• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.86 no.3
• /
• pp.216-225
• /
• 2023

Background: Tuberculosis (TB)-related stigma has been well-documented. Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), different organizations have been alerted to the fact that stigma could arise again. Due to stigma's negative effects, this qualitative study aimed to explore the stigma felt by patients by evaluating the following: COVID-19 stigma and its temporal progression through the pandemic; stigma perceived by different patients with TB before and during COVID-19 pandemic; and difference perceived by individuals who contracted both diseases. Methods: A semi-structured interview was developed according to the available literature on the theme. It was performed individually in 2022 upon receiving signed informed consent. Participants were recruited with a purposive sampling approach by searching medical records. Those who currently or previously had pulmonary TB and/or COVID-19 were included. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Nine patients were interviewed, including six (66.7%) females. The median age of patients was 51±14.7 years. Four participants (44.4%) had completed high school and four (44.4%) were never smokers. Three had both TB and COVID-19. Four only had TB and two only had COVID-19. Interviews identified eight main themes: knowledge and beliefs, with several misconceptions identified; attitudes towards the disease, varying from social support to exclusion; knowledge and education, assumed as of extreme importance; internalized stigma, with self-rejection; experienced stigma, with discrimination episodes; anticipated stigma, modifying actions for avoiding stigma; perceived stigma, with judgment by others prevailed; and temporal evolution of stigma. Conclusion: Individuals expressed strong stigma for both diseases. De-stigmatization of respiratory infectious diseases is crucial for limiting stigma's negative impact.

• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2023

The importance of weight discrimination for people with obesity has been highlighted by research which has found that more than 40% of those living with obesity have experienced weight discrimination. Evidence suggests that weight bias among obese individuals puts their health at risk more than health issues caused by obesity itself. Although bias, stigma, and discrimination towards individuals living with obesity are factors that make it difficult for them to lose weight, weight bias and stigma among healthcare professionals are common, causing individuals living with obesity to avoid treatment and potentially exacerbating obesity-related health issues. The concept that one's own efforts matter contributes to stigma, discrimination, and bias. This issue will be more frequent among primary care providers treating individuals living with obesity; thus, it is important to acknowledge the issues of bias, stigma, and discrimination towards individuals living with obesity and to seek out solutions. In this review, I will discuss the concept of weight bias, stigma, and discrimination, the problems they cause, and seek solutions to weight prejudice, stigma, and discrimination.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.154-163
• /
• 2024

Purpose: This study is descriptive research aiming to identify factors influencing the stigma experienced by college students with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), focusing on COVID-19 pandemic stress, depression, and fear of negative evaluation as the main variables. Methods: An online survey was administered to 175 college students who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 from January to May 2022 and were enrolled in universities in Seoul, Cheongju, and Daegu, South Korea. The survey collected data on pandemic stress, depression, fear of negative evaluation, and stigma. The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, the Scheffe test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression in SPSS/WIN 26.0. Results: We analyzed differences in stigma scores based on general characteristics of the college students and found significant differences in stigma scores by age, major satisfaction, interpersonal satisfaction, date of COVID-19 confirmation, treatment modality, and recent subjective health condition. Factors influencing stigmatization were identified as COVID-19 pandemic stress, depression, date of COVID-19 confirmation, treatment modality, recent subjective health condition, and major satisfaction, with an overall explanatory power of 37.6%. Conclusion: This study is significant as it identifies emotional changes across various aspects of pandemic stress, depression, fear of negative evaluation, and stigma among college students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The findings of this study suggest the development of programs to reduce psychological distress and enhance mental health management skills among these students.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.582-597
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to translate the Infertility Stigma Scale (ISS) into Korean and to evaluate its reliability and validity in the Korean context. Methods: Data were collected from 350 women who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF). Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 25.0 and AMOS 22.0. Content validity was analyzed using the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and scale-level content validity index/averaging (S-CVI/Ave). The preliminary survey was conducted on 20 women who had experienced IVF at least once to check the level of understanding of the tool and the time required to fill out the questionnaire. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test construct validity. Additionally, hypothesis-testing construct validity were tested. Cronbach's α was used to assess the reliability. Results: The Korean-ISS (K-ISS) consists of 25 items, excluding two items from the original ISS questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors, which explained 75.6% of the total variance. The four distinct factors were infertility stigma with self-devaluation (56.8%), public stigma (8.1%), social withdrawal (6.5%), and family stigma (4.2%). In the confirmatory factor analysis, the 25 items in the four-factor structure were validated (χ² /df ≤ 3, RMSEA ≤ 10). The hypothesis-testing construct validity of K-ISS against FPI (r = .58~.71, p < .001) and FQI (r = - .49~- .65, p < .001) was tested and found to be significant. The internal consistency reliability of the K-ISS, assessed using Cronbach's α, was .97. Conclusion: The K-ISS has satisfactory construct validity and reliability; therefore, it can help minimize the negative impact of stigma by measuring the stigma associated with women experiencing infertility.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.237-246
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between stigma, distress, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with lung cancer. Methods: The subjects of the study were 123 lung cancer patients who visited the outpatient department of S hospital in Seoul from July 21st to August 29th, 2011. To measure stigma, distress, and QOL, Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and EORTC QLQ-C30 (Quality of Life Questionnaire, Core 30) were used in this study. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, average, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation with SPSS WIN 19.0. Results: Stigma showed positive correlations with anxiety, depression, and symptom (r=.37, p<.001; r=.44, p<.001; r=.23 p=.012), while it showed negative correlations with global QOL and function (r=-.26, p=.003; r=-.40, p<.001). Anxiety and depression also positively correlated with symptoms (r=.43, p<.001; r=.58, p<.001) while anxiety and depression negatively correlated with global QOL (r=-.40, p<.001; r=-.56, p<.001) and function (r=-.64, p<.001; r=-.66, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings of the study demonstrated that lung cancer patients experienced stigma and distress that had a negative influence on the subjects' QOL. Thus the study's findings can be useful in developing psychosocial nursing strategies to improve QOL of lung cancer patients in the future.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
• /
• no.53
• /
• pp.79-115
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study is to understand the women's experiences of negative perception, discrimination and 'ethnicized stigma' in South Korea. For this purpose, data were collected through in-depth interviews from 8 women escaped from North Korea and 4 professionals. The findings of this study are as follows: Almost of them experienced negative perception and discrimination caused by language, pronunciation intonation, and differences of ways to express their emotions. And they experienced the disapproval as the native perception and confusion of ethnic identity. Several participants in this study try to build or organize their communities to give emotional and instrumental support for them. However, in these processes, they experience emotional conflicts and crises feelings of disorganization of their communities because of they didn't have experience to involve communities, and didn't have ideas of membership and their roles. And they were learned to criticize with each other in North Korea. They worry about their families' safety in North Korea. For this reason, they can't have trustful personal relationships among Koreans including people escaped from North Korea in South Korea. They want to participate in Korean's community activities, and learn to adjust to everyday lives in South Korea. In conclusion, based upon the outcomes of this study, it is expected that any practical implications or solutions for North Korean defector's welfare would be suggested.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.231-264
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study is to find out how local residents using social welfare services in permanent rental apartment areas experience stigma, and how they perceive it. Data collection was carried out for 10 months from May 2012 to February 2013. Interviews were conducted with 13 users who are using or have the experience of using services in social welfare centers, and 12 hands-on workers of the institutions; the results were then analyzed using the modified grounded theory. The results of analysis are as follows. First, a considerable number of people living in permanent rental apartment areas experience stigma while experiencing impoverishment; and they also feel stigma in the formularization process to become recipients. Second, users experience stigma in the process of using social welfare center services located in permanent rental apartment areas after becoming recipients as well. Third, in cases where permanent rental apartment areas are located in the immediate neighborhood of general residence areas, residents living inside and outside the areas were found to give stigma to the residents of permanent rental apartment areas. This study has significance in that it provides an in-depth clarification of the reality of stigma experienced by users of social welfare center services in permanent rental apartment areas through qualitative research

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.563-574
• /
• 2016

This study aimed to examine the predictors of mental health confidence(MHC) among individuals in psychiatric long-term care facilities(PLCF). It further examined whether the predictors and underlying mechanisms differed by the length of hospitalization. Sample consisted of 1,742 individuals residing in PLCF who participated in the Survey on PLCF. Structural equational modeling was used to examine the predictors of MHC. Multi-group Structural Equation Modeling(SEM) was used to examine whether the predictors and mechanisms differed by the length of hospitalization between those of 10 years or less (n=962) and 10 years and more (n=780). Major findings were as follows. (1) Education, duration of mental illness, and psychiatric symptoms were significantly related to MHC. (2) Duration of mental illness presented significant indirect effects on MHC via its effects on perceived stigma. (3) The predictors and underlying mechanisms differed by the length of hospitalization. Based on the findings, implications and limitations of the research were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.99-113
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study is to explore family life issues of institutionalized single-mother families in Seoul. Using in-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaires, this study is focused on the needs assessments of social workers and institutionalized single-mothers. Subjects were 4 social workers and 31 institutionalized single-mothers. The results of study showed that institutionalized single-mother families experienced economic, child rearing, emotional problems, negative stigma and the loss of social networks. Future research, theoretical and practical implications are added.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.886-902
• /
• 2016

This study investigated multidimensional body image, self-esteem, clothing benefits sought, and Body Image After Breast Cancer (BIABC) within surgical subgroups among breast cancer survivors. The study applied the questionnaire survey method and the main research was conducted through an online survey. The respondents included 207 breast cancer survivors between the ages of 30 and 59, each of whom received the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Self-esteem, clothing benefits sought, examination, and demographic variables were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. The main results of this study are outlined below. For clothing benefit sought, six factors were formulated-pursuit of self-expression/social approval, function/health, compensation, femininity, fashion, and camouflage-and BIABC was defined by the four factors of body stigma/vulnerability, transparency, limitation and cancer concern. While MBSRQ and self-esteem did not show a statistically significant difference between groups differentiated by the surgical methods experienced, those who underwent mastectomies scored slightly lower than members of the other groups. Moreover, the reconstruction after mastectomy group showed the highest mean on self-expression/social approval, compensation, femininity and entire clothing benefits sought, followed by the lumpectomy group and mastectomy group. The lumpectomy group was found to have more positive BIABC than the mastectomy group. In particular, the mastectomy group showed a lower body stigma/vulnerability mean than the other groups. This study is meaningful in that it improves our understanding of the body image of breast cancer survivors and provides basic knowledge for developing products and marketing strategies for breast cancer survivors as consumers.