• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.32-42
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate driving performance of Healthy and disabled groups (with or without driver's license) to control steering wheel by using steering assistive devices in the driving simulator. The persons with partial loss of use of all four limbs have problems in operation of the motor vehicle because of functional loss to operate steering wheel. Therefore, if steering assistive devices for grasping the steering wheel are used to control the vehicle on the road in persons with disabilities, the disabled persons can improve mobility in their community life by driving a motor vehicle safely. Ten healthy subjects (with or w/o driver's license) and ten subjects with physical disabilities (with or w/o driver's license) were involved in this study to evaluate driving performance to operate steering wheel by using four types of steering assistive devices (Single-pin, V-grip, Palm-grip, Tri-pin) in driving simulator. STISim Drive 3 software was used to test the steering performance in four scenarios: straight road at low and high speed of vehicle (40 km/h and 80 km/h), curved road at low and high speed of vehicle (40 km/h and 80 km/h). This study used two-way ANOVA in order to compare the effects of two factors (type of steering assistive device and subject group) in the three dependent variables of driving performance (the lateral position of vehicle, standard deviation of lateral position representing the variation of the left and right movement of the vehicle and the number of line crossing). The mean values of the three dependent variables (lateral position, standard deviation of lateral position, the number of line crossing) of steering performance were statistically significantly smaller for the healthy or disabled groups with driver's license than the other groups without driver's license on the curved road at high speed of vehicle compared to low speed of vehicle.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2015

Objective: Balance is a preceding task for functional activities in daily activities as well as community-dwelling activities. To learn skilled and functional activities, it is also necessary to imagine an appropriate and effective movement representation used to plan and execute the functional activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of balance imagery of semi-tandem stance on a flat floor and balance beam on balance abilities for elderly and young adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifteen elderly and thirty-four young adults were enrolled in this study. In order to determine whether there is a change in postural control ability according to the different imagery training methods used, standing static balance measurements were performed. According to the therapist's instructions, participants were to stand in a semi-tandem position on the Good Balance System for 1 minute while imagining that they were standing on a balance beam, and while the postural control abilities was assessed. Results: Postural control was significantly different in balance ability of semi-tandem stance on a flat floor compared to on a balance beam in both geriatrics and young adults. Postural sway was more significantly decreased in young adults than older adults during balance imagery of semi-tandem stance on a flat floor as well as on balance beam (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the ability to mentally represent their actions was similar in older adults compared to young adults, although older adults showed a drop in efficiency of postural control more than young adults.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.18-29
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• 2000

Back injury is frequent in industry workers and is a common cause of productivity loss. It has been reported that the insured of industrial accident insurance tend to stay in hospital longer than that of other types of insurance. The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting the length of hospital stay for the treatment of back injury in the workers under industrial accident insurance. The results of this study help insurers develop reasonable industrial accident insurance policy for back injury claims and prevention strategies of work-related back injury. A total of 2,949 patients whose industrial accident insurance claim has been approved for the treatment of work-related back injury from January to December 1999 were included in this study. Relationship between the length of hospital stay and characteristics of patient, work place, back injury, and hospital were assessed using ANOVA, t-test, simple linear regression and multiple resgression. The major findings of this study are as follows : 1. The average length of hospital stay(LOS) was 91.82 days, respectively. 2. Characteristics of Patient LOS of male patients was longer than that of female patients, there was positive correlation between age and LOS and between average wage and LOS. Working period was negatively correlated with LOS. Distance from resident to hospital was positively correlated with LOS and LOS was significantly different dependign on type of duty. 3. Characteristics of Work Place LOS was significantly different depending on types of industry and geographical region of work place. Size of work place was positively correlated with LOS. 4. Characteristics of Back Injury Occupational back pain required shorter LOS compared with back injury due to electric shock. Number of concomitant illnesses and severity of disability were positively correlated with LOS. 5. Characteristics of Hospital Patients treated in community hospitals required significantly longer LOS. Treatment in hospitals with rehabilitation program required decreased LOS. This was more prominent as number of physicians specialized in rehabilitation. 6. Multiple regression analysis revealed that distance form resident to hospital, geographical region of work place, size of work place, number of concomitant illnesses, severity of disability, and type of hospital were factors affecting LOS.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 1985

Ratio of physically and mentally handicapped people among the total population is about 3∼4%. Regardless of the extent of seriousness of handicaps, they have to sustain various difficulties in their life time and pose challenging problems to their homes, community and nation. In the spectrum of their problems, measures such as treatment, rehabilitation and welfare work all occupied important part but most significant measure is the prevention. Such handicaps items from health care of maternal and child, mostly causes throughout the process of pregnancy, delivery and upbringing. And then this study is focused on the pregnant history of the mothers with handicapped children. The objective of this study is to identify the basic factors which can create a handicapped child during pregnancy and is to prevent the birth of such a child. For this study, 301 mothers who have handicapped children were selected, now receiving various training at 5 rehabilitation and educational facilities. And questionnaires distributed to them during the period of Oct, 1983 to Dec, 14. The collected responses have been analized in terms of significant numbers, percentage and metic average. Their related results are as follows: 1. The sexual ratio between the male and female was 58.5% compare 41.5%. The average age of the handicapped children was 10.1 years old and that of mothers at the time of the children's birth was 28.9 old years. They were born as 2.14th in their family, the ratio of antenatal care for pregnant mothers was 36.2% and 22.9% were abnormally delivered. 37.9% out of the total were born from mothers with ages above 35 years and as their first baby. 2. The time of confirming the handicapped nature of children was during babyhood by 97.1% and discovery of these misfortunes were made by chance. As for causes of those-handicapped status 20.9% disease from complication, 15.3% from difficulties experience at the time of delivery, 11.3% from heredity and 10% were results of drug abuse during pregnancy, and 49.8% of the handicapped children were mentally retarded.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.75-83
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of balance training with upper extremity exercise on the improvement of balance performance in people who have had a stroke. Eighteen candidates who have all experienced a stroke, were living in Dong-Gu, Ulsan and were participating in a community based rehabilitation program, have been included in this study. The program was conducted three times weekly, 1 hour per session, for 7 consecutive weeks. Subjects were tested with 7 m and 100 m Timed Gait Test (sec), Timed Get Up and Go Test (sec), Functional Reach Test (cm) and 5 items of Berg's Balance Test at pre-training and post-training. Total balance index and balance ratios were measured by K.A.T. 3000. The balance training program performed by sitting on a chair and gymnastic ball and standing on stable and unstable surfaces during upper extremity exercises such as Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) upper extremity pattern, picking a ball up from floor, throwing and catching it. After seven weekends of balance training, subjects showed a significant difference in balance test results. The exceptions were three items of Berg's Balance Test (p<.05). Balance index score and affected and unaffected side balance ratio had a larger improvement than pre-training (p<.05). The result of this study showed that intervention of this balance training program could improve the balance performance in people who have had a stroke.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2015

There is an increasing trend of medical devices and products moving out of hospitals and clinics into community and residual homes for use by the general public due to both the technological developments and demographic changes resulted from the increased life expectancy and decreased birth rate. In Korea, however, the definition of "home medical device" is rather ambiguous and we thus compared the definition of the term used in the global market with that in Korea. FDA definition of "home medical device" includes the devices intended for use in both professional healthcare facilities and home. The KFDA, does not provide the definition for the "home medical device"and the definition has only been inferred from the results of consumer surveys. With a paradigm shift in advent of u-healthcare era, the definition of "home medical device" in Korea should include the medical devices that could be used both at hospitals and at home.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.221-226
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to suggest improvement directions and analysis of assistive technology service linkage on public benefits in local assistive technology center. The service steps and the main program parts of public benefits linkage in local assistive technology center was identified, and the present status of associated repair works and contact suppliers of assistive technology device in local community was investigated. The result showed the most common level of associated status to provide information of assistive technology devices in public benefits. All the centers provided repair service, and it was typically performed to light maintenance. The centers offered with associated professional repair service supplier for high maintenance service. The connection with assistive technology device supplier appeared a lot of regional difference. Henceforth, the centers will be required to distribute more various assistive technology devices, it is necessary upgrading the quality of information and interaction with the public benefits supporting organizations through its expansion, and it is need to ensure based on policy through the analysis of the effectiveness about linkage.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2002

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of upper extremity exercise training on the motor activity, the ADL and the health related quality of life. Method: A non-equivalent pretest-posttest design was used. Study subjects were conveniently selected 40 hemiplegic patients(20 experimental subjects, 20 control subjects) who had been enrolled in two community health centers. After biofeedback training the subjects of experimental group were given constraint-induced movement, involving restraint of unaffected U/E in a sling for about 6 hours over a period of two weeks, while at the same time intensively training the affected U/E. Outcomes were evaluated on the basis of motor activity(amount, quality) of plegic side, ADL(ADL, IADL) and health related QOL(SF-36). Results: 1. After 2 weeks of treatment, the amount of use and the quality of motor activity of affected U/E were significantly higher in subjects who participated in exercise training than in subjects in the control group. 2. There were no significant differences in ADL and IADL between experimental and control groups. 3. After 2 weeks of treatment, the health related QOL was significantly higher in subjects who participated in exercise training than in subjects in the control group. Conclusion: The above results state that the U/E exercise training could be an effective intervention for improving the motor activity and the health related QOL of chronic hemiplegic patients. Long-term studies are needed to determine the lasting effects of constraint-induced movement.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.663-672
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• 2021

Background and objective: As the 'Healing Agriculture Research and Development and Promotion Act' came into effect on March 25, 2021, social interest in agro-healing has been increasing exponentially. This study was conducted to analyze the priorities of agro-healing classification system and to provide basic data to inform policy directions and related research for the development and activation of agro-healing. Methods: The survey data collected from 18 experts were analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method in determine the relative weights of the main and sub-criteria for the classification system. There were three main criteria identified: agro-healing input industry, agro-healing service industry, and agro-healing-related/derived industry. There were also 11 sub-criteria. Results: The top three sub-criteria with the highest complex weights include "community service," "social rehabilitation" and "treatment and rehabilitation," all of which correspond to the main criterion "agro-healing service industry". In addition, the complex weights of the sub-criteria corresponding to the main criterion "agro-healing related/derived industry" are as follows: "other agro-healing support service," which ranked 4th, and "training and education institutions for agro-healing experts," which ranked 5th when prioritizing the criteria. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the main criterion to be considered first in establishing a classification system is "agro-healing service industry". Therefore, it is necessary to continue research on detailed service classifications and systems with verified validity to ensure expertise in human resources, and organization related to social purpose services in agro-healing.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.131-142
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• 2024

PURPOSE: This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature comparing the differences between task-oriented treadmill training and general treadmill training for stroke patients. METHODS: Literature published in the Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and PubMed was reviewed. A total of 1,163 studies were initially retrieved, of which eight articles were included in the final review. A quality assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Risk of Bias (RoB) 2.0 tool, and Duval and Tweedie's trim and fill method was used to evaluate publication bias. Data analysis was performed using R studio 4.2.1. RESULTS: According to the quality assessment using RoB 2.0, three articles were evaluated as low risk, two as of some concern, and three as high risk. The overall effect size of task-oriented tradmill training was .35. Regarding gait function, the values were .76, .25, and .40, respectively, for gait endurance, gait speed, and gait pattern. According to Duval and Tweedie's trim and fill method, no publication bias was observed. CONCLUSION: Study findings indicate that task-oriented treadmill training is the most effective intervention for improving gait endurance in patients with stroke. Therefore, applying this intervention to patients with stroke in the community is recommended.