• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2022

Background: Healthcare workers' attitudes toward vaccination have been widely described in the literature, but a restricted amount of studies assessed healthcare students' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on this issue. This study aimed to estimate the influence of a degree course on knowledge and immunization behavior among healthcare students and to compare medical students with students from other health profession degree programs to identify possible differences. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed in 2018 in 14 Italian Universities (3,131 students were interviewed). A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and opinions toward vaccinations, with a specific focus on influenza vaccine and attitudes toward mandatory vaccination policies. Statistical software STATA® 14 was used. Results: Significant differences were recorded between medical students and other healthcare students. The intention to get vaccinated against influenza during the next season and having been vaccinated in the previous season was higher in the medical group (p < 0.001). In the group of students of other health professions, we registered a lower probability of identifying themselves as a high-risk group for contracting infectious diseases as a consequence of their profession and health status (aOR 0.49; CI95%: 0.40-0.60) and an increased likelihood of defining their level of knowledge on vaccine-preventable diseases and related vaccinations as "insufficient/sufficient/fair" (aOR 1.31; CI95%: 1.11-1.56). Conclusions: Results show several differences between medical students and students of other health professions when it comes to vaccination knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, as well as a general low tendency to be vaccinated against influenza.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to conduct a descriptive survey to examine the knowledge, infection prevention behaviors, and health beliefs regarding COVID-19 and to identify factors that influence infection prevention behaviors in elementary and middle school students based on the Health Belief Model. Methods: The study included 388 elementary and middle school students in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Jeonbuk provinces. Data were collected from September 1 to September 15, 2023. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions about COVID-19 knowledge, 13 questions about infection prevention behaviors, and 15 questions about health beliefs. The collected data were subjected to multiple hierarchical regression analyses. The cronbach's α of infection prevention behaviors was 0.83, the KR-20 of COVID-19 related knowledge was 0.68, and the Cronbach's α of COVID-19 related health beliefs was 0. 78. Results: In Model 1, females showed higher levels of infection prevention behaviors than males (β=.14, p=.006) and middle school students showed lower levels of infection prevention behaviors than elementary school students (β=-.10, p=.037). In Model 2, among COVID-19-related health beliefs, barriers had a significant negative effect on infection prevention behaviors (β=-.20, p<.001) and cues to action had a significant positive effect on infection prevention behaviors (β=.14, p=.037), indicating that lower barriers and higher cues to action were associated with higher levels of infection prevention behaviors. Conclusion: The results showed that prevention behaviors were associated with lower barriers and higher cues to action among COVID-19 health beliefs. Elementary and middle school students in Korea spend a lot of time in groups at private academies or school, which are closed spaces with poor ventilation, making them vulnerable to new infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Unlike adults, infectious diseases can have serious impact on their mental and social health. Therefore, it is necessary for schools to provide accurate and timely health education about COVID-19 to increase cues to action for elementary and middle school students in order to improve their infection prevention behaviors.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.253-261
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to identify the knowledge, risk perception, fear, self-efficacy, and preventive behaviors among nursing students, and factors influencing preventive behaviors on COVID-19. Methods: Data was collected from March, 2022 to May, 2022. The participants included 218 nursing students in their 3rd and 4th grade of three universities in two cities. Results: The knowledge of COVID-19 was 13.54 out of 15 points, risk perception was 4.83 out of 8 points, fear was 13.26 out of 35 points, self-efficacy was 19.96 out of 25 points, and preventive behaviors were 7.56 out of 9 points. The explanatory power of self efficacy (β= .21, p= .002), which affects preventive behaviors was 67.0%. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to develop a systematic nursing intervention that improves self-efficacy to improve preventive behaviors against COVID-19 among students. This study's result can be used in the future to develop appropriate health policies and program to prevent emerging infectious diseases.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.228-239
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• 2009

The observations on climate change show a clear increase in the temperature of the Earth's surface and the oceans, a reduction in the land snow cover, and melting of the sea ice and glaciers. The effects of climate change are likely to include more variable weather, heat waves, increased mean temperature, rains, flooding and droughts. The threat of climate change and global warming on human and animal health is now recognized as a global issue. This presentation is described an overview of the latest scientific knowledge on the impact of climate change on zoonotic diseases. Climate strongly affects agriculture and livestock production and influences animal diseases, vectors and pathogens, and their habitat. Global warming are likely to change the temporal and geographical distribution of infectious diseases, including those that are vector-borne such as West Nile fever, Rift Valley fever, Japanese encephalitis, bluetongue, malaria and visceral leishmaniasis, and other diarrheal diseases. The distribution and prevalence of vector-borne diseases may be the most significant effect of climate change. The impact of climate change on the emergence and re-emergence of animal diseases has been confirmed by a majority of countries. Emerging zoonotic diseases are increasingly recognized as a global and regional issue with potential serious human health and economic impacts and their current upward trends are likely to continue. Coordinated international responses are therefore essential across veterinary and human health sectors, regions and countries to control and prevent emerging zoonoses. A new early warning and alert systems is developing and introducing for enhancing surveillance and response to zoonotic diseases. And international networks that include public health, research, medical and veterinary laboratories working with zoonotic pathogens should be established and strengthened. Facing this challenging future, the long-term strategies for zoonotic diseases that may be affected by climate change is need for better prevention and control measures in susceptible livestock, wildlife and vectors in Korea. In conclusion, strengthening global, regional and national early warning systems is extremely important, as are coordinated research programmes and subsequent prevention and control measures, and need for the global surveillance network essential for early detection of zoonotic diseases.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.333-337
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• 2021

Companion animals are physically, mentally, and socially beneficial to humans, giving us great comfort in living in the Corona19 (COVID-19) era. It is also an era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, featuring the convergence of information and communication technology. Korea, which is facing a super-aged society, has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries, and companion animals that are effective in emotional stability can be the answer. This study is about companion animals that are effective in stabilizing the emotions of the elderly, one of the major problems in the Republic of Korea, which is about to solve in a super-aged society with more than 20 percent of the elderly aged 65 or older, needs to solve. The impact of knowledge of raising companion animals on the satisfaction level of the elderly was investigated through the management and awareness of infectious diseases. Although the level of care of companion animals had a very significant (p<0.001) effect on the satisfaction of the companion animals, the recognition of infectious diseases has no statistical significance (p>0.05). Raising companion animals with knowledge of rearing increases the satisfaction level and can lead to a happier life. While personal learning is important, it is also believed that supporting education will be necessary as a policy consideration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine tuberculosis-related knowledge, attitude and preventive behaviors of middle school students and to investigate socio-demographic and health-related factors. Methods: 198 male and 188 female middle school students in M city were recruited for the survey. Independent sample t-test, One-way ANOVA and $Scheff{\acute{e}}^{\prime}s$ test and Pearson's correlation were performed to examine factors associated with tuberculosis-related knowledge, attitude and preventive behaviors. Results: The percentage of correct answers to questions testing tuberculosis-related knowledge was very low, 33%. The mean scores of attitude and preventive behaviors were 3.02 and 2.90 out of 4 (highest score), respectively. Middle school students who had experiences of health education or tuberculosis-related education showed significantly higher scores than their counterparts in all factors - knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors. Parental education, academic achievement, smoking, sleeping time, infectious disease education, and source of tuberculosis information were associated with knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors. Knowledge about tuberculosis had a positive correlation with attitude and preventive behaviors. Conclusion: The level of tuberculosis-related knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors was very low among middle school students. In addition, school health education was highly related to a higher level of knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors regarding tuberculosis. Therefore, to intensify students' preventive behaviors against tuberculosis and other infection diseases, sustainable school health education should be provided for middle school students who are at risk of developing tuberculosis.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.255-265
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• 2015

This study was done to identify the levels of knowledge and attitude toward HIV/AIDS in professional graduate medical school students. A cross-sectional survey was used, and data were collected in 2014. Participants were 97 students in South Korea. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 19.0 program. The mean score for HIV/AIDS knowledge was 8.91 and attitude was 7.00 out of 15. The levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude were not statistically significantly different according to participants' general characteristics. There was a statistically significant correlation between the levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude. Medical students having a high HIV/AIDS knowledge level tended more towards a positive attitude. These findings can be used in developing effective education strategies for medical students and health care providers to increase knowledge and decrease negative attitude toward HIV/AIDS.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.561-569
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• 2015

Schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections are widespread diseases of public health importance in Tanzania. A study on perceptions and practices related to schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections was undertaken among a community population of Kome Island in Sengerema District, north-western Tanzania, where intestinal schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections are endemic. Schistosomiasis and intestinal worm-related perceptions and practices were assessed before and 3 years after implementation of a participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation (PHAST) intervention as a control measure. Data were obtained from baseline and post-intervention knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) questionnaire surveys conducted twice in 2009 and 2012 among 82 individuals aged ${\geq}15years$. We found significant increases in respondents' knowledge of the cause, transmission, symptoms, health consequences, and prevention of schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections after PHAST intervention. The increase in respondents' knowledge on almost all aspects of the said infections was translated into actions to control schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections. This has not been achieved by chance, but due to well-designed and locally-adapted PHAST intervention. We conclude that despite criticisms, PHAST approach is still useful in empowering communities to control water, sanitation, and hygiene related infectious diseases such as schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.213-227
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• 1995

Today, although hospital infectious diseases are readily diagnosed, are treatable and preventable, many of these continues to be a major health problem in the developing countries, as well as the advanced nations. In the advanced countries efforts for hospital infection control has been presented but in Korea. The importance of being knowledgeble concerning hospital infection control is not much recognized yet. Presently in Korea good quality of care and services in the hospital is a main issue of discussion, therefore the subject of hospital infection control can't be over emphasized. Hospital infection control measures ranged from almost non existent to none when the pathogen transmission were not fully understood. As the knowledge of the transmission and contraction of the diseases expanded, newer and more effective procedures evolved. To be vital it is required to have good system for hospital infection control and inspection, rules and regulations and many numbers of persons with dedication. The strategy has been applied for hospital infection control standards as outlined by the centers for disease control and prevention(CDC). The hospital infection control committee is the factor to be well managed. Especially nurses are the important part of any hospital infection control program because they are the one who makes function properly. It is also required the responsibility of every employer who has employees who are exposed to blood, blood products or other potentially hospital infectious materials. Laws enacted by agencies of the federal government but the emphasis, and the demands for initiating and maintaining these control measures should be practiced on a routine and daily basis. The forgoing facts and requirements will assist us in assuring our hospital infection control program is successful.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.19-26
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to understand the history of nursing and present a new direction of nursing by elucidating the role of nurses in the process of social meaning and change of infectious diseases in modern (1876-1945) Korean society. In the past history, epidemics have caused many problems in society and have tried their best to manage them. The role and presence of the nurse began to emerge during the past time. The concept of hygiene began to be recognized for the management of epidemics, and the role and presence of nurses began to emerge at the center. It was recognized that the role of nurses in modern Korean society was an auxiliary role in the early stages. However, through specialized education and training, recognition as an expert began to spread based on specialized knowledge rather than simple care. In this study, it is significant that we have historically searched for infectious diseases causing various problems while coexisting past and present. In addition, it is significant that the new role and sense of mission of the nurses were newly illuminated.