• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.166-172
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• 2023

Background: To improve the support low-income individuals' medical expenses, it is necessary to think about ways to enhance the Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program. This study proposes expanding support criteria and changing the income standard. Methods: This study conducted simulations using national data from the National Health Insurance Service. Simulations performed for people who have used health services (n=172,764) in 2022 to confirm the Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program's size based on changes to the subject selection criteria. Results: As a result of the simulation with expanded criteria, the expected budget was estimated to increase between Korean won (KRW) 13.2 (11.5%) and 138.6 billion (37.4%), and the number of recipients increased between 41,979 (48.9%) and 150,317 (76.1%). The results of the simulation for the change in income criteria (applied to health insurance levels below the 50th percentile) estimated the expected budget to increase between KRW -8.9 (-7.8%) and 55.6 billion (15.0%) and the number of recipients to increase between -8,704 (-10.1%) and 41,693 (21.1%) compared to the current standard. Conclusion: The 2023 Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program's criteria were expanded as per the 20th Presidential Office's national agenda to alleviate the burden of medical expenses on the low-income class. In addition, The Catastrophic Health Expenditure Support Program needs to be integrated with other medical expense support policies in the mid- to long-term, and a foundation must be prepared to ensure the consistency of each system.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of self-help management program on knowledge about stroke, self-efficacy, self-esteem and family support in people with stroke. Methods: With a quasi-experimental design, 44 persons with stroke were assigned into an experimental group (n=21) or a control group (n=23). The knowledge about stroke, self-efficacy and self-esteem were measured at both before and after the self-help management program. Date were analyzed with SPSS/WIN using descriptive statistics, t-test, and $x^2$-test. Results: There was a significant increase in knowledge about stroke, self-efficacy and self-esteem in the experimental group. Conclusion: Self-help management program can be an effective nursing intervention to improve the knowledge about stroke, self-efficacy and self-esteem for patients with stroke.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a self-management program for community dwelling patients with chronic mental illness so that they could improve their daily living skills and interpersonal relationships. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pre-post test design was used. The participants with chronic mental illness were recruited from a community mental health center. Twenty-two participants were assigned to the intervention group and 19 to the control group. The self-management was provided by 8 trained nursing students, and consisted of 8 sessions including education and practice. Each session was composed of strategies to improve self-care of community dwelling patients with chronic mental illness. Baseline and post-intervention measurements were done using a daily living skill performance scale and interpersonal relationship instrument. Results: Scores for daily living skill performance were not statistically significant, but scores for interpersonal relationship were statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the self-management program had a positive impact on patients with chronic mental disorders. Therefore, it is suggested that the program could be used as an effective nursing intervention for patients with chronic mental disorders being cared for in community mental health centers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.502-513
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• 2018

Objectives: Stress hormone (cortisol) can be used to analyze psychological and physiological changes and healing effects before and after in blood and saliva. Here it is applied to scientifically validate the effects of the healthy forest experience in Deogyusan Mountain National Park. Methods: A healthy forest experience program was provided to college students (males and females) at Deogyusan National Park. Stress, hormones (cortisol), blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation and stress, anxiety, and depression were measured. This study was designed to objectively analyze the effects of stress hormones before and after. Results: Depression, stress, anxiety, and satisfaction with the forest experience program in Deogyusan National Park were very high in reliability in terms of Cronbach's Alpha: depression scored 0.910, stress 0.558, anxiety 0.934, program satisfaction 0.826, and program effectiveness 0.894. Conclusions: In this study, we utilized the Healthy Forest Experience Program and the 'Health and Medical Center Health Record Book' of the Health Forest Experience Program (Ministry of Environment's Environmental Education Certification Program). In the future, we will seek ways to utilize saliva since it is easier to collect than blood samples and apply the stress hormone cortisol as a saliva authentication program. In addition, by implementing ecological welfare programs in which nature and human beings coexist through systematic preservation and restoration, the national park management can utilize ecological, scenic and cultural services wisely. We expect to be able to provide exploration and welfare services.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.247-255
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• 2017

Background: South Korea has experienced problems with excessive pharmaceutical expenditures. In 2010, the South Korean government introduced an outpatient prescription incentive program to effectively manage pharmaceutical expenditures. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the outpatient prescription incentive program and pharmaceutical expenditures. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database, which included medical claims filed for 22,732 clinics from 2011-2014 to evaluate associated pharmaceutical expenditures. We performed multiple regression analysis and Poisson regression analysis using generalized estimating equation models to examine the associations between outpatient prescription incentives and the outcome variables. Results: The data used in this study consisted of 123,392 cases from 22,372 clinics (average 5.4 periods follow-up). Clinics that had received outpatient prescription incentives in the last period had better cost saving and Outpatient Prescribing Costliness Index (OPCI) (received: proportion of cost saving, ${\beta}=6.8179$; p-value < 0.0001; OPCI, ${\beta}=-0.0227$; p-value < 0.0001; reference = non-received). Moreover, these clinics had higher risk in the provision of outpatient prescription incentive (relative risk, 2.772; 95% confidence interval, 2.720 to 2.824). The associations were higher in clinics that had separate prescribing and dispensing programs, or had professional staff. Conclusion: The introduction of an outpatient prescription incentive program for clinics effectively managed problems with rapid increases of pharmaceutical expenditures in South Korea. However, the pharmaceutical expenditures still increased in spite of the positive impact of the outpatient prescription incentive program. Therefore, healthcare professionals and health policy makers should develop more effective alternatives (i.e., for clinics without separate prescribing and dispensing programs) based on our results.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.65-81
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• 2013

Objectives: The present study was carried out to develop and evaluate comprehensive health care program to prevent infectious disease and promote health in child-care centers by Doctor of Korean medicine. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design study was conducted on 568 children and 85 child care teacher at 12 child care facilities for 12 weeks from July to October 2012. The program was consist of management, education, screening under concepts of traditional preventive medicine, Yangsaeng and Chimibyeong. Children's medical utilization due to infectious disease and attendance means functional status were measured by reports from parents. The Difference in difference(DID) estimator was applied data analysis, and added Zero-inflated negative binomial regression model. Also, attitudes on the infection of teacher was measured and analyzed through t-test. Results: After the intervention, the total medical utilization due to infectious disease decreased, but not significantly. Total absence, early leave and lateness decreased significantly. But, Attitude on the infection of child care teacher was not changed. The parent's satisfaction showed positive overall. Conclusions: The intervention program may be effective in preventing infectious disease and managing health in child-care center partially. To measure long-term effect, long-term study improved is requested.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2007

Purpose: To investigate the actual conditions of health care management in child day care centers and parents needs for a Center-based Child Care Health Program. Methods: Study design was cross-sectional descriptive study. 937 parents from 33 day care centers in Seoul completed a structured questionnaire. Results: 73.0% of the parents experienced sick events with their child at least once or more every 1-3months. These events resulted in 35.2% of the parents having to leave work early or to be absent from their jobs. 30.4% were asked to drive a sick child from the child day care centers to their home. Most parents (76.7%) agreed on the need for a Center-based Child Care Health Program (CCCHP), and expected general health & illness management, and growth & development evaluation from the CCCHP. Conclusion: These results show that there is a great demand for Center-based Child Care Health Program. They suggest that there is an urgent need to develop CCCHPs to promote children's health and to support parents. Also the results of this study can be utilized as a basis for the establishment of a childcare policy in Korea.

• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2021

Purpose: The number of people with disabilities and the elderly over 65 years of age is gradually increasing due to physical disabilities and social aging. Their typical physical disorders or chronic diseases include low back pain, sciatic pain, arthritis, and musculoskeletal systems such as discs. The average prevalence of disease is 78%. These are various physical obstacles and hindrances in daily life. Research design, data and methodology: From August 6, 2019 to September 24, 2019, the Senior Welfare Center in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, operated a healthy body exercise and health education program for living health management. Results: The vascular health index using U-Bio pulse wave was relatively good at the first average of +7.4, but the second average of -6.3. This can be seen as a result of the combination of diet and lifestyle education along with the effect of corrective exercise. As a result of body shape measurement analysis, the number of persons requiring management with 3 or more body imbalances was found to be from 75% before to 62.5% afterwards. Conclusions: Exercise effect appears when exercise lasts for at least 10 weeks. Some performances were good, but there were limitations due to the operation of a short training period.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.526-537
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• 2000

This study was conducted to contribute to the expansion of activity areas for school nurses in the field of health promotion services whose importance are increasing daily. To achieve such goals the researcher proposed that health promotion programs for obesity management in overweight schoolchildren conducted by literature review to apply to school settings. In this program, the principal components developed a behavior modification program and an exercise program, which could be educated and managed by a nursing staff during for 9 weeks, three times per week, 60 minutes each. The program consisted of exercise, health education. health counseling, and a direct nursing care. This kind of approach may support the need of behavior modification programs and exercise programs on a regular base via the social organization, which may mean an intentional change of life style. A comprehensive approach to health promotion services proposed by this research would contribute greatly to the effectiveness of school health services and to promote health in overweight schoolchildren.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.68-78
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the effects of Tai-Chi exercise and self-help management program applying laughter therapy in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: This quasi-experimental study recruited a sample of 61 patients with osteoarthritis (experimental group: 30, control group: 31) through the community healthcare centers located in Seoul and Kyung Gi area. The primary outcome measures included symptoms of osteoarthritis, basic physical performance, fatigue, and depression assessed before and after the study. The data were analyzed using SPSSWIN V. 12.0. Results: At the end of the six-week intervention, left shoulder flexibility (t=2.011, p=.049), 6m walking speed (t=3.639, p=.001), and right balance (t=-2.30, p=.025) were significantly improved in the control group. Fatigue (t=3.012, p=.004), stiffness (t=2,093, p=.041), right shoulder flexibility (t=2.138, p=.037), right balance (t=-2.065, p=.043), and 6m walking speed (t=2.683, p=.009) were significantly improved in the experimental group. Conclusion: A twice a week, 6-week tai-chi exercise self-help management program applying laughter therapy is effective in decreasing fatigue and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is one of common chronic diseases that the patients should be required to continue self management for the rest of their life. Therefore, there is a need to develop the more effective self-help management program and nursing intervention to motivate them to maintain their own self-help management.