• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3763-3767
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• 2016

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among females across the world. It is a preventable cancer and early detection is very feasible. This study aimed to identify which women characteristics are potentially associated with and may have an important in uence on the uptake of cervical cancer screening in Kurdish women living in the west of Iran.. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in late 2014. A random sample of women aged 40 years and above without history of cervical cancer and identi ed as Kurdish background were selected and interviewed by two trained interviewers. Information about sociodemographic and reproductive factors, history of diseases, and cervical screening was collected using a questionnaire and women who had undergone a hysterectomy were excluded. Univariate analyses were used to describe the general characteristics of the study population. Multivariable logistic regression models with self-reported screening history were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% con dence intervals (CI). Signi cance was considered at the 5% level. Results: A total of 561 women were included in this study (mean age $43.6{\pm}5.17$ years) participation in cervical screening at least once was about 32%. Cervical screening uptake percentage was signi cantly lower among people over 60 years of age (adjusted OR= 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11-0.64), and those who were illiterate (OR= 0.41 95% CI: 0.23-0.73) and post-menopausal (OR= 0.56, 95% CI: 0.35-0.91). Women with ${\leq}1$ child were less likely to report a Pap test (adjusted OR=0.43 95%CI: 0.13-1.37) Cervical screening uptake was higher among women with health insurance (OR= 2.31, 95% CI: 1.50-3.56). Conclusions: Cervical screening participation in this study was low compared to other studies in developed countries. The screening uptake was different based on age, education, parity, insurance coverage and menopausal status. It is recommended to target these groups of women in cervical screening program.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.346-352
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• 2006

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to propose a screening schedule for the early detection of breast cancer among Korean women, as based on the statistical model, and to compare the efficacy of the proposed screening schedule with the current recommendations. Methods: The development of the screening schedule for breast cancer closely followed the work of Lee and Zelen (1998). We calculated the age-specific breast cancer incidence rate from the Korea Central Cancer Registry (2003), and then we estimated the scheduling of periodic examinations for the early detection of breast cancer, using mammography, and based on the threshold method. The efficacy of the derived screening schedule was evaluated by the schedule sensitivity. Results: For estimating the screening schedule threshold method, we set the threshold value as the probability of being in the preclinical stage at age 35, the sensitivity of mammography as 0.9 and the mean sojourn time in the preclinical stage as 4 years. This method generated 14 examinations within the age interval [40, 69] of 40.0, 41.3, 42.7, 44.1, 45.4, 46.7, 48.0, 49.3, 51.0, 53.2, 55.3, 57.1, 59.0 and 63.6 years, and the schedule sensitivity was 75.4%. The proposed screening schedule detected 85.2% (74.5/87.4) of the cases that could have been detected by annual screening, but it required only about 48.7% (14.0/30.0) of the total number of examinations. We also examined the threshold screening schedules for a range of sensitivities of mammography and the mean sojourn time in the preclinical stage. Conclusions: The proposed screening schedule for breast cancer with using the threshold method will be helpful to provide guidelines for a public health program for choosing an effective screening schedule for breast cancer among Korean women.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.125-129
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• 2019

The ultimate goal of the quality control program for special periodic health examination agencies is to diagnose the health condition of a worker correctly, based on accurate examination and analysis skills, leading to protect the worker's health. The quality control program on three areas, chemical analysis for biological monitoring since 1995, and pneumoconiosis, audiometric testing since 1996, has contributed to improve the reliability of occupational health screenings by improving the issues including standardization of testing methods, tools, diagnostic opinions, and reliability of analysis for biological monitoring. It has contributed to improving the reliability of occupational health monitoring by rectifying the following issues associated with previous monitoring: absence of standardized testing methods, testing tools that are not upgraded, mismatching diagnostic opinions, and unreliable results of biological specimen analysis. Nevertheless, there are issues in need of further improvement such as lack of expertise or the use of inappropriate method for health examination, and passive and unwilling participation in the quality control. We suggested solutions to these problems for each area of quality control program. Above all, it is essential to provide active support for health examiners to develop their expertise, while encouraging all the health screening agencies, employers, and workers to develop the desire to improve the system and to maintain the relevance.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.85-96
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a training program for swallowing and to test its effect on swallowing capacity and nutritional status among nursing home residents with stroke. Methods: A swallowing training program was developed by literature review, expert validation and a pilot test. A pretest and posttest quasi-experimental study design with nonequivalent control group was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Swallowing training was conducted for thirty minutes, three times a week for 8 weeks. Swallowing capacity including dysphagia screening score, swallowing symptom questionnaire and tongue pressure, and nutritional status including body mass index and mid arm muscle circumference were measured at the baseline and at 8 weeks. Results: The exercised-based swallowing training program consisted of oromotor exercise, expiratory muscle strength exercise and effortful swallow. The participants were 77.2 years old on average. At the completion of 8-week program, the experimental group showed better scores in dysphagia screening (p=.039) and swallowing symptom questionnaire (p=.004) and a significant increase in tongue pressure (p=.003). Conclusion: The exercised-based swallowing training program was safely applied to nursing home residents with stroke and showed a significant improvement of swallowing capacity. Further studies are needed to identify its effect on the nutritional status.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1791-1796
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• 2014

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death among Vietnamese Americans, yet screening remains underutilized. We investigated the effectiveness of a culturally tailored DVD intervention in promoting CRC screening among unscreened Vietnamese Americans age 50 and over. Materials and Methods: Using a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted a trial comparing twenty-eight subjects who received a mailed DVD in Vietnamese, with twenty-eight subjects who received a mailed brochure in Vietnamese. Subjects completed telephone surveys at baseline, One-month, and one-year. The primary outcome was receipt of screening. Secondary measures were participants' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about CRC screening. Two focus groups explored the intervention's acceptability and effectiveness. Results: At one year, CRC screening rates of 57.1% and 42.9% were observed in experimental and control group respectively (p=0.42), Subjects in both groups showed increased knowledge about CRC after one month. Focus group findings revealed that the DVD was an effective method of communicating information and would help promote screening. Conclusions: The findings suggest that culturally tailored, linguistically appropriate content is more important than the type of media used. This relatively low intensity, low cost intervention utilizing a DVD can be another useful method for outreach to the often hard-to-reach unscreened population.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.239-247
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• 2013

Objectives : The direction for qualitative improvement of our country's workers' by arranging data necessary for improving oral health program and system aiming to promote workers' oral health in the future is suggested in this study. Methods : The questionnaire by self-administrated method, which was selected by convenience sampling method, was carried out from October 4th to December 31th, 2011 targeting 424 workers from 6 working places in Jellabuk-do Province. Results : 1. It was indicated that workers' interest in oral health is higher than moderate and that workers are perceiving oral health as one of critical problems and thinking that the level of their oral health knowledge is low and oral health status is under moderate. 2. It was indicated that the rate of workplace oral screening is high, but the dissatisfaction ratio with workplace oral examination is high. Non-screening of medical treatment was indicated to be the highest after oral examination. 3. Factors of having influence upon the workplace oral examination included age, marital status, appearance, educational level, work-life term, and average monthly household income. Conclusions : It is judged to be likely important to make them have positive attitude toward oral health care through the accurate publicity of workplace oral examination and education on prevention of oral disease by reflecting workers' high interest in oral health.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.11
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• pp.438-446
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• 2020

Background: Most developmental screening tools in Korea are adopted from foreign tests. To ensure efficient screening of infants and children in Korea, a nationwide screening tool with high reliability and validity is needed. Purpose: This study aimed to independently develop, standardize, and validate the Korean Developmental Screening Test for Infants and Children (K-DST) for screening infants and children for neurodevelopmental disorders in Korea. Methods: The standardization and validation conducted in 2012-2014 of 3,284 subjects (4-71 months of age) resulted in the first edition of the K-DST. The restandardization and revalidation performed in 2015-2016 of 3.06 million attendees of the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children resulted in the revised K-DST. We analyzed inter-item consistency and test-retest reliability for the reliability analysis. Regarding the validation of K-DST, we examined the construct validity, sensitivity and specificity, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and a criterion-related validity analysis. Results: We ultimately selected 8 questions in 6 developmental domains. For most age groups and each domain, internal consistency was 0.73-0.93 and test-retest reliability was 0.77-0.88. The revised K-DST had high discriminatory ability with a sensitivity of 0.833 and specificity of 0.979. The test supported construct validity by distinguishing between normal and neurodevelopmentally delayed groups. The language and cognition domain of the revised K-DST was highly correlated with the K-Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II's Mental Age Quotient (r=0.766, 0.739), while the gross and fine motor domains were highly correlated with Motor Age Quotient (r=0.695, 0.668), respectively. The Verbal Intelligence Quotient of Korean Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence was highly correlated with the K-DST cognition and language domains (r=0.701, 0.770), as was the performance intelligence quotient with the fine motor domain (r=0.700). Conclusion: The K-DST is reliable and valid, suggesting its good potential as an effective screening tool for infants and children with neurodevelopmental disorders in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.79-91
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• 2010

Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze health behavior and utilization of university health clinics by college and university students. Methods: There are 376 colleges and universities in Korea as of May 2007. Of them 243 (69.6%) run health clinics in their campuses. Twenty of them were selected and 1,754 students were surveyed by using self reporting questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed by SPSS ver. 12.0. Results: Out of 1,754 students 56.5% were in good health. Of the subjects 15.6% were cigarette smokers, 30% were non drinkers, 20.8% exercise regularly, 53.7% sleep for seven to eight hours a day, 48% had proper body weight (BMI) 20-25) and 20% had physical examination in the past two years. The scores of health practices were higher in male students than female students (P 0.05). Perception rates of university clinics were higher in female students than male students. (P 0.01). Many students have intention to use the clinics (P 0.01). On health promotion program 35.2% of the subjects used clinics for emergency service, 32.8% participated in drinking control program, 32.8% in smoking cessation program, 20.4% in immunization program and 19.2% in regular health screening program. Conclusions: Comprehensive data for health behavior and need of health promotion services by the students should be collected regularly in order to meet the needs of students and faculty members in higher education institutes. The university authorities should pay more attention on the activities of health clinics in order to promote health of the students.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.565-584
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• 2011

Objective: This study is examined the factors affecting forms of untreated experiences in persons with physical disability. Method: The data collected from 461 persons with physical disability in community. Based on the Behavioral Model of Andersen, predisposing, enabling, and need factors are hypothesized to affect persons with physical disability's untreated experiences. The data were analyzed by statistical methods such as frequency and multiple logistic regression analysis. Result: Participation rates of untreated experiences were 26.7%. The significant factors of persons with physical disability's untreated experiences are predisposing factors (gender, partner, and religion), enabling factors (income, private insurance, information of assistive device, disability discrimination, and subjective discrimination), and need factors(subjective health status health screening and chronic disease). Also untreated experiences related to gender, subjective health status, health screening, and chronic disease factors using multiple logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: Implications of the findings were discussed and the recommendations for the improvement of health care utilization, subjective health statue. Especially, development of health education and program should be needed persons with physical disability.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.157-168
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to examine differences in mammography screening according to breast cancer and social network characteristic. Methods: Data were collected from 187 married women 35 years and older who were using public health centers, health promotion centers, cultural centers, obstetrics and gynecology hospitals or other relevant community sites. Data were collected between October 24 and December 4, 2008. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 15.0 program. Results: The participation rate for mammography screening was 35.3%. The following general and breast cancer characteristics showed statistically significant differences: religion, family incomes, regular medical-care, general health examinations during past 2 years, and history of breast disease. The following social network characteristics showed statistically significant differences: social norms and subjective norms. Using logistic regression analysis, regular medical-care, breast cancer risk appraisal, social norm, and subjective norms were highly predictive of subsequent mammography. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that it is important to develop and provide tailored intervention programs through integrated socially mediated programs. By consciously including social network and support systems, breast cancer detection efforts would not end as a one-time event, but naturally build on network structure of adults women, thus facilitating regular mammography screening.