• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2013

Most preschool children in Korea attend kindergarten (KG) or a child care center (CCC). CCCs, which focus on caring for the child, belong to the ministry of health and welfare. On the other hand, KGs are responsible for education, and belong to the ministry of education, science and technology. In order to resolve the decline in population due to low birthrates, the government is expanding the free child care and education policies. CCCs and KGs are combined together to form the 'NURI curriculum' and supporting funds have been increased in both governmental departments. In addition, economic support is provided for homeschooling households. Because this is a nationwide policy and applies to every single household, thorough preparation regarding the effect and side effects must be made. This policy is currently being implemented, and as child and adolescent psychiatrists, great consideration should be given to the influence on the population. Therefore, the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry intends to investigate the effects and problems of the nationwide policy by analyzing the current condition of Korea's free child care and education and foreign policies. In the current paper, we reviewed the developmental process of Korea's free child care and education policy, as well as suggested future directions.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the independent factors associated with the registration rate for the community-based post suicidal care program in the emergency department (ED). Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted between March and December 2013 at the academic ED at the tertiary urban hospital. During the study period, the pre-designed registry was recorded. The variables examined included the following: patients' demographic data (Sex, age, address, type of insurance, marital status, level of education, and history of previous psychiatric disease), suicide-related data (suicidal methods, combined drink of alcohol and number of previous attempts), and management-related data (disposition at ED, physician's training level, etc.). Univariated and multivariated logistic regression analyses were performed for identification of factors affecting the registration rate for the community-based post suicidal care program. Results: A total of 163 suicides were included during the study period. Of these, 33 (20.2%) patients were registered in the post-suicide care program. Factors including a patient's address (OR: 14.92, 95% CI: 3.606-61.711), immediate intervention by psychiatric healthcare center (OR: 5.05, CI: 1.688-15.134), admissions in hospital (OR: 3.69, CI: 1.286-10.605), and history of previous psychiatric disease (OR: 3.52, CI: 1.216-10.201) showed significant association with registration for the program. Conclusion: The community-based post-suicidal care program, which is available 24 hours a day, should be operated in each district in order to increase the registration rate. Emergency physicians should actively consider the inpatient treatment program for suicidal patients and strongly recommend registration to the program, particularly for patients without previous history of psychiatric disease.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.168-176
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• 2020

Objectives : Loneliness and poor sleep quality are common phenomena in old age and are associated with negative physical and mental health. However, little is known regarding the relation between loneliness and sleep quality. The aim of this study was to examine the association of loneliness and sleep quality among the elderly living alone. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that enrolled 1,090 subjects who are the community-residing elderly living alone. Sociodemographic status, medical condition, cognition, mood disorder, sleep quality and levels of loneliness were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and a specific semi-structured interview conducted by trained nurses. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data regarding sociodemographic variable and loneliness. Univariate and Multivariate regression analyses were applied to examine the association between loneliness and sleep quality after adjustment for multiple confounding variables. Results : The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) mean score of "lonely group" (9.2±4.2) was significantly higher than that of "not lonely group" (7.3±3.7) (student-t test, p<0.001). Loneliness was significantly associated with PSQI (standardized β=0.065, p=0.025), sleep disturbance (standardized β=0.086, p=0.005), use of sleep medication (standardized β=0.065, p=0.034) after adjustment for possible confounding variables including sex and mood disorder. Conclusions : Loneliness was associated with sleep disturbance and this finding implied negative impact of loneliness on sleep quality of older adults. Public health promotion efforts to reduce loneliness may improve sleep quality and mental health in the elderly living alone.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.151-158
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• 2020

In this paper, we propose the basic data for cancer patient management by secondary analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey(KNHANES) to identify factors related to suicidal thinking of cancer patients over 19 years of age in Korean adults lapse of time. The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS WIN 22.0 program in order to analyze the demographic, health, and mental characteristics of the subjects in 2009 and 2017. It was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. As a result of the study, the factors related to suicidal thinking in cancer patients were activity restriction and experience of depression in 2009(Negelkerke R²=.384), and age, marital status, activity restriction, and experience of depression in 2017(Negelkerke R²=.525). This study is meaningful in that the factors related to suicidal thoughts in cancer patients were identified according to the lapse of time, and the changes in the related factors were confirmed. Development and application of an intervention program to prevent suicide in cancer patients are necessary.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.429-438
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• 2020

Objectives: Given that Argentinian public-sector workers are highly exposed to stressful conditions, and that the psychometric properties of the widely used Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) should be evaluated in different settings, this work aimed to compare the psychometric properties of the Latin American Spanish PSS-10 and PSS-4 and to identify the optimal scale for stress assessment. Methods: A sample of 535 participants was randomly divided into 2 groups to evaluate dimensionality by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The reliability of both scales was also evaluated. Convergent validity was estimated using the Executive Complaints Questionnaire, the average variance extracted, and the composite reliability. Discriminant validity was based on the correlation with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the phi-square correlation between the components. Results: The factor analyses supported bidimensionality of the PSS-10 (stress and coping), which showed a better fit than the PSS-4. Moreover, the reliability of the PSS-10 was higher, whereas the PSS-4 did not achieve adequate values of internal consistency. The PSS-10 was also correlated significantly with all validation scales, and presented proper internal convergent and divergent validity. Conclusions: The PSS-10 is a reliable and structurally valid instrument to measure perceived stress and coping in a Latin American Spanish-speaking population with high work demands, and the findings of this study expand our knowledge on the geographical and sociocultural applicability of the PSS.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.90-97
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sleep timing and depressive mood in Korean adolescents. Methods: The study analyzed the data from the 2007~2015 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. A total of 541,693 students in grades 7~12 were included in the final analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine their sleep timing and depressive mood, adjusted for sex, grade, region, socioeconomic status, academic performance, alcohol, smoking and physical activity. Sleep duration and sleep quality were also included in our model to identify whether or not the effect of sleep timing on depression is mediated by sleep duration or sleep quality. Results: The prevalence of depressive mood was 32.7% and the mean sleep timing was 12:13 AM. After adjustment for eligible covariates, the association between sleep timing and depressive mood showed a J-shaped curve. Adolescents who slept at 8 pm~10 pm were 39% more likely to be depressive (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.30~1.40) and at 3 am~ 4 am were 67% more likely to be depressive (OR=1.67, 95% CI 1.64~1.70) than adolescents who slept at 11 pm~12 am. These associations persisted after being adjusted for sleep duration and sleep quality. Conclusion: Sleep timing was related to depression in adolescents, independent of sleep duration and sleep quality. It appears that there is a certain sleep timing beneficial to mental health of adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.95-101
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• 2012

Objectives : This work aimed to reveal the relations between Health-related Quality of Life and Body mass index, age, gender in Sasang Constitution. Methods : 1108 subjects who visited Korean medicine hospital in Jeonju for regular health examination surveyed SF-12. Their Sasang constitution were diagnosed by 1 Sasang constitution medicine specialist. ANOVA (Analysis of variance) was carried out to compare SF-12 sub scales differences among each constitutions. Regression analysis was performed to reveal effects in changes of BMI, age, and gender to SF-12 sub scales. Results : TE type gets more BMI, has more physical limits, even those of SE and SY type are not limited by these reasons. Contrary, SE type feels more vitality when they get higher BMI. SE type women have low mental health status than that of SE type men, though they don't have any specific disease. Conclusions : This is the first work of analysis between quality of life and Sasang Constitution's BMI, age, and gender. To reveal factors which affect quality of life in each Sasang constitutions, more rigorous works are required.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2012

Opioids are the one of the most commonly used drugs to control cancer pain all over the world. But, we should not overlook the potential risk of opioid intoxication because they have well-known detrimental side effects. The opioid intoxication can be diagnosed thorough various clinical manifestations. The altered mental status, respiratory depression, and miosis is very representative clinical features although these symptoms don't always appear together. Unfortunately the opioid-toxidrome can be varied. A 42 years old man came to our emergency room after taking about 900 mg morphine sulfate per oral. He was nearly alert and his respiration was normal. Even though his symptoms didn't deteriorated clinically, serial arterial blood gas analysis showed increase in PaCO2. So we decided to use intravenous naloxone. Soon, he was fully awaked and his pupils size was increased. After a continuous infusion of intravenous naloxone for 2 hours, PaCO2 decreased to normal range and his pupil size also returned to normal after 12 hours. Though the levels of serum amylase and lipase increased slightly, his pancreas was normal according to the abdominal computed tomography. He had nausea, vomit, and whole body itching after naloxone continuous infusion, but conservatively treated. We stopped the continuos infusion after 1 day because his laboratory results and physical examinations showed normal. As this case shows, it is very important to prescribe naloxone initially. If you suspect opioid intoxication, we recommend the initial use of naloxone even though a patient has atypical clinical features. In addition, we suggest intranasal administration of naloxone as safe and effective alternative and it's necessary to consider nalmefene that has a longer duration for opioid intoxication.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to compare the balance and gait between fallers and non-fallers in elderly. A brief questionnaire was used to obtain the fall history. Twenty-seven women subjects were evaluated in this study. Eleven subjects and a mean age of 84.5 years (SD=4.6) were designated as the faller group. Sixteen subjects and a mean age of 80.3 years (SD=5.3) were designated as the non-faller group. The fall-related factors (mental status, balance, range of motion and muscle strength of lower extremity, sensation of foot, and cadence, walking velocity, stride length) were compared between faller group and non-faller group and measured. The results showed that faller group had significantly less range of motion of the hip flexion and knee extension, and strength of the knee extensor and ankle dorsiflexor and plantar flexor than non-faller group. The scores of the Functional reach test and One leg standing were significantly less in faller group than in non-faller group. Faller group showed less walking velocity and stride length compared to non-faller group. However, there was no significant difference in cadence during comfortable waking and fast walking between two groups. There were no significant differences in pressure, position sensory between two groups. These results suggest that exercise for improving the flexibility, muscle strength of the lower extremity and balance may be useful strategies to prevent fall in elderly. Further studies are needed to identify which specific factors are related to fall in the elderly population.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.400-411
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• 2002

This study was performed to identify the drug use and reuse relating characteristics and reuse relating factors in illegal drug users. Subjects consisted of 88 illegal drug users. Some of them were confined in a mental hospital or National Forensic Psychiatric Hospital located in Chung-nam province, others on attending a drug abuse prevention program in Seoul Probational Institute. Data were collected during the period from February 1, 2002 to February 25, 2002, and analyzed by SAS program. version 6.12. for Wilcoxon rank sum test, Pearson Correlation, Multiple regression. Results were as follows; 1. Drug use characteristics were as follows. $19.3\%$ was has drug family history and $20.7\%$ was has alcohol family history. Main drug was Phillopon$44.3\%$, inhalants $35.2\%$, LSD et al $22.7\%$. Drug use rate of months was everyday $31.2\%$, every other day $24.4\%$. 2. $100\%$ has experienced abstinence and reuse. Abstinence period was less than 12 months in $49.4\%$ and reuse period was less than 6 months in $58.6\%$. 3. Drug use and reuse characteristics related to general characteristics was identified as below. Abstinence period of male was longer than that of female. Person who have drug family history experienced more drugs and person who have family alcohol history started earlier. 4. Reuse periods was correlated with abstinence periods, age. And abstinence period was correlated with age and outcome that following reuse. 5. The multiple regression was used to identify the relating factors that influence reuse period and abstinence period. At the state of controlling abstinence period. inhalants users have 10.07 days shorter reuse period than others. And abstinence period had lengthened age, bad health status, early initiate age, and long reuse period.