hypercholesterolemia. Conclusions: The awareness of hypertension was low and the control of hypertension was high compared with the nationwide data (KNHANES 2005). The results suggest that understanding the characteristics of hypertension in a community is important to perform a community based hypertension control program.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.105-119
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• 1993

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the program for the control of acute respiratory infections(ARI) in children in a Korean rural area(Yonchon county). Evaluating the program, we focused on the pattern of prescription and appropriateness of antibiotics prescribed by the health personnel who had participated in the ARI Control Program. It was implemented at the primary health care setting in rural area, such as district hospital, health subcenters, and health posts. During six-months programme monitoring period, medical records were reviewed and collected data were analysed by the pediatrician, research coordinator of this study. The baseline data were collected from medical records of the same period(six months) of one year before the implementation of the ARI programme. The study results were as follow : 1. Common cold was the most prevalent disease(78.7%. 594 cases) among the all ARI cases (755 cases). The less frequent cases were bronchitis(11.9%), acute pharyngitis(5.2%), and pneumonia(1.8%). 2. Significant reduction in the use of antibiotics was observed after the programme implementation. Ninety three(15.7%) of 594 common cold cases were received antibiotics compared with 282(35.2%) of 802 in the baseline period. In the cases of bronchitis and acute pharyngitis, the reduction rates were 15.1% and 23.2% respectively compared to the baseline period. 3. Mean duration of antibiotics prescription was 1.81-1.75 days, similar to the baseline data. 4. The appropriateness rate of antibiotics prescriptions were 84.3%(common cold), 35.6% (bronchitis) and 28.2%(acute pharyngitis). In the case of pneumonia, the antibiotics prescription was compatible to the criteria developed. 5. Pediatrician prescribed antibiotics more appropriately for all cases than general practitioners in health sub-center, and nurse practitioners in health posts. 6. Antibiotics therapy was shown to be of no effect in the treatment of the all ARI cases. At the 5 and 10 days check-up of common cold cases after visits, proportion of improved patients were 58.3% in the antibiotics-used group and 51.4% in the control group. In the other cases of ARI, the patterns of response were similar to common cold. None of the differences in outcome between the antibiotics-used and control group was statistically significant. This ARI programme may have substantial a substantial impact on antibiotics use at the public health institutions(district hospital, health subcenters, health posts) which are of major domain for primary health care in Korean rural areas.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.139-147
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• 2005

This study measured the understanding of the sexual life of the elderly in the rural community. Questionnaires were given to 421 elderly enrolled at 16 community health posts in Chungcheongbuk-do from November 10. 2003 to January 20. 2004. The mean score of the understanding of the elderly's sexual life was 21.0 out of a possible 36 points. Of the scores of the understanding of the elderly's sexual life depending upon general characteristics, there were statistically significant differences in sex, education level. the presence of spouse. residence pattern. religion. economic supporter. and subjective health status.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.565-581
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to confirm the factors affecting recipients' quality of life by two types of hypertension management, one was telemedicine provided by community health posts(CHPs) in a rural area, the other was traditional hypertension management by comparing patients' health related lifestyles, self-efficacy and health related quality of life. Methods: The study was conducted from February 1, 2015 through April 25, 2015 on 193 hypertension patients in 6 CHPs consisting of 98 patients in 2 CHPs running telemedicine and 95 patients in 4 CHPs running traditional hypertension management services. The data were analyzed and assessed with frequency, percentage, chi-square test and multiple regression. Results: Self-efficacy and health related quality of life were high for the subjects managed by traditional hypertension management services. Self-efficacy, age, hobby, balanced meals, more than 7~8 hours sleep and regular exercise, which affected the quality of life for recipients were explanatory in 45.9%(F=22.368, p<.001). Conclusion: When any services utilizing telemedicine are provided in the future, consideration of emotional aspects including self-efficacy and quality of life is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.23-39
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate practical experiences of telemedicine of community health practitioners(CHPs). Methods: Qualitative data were collected by in-depth interviews from 10 CHPs who have experiences in managing telemedicine system. All interviews were recorded and transcribed according to qualitative conventional content analysis processes. Results: As a result, 32 themes were deduced and 11 theme clusters and 3 categories were formed and each coding categories were derived directly from the text data. 11 theme clusters derived from the 32 meaningful themes were as follows: Human resources, equipments and systems, computer program (Input resources), human resource management, patient registration and management, medication, laboratory test (Progress), benefits in telemedicine system managing, difficulties in telemedicine system managing, complains in telemedicine system managing, client responses to telemedicine system (Outcome evaluation). 3 categories derived 11 theme clusters were 'input', 'progress', and 'outcome evaluation'. Conclusions: This study has contributed to the understanding of operation of telemedicine by CHPs in community health posts. For more systematic and comprehensive management, further study should be conducted to reflect experience and positions of public health center physicians, collaborative hospital physician and patients.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.162-180
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• 1994

The control of the chronic degenerative diseases becomes a challenge in Korea as the aging of the population progresses. Accordingly, the importance of the control of the hypertension, one of the major chronic degenerative diseases, in the primary health care settings increases. However, such control activities are still minimal. This study gives brief description of how the rural residents who are currently registered for the control of the hypertension feel about the activities of the health centers, subcenters and the CHP posts, in relation to the control of the hypertension. We also describe the knowledge and practice of the registered hypertensive. In general, the knowledge, the acceptance and the satisfaction of the respondents about the hypertension control activities were not very high. Respondents being managed by the health center showed the highest knowledge, acceptance and satisfaction, and those being managed by the subcenters ranked lowest. The knowledge about the hypertension was not satisfactory. There were great variations among the items in terms of the proportion answered correctly. As many as 60% of the respondents take medication regularly but only 4.5% were practicing weight control regularly. Despite some limitations of the study, the results can be very useful for those planning hypertension control programs. The educational materials and the dietary protocols need to be developed in accordance with the regional social and food pattern, so that they can be utilized with minimal modification for each beneficiary. We also suggest to minimize the area a health personnel covers. In other word, running several small health posts at village level would be more effective than running a subcenter at the township level, in terms of the hypertension control.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.129-143
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore factors which influence adoption, implementation and continued use of tele-healthcare systems. Methods: Qualitative research was conducted by in-depth interviews with 17 professionals from various fields of organizations involved in developing and implementing tele-healthcare systems. Data were analysed thematically, using a conceptual model of diffusion of innovations. Results: The system users were reacted positively to the 3 attributes out of 9 which decided the adoption of innovation. In addition, it is required to redesign the tele-health care system simpler and easier so that the system users can access to the system much more easily regardless of space and time limitations. From the design stage on an individual level, it is necessary to conduct detailed needs analysis and listen to users who are at the center of innovation diffusion. On an organizational level, it is necessary to actively prepare for possible problems during system implementation, educate the users and build communication channels continuously. Conclusion: This study has identified the factors affecting the innovation of tele-health care systems and contributed to the understanding of the operation of tele-health care systems by the diffusion of innovation theory in community health posts.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.965-973
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a self-care program for elders with osteoarthritis managed by primary health care workers, Community Health Practitioners (CHPs), in rural Korea. Methods: The self-care program, consisting of 7 areas, was evaluated with a randomized experimental study for patients over age 60 with osteoarthritis in which 150 participants in the experimental group and 140 in the control group were compared. The self-care program was implemented for six weeks, 2 hours per week, at community health posts by CHPs. Data were collected using an interview questionnaire given by the CHPs and laboratory tests before and after the intervention for both groups. Propensity score matching analysis was done to test effectiveness after controlling for confounding variables. Results: The intervention group showed a significant decrease in the number of painful joints (p<.001) and a significant increase in self-care ability (p<.05) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Study results indicate that training and utilizing primary health care workers in rural areas is valuable in increasing the generalization and continuity of intervention programs. As arthritis should be managed life-long, CHP directed self-care programs are useful interventions for rural elders with arthritis to learn self-care management.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.129-152
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• 2021

This study proposed a plan to develop wearable devices suitable for female college students by analyzing female college students' perceptions and preferences for wearable devices and their needs for health care using topic modeling and network analysis techniques. To this end, 2,457 posts related to health care and wearable devices were collected from the community used by S Women's University students. After preprocessing the collected posts and comment data, LDA-based topic modeling was performed. Through topic modeling techniques, major issues of female college students related to health care and wearable devices are derived, and bi-gram analysis and network analysis are performed on posts containing related keywords to understand female college students' views on wearable devices.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.87-98
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate advance care planning needs expressed online. Methods: This study collected data from online community posts and healthcare news sites. The search keywords included "death," "euthanasia," "life-sustaining medical care," "life-sustaining treatment," "advance directives," "advance medical directives," and "advance care planning." Data collection spanned from February 2018 to February 14, 2020. Out of 2,288 posts, 1,190 were included in the final analysis. Data analysis was conducted using NVivo 12, a qualitative data analysis software program. Results: Content analysis categorized patients' advance care planning needs into eight themes, 11 theme clusters, and 33 meaningful statements. Similarly, care providers' advance care planning needs were categorized into eight themes, 14 theme clusters, and 42 meaningful statements. The identified themes of care needs included life-sustaining medical care, decision-making related to life-sustaining medical care, physical care, environmental care, supportive and spiritual care, respect, preparing for death, and family. Conclusion: This study identified care needs from the perspectives of patients and their families. The findings may serve as preliminary data for future research and clinical applications.