• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.113-145
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• 2010

Nowadays, it is surely the quack which stands as one of the most controversial, problematic. the quack has been a consistent target of contested public protection strategies in the past few centuries in many countries. Recently, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly utilized and accepted by patients and providers throughout the health care system in the world, most accounts attribute this growing acceptability to the shortcomings of conventional medicine, the appeal of CAM's core beliefs, and the growing body of research indicating that CAM actually works. However, the governments of western countries have called for measures to ensure that the public are protected from incompetent and dangerous practitioners. Common to these controversies has been a suggestion to ban, exclude or limit the medical practice of those deemed to be damaging rather than improving the health of individuals as a measure of public protection. This article describes the experiences of western counties' health care system which is moving in a more pluralistic direction. By examining the ways in which regulatory efforts in the countries have come to address what is invariably described as a growing interest in CAM, this study show how the problem of CAM/quackery today is increasingly located in an ethical field of practitioner competency, qualifications, conduct, responsibility and personal professional development, regardless of the form of therapy in question. Many countries developed a series of measures and strategies to contain the acceptance of CAM groups, such as insisting on scientific evidence of safety and efficacy, resisting integration of CAM with conventional medicine and opposing government support for research and education. In a sense, those countries' movements serve to protect not only patients, but the dominant position of medicine and its allied professions, and to maintain existing jurisdictional boundaries within the healthcare system. The popular support for CAM will require that health professional stakeholders continue to address the challenges this poses, and at the same time protect their position at healthcare system. To cope with the quack, professional body, public sector and health authorities should consider the safety of consumers of healthcare and responding to the demands of the community for CAM therapies as well as the claims of the established healthcare professions. Finally, some implications for future health care were suggested.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2006

Today, consumers need more information of well-being related food with an increase of interests in health. Thus it is important to understand and provide well-being food related information to consumers. This study was performed to investigate consumer needs for well-being food related information. The needs scores (5-point Likert scale) to well-being food related information were high over all. The highest score was observed in 'disease care and diet therapy' (4.05 point). 'Functionality of well-being food' and 'safety and hazard of food' were followed having high scores (individually 4.00, 3.99 point). Female subjects had higher information needs than male subjects for well-being food related information such as 'balance of diet', 'nutrients' and 'recipe of well-being food'. The needs for well-being food related information increased by age, although subjects who were over 50 had a decrease in information needs. There was a significant positive correlation between the majority of well-being food related information and educational level. Information needs were not significantly different by income. Conclusively, well-being food related information should be provided to consumers according to the individual needs and ultimately consumers will improve their efficiency and satisfaction in using well-being food related information.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.995-1003
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• 2015

This study was to investigate the association among satisfaction of nutrition labeling, change of purchase behaviors, and dietary life care, based on the awareness of nutrition labeling at expressway rest areas. The subjects (n=903) were divided into two groups, according to the awareness of nutrition labeling: Awareness of Nutrition Labeling (ANL) group, n=367; Non Awareness of Nutrition Labeling (NANL) group, n=536. Effort of health care and identification of nutrition labeling was significantly higher in the ANL group, compared with the NANL group. As for the main reason for not identifying nutrition labeling, 'not interested in nutrition labeling' was the highest in the ANL group, and 'Don't know nutrition labeling is provided' in the NANL group. Identification ratio of nutrition labeling in future was significantly higher in the NANL group, compared with the ANL group among the subjects who didn't identify nutrition labeling before. After their becoming aware, a change of food purchase after reading the nutrition labeling was significantly higher in the ANL group, compared with the NANL group. Health beliefs on the nutrition labeling were significantly higher in the ANL group, compared with the NANL group. Satisfaction of nutrition labeling was also significantly higher in the ANL group, compared with the NANL group. The ANL group also expressed a necessity of expansion of nutrition labeling, compared with the NANL group. In the ANL group, identification of nutrition labeling was significantly higher in the hard effort group, compared with the little effort group of dietary life care. Therefore, improvement and campaign of nutrition labeling for consumers at expressway rest areas, especially for the NANL group, will be effective in identifying nutrition labeling for their health care.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.265-291
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• 2011

Changes in a drug's availability from prescription only to over-the-counter (OTC) status is of concern to physicians from both public health and individual patient perspectives. Government has generally been supportive of changes in medications from prescription(Rx) to over-the-counter (OTC) status in Korea, however, recognizing that there are both benefits and risks to any health care intervention, health care professionals are conservative in implementing changes to either the process or structure of health care. Changes in status of a drug from Rx to OTC can represent a change in both structure and process. Cost and convenience seem to be major factors in determining whether, given the choice, patients purchase a medicine over the counter or obtain it on prescription. With current arrangements, exemption from prescription charges provides an incentive to continue to obtain products on NHS prescription even when they are available over the counter. There is therefore no simple relation between the availability of over the counter medicines and the level of prescribing of deregulated products. The appropriate use of over the counter medicines-particularly those that have only recently been deregulated-places a burden of care on community pharmacists and calls for closer working relationships with general practitioners. In particular, systems for referral and for recording details of both prescribed and over the counter medicines need to be developed, and a direct route needs to be established for community pharmacists to report adverse drug reactions to over the counter products. Reclassification of prescription medicines-by making them available through pharmacies without a prescription-provides the opportunity for consumers to purchase a wider range of medicinal products without making a demand on NHS resources. There is, however, no simple relation between availability of over the counter medicines and demand for NHS prescriptions. In the late 1980s the UK government fuelled the over the counter market by making it easier to reclassify certain medicines from prescription only status to allow over the counter sale in pharmacies. To explore the influence of deregulation of medicines on NHS prescribing, this article presents analyses of consumer behaviour in using medicines and prescribers' attitudes to over the counter medication and collates findings from research. Policy makers should be aware that patients' expectations in relation to OTC medicines may be in conflict with evidence-based practice.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.330-347
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• 2023

Purpose: This study identified words closely associated with the keyword "dietary supplement" (DS) using big data in Korean social media and investigated consumer perceptions and trends related to DSs before (2019) and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2021). Methods: A total of 37,313 keywords were found for the 2019 period, and 35,336 keywords were found for the 2021 period using blogs and cafes on Daum and Naver. Results were derived by text mining, semantic networking, network visualization analysis, and sentiment analysis. Results: The DS-related keywords that frequently appeared before and after COVID-19 were "recommend", "vitamin", "health", "children", "multiple", and "lactobacillus". "Calcium", "lutein", "skin", and "immunity" also had high frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) values. These keywords imply a keen interest in DSs among Korean consumers. Big data results also reflected social phenomena related to DSs; for example, "baby" and "pregnant woman" had lower TD-IDF values after the pandemic, suggesting lower marriage and birth rates but higher values for "joint", indicating reduced physical activity. A network centered on vitamins and health care was produced by semantic network analysis in 2019. In 2021, values were highest for deficiency and need, indicating that individuals were searching for DSs after the COVID-19 pandemic due to a lack an awareness of the need for adequate nutrient intake. Before the pandemic, DSs and vitamins were associated with healthcare and life cycle-related topics, such as pregnancy, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer interests changed to disease prevention and treatment. Conclusion: This study provides meaningful clues regarding consumer perceptions and trends related to DSs before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and fundamental data on the effect of the pandemic on consumer interest in dietary supplements.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.772-783
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• 2003

Purpose: This study was performed to measure the nursing service perceived value by consumer and providers, and to investigate the relationship among nursing service, general satisfaction and hospital revisiting intent, and to examinate the tools that measures nursing service's reliability, construct validity and usefulness. Method: The questionnaire was developed and distributed to 300 patients and 210 nurses at three general hospitals. For data analysis, SPSS/PC program was used. Result: The nursing service perceived value by providers is higher than that by consumers. There are distinctive difference in the expectation, and importance and performance values of the nursing service perceived. In examination of the relationship among nursing service, general satisfaction and hospital revisiting intent, nursing service has a deep relationship with general satisfaction, but doesn't have relationship with hospital revisiting intent. The tool that measures nursing service has a good reliability and construct validity. In analysis on the usefulness between the tools, SERVPERF tool is more useful than SERVQUAL tool. conclusion: The nursing service perceived value by consumer is different that by providers, and the tool that measures nursing service has a good reliability and construct validity. The SERVPERF tool is more useful than SERVQUAL tool.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the appearance management motives and body image perception according to males' appearance management behavior. A set of questionnaire was administered to 398 male consumers. Data were analyzed by utilizing frequency, factor analysis, ANONA, cluster analysis, and crosstabs. Factor analysis of body image perception extracted four factors such as appearance concern, appearance satisfaction, exercise ability, and weight control. Four groups of the appearance management behavior were classified into such as health oriented, active figure management, indifference to personal appearance, and fashion/skin care by cluster analysis. All groups pursued sociality in appearance management motives. The active figure management group showed highest concern about in all the appearance management motives and body image perception.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.47-58
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• 2016

As increasing demand for the living environment to promote social health, this study focused on consumers customized rental housing community space. Set the community spatial planning objectives and strategies shown in previous studies to the conceptual model for evaluation of community space. Based on the planning methods and standards of consumers custom community facilities, we analyzed the Seoul consumer customized public rental housing nine cases. Because almost located in the small vacant lot, they had limitations as a base for the local community. Nevertheless, through the arrangement of the building, Child care households increase the chance of contact with the neighbors. In elderly households, welfare facilities strengthen the character of as a base for local community. 1-2 person households situated close to the cultural facilities, by installing a hobby room and gym, was judged to be able to promote the community. Consumer custom rental housing community space evaluation items presented in this study, was set up by analysis of the conceptual model for evaluation of community space and implications of the 9 cases.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.27-44
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• 2019

The goal of this study is to find why the consumers are reacting slowly or negatively toward smartwatches. Even though, smartwatches provide useful information such as health care and text message, the market was not growing fast as expected, and seems to be stagnant at this point. Thus, the future market predictions are varied. To find out why this may have happened, a Q-method study using non-adopters was conducted. In order to find out depth explanations from each interviewers, the research team chose the Q method and Q sorting to classify the different reasons for non-adopters. Based on the interview, all participants were clustered with into groups with similar patterns of the answers. The research team classified the interview group to three categories 1) Technology Discontent 2) Service Discontent 3) Indifferent. The research team analyzed each category reasoning and logics. Also the team compared the result to the technology chasm as it was proposed by Rogers (1969) to measure the maturity of the consumers.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.67-81
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• 2011

Background : Complementary and alternative medicine has bee used to cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, many hospitals have tried to integrate complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) with conventional medical approaches for patients with chronic diseases. Recently, the prevalence of the use of traditional Korean medicine(TKM) among patients with chronic diseases, expecially, hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident is increasing in Korea. To date, however, there were only few studies addressing the patients' attitudes, and utilization of TKM, compared to the well-documented escalating use of TKM among consumers in Korea. Objectives : The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of TKM use among hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident and to determine what factors affect to use CAM among the patients. The study also aims to provide information on TKM and assist therapy selection among various CAM therapies for hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident within health care system in which both practitioners of TKM and practitioners of modern Western medicine coexisted. Methods : The design of the study was descriptive cross-sectional, and data were collected using a 32-items questionnaire. The subjects were one hundred fifty nine patients with chronic diseases who visited or admitted to health care facilities in a hospital in Seoul Metropolitan city, Korea. Data were analyzed using 'SPSS Statistics 18.0 Network Version(on release 18.0.1 of PASW Statistics)' program. Various statistical methods were used to obtain a profile for participants and the therapies most frequently used by hemiplegia patients of TKM. Logistic regression analysis was employed in order to determine the predicting variables of TKM use. Results : The prevalence of the use of TKM was 51.6%. The most common TKM therapies used by the patients included acupuncture(93.2%), herbal medicine(64.8%), and cupping(37.5%). Results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the variables significantly related with TKM use were gender, marital status, job, No. of visiting health care facilities/week. Conclusions : This study shows that the use of TKM among the hemiplegia patients is relatively high in Korea, this topic should be taken into account in the development of a holistic approach for patients with chronic diseases and an efficient chronic disease management system in Korea.