• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.122-129
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• 2001

Purpose : After Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is known to be a fatal disease, efforts and studies are made to determine the cause, treatment method and method of preventing infection. However, no treatment method is present and vaccine development has not been made. Therefore, the most effective treatment method is prevention, and almost 100% prevention is possible when correct preventive measures are taken. We suggest effective prevention education by comparing knowledge and attitude of those unmarried men who had sexual encounters with prostitutes (high risk group) and those with no sexual encounters with prostitutes (low risk group). Methods : From January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2000, a survey was done in 516 unmarried soldiers and college students. With the collected data, chi-square test was used to compare and analyze the demographic characteristic, knowledge on AIDS, and attitude on AIDS between the high risk group and low risk group. One-way ANOVA test was used to compare and analyze the scores on knowledge between these two groups. Results : Among 516 unmarried men, 256 men (49.6%) fell into the high risk group and 260 men (50.4%) into the low risk group. Both groups showed that they heard of AIDS during their middle school years. The main route of obtaining knowledge on AIDS was through TV programs with 124 men(48.4%) in the high risk group and 167 men (64.2%) in the low risk group (P=0.002). Among 20 items, the average score on knowledge was $13.9{\pm}1.9$ in the high risk group and $14.1{\pm}1.8$ in the low risk group with no statistical difference between these two groups (P=0.191). Two items showed statistical significance in the low risk group compared with the high risk group; these were the item of AIDS being transmitted through transfusion (P=0.014) and through mosquitoes (P=0.009). As for attitude, statistical significance was present in the item stating that AIDS patients should be isolated in the high risk group compared with the low risk group (P=0.029). Conclusions : The present study showed that both the high risk group and low risk group obtained knowledge on AIDS through TV. No statistical difference was present between the two groups other than the high risk group showed statistically high results in two items on knowledge and one item on attitude. Thus, these results showed that exposure to AIDS can be lowered with better knowledge and the attitude of those with a low risk of infection was more positive.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.13-16
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• 2014

Background: This study assesses influences of baseline psychological risk factors on prevalence of low back pain (LBP) at baseline and follow-up among nurses. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was performed at two phases, baseline and 1-year follow-up among 246 nurses of university hospitals in Shahroud, Iran. A standardized Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability questionnaire was used for data collection. Logistic regression was performed for analysis. Results: At the baseline of the study, 58.9% of nurses reported back pain in the previous 12 months. Age (p = 0.001), belief that work causes pain (p = 0.022), and somatization tendency (p = 0.002) significantly increased risk of LBP. At 1-year follow-up, prevalence of LBP was 45.7% and expectation of back pain at baseline (p = 0.016) significantly increased risk of LBP in this phase (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Results indicate that risk factors for prevalence of back pain at baseline and 1-year follow-up are different. At baseline, the risk factors are age, belief that work causes pain, and somatization tendency, and at follow-up, expectation of pain is the major risk factor.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.392-403
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was to evaluate the nutritional status of low-income elders in urban areas and factors affecting their nutritional risk. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted. The subjects were 300 elders selected from home visiting clients of DongJack Public Health Center. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing questions on socio-demographic characteristics. health behavior and disease. dietary pattern. Nutritional Screening Initiative. Geriatric Depression Scale and Barthel Index for ADL. Collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. $X^2-test$ and multiple regression analysis using SPSS. Results: Of the subjects, 63% had high nutritional risk, 21.3% moderate nutritional risk, and 15.7% good nutritional risk. NSI score was significantly different according to economic status, subjective health condition, medication, dental health, depression. regularity of diet and meal with family. Multiple regression analysis revealed that depression, subjective health condition, dental health and regularity of diet and meal with family explain 38.1% of nutritional risk. Conclusion: It is necessary to evaluate nutrition status and to control nutritional risk factors such as depression, dental health, regularity of diet and meal with family for improving the health of the low-income elderly.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.589-598
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that increase of the risk for falls in low-income elders in urban areas. Methods: The participants were elderly people registered in one of public health centers in one city. Data were collected by interviewing the elders, assessing their environmental risk factors, and surveying relevant secondary data from the public health center records. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 14. Results: Stroke, diabetes, visual deficits, frequency of dizziness, use of assistive devices and moderate depression were statistically significant risk factors. The comorbidity of chronic diseases with other factors including depression, visual deficit, dizziness, and use of assistive devices significantly increased the risk of falls. From multiple logistic regression analysis, statistically significant predictors of falls were found to be stroke, total environmental risk scores, comorbiditiy of diabetes with visual deficits, and with depression. Conclusion: Fall prevention interventions should be multifactorial, especially for the elders with stroke or diabetes, who were identified in this study as the high risk group for falls. A fall risk assessment tool for low-income elders should include both the intrinsic factors like depression, dizziness, and use of assistive devices, and the extrinsic factors.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.67-75
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• 2015

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of occupational exposure to low dose organic solvents on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: Study design was retrospective cohort study subjected on 191 exposures and 118 controls working in a petrochemical manufacture company. The eight indicators related to CVD risk were followed up for five years from 2008 to 2012. The risk level was compared during the follow up years and subject's characteristics, and the change of risk level were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: At the start year 2008, the rate over cutoff value (ROCV) of BS (p<.001) and mean systolic BP (p=.017) were higher in organic solvent exposure group and the others showed no difference. And by the subject's characteristics, odds ratio of the ROCV of BS were higher in organic solvent exposure group and work shift group as 2.51 and 3.07. Comparing the results in 2012 to those of 2008, cardiovascular disease risk in organic solvent exposure group was about 1.5 times higher than that of in the control group. Conclusion: Gradual increase in the CVD risk was identified in organic solvent exposure group. However, the risk might be influenced by shift work and bad behaviors rather than organic solvent exposure.

• The Korean journal of helicobacter and upper gastrointestinal research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.225-230
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• 2018

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (UGIB) is the most common GI emergency, and it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early identification of low-risk patients suitable for outpatient management has the potential to reduce unnecessary costs, and prompt triage of high-risk patients could allow appropriate intervention and minimize morbidity and mortality. Several risk-scoring systems have been developed to predict the outcomes of UGIB. As each scoring system measures different primary outcome variables, appropriate risk scores must be implemented in clinical practice. The Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS) should be used to predict the need for interventions such as blood transfusion or endoscopic or surgical treatment. Patients with GBS ${\leq}1$ have a low likelihood of adverse outcomes and can be considered for early discharge. The Rockall score was externally validated and is widely used for prediction of mortality. The recently developed AIMS65 score is easy to calculate and was proposed to predict in-hospital mortality. The Forrest classification is based on endoscopic findings and can be used to stratify patients into high- and low-risk categories in terms of rebleeding and thus is useful in predicting the need for endoscopic hemostasis. Early risk stratification is critical in the management of UGIB and may improve patient outcome and reduce unnecessary health care costs through standardization of care.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to develop strategies and policies for smoking prevention that are tailored to the characteristics of different groups of smokers. The structured survey was conducted with regular smokers. The results were as follows: It has been demonstrated that Risk Perception Attitude framework can be used as a major research framework to predict behavioral changes related to the prevention of smoking. The smokers were divided into four attitude groups based on perceived risks and self-efficacy: indifference, proactive, avoidance, and responsive. The smoker groups showed significant differences in information seeking, information avoidance, prevention behavior and addiction degree. Especially, the difference in prevention behavior depended on the self-efficacy when the perceived risk level was high. Information avoidance was the lowest when the perceived risk level was high and the self-efficacy was low. Information seeking was lowest when the perceived risk level was low. When the level of self-efficacy was high, if the perceived risk level was high, prevention behavior was actively performed. Therefore, the self-efficacy was related to preventive behavior, and the perceived low-risk played a role in hindering information seeking. Smoking prevention strategies are important to raise awareness of the risk of smoking and to improve the positive willingness of smokers to quit smoking through self-efficacy.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.243-252
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether the self-rated health (SRH) could be a risk factor for compulsion. Methods: Data related with compulsion and SRH information were collected from 532 young adults aged over 20 years in South Korea. The distribution of the high and low SRH groups was analyzed using the chi-square test, whereas difference in quality of life (QoL) was analyzed using the t-test. Logistic regression was used to analyze the odds ratio (OR). Results: In the high and low-SRH groups, 44 (28.8%) and 23 (31.5%) men and 24 (10.4%) and 21 (27.6%) women, respectively, were at risk for compulsion (p<.001). For women, the compulsion scores of the low and high-SRH groups, respectively, were 15.8±9.53 and 9.9±8.47 (t=5.071, p<.001). The low-SRH group had higher ORs compared with the high-SRH group among women (OR 3.277, 95% confidence interval 1.699 - 6.321, p<.001) in the original model, and this phenomenon was significant even after adjusting for age and residence type. Conclusions: Low SRH may be a risk factor for compulsion. Further research for improving SRH by developing preventive measures against compulsion is necessary.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.708-716
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of low-income urban elders by diversified ways, and to analyze the risk factors for malnutrition. Methods: The participants in this study were 183 low-income elders registered at a visiting healthcare facility in a public health center. Data were collected using anthropometric measurements, and a questionnaire survey. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2$-test, t-test, Fisher's exact test, multiple logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSS 20.0. Results: Regarding the nutritional status of low-income elders as measured by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), 10.4% of the elders were classified as malnourished; 57.4% as at high risk for malnutrition; and 32.2% as having normal nutrition levels. The main factors affecting malnutrition for low-income elders were loss of appetite (OR=3.34, 95% CI: 1.16~9.56) and difficulties in meal preparation (OR=2.35, 95% CI: 1.13~4.88). Conclusion: In order to effectively improve nutrition in low-income urban elders, it is necessary to develop individual intervention strategies to manage factors that increase the risk of malnutrition and to use systematic approach strategies in local communities in terms of a nutrition support system.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Low-dose radiation exposure has received considerable attention because it reflects the general public's type and level of exposure. Still, controversy remains due to the relatively unclear results and uncertainty in risk estimation compared to high-dose radiation. However, recent epidemiological studies report direct evidence of health effects for various types of low-dose radiation exposure. In particular, international nuclear workers' studies, CT exposure studies, and children's cancer studies on natural radiation showed significantly increased cancer risk among the study populations despite their low-dose radiation exposure. These studies showed similar results even when the cumulative radiation dose was limited to an exposure group of less than 100 mGy, demonstrating that the observed excess risk was not affected by high exposure. A linear dose-response relationship between radiation exposure and cancer incidence has been observed, even at the low-dose interval. These recent epidemiological studies include relatively large populations, and findings are broadly consistent with previous studies on Japanese atomic bomb survivors. However, the health effects of low-dose radiation are assumed to be small compared to the risks that may arise from other lifestyle factors; therefore, the benefits of radiation use should be considered at the individual level through a balanced interpretation. Further low-dose radiation studies are essential to accurately determining the benefits and risks of radiation.