• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.31 no.4 s.85
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• pp.266-279
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• 2005

The present study was conducted to analyze the causes of stress on the part of Korean radiological technologists depending on their working environments. For this purpose, 890 questionnaires were distributed to and collected from radiological technologists who were working at 44 general hospitals in 16 cities and provinces of Korea during the period from the mid July to the end of August 2003. The collected data were compared between regions, divided into the capital, metropolitan, medium and small cities, whose results are as follows: 1. As factors affecting working conditions, drinking was found to exert more influence on radiological technologists in small- and medium-sized cities, while loyalty to immediate seniors and organizations was the one producing greater influence on them in metropolitan cities than other cities. Overall, position, job satisfaction and physical condition seemed to have a great effect on them (p<0.001).2. In terms of factors related to their roles, job satisfaction and physical condition played in general a greater role for radiological technologists (p<0.001). Immediate seniors and behavioral conducts were also found to have a lot influence on them (p<0.01).3. As for job conflicts, the kind of medical institutions seemed to exercise a great deal of impact on radiological technologists (p<0.05), while colleagues, immediate seniors, job satisfaction and physical conditions also produced a lot of influence on them as a whole (p<0.001).4. Regarding job autonomy, radiological technologists were found to have been less influenced by position in metropolitan cities and by immediate seniors in the capital city (p<0.01). As a whole, however, age and job satisfaction acted as decisive factors of influence on them (p<0.001). 5. Among factors related to job burden, gender played a bigger role for radiological technologists in metropolitan cities as the kind of medical institutions did in small- and medium-sized cities. Centrally, job satisfaction and behavioral conducts exercised a great impact on them (p<0.001).6. Job stability seemed to be more immensely linked to gender and physical conditions in metropolitan cities whereas position did more in the capital city. In general, how ever, job satisfaction produced a far-reaching (p<0.001).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 2003

Objective : Studies have suggested that beer is associated with a high risk of mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this study was to investigate how types of alcoholic beverage are related to high risk acute harm. Methods : Data from the 1997 Korea's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, collected through telephone questionings, were analyzed based on multi-stage stratified random sampling(N=1,045). Among those who had drunk at least one type of alcoholic beverage in the last month, one episode where the drinker had consumed the highest level of ethanol was selected, and the alcohol consumption per drinking day categorized into four risk levels of short-term, 'acute' harm, according to the WHO guidelines. Employing ordered logistic regression analyses, as the explanatory variables, types of alcoholic beverage, with and without socioeconomic characteristics, were considered. Results : Spirits and soju were more than ten and three times, respectively, more likely than beer, while makkolli and wine were almost as likely as beer, to involve high risk drinking, irrespective of controlling for the socioeconomic characteristics. Conclusions : Unlike most Western countries, in Korea, beer, rather than spirits or soju, is generally less likely to be associated with high risk drinking for acute harm, The influence of beverage types on high risk drinking for acute harm appears to vary between countries.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2017

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain is characterized by persistent jaw pain associated with dysfunction and tenderness of the temporomandibular muscles and joints. The aim of this study was to investigate whether treatment with red or black ginseng extract helps in the modulation of inflammatory TMJ pain. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 220~260 g were used. The experimental group was subdivided into 4 groups based on the treatment method (n=6, each group): formalin (5%, $30{\mu}l$), formalin after distilled water (vehicle), formalin after red or black ginseng extract (per oral, single or repeated, respectively). To induce TMJ pain, $30{\mu}l$ of formalin was injected into the articular cavity under ether inhalation anesthesia. The number of noxious behavioral responses of scratching the facial region proximal to the injection site was recorded for 9 successive 5-min intervals following formalin injection. Repeated treatment with red or black ginseng extract reduced the nociceptive responses in the second phase (11~45 min). Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an oxidative stress-mediated transcription factor. Both ginsengs significantly down-regulated the increased Nrf2 level compared to the vehicle group. In the test for liver and kidney functions, repeated treatment with red or black ginseng was not different compared to the vehicle group. These results indicate that red and black ginseng extract might be promising analgesic agents in the treatment of inflammatory TMJ pain.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.56-66
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with coping responses in Korean public high school students. Methods: This study employed a descriptive survey research design. The sample included 263 high school students who responded to a self-report questionnaire. Variables included socio-demographic characteristics, health-related characteristics, academic stress, somatization symptoms, social support, and coping responses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlations, and multiple regressions. Results: Participants, regarding their school life, reported moderate levels of academic stress ($M{\pm}SD=2.3{\pm}0.52$) and somatization symptoms ($M{\pm}SD=2.3{\pm}0.71$), and a relatively high level of social support ($M{\pm}SD=4.2{\pm}0.67$). All the variables were associated with the use of multiple coping responses. Active-cognitive coping ($M{\pm}SD=2.9{\pm}0.68$) was most frequently used, followed by active-behavioral coping ($M{\pm}SD=2.5{\pm}0.56$). and avoidant coping ($M{\pm}SD=2.3{\pm}0.75$). Significant relationships were found among the measured variables: positive relation between academic stress and somatization symptoms, but, negative between academic stress and both somatization symptoms and social support. Students who had higher stress and more somatization symptoms were more likely to use avoidant coping than the others. In multiple regression analysis, while factors associated with each coping response differed, gender appeared to be a significant factor in all methods. Variables included in the final model explained 27% of the variance in avoidant coping (F=11.40, p<.001). Conclusion: Based on the study results, schools should provide tailored educational programs to help high school students reduce multisource stress and somatization symptoms at school and cope with them in more active and effective ways.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.212-222
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• 2024

Objectives: Epilepsy is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment and intervention from health workers. Medication adherence is a factor that influences the success of therapy for patients with epilepsy. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the role of pharmacists in improving the clinical outcomes of epilepsy patients, focusing on medication adherence. Methods: A scoping literature search was conducted through the ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. The literature search included all original articles published in English until August 2023 for which the full text was available. This scoping review was carried out by a team consisting of pharmacists and neurologists following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, including 5 steps: identifying research questions, finding relevant articles, selecting articles, presenting data, and compiling the results. Results: The literature search yielded 10 studies that discussed pharmacist interventions for patients with epilepsy. Five articles described educational interventions involving drug-related counseling with pharmacists. Two articles focused on similar pharmacist interventions through patient education, both verbal and written. Three articles discussed an epilepsy review service, a multidisciplinary intervention program involving pharmacists and other health workers, and a mixed intervention combining education and training with therapy-based behavioral interventions. Conclusions: Pharmacist interventions have been shown to be effective in improving medication adherence in patients with epilepsy. Furthermore, these interventions play a crucial role in improving other therapeutic outcomes, including patients' knowledge of self-management, perceptions of illness, the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in controlling seizures, and overall quality of life.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.82-98
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• 2018

Internet overdependence has become a public health concern in Korea. It is well known that family and community level efforts could alleviate possible harms from Internet use. However, little research exists regarding smartphone overdependence. This study examines factors affecting smartphone overdependence and, specifically, help-seeking for smartphone overdependence among Korean adolescents. The study is based on parental mediation theory and uses a help-seeking framework. The results indicate that preventative education provided by school and community increases the levels of awareness of both the possible harms from smartphone use and the option of accessing the mental health service, while it was not effective in preventing smartphone overdependence. Parental mediation was a protective factor for smartphone overdependence but was negatively associated with the intention to use the mental health service. In sum, behavioral problems related to smartphone use require multidimensional preventative efforts from both the family and the community. It is suggested that effective preventive education methods are developed for parents and adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.439-453
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• 2011

This study was performed to determine dietary and lifestyle factors associated with hypertension in Korean adolescents. Study subjects were 12~19 years (n = 521) adolescents who participated in the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III). Subjects were divided into the hypertensive group (HG, n = 102) and normotensive group (NG, n = 419) by '2007 Korean children and adolescents growth standard' and the relationships between blood pressure and physical measurement, nutrients intakes, eating behaviors and health related factors were analyzed. HG showed significantly higher levels in weight, waist circumference and BMI than NG. The amount of nutrient intakes was not different between NG and HG. Index of nutritional quality (INQ) for phosphate was higher in HG compared with NG. In both male and female HG, INQ for iron was higher but INQ for vitamin B1 was lower than NG. HG revealed higher consumption frequencies of snack, yoghurt, and ice cream compared with NG. In eating and behavioral factors, 'dinner with family', 'eat proper amount', 'keep Korean traditional diet', alcohol drinking, and mean alcohol intake were significantly different between the two groups. By logistic regression method, risk factors for hypertension revealed in this study were gender (male), age (15~19 years), BMI (${\geq}\;85$ percentile), and not keeping Korean traditional diet. These results suggest that education program for hypertension prevention in adolescents should include eating habits improvement and lifestyle modification as well as weight control.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.337-342
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• 2009

Background : Many previous studies have shown that elevated homocysteine in the serum is a well known risk factor for cardiovascular disease and this is associated with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but any Korean data on this is limited. Objectives : This study aimed to calculate the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia and to analyze the relation between elevated homocysteine and the lifestyle factors of Korean adults. Methods : We conducted a cross-sectional survey that included 650 men and 743 women (age range, 20 to 79 years) who were residents of Gwangju City in Gyeonggi-do. These subjects participated in the health interview and examination survey from November to December 2005. The total homocysteine, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride in the serum were measured. All the participants had their body composition measured such as height and weight, and we obtained health-related behavioral information through the self-entry questionnaire. Results : Very right-handed skewed distributions of homocysteine were shown in men and women. The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was 22.6% in men and 13.7% in women in Gwangju city. On the multiple logistic regression analysis, hyperhomocysteinemia was associated with age (OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.01-1.04), male gender (OR=1.60, 95% CI=1.02-2.52), severe general physical activity (OR=0.32, 95% CI=0.15-0.69) and nutrient consumption (OR=0.49, 95% CI=0.31-0.76). Conclusions : There is a great prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in adults of Gwangju City, Korea and it was associated with both genetic factors and lifestyle risk factors. This study can suggest that comprehensive lifestyle modification is needed in order to diminish the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia and to prevent CVD.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.12 no.5_spc
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• pp.133-147
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• 2006

Korean society is rapidly becoming an ageing society. The Korean may have to live longer than did their parents. Increasing life expectancy and changing social structure, Korean people are getting interested in quality of life, and well-being is becoming a matter of concern. And, the Korean is fully aware of the importance of health for well-being or good life. This concern about health may bring about specific behaviors related to health. Although health care expenditures of Korea are currently smaller than those of other developed countries, it is continuously increasing. Large portion of increased amount of health care expenditures is to spend for disease prevention and expansion of long-term care facilities. Constructs of well-being of the Korean, not living in western culture, may be different from those of people living in western society. Health is not top-ranked to importance for quality of life in previous studies. It does not mean health isn't determinant factor for good life or well-being. Health is an essential element for well-being. It has been proved in several researches which examined poor quality of life caused by certain diseases and management of health-related quality of life. Some theories relate to health-seeking behaviors suggested the health belief or the attitude toward health, intention to do health behavior, perceived behavioral control, and self efficacy as important factors which could predict health-related behaviors. With getting older, people decline in physical and physiological functions and become vulnerable to chronic diseases. Quality of life depends on how to adjust to these changes in senescence. Social supports, especially supports from offspring, are very important to quality of life in senescence, because supports from offspring have influence on pride of the older, they may be afraid of disclose the conflict with their offspring. Avoiding self-disclosure exclude other source of social supports and harm individual's health, therefore psychological intervention is needed to. Increasing life expectancy of the Korean, Korean government has to provide numerous long-term care facilities as well as psychosocial supports. The Korean, so far, does not recognize that psychologist could render great service to promoting individual or community health and improving individual's quality of life. It is highly expected that psychologists take actively interested and involve in health related to quality of life.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2019

Objectives : Although delirium is a common complication among patients hospitalized in intensive care units(ICUs), little is known about the roles that diagnostic and therapeutic procedures play in its development. This study investigates the procedure-related risk factors of delirium in ICU patients. Methods : All the consecutive patients admitted to the ICU between June 2016 and May 2017 were routinely evaluated for delirium by psychiatrists. In total, 1156 patients met the inclusion criteria and were retrospectively analyzed. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate independent risk factors of delirium development while adjusting for other characteristics. Results : The age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score, proportion of patients who had undergone an operation, and proportion of patients who were foley catheterized, mechanically ventilated, and physically restrained were higher in the delirium group. The multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed that the use of restraint was an independent risk factor of delirium (odds ratio : 10.006 ; 95% confidence interval : 6.120-16.360 ; p<0.001). The patient factors independently associated with delirium were an advanced age and a higher APACHE II score. The incidence of delirium was 15.3%. Conclusions : There is a high prevalence of delirium influenced by potentially harmful procedures in patients in ICU settings. The use of physical restraint had the strongest association with the development of delirium. These findings advocate the need to target procedure-related risk factors such as the use of restraints as preventive intervention measures for ICU delirium.