• Title/Summary/Keyword: Contraceptive

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Modeling Survival in Patients With Brain Stroke in the Presence of Competing Risks

  • Norouzi, Solmaz;Jafarabadi, Mohammad Asghari;Shamshirgaran, Seyed Morteza;Farzipoor, Farshid;Fallah, Ramazan
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.54 no.1
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    • pp.55-62
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    • 2021
  • Objectives: After heart disease, brain stroke (BS) is the second most common cause of death worldwide, underscoring the importance of understanding preventable and treatable risk factors for the outcomes of BS. This study aimed to model the survival of patients with BS in the presence of competing risks. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted on 332 patients with a definitive diagnosis of BS. Demographic characteristics and risk factors were collected by a validated checklist. Patients' mortality status was investigated by telephone follow-up to identify deaths that may be have been caused by stroke or other factors (heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.). Data were analyzed by the Lunn-McNeil approach at alpha=0.1. Results: Older age at diagnosis (59-68 years: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.19; 90% confidence interval [CI], 1.38 to 3.48; 69-75 years: aHR, 5.04; 90% CI, 3.25 to 7.80; ≥76 years: aHR, 5.30; 90% CI, 3.40 to 8.44), having heart disease (aHR, 1.65; 90% CI, 1.23 to 2.23), oral contraceptive pill use (women only) (aHR, 0.44; 90% CI, 0.24 to 0.78) and ischemic stroke (aHR, 0.52; 90% CI, 0.36 to 0.74) were directly related to death from BS. Older age at diagnosis (59-68 years: aHR, 21.42; 90% CI, 3.52 to 130.39; 75-69 years: aHR, 16.48; 90% CI, 2.75 to 98.69; ≥76 years: aHR, 26.03; 90% CI, 4.06 to 166.93) and rural residence (aHR, 2.30; 90% CI, 1.15 to 4.60) were directly related to death from other causes. Significant risk factors were found for both causes of death. Conclusions: BS-specific and non-BS-specific mortality had different risk factors. These findings could be utilized to prescribe optimal and specific treatment.

Clinical Factors Affecting the Serum Retention of a Teratogenic Etretinate after the Acitretin Administration

  • Jeong, Jong Heon;Hyun, Gyu Hwan;Park, Yu Jeong;Kwon, Sung Won;Lee, Ai-Young
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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    • v.30 no.6
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    • pp.562-569
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    • 2022
  • Etretinate, an acitretin metabolite, has a long retention duration in adipose tissues with a teratogenic potential. FDA advises a contraceptive period of at least three years after discontinuing acitretin. However, the effect of accumulated etretinate in adipose tissues on fetus is unknown. Although the teratogenic threshold for serum concentration of etretinate has been presented as higher than 2 ng/mL, that of acitretin is unknown. To examine factors affecting body retention of acitretin and etretinate, effects of acitretin dosage, acitretin-taking duration, elapsed time after stopping acitretin, age, sex, concomitant alcohol consumption, and foods and supplements rich in vitamin A intake on serum concentrations of acitretin and etretinate were analyzed in 14 acitretin-taken patients and 58 controls without taking acitretin or etretinate. Serum concentrations of acitretin, but not etretinate, tended to be inversely related to the discontinuation duration. They were also related to old age. Different from a published result that alcohol consumption could promote the metabolism of acitretin into etretinate, alcohol intake did not affect serum concentrations of etretinate. Unexpectedly, more frequent intake of vitamin A or provitamin A-rich food and supplements was associated with higher serum acitretin, whereas less frequent intake of vitamin A or provitamin A-rich food and supplements was associated with higher serum levels of etretinate in acitretin-taken patients. Despite preliminary data, inter-individual variations in serum retention of etretinate suggest the necessity of further research before applying the same guidelines to everyone to minimize unnecessary contraception.

A study on research trends for pregnancy in adolescence: Focusing on text network analysis and topic modeling (청소년 임신에 대한 연구 동향 분석: 텍스트 네트워크 분석과 토픽 모델링)

  • Park, Seungmi;Kwak, Eunju;Park, Hye Ok;Hong, Jung Eun
    • The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.149-159
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    • 2024
  • Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify core keywords and topic groups in the "adolescent pregnancy" field of research for a better understanding of research trends in the past 10 years. Methods: Topics related to adolescent pregnancy were extracted from 3,819 articles that were published in journals between January 2013 and July 2023. Abstracts were retrieved from five databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, RISS, and KISS). Keywords were extracted from the abstracts and cleaned using semantic morphemes. Text network analysis and topic modeling were performed using NetMiner 4.3.3. Results: The most important keywords were "health," "woman," "risk," "group," "girl," "school," "service," "family," "program," and "contraception." Five topic groups were identified through topic modeling. Through the topic modeling analysis, five themes were derived: "health service," "community program for school girls," "risks for adult women," "relationship risks," and "sexual contraceptive knowledge." Conclusion: This study utilized text network analysis and topic modeling to analyze keywords from abstracts of research conducted over the past decade on adolescent pregnancy. Given that adolescent pregnancy leads to physical, mental, social, and economic issues, it is imperative to provide integrated intervention programs, including prenatal/postnatal care, psychological services, proper contraception methods, and sex education, through school and community partnerships, as well as related research studies. Nurses can play a vital role by actively engaging in prevention efforts and directly supporting and educating socially disadvantaged adolescent mothers, which could significantly contribute to improving their quality of life.

Common Mental Disorders and Associated Factors During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in Indonesia: An Analysis of Data From the 2018 Basic Health Research

  • Arum Ariasih;Besral;Meiwita Budiharsana;Sudarto Ronoatmodjo
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.57 no.4
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    • pp.388-398
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    • 2024
  • Objectives: A substantial proportion of women experience mental health challenges during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Common mental disorders (CMDs), including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, are prevalent. Identifying causes and associated risk factors is imperative for early intervention and the prevention of mental health issues. Methods: This study utilized data from the 2018 Basic Health Research, which was conducted nationwide in Indonesia, using a cross-sectional approach. We focused on women aged 13-49 years who were currently or previously married, and had experienced pregnancy, including 8889 pregnant women and 77 012 women who had delivered between January 1, 2013 and August 31, 2018. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 was employed to assess CMDs. Multivariate logistic regression was performed. Results: The prevalence of CMDs in pregnant women was 12.6%, while postpartum mothers exhibited a prevalence of 10.1%. Poor health status displayed the strongest impact on CMDs during both pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 12.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.01 to 16.60) and the postpartum period (aOR, 16.72; 95% CI, 14.85 to 18.82). Additional significant factors for both group include young maternal age, lack of education, unemployment, history of hypertension, and smoking status. Among pregnant women, CMDs was also associated with first-trimester pregnancy, previous pregnancy complications, and small upper arm circumference. For postpartum mothers, significant factors include living in rural areas, history of abortion, unwanted pregnancy, pregnancy complications, lack of antenatal care, spontaneous delivery, postpartum complications and contraceptive use. Conclusions: CMDs can impact in pregnant and postpartum women. Early diagnosis and management must be seamlessly integrated into primary healthcare practices.

Sexuality, Contraception, and Induced Abortion among Adolescents and Young Adults in the Export Processing Zones of Korea (미혼여성의 성, 피임, 그리고 인공유산 - 수출공단지역의 사례연구)

  • 조성남
    • Korea journal of population studies
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.93-122
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    • 1996
  • This is a study of the determinants of sexual, contraceptive, and abortion behavior among unmarried female adolescents and young adults, which has emerged as a growing and serious health problem in Korea. As part of a larger project, data were gathered in three export zones: Kuro (Seoul), Kumi (Kyngbuk) Masan Changwon (Kyongnam) ; and the study samples are regrouped into three categories: 1) factory workers, i.e. , the reference group serving as program participants, 2) entertainment workers, and 3) ob-gyn patients. This study indicates that entertainment workers are at highest risk of experiencing premarital sex, STDs, contraceptive failure, unwanted pregnancies, and induced abortion. Of them, 20 percent had STDs as a result of first sexual experience: and about seven tenths had two or more pregnancies due to the adoption of low-efficacy methods. The proportion of those who had ever been pregnant was 60 percent for the group as a whole: 36 percent for the program participants: 64 percent for the entertainment workers ; and 91 percent four the ob-gyn patients. These proportions are exactly the same for abortion in each group, which means that all pregnancies ended in induced abortion. Of the respondents who said that they were sexually active at the time of survey, abortions were very high: 1.6 for the program participants, 2.3 for the entertainment workers, and 1.9 for the ob-gyn patients. About 80 percent of the women had abortions during the first trimester, and two thirds of the first abortions took place between the ages of 20 and 23. About one fourth experienced post-abortion complication, which was highest among the program participants (39 percent). Sixty percent of those with complications visited a hospital or took medicine to treat the problem. Even after the experience of induced abortion, the use of contraception was very low, except among the entertainment workers, whose level of use reached 53 percent. The most obvious recommendation, arising from this research, is that 'good-quality' counselling and family planning services be established under the auspices of both national and local government, particularly targeted for the entertainment workers as well as the factory workers in various textile, electronic, manufacturing, and other industrial sectors. We believe that entertainment sectors should be restructured radically so that young women who work for amusement bars and other entertainment sectors obtain protection from the risk of having unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and induced abortion.

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A Study on the Knowledge. Attitude and Behavior of Commercial Girl's High School Students Toward Sex (서울시내 실업계 여고생들의 성지식 태도 및 행위에 관한 조사연구)

  • Bae, Nam-Sook
    • Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.57-71
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    • 1983
  • Sex education is necessary for the youth that they should have an adequate sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviors in their adolescent period. Four major objectives of this study are as follows; 1. To know the level of sexual knowledge of commercial girl's high school students in Seoul. 2. To know their actual state for the attitudes and behaviors toward sex. 3. To compare the sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of day time school students with those of night time school students. 4. To compare the factors associated with their sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviors with the individual level. Data were collected on 986 students in Seoul from April 1 to April 10, 1983. As the result of this survey, the following conclusions were obtained. 1. The level of sexual knowledge. (1) The level of knowledge of day time high school students about the physiology of female and pregnancy is shown higher than those of night time students. 64.2% of the respondents are aware of the organ producing ovum. 56.4% the ovulation period. 95.6% the cause of pregnancy. 74.5% the pregnantable period and 12.7% the place of fetilization. (2) Out of 986 respondents. 71.8% knew about contraceptive method correctly, and day time school students knew litter better than night time school students, by showing 73.9% and 69.7% respectively. They knew about contraceptive method with 'oral pills'. 'menstrual cycles', 'condoms'. and 'loops' in the same order. 3) Kinds of veneral disease was correctly known by 37.9%. Day time students knew much better than night time school students. by showing 67.8% and 7.9%. respectively. Transmission method of veneral disease was correctly known by 28.3%. Day time students knew much better than night time students, by showing 51.2% and 5.3%, respectively. (4) The major information source of sexual knowledge was 'book and magazine' (39.9%) and 'friends' (27.4%). 2. Actual state of attitudes and behaviors toward sex. (1) Out of 986 respondents, 84.0% answered that premarital purity should be kept. (2) Out of 986 respondents, 60.8% had an acquaintance of the opposite sex. 45.2% of students with opposite sex reported introduction of their friends as the main channel of making an acquaintance of the opposite sex. (3) Of those who responded to this study 13.8% reported having masturbation, 21.5% kissing, 6.2% petting and 3.7% sex intercourse. (4) 64.8% had sexual problems, which was mensturance (27.2%), aquaintance of the opposite sex (25.4%). The main method to solve the problems were consultation with 'friends' and 'books and magazine' percentage being 39.1% and 30.8%, respectively, whereas very small students discussed with 'teachers' and 'parents' percentages being 0.3% and 5.9%, respectively. (5) Out of 986 respondents, 62.2% had experience in educating about sex, the percentage of day time school was higher than that of night time school. (6) 88.2% of students wanted sex education in school, which were 'general information about sex' (35.4%), 'sexual morality and solution of sexual desire' (18.5%), 'aquaintance of the opposite sex' (13.3%) and 'marriage and role of man and woman' (12.4%) in the same order. They wanted to be instructed about sexes in the lecture of physical education, home economics, biology, military training (59.9%), regular curriculum (17.5%), special lecture (16.9%) and by the counselor or school nurse (5.7%). 3. Analyse concerning the factors about the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. (1) The better school record was, the higher the level of sexual knowledge. (2) Those who have the religion considered the permarital purity more important than those who have not, the percentage showing 86.7% and 80.7%, respectively. (3) The result of dyad analysis of making acquaintance of the opposite sex in the friendship network showed that a high index of the acquaintance of the opposite sex tends to be a high adoption of making one at the individual level in the group, while the low index tends to be a low adoption of making one in the group.

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재미 한국 유배우 부인의 재생산주기 (초경-재경)에 관한 연구

  • 박선화;김응익;최명희;서경만
    • Korea journal of population studies
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.55-69
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    • 1991
  • The objective of the study is to figure out the status of reproductive health and general characteristics related to maternal health for Korean-Americans living in Los Angeles. We collected data from the married women who wanted no more additional child birth and were attending the Family Planning Clinic of Koryo Health Foundation in Los Angeles during 1988. There were 494 women met the eligibility requirement for this study. The results are summarized below. 1. In the age distribution of the women who desired no more additional child birth, women 30-34 age group constituted the largest proportion at 36.6 percent ; the mean age of women was 35.1915.55. The mean number of child birth was 1.77, and the proportion of the women by number of child birth were 35.2 percent for one children, 50.1 percent for two children 10.5 percent for three children, and 2.6 percent for four children. All of the women experienced pregnancy at least once, and mean number of pregnancy was 3.42. The mean number of total experience of induced abortion was 1.56. and 76.7 percent of these women had experience with induced abortions. To prevent further pregnancies, 90.1 percent of the women were utilizing the contraceptive methods, and the highest proportion by the contraceptive methods was condoms(53.7%), 9.3 percent in spermicides, 8.7 percent in IUDs, 8.7 percent in rhythm method, and 6.9 percent in oral pills. 2. The mean age of women at each stage of reproductive life cycle were 14.74 years at time of menarche, 24.55 years at time of marriage, 26.60 years at time of the first child birth, and 28.75 years at time of the last child birth. In age distribution of the women by birth cohort (Group I : birth cohort 1940-1954, Group H : birth cohort 1955-1970), the mean menar-cheal age of the women was 14.96 years in group I , and 14.53 years in group H . Mean age at time of marriage was 25.01 years in group I and 24.08 years in group H . Mean child birth age of the women by birth cohort was 27.19 years In group I and 26.01 years in Group II for the first child birth and 30.07 years in group I and 27.45 years in group II for the last child birth. The total length of reproductive life cycle from menarche to menopause (presumed to be at 49 of age years) was 34.26 years. The len-gth of phase I (from menarche to marriage) was 9.81 years, while phase H (marriage to first birth) was 2.05 years, and phase Ill (first birth to last birth) was 2. 15 years, and the last phase of reproductive life cycle, phase IV (last birth to menopause) was 20.25 years. The proportion of each phase 10 total length of reproductive life cycle was 28.6 percent, 6.0 percent 6.3 percent, and 59.t percent respectively. In the tendency of each phase in reproductive life cycle by birth cohort (group I , U ), the length of phase I, II , III of birth cohort group II was diminished in comparison with those of birth cohort group I , but the length of phase IV was extended by 2.38 years. 3. Among the women, the mean number of total pregnancy by birth cohort group was 2.01 in group I and 1.10 in Group II, and mean number of child birth was 1.97 in group I and 1.58 in group II. In terms of pregnancy was-tage rate by birth cohort group, among the total pregnancy of birth cohort group I , 51.8 percent of the cases resulted in induced abortions or spontaneous abortions whils 48.2 percent resulted in live births, and 42.2 percent or total pregnancy in group II resulted in pregnancy wastage and 57.8 percent of the cases resulted in live births.

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A Case Study on High and Low Performance Areas for Family Planning (가족계획 우수.부진지역 사례연구)

  • 홍성열;김태일
    • Korea journal of population studies
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.105-130
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    • 1981
  • This study was conducted to compare the characteristics of high performane areas for family planning with that of low performance areas and to find factors which strongly affected contraceptive practice behavior. For the study, eight areas were selected from 274 rural family planning canvassing areas of Korean Population Policy and Program Evaluation Study, which was an action study operated in all areas of Cheju Island from July 1, 1976 until December 31,1979. As a first step of the action study, Cheju Island was devided up 318 family planning canvasser areas Each area was consisted of 200 households in rural district and 300 households in urhan one Duriog the period of project, each canvassing area had been managed by a female family planning canvasser, selected by director of health center considering several individual conditions needed for family planning activities Basic activities of canvassers were to counsell all the eligihie couples in own charged area about family planning methods and also to distribute contraceptives such as condoms and oral pills. In case couples desire to accept sterilization including vasectomy and tubal-ligation, the canvassers played a linking role connecting potential client with family planning field workers. Canvassng areas shows significant differentce in performance for family planning, nevertheless they are supposed to have almost the same conditions regarding family planning distribution channel. Because the purpose of the Cheju project was to eliminate all the problems that existed in governmental distribution system, that is to remove geographic, economic, cognitive and administrative barriers Accumulated performances of family planning methods accepted by residents in each area were calculated by eligible women aged 14-49. And then canvassing areas were ranked according to performance score. Consequently, 4 areas in extremely high and low family planning performance areas were selected respectively. Major results were obtained by comparing characteristics of high performance area with that of low performance areas, which are as follows: 1. The mean number of living children was about the same both in high and low performance areas for family planning. But respondents' mean age (38.5) in high performance areas was higher than that (37.0) in low performance areas 2. Respondents' perception in the expectant educational level of others' children in high performance areas was higher than that in low performance areas, although respondents educational level, monthly expenditure and ratio of children in high school and above was not different. 3. Ratio of ownerships of TV and newspaper in high performance areas was highen than that in low performance areas 4. The duration of canvasser' charge in high performance areas was longer than that of low performance areas, showing the fact that canvassers didn't move cut in high performance areas 5. In high performance areas, canvassers' houses were relatively located in the center part of the village. And so villagers resided in near distances from the anvasser's house 6. 4H clubs' activities in high performance areas were more active than those in low performance areas Therefore it was assumed that cohesiveness of community in high performance areas were stronger than that in low areas. 7. Canvassers' family planning practice rate was higher than that in low performance areas, and also canvassers' human relationship was more sociable than that of canvassers in low performance areas. 8. Fourteen variables which showed relatively high significance level in $X^2$ and F test were selected as independent variables for stepwise regression analysis. According to the results of regression analysis. five of 14 variables-distributors education level ($R^2$=.4439), duration of distributor's charge ($R^2$=.6166), 4H club activities ($R^2$=.6697), canvasser's contraceptive practice ($R^2$=.7377) and location of distributions house ($R^2$=.8010) explained 80.1 percent of total variance.

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The Seosan County Family Planning/Maternal & Child Health Service Research Project, Korea -Project Design and Findings of the Baseline Survey- (가족계획(家族計劃) 및 모자보건사업(母子保健事業)의 효율적 통합방안(統合方案)에 관한 연구(硏究)(서산군(瑞山郡)) -기초조사보고(基礎調査報告)-)

  • Bang, S.;Cho, T.H.;Lee, S.J.;Han, S.H.;Lim, K.J.;Ahn, M.Y.
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.163-192
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    • 1983
  • In order to facilitate the Korean government's efforts in integrating family planning and maternal & child health at the primary health care level (or township level), the Soon Chun Hyang College of Medicine, with the financial and technical assistance of WHO, has under-taken a service research project. The project has employed a quasi-experimental study design introducing interventions tat provide crucial factors lacking in the ongoing government programs such as midwives and qualified referral physicians. The study is being conducted in three locations, one control area and two study areas. Before introducing trained Nurse/Midewives into the study areas, a baseline prevalence survey was undertaken from 15 July 1981 to 10 August 1981 in selelcted townships of Seosan County. In this sample survey of bath the study and control areas, 2,484 eligible women (97% reponse rate) were interviewed to obtain benchmark data on basic evaluation indicators related to family planning and maternal and child health. The salients results were summarized as follows.: 1. CONTACT RATES WITH HEALTH WORKERS; During the year preceding the survey, 12% of women were visited by government health workers. The primary reason for such visits by health workers was family planning (45% of the visits). About 34% of the women visited the health centers during the year. The primary reason for visiting health centers was immunizations for their children (45% of the visits). 3. FAMILY PLANNING USE RATE; The baseline data showed little difference between women in the study area and the control area on contraceptive use. Approximately 59% were currently using some methods. However, among those current users, almost half were practicing less effective methods of birth control such as rhythm or withdrawal. Among other methods, the tubectomy was the most popular (16%), while use of the IUD, oral pill and condom together reached only 14%. 3. PRENATAL CARE RATE; About 75% of the women reported no prenatal care for their last births (the youngest child of each women), Additionally, among women received prenatal care, over half had only one visit. 4. ATTENDANCE AT DELIVERY; Most of the women surveyed (over 80%) were attended by a non-medical person during their last delivery. These figures are somewhat comparable to the national figure of 84% for remote areas. 5. POSTNATAL CARE; The proportion of women reporting postnatal care was only 4.5%, and postnatal care was not received by the majority of women surveyed. 6. CHILD HEALTH CARE: In contrast to the low rate of maternity care for women themselves, most women reported obtaining immunization care for their children. About 75% of the women obtained Polio and/or DPT, 58% BCG, and 44% Measles vaccine for their children. However, in terms of illness care, while 35% of the women stated that their youngest child had been sick during the month preceding the survey, only 28% of these women took their child to the clinic for treatment. 7. COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY AND ABNORMALITIES IN THE NEWBORN; Among all last deliveries, 18% of the women had pregnancy complications and 9% of the women had complications during delivery About 5% of the women reported abnormality in their most recent newborn. 8. REPRODUCTION EFFICIENCY; PERINATAL MORTALITY AND INFANT MORTALITY Based on data from the pregnancy history in this survey, reproduction efficiency was estimated. Out of the 11,154 pregnancies reported by all women surveyed, foetal loss was 21% (almost 16% were induced abortions) and infant deaths before reaching one year old were 3.1%. The reproduction efficiency was, therefore, reduced to 76%. In terms of perinatal and infant mortality rates, the former was 40.2 per 1,000 total births and the latter was 39.3 per 1,000 live births. Both rates described J shaped relationships with age of mothers and parity, and they were also correlated with birth interval and mother's education. In summary, this baseline survey data indicated a need for (1) improving contraceptive practices with more effective methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies and (2) providing better services for maternal and child care to protect wanted pregancies. In the Korean rural setting. the author believes that the latter is more important as the value of each child has increased as a result of the family planning campaign for the past two decades. This calls for more effective integration of Family Planning and MCH programmes to meet the needs of the family in each stage of the child bearing and rearing period with deploying more qualified personnel than the current government program personnel.

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A Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Relative to Maternal and Child Health Among Women Residing in Apartments at Yonsei Community Health Area (연세지역 아파트 주민의 모자보건에 관한 실태조사)

  • Yu, Seung-Hum;Chung, Young-Sook;Lee, Kyung-Ja;Kim, Kwang-Jong
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.77-87
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    • 1971
  • A study of the knowledge, attitude and practices about the maternal and child health of 305 married women residing in apartments at the Yonsei Community Health area was conducted during the period from November to December 1970 using designed questionnaire with well trained interviewers. The results and findings obtained from the study are summarized as follows: A. Pregnancy and Birth Questions were asked about their last child. 1. 16.4% of the women were pregnant. 2. Among 281 women who had experienced delivery, 48.0% were assisted by doctor or midwisves for their last delivery, while the rest of women delivered their last baby at home without any professional's assistance. The higher the level of education or the greater exposure to mass communication, the more the deliveries were assisted by doctors or midwives. Those women who were born and raised in cities had more deliveries assisted by doctors and midwives than those who were not. 3. Kinds of delivery sheets used. Among 141 cases of home delivery 68% used cement bag paper or vinyl sheets. Three% used nothing and remained used unsterile materials. 4. Among 141 cases of home delivery, 70.2% used scissors. The rest of them used other methods. 5. 47.3% of the women had a rest for one month or more after birth. The higher the level of education, the longer the period of rest was observed. 6. 52.4% of the women fed the colostrum to their babies. This was not related to the mother's education. 7 About half(42.9%) of the women had poor knowledge about a proper diet for the pre and post natal period. B. Child Health 1. Knowledge and practice regarding to the immunization for their children: Most of the women (93.2%) could name at least one kind of immunization. 20.3% could name 6 kinds of immunization. Mothers education level did not influence their ability to name immunizations. 85.2% of children had been immunized at least once. 2. Morbidity of last born children: 48.1% of their last born children were found to have been sick during the last year. Less than half(41.5%) of the sick children were seen by doctor. 3. Counselling at well baby clinic: Most of the women(76.5%) had no counselling for their children. Registration rate at the well baby clinic at the Severance Hospital was 13.2%. 45.9% wanted to visit to the well baby clinic at the Severance Hospital. 4. Weaning Period: 44.6% said that the beginning of the weaning for their last born children was from 6 months to twelve months of age. The most important reason of weaning was the health of both mothers and children. 5. Knowledge and Practice regarding birth and death Registration: 64.6% of the women could name correctly the Ku-office as the place for the registration. Only 29.2% registered the birth of their last born children within 14 days. C. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding to family planning Most: of the women accepted the idea of family planning. 97.7% could name at least one contraceptive method. 35.4% were found to be current users of contraceptive methods. The ideal number of children was 3.1 in average.

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