• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of aquatic exercise program on pain, body weight, fatigue, flexibility in elderly women with osteoarthritis. Methods: The subjects of the study were sixty nine elderly women(age over 65years)who have an osteoarthritis. Aquatic exercise program consist of approximately one hour of exercise in water, two days per week, for six weeks. Data were gathered from September 2002 to August 2004 using a questionnaire and measuring body weight, flexibility of shoulder.. Data were analyzed with the SPSS Win 10.0 using frequency and paired t-test for differences between pre-exercise and post-exercise. Results: The results of this study are as follows: pain score, fatigue, body weight of post test were lower than those of pre test(t=5.587, p=0.000 ; t=3.394, p=0.001 ; t=4.664, p=0.000). Right and left flexibility scores of post test were better than those of pretest(Left: t=4.736, p=0.000 ; righrt: t=4.733, p=0.000). Conclusion: From these results, it is concluded that the aquatic exercise program can be effective in increasing physical and psychological function in elderly women.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2021

Objective: Insomnia is a very common symptom of cancer and has a substantial effect on the patients' quality of life. This study aimed to identify the effects of foot reflexology on insomnia in cancer patients. Methods: The study employed a before-after test design on a single group of 13 cancer patients with insomnia, selected by convenience sampling in Daegu. The foot reflexology treatment comprised 30-min sessions twice a week over four weeks. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were measured at the baseline, at 2 and 4 weeks, and after 4 weeks post treatment completion. Brief Fatigue Inventory-Korean (BFI-K), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) were measured at baseline, post-treatment, and 4 weeks after completing treatments. Results: Thirteen patients (mean age 44.77 ± 6.70 years), with thyroid, breast or cervical cancer, were included in the study. Post-treatment, PSQI (from 12.33 ± 3.17 to 8.54 ± 3.43, p<0.001), ISI (from 20.33 ± 3.88 to 13.38 ± 4.23, p<0.001), FACT-G (from 49.6 ± 13.27 to 61.35 ± 14.45, p<0.001), and BFI (from 6.46 ± 0.91 to 5.00 ± 2.02, p<0.001) scores improved significantly over those at the baseline. Conclusion: Foot reflexology can be a good alternative treatment to improve insomnia, fatigue, and quality of life in cancer patients

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.231-240
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among fatigue, personality, learning strategies, and academic achievement of medical students. 146 students from year 1 to year 4 at one medical school participated in this study. Students completed the fatigue, Big Five personality traits(Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness), learning, strategies. The academic achievement of students measured by GPA. The data were analyzed by t-test and stepwise multiple regression. The student's fatigue differed by grade, and the students of low grade had higher scores than high grade. But personality traits and learning strategies were not significantly different by grade. The factors that affect on academic achievement differ by grade. In low grade, neuroticism, extraversion, and rehearsal affected students' academic achievement. In high grade, conscientiousness and extraversion had an effect on the academic achievement of students. These results could guide the design of medical education improvement, and be useful in developing a supporting program for medical students.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2016

Background: Prolonged sitting leads to low back discomfort and lumbopelvic muscle fatigue. This study examined the characteristics of body perceived discomfort and trunk muscle fatigue during 1 hour of sitting in three postures in office workers. Methods: Thirty workers sat for 1 hour in one of three sitting postures (i.e., upright, slumped, and forward leaning postures). Body discomfort was assessed using the Body Perceived Discomfort scale at the beginning and after 1 hour of sitting. Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from superficial lumbar multifidus, iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis, internal oblique (IO)/transversus abdominis (TrA), and rectus abdominis muscles during 1 hour of sitting. The median frequency (MDF) of the EMG power spectrum was calculated. Results: Regardless of the sitting posture, the Body Perceived Discomfort scores in the neck, shoulder, upper back, low back, and buttock significantly increased after 1 hour of sitting compared with baseline values ($t_{(9)}=-11.97$ to -2.69, p < 0.05). The MDF value of the EMG signal of rectus abdominis, iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis, and multifidus muscles was unchanged over time in all three sitting postures. Only the right and left IO/TrA in the slumped sitting posture was significantly associated with decreased MDF over time (p = 0.019 to 0.041). Conclusion: Prolonged sitting led to increased body discomfort in the neck, shoulder, upper back, low back, and buttock. No sign of trunk muscle fatigue was detected over 1 hour of sitting in the upright and forward leaning postures. Prolonged slumped sitting may relate to IO/TrA muscle fatigue, which may compromise the stability of the spine, making it susceptible to injury.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.293-305
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a questionnaire for the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) designed based on the systematic exertion intolerance disorder (SEID) criteria, and to validate the reliability of the questionnaire. Methods: A literature search on questionnaires for CFS diagnosis was conducted to develop a SEID questionnaire (SEID-Q27), followed by a pilot survey to identify the reliability of the questionnaire. Adults (Daejeon university personnel) with a Chalder fatigue scale (CFQ) score ≥15 were invited for the survey. We commenced the survey in November 2019 with a two weeks of interval for the test and retest method. The reliability of the questionnaire was investigated in three angles: 1. Cronbach's α, 2. correlations (r) of the questions, numerical rating scale (NRS), and visual analog scale (VAS), and 3. kappa (k) analysis. Results: Among the total 275 adults registered, 55 (20%) participants with a CFQ score ≥15 were invited, and 31 (11%) [15 male, 16 female] completed the questionnaire. The total Cronbach's α was 0.944 for the test and 0.949 for the retest. The reliability (r) of questions by CFQ score (≥15, ≥18, ≥20) ranged from 0.533-0.928 (p <0.05), and the r score of the NRS and VAS were the highest in CFQ scores ≥20, at 0.933 (p<0.001). The agreement rate of the SEID-Q27 between the test and retest was 87% (kappa k=0.743). Conclusions: The SEID-Q27 seems to be reliable. Further studies are needed to measure the validity of the tool and the cutoff point.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.124-129
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• 2021

Background and Objectives This study compares Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) scores according to the presence or absence of external laryngeal tension in hyperfunctional voice disorder. And through this, it is to confirm the usefulness of VFI to hypertension of extrinsic laryngeal muscles. Materials and Method The subjects were 61 female diagnosed with hyperfunctional voice disorder (hypertension group 41, non-hypertension group 20). The author palpated extrinsic laryngeal muscles for evaluation of hypertension and classified them as the presence or absence. The voice measurements were jitter, shimmer, Korean-Voice Handicap Index-10 (K-VHI-10), and Korean-Vocal Fatigue Index (K-VFI). The voice compared were according to the diagnosis and presence of hypertension only for patients with hyperfunctional voice disorder. Results As a result of comparing the voice measurement according to the presence or absence of hypertension, there was no significant difference in the acoustic variables, K-VHI-10 and K-VFI-Total, K-VFI-Fatigue. Whereas, K-VFI-Physical (p=0.006) and K-VFI-Rest (p=0.022) were significantly higher in the hypertension group. Conclusion These results indicate that the hypertension group has more physical discomfort and less voice recovery than the group without hypertension. It means that K-VFI can measure the physical discomfort and limitations of voice recovery due to hypertension of the external laryngeal muscle. The VFI can be used as one of the methods to evaluate the hypertension of the external laryngeal muscle in Hyperfunctional voice disorder.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.69-83
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• 2006

The purpose of the present driving simulation study was to investigate the effects of fatigue induced both by sleep deprivation and time-on-task on driver's driving performance. The results are as followings. First, although the drivers in almost every experimental conditions showed faster driving speed than that was required, the drivers in the sleep-deprivation and over 1-hour time-on-task condition drove slower than the target speed. Second, the drivers in the sleep-deprivation and over 1-hour time-on-task condition crossed the lane less frequently than those in the other conditions, they weaved more in the lane. Third, as the drivers became more fatigued both by sleep deprivation and continuous driving, they reported higher fatigue scores in the subjective fatigue ratings. The results suggested that although the drivers might adapt a compensative driving strategies when they were fatigued, their driving performances were indeed impaired, in general.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.39-56
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• 1998

This study was an quasi-experimental study, done to identify factors Influencing the reduction of symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia. The primary purpose of the study was to develop a Self-Help Program suitable for patients with fibromyalgia in Korea. The secondary purpose was to identify the effects of a Self-Help Program which included stretching exercise. This study was carried out between Feb. 24 and July 8, 1997 and patients in the study Included out patient diagnosed with fibromyalgia based on the criteria developed by the American College of Rheumatology(1990) and H, University which is a tertiary patient care clinic for Rheumatism. The experimental group included 38 patients who were residents of Seoul or Kyungi province, and a control group of 38 patients who were residents of other areas. The control patients were matched to the experimental group patients and they were selected considering the number of tender points on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score and a score of self-efficacy. The experimental group participated in a Self-Help Program based on the American Arthritis Foundation(1995) guidelines. The program participants participated in a small group which consisted of 12-15 members attending the program once a week, for 6 weeks with each program lasted two to two and a half hours. The stretching exercise was carried out in each patient's home every day following the video tape exercise provided by the researcher, and the researcher provided encouragement and concern to the patients by calling them once a week. The number times the exercise was performed was divided by the number of participants to calculate the percentage of performance and determine the amount of exercise. Self-efficacy was measured by the Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Lorig et al. (1989) for arthritis patients. The degree of pain was converted to scores based on the Visual Analog Scale, the number of tender points was converted to scores based on the criteria of the ACR(1990) and of Yunus. Depression was measured by CES-D and physical disability, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and anxiety of patients with fibromyalgia were measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. The level of the exercise performance was converted to scores using the number of times the exercise was performed following the video tape prepared by Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals. Data were analyzed by SPSS windows and the results ire described below. 1. The experimental group which participated in the Self-Help Program showed higher efficacy scores than the control group when both groups were analyzed for depression and the number of tender points as common variables(F=9.146, p=.003). 2. The experimental group which participated in the Self-Help Program showed lower scores than the control group, for pain, the number of tender points, depression, physical disability, fatigue, sleep disturbance and anxiety. These symptoms of fibromyalgia can all be seen to have subsided(F=9.483, p=.003 : F=32.680, p=.001 ; F=11.104, p=.001, F=5.344 : p=.024, F=7.630 : P=.007, F=15.6512, p=.003 : F= 7.5412, p=.008). 3. In the experimental group, the self-efficacy score for the first three weeks showed a positive correlation with the exercise-performance score for four to six weeks (r=.387, p=.043). 4. In the experimental group, the relationship between the level of exercise-performance and the reduction of symptoms showed a significant correlation only to physical disability(r= -.500, p=.001). 5. In the experimental group, the relationship between the self-efficacy score and pain, the number of tender points, depression, physical disability, fatigue, sleep disturbance and anxiety score showed inverse correlations and thus, a reduction of symptoms occured when the self-efficacy score increased(r=-.325, p=.004 ; r= -.253, p=.027, r=-.452, p=.001 : r=-.434, p=.001 ; r=-.316, p=.005 ; r=-.460, p=.001 ; r=-.397, p=.014). Therefore, self-efficacy improved following the Self-Help Program including the stretching exercise. It was also found that physical symptoms (pain, number of tender points, level physical disability) and psychological symptoms (depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety) were reduced. Moreover, It was found that the higher the self-efficacy, the the higher the degree of achievement of goals set for the stretching exercises. In addition, the level of exercise-performance influenced the level of physical disability, one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Accordingly, the conclusions from this study are that exercise-performance and the reduction of symptoms is achieved through promotion of self-efficacy. Therefore, it is proposed that are the Self-Help Program including stretching exercises is an appropriate nursing intervention for the reduction of symptoms of fibromyalgia.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.390-397
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• 2005

Background & Object: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of degree of fatigue and gastric motility, measured by EGG, with skin sympathetic tone or cardiovascular reactivity in patients with functional dyspepsia. Methods: Subjects were 56 patients with Functional dyspepsia and eight healthy people. Degree of fatigue was assessed by questionnaires consisting of subjective complaints of fatigue. Skin sympathetic tone was measured by Ryodoraku Score and Cardiovascular Reactivity was checked by Pulse diagnostic apparatus. Gastric motility was estimated by EGG. First, all patients were divided into two groups by Ryodoraku Score $40{\mu}A$(below and above). Second, they were subdivided into two groups by Cardiovascular Reactivity(decreased and increased or not decreased). Estimates were made on the extent differences of degree of fatigue or state of gastric motility in each group. Results: 1. Fatigue scores was significantly higher in females and in the Ryodoraku-Score-below-$40{\mu}A$ group. It was higher in the decreased cardiovascular reactivity group than the increased group, but to no significanct extent. Also, gastric motility was better in the Ryodoraku-Score-above-$40{\mu}A$, group than in the below group. Conclusions: These results suggest that degree of fatigue and gastric motility are associated with skin sympathetic tone, but not associated with cardiovascular reactivity, and that $40{\mu}A$ is a useful cutoff point in Ryodoraku Score for assessing degree of fatigue in functional dyspepsia patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3067-3074
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• 2013

Background: Faced with highly prevalent and recalcitrant cancer-related fatigue (CRF), together with the absence of any official guidelines on management, numerous groups have been striving to seek and test alternative therapies including acupuncture and moxibustion. However, different patients have various feedbacks, and the many clinical trials have given rise to varied conclusions. In terms of the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion, there exist vast inconsistencies. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the auxiliary effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of CRF, and to provide more reliable evidence to guide clinical practice. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before December 2012 were all aggregated, focusing on evaluation of acupuncture or moxibustion for CRF. The quality of the included studies was assessed basing on Cochrane handbook 5.1.0, and the available data were analyzed with RevMan software (version 5.2.0). Descriptive techniques were performed when no available data could be used. Results: A total of 7 studies involving 804 participants were eligible. With real acupuncture versus sham acupuncture, subjects receiving true acupuncture benefited more in the reduction of fatigue. With real acupuncture versus acupressure or sham acupressure, fatigue level appeared 36% improved in the acupuncture group, but 19% in the acupressure group and only 0.6% with sham acupressure. When real acupuncture plus enhanced routine care was compared with enhanced routine care, the combination group improved mean scores for general fatigue, together with physical and mental fatigue. With real acupuncture versus sham acupuncture or wait list controls, the real acupuncture group displayed significant advantages over the wait list controls at 2 weeks for fatigue improvement and better well-being effects at 6 weeks. When moxibustion plus routine care was compared with routine care alone, the meta-analyses demonstrated the combination had a relatively significant benefit in improving severe fatigue and QLQ-C30. Conclusion: Up to the search date, there exist few high quality RCTs to evaluate the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion, especially moxibustion in English. Yet acupuncture and moxibustion still appeared to be efficacious auxiliary therapeutic methods for CRF, in spite of several inherent defects of the included studies. Much more high-quality studies are urgently needed.