• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 2007

Objectives : There have been few studies examining the differences in health care utilization across social classes during the last year of life. Therefore, in this study we analyzed the quantitative and qualitative differences in health care utilization among cancer patients across educational classes in their last year of life, and derived from it implications for policy. Methods : To evaluate health care utilization by cancer patients in the last year of life, Death certificate data from 2004 were merged with National Health Insurance data (n=60,088). In order to use educational level as a social class index, we selected the individuals aged 40 and over as study subjects (n=57,484). We analyzed the differences in the medical expenditures, admission days, and rates of admission experience across educational classes descriptively. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between medical expenditures and independent variables such as sex, age, education class, site of death and type of cancer. Results : The upper educational class spent much more on medical expenditures in the last one year of life, particularly during the last month of life, than the lower educational class did. The ratio of monthly medical expenditures per capita between the college class and no education class was 2.5 in the last 6-12 months of life, but the ratio was 1.6 in the last 1 month. Also, the lower the educational class, the higher the proportion of medical expenditures during the last one month of life, compared to total medical expenditures in the last one year of life. The college educational class had a much higher rate of admission experiences in tertiary hospitals within Seoul than the other education classes did. Conclusions : This study shows that the lower educational classes had qualitative and quantitative disadvantages in utilizing health care services for cancer in the last year of life.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.20 no.2 s.22
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• pp.287-300
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• 1987

Island regions suffer from a shortage of health care in part because they are less developed, they cover a widespread area relative to the population, and due to transportation barriers. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of illness and the magnitude of medical care utilization, and to investigate the determinants of utilization in these area. The data were collected by means of a household survey conducted from February 16 to 25, 1987 on S islands which were selected in consideration of the size of the population, the distance from the main land, and the distribution of health care facilities. The household response rate was 89.1% (491 of 551 households), and 1971 persons were surveyed. The major findings of this study are as follows: 1) The morbidity rate of the island inhabitants was 27.7% during the two weeks, and 25.5 chronic illnesses and 9.1 acute illnesses per 100 persons, were noted. Differences in the magnitude of illness were statistically significant by sex, age, education, and family size. 2) The magnitude of total ambulatory carl utilization was 16.8 visits per 100 persons during the two weeks, which was less than that of other regions; and differences in the magnitude of total ambulatory care were statistically significant by sex, age, education, occupation, and family size. 3) Unmet needs were classified as 56.0% in chronic illnesses and 19.6% in acute illnesses; and differences in unmet needs were statistically significant by sex, age, education, occupation, income, and family size. 4) Statistically significant determinants in medical care utilization included the frequency of acute illness and chronic illness, and income in total utilization; the frequency of chronic illness and acute illness, and medical care insurance in physician visits. 5) According to the results of the path analysis, need factors had the greatest effect on utilization, and predisposing factors had more indirect effects through enabling or need factors than direct effects.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.201-212
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• 1997

Objectives: We attempted to study sleep habits and insomnia-associated factors in Korean rural adult population. Methods : In 1,441 adult subjects of three rural communities selected by cluster sampling, we administered an epidemiologic survey using questionnaire methods from July 14, 1996 to July 28, 1996. Results : 1) Mean sleep latency and mean time to sleep again after awakening during nocturnal sleep were longer in females than in males. Females suffered more frequently from insomnia symptom, awakening during nocturnal sleep. morning headache, dysphoric mood in the morning, and the feeling of 'not refreshed' on waking-up than males. 2) The older age group (defined as those older than 65 years) was found to have earlier bed-time, longer sleep latency, more frequent nocturia, longer time to sleep again after awakening during nocturnal sleep, and more frequent insomnia symptom. 3) The presence of insomnia symptom more than once a week was significantly associated with suffering from physical illness, being divorced-separated-widowed, frequently feeling depressed, nocturia, or low education level. 4) In multiple logistic regression analysis, old age, being female, low education level, frequently feeling depressed, and nocturia were independently associated with the presence of insomnia symptom more than once a week. Conclusion : We conclude that, in a Korean rural adult population, insomnia symptom increases with age and females usually suffer more from insomnia symptom than males. In addition, low education level, feeling depressed mood frequently, and nocturia are found to be significantly associated independently with the presence of insomnia symptom more than once a week.

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
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• v.9 no.10
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• pp.407-421
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to survey the knowledge and practice about preventive behavior for urinary tract infection in caregivers, and ultimately to provide the basic information in terms of urinary tract infection prevention. Participants in this study were caregivers who working at the 7 long-term care facilities in J-city of South Korea. Total 198 were participated in this study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and scheffe test were performed using SPSS Windows for 21.0 program. The correct answer rate for the knowledge about preventive behavior of urinary tract infection was 79%. The practice of urinary tract infection preventive behavior were significantly differed by the number of nurses, the number of elderly, working time and the experience, perceived importancy, necessity with education for urinary tract infection. The preventive behavior for urinary tract infection in caregivers should be supervised by health care providers. Moreover, it should be needed to educate and apply the basic education program to improve the caregivers' knowledge and practice for preventive behavior in urinary tract infection by healthcare providers. Continuous infection monitor and education by healthcare providers can be contributed the quality of elderly caring services and development of monitoring system for urinary tract infection in long-term care facilities.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.101-112
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• 2012

Background & Objective: Oral health care in adolescent is important for oral health of adult life. The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge and attitude on oral health among high school students. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted in April, 2010 for students of two high schools located in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-Do, Korea and final data from 458 students was analyzed. Results: The study subjects were well known about toothbrushing but not on scaling, oral care products, and fluorine. They had positive attitude toward toothbrushing, regular oral health examination, and smoking and drinking control but assumed negative attitude to scaling and utilization of fluorine. A total of 51.1% of the study subjects has participated in oral health education and they had higher level of knowledge and attitude on oral health. There was a significant difference in knowledge and attitude on oral health according to the interest level in oral health and also in knowledge on oral health according to self-rate oral health status. According to utilization of oral health product and scaling knowledge and attitude level on oral health were different significantly. Conclusions: Knowledge and attitude of adolescent are necessary to be improved and changed in some topics of oral health through oral health education.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.285-298
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• 2001

Rural youth welfare was defined to provide the preventive services as well as the protective and curative services such as education, job training, youth activity, delinquency prevention, etc. for rural youth who live in rural society, including who go out to metropolitan city for study. Based on this concept, the rural youth related facilities and problems were investigated in the area of education, culture and leisure, career, and problematic behavior. The results were identified that the efforts of government and rural related institutions were in sufficient to establish and improve the facilities for rural youth, and the gap between rural and urban youth facilities was extended increasingly, in spite of seriousness of those rural youth problems. Some of policies and programs were proposed in order to improve rural youth welfare; 1) To establish at least one activity facility in every Eup ; 2) To convert the public culture facilities such as museums, fine art museums, exhibition facilities, etc. into the culture and art facilities for rural youth; 3) To establish rural youth job information center in the agricultural technology and extension center; 4) To convert school to rural youth education and cultural center; 5) To establish the comprehensive welfare facilities for rural youth in metropolitan city.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.3 s.51
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• pp.551-562
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• 1995

To assess the status of safety accidents, authors reviewed and analysed the records of safety accidents of a welding material manufacturing factory at Pohang city from January 1989 to December 1993. The results are; 1. The total incidence of safety accidents was 295 spells for five years. 2. Average age of workers with accident was 35.7 years. Average duration of employment was 6.2 years and the duration of employment increased as the year increased. 3. There was no statistical significance on season, month, weekday and time by year in the incidence of safety accidents. The most frequent part of body injured was upper extremities and the most frequent type of injury was abrasion. 4. Mean admission rate of safety accidents was 12.6% and the ratio of treated spells as occupational injury was 7.8%. 5. The most frequent cause of injury was worker's mistake and the most frequent action for the prevention of further accidents was safety education. 6. The incidence rate of safety accidents on 1993 was 116.2 spells per 1,000 persons. Above results suggest that to prevent safety accidents, safety education should be done continuously, the environmental and human factors were controlled and more exact reporting system of safety accidents was needed.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.55-71
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out what are the major motivations of middle and high school students to quit attempts and stay as non-smokers. Method: Data was collected through focus group interviews with 3 groups(15 students), and was analyzed according to Morgan and Kruger(1998)'s analytic method. Results: We identified 6 categories of motivations for Smoking Cessation. They include perceptions of negative consequences of smoking on health, influences in significant others, being ashamed of oneself, drop of academic achievements, narrowness in interpersonal relationships, determining priorities for a student. Although 'perceptions about negative health consequences' was one of the most significant motivation of smoking cessation for adolescents, participants did not know the seriousness of nicotine addiction. Moreover, their contents of motivations were different from those of adults such as responsibility for their family, decreasing curiosity about smoking and test of self willingness. Also most of them were extrinsic motivations and related to their highly competitive school life. Conclusion: To conclude, considering the results of our analysis, smoking cessation programs should be carefully developed to more effectively help adolescents quit and stay away from smoking.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.51-60
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• 2011

Objectives: This article intends to describe the status of and challenges for physical activity in Korean university students. Methods: National level secondary data and related articles were reviewed including KNHANES(Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) and Online Youth Health Behavior Survey. Four tables and two figures were generated from original data and related articles. Results: The proportion of Korean university students practicing regular physical activity appear to be about half of that in American students. Gender difference in physical activity practicing rate seems to be maintained in university years. The main reason for physical inactivity was that physical activity was bothersome. The trends of physical activity practice in Korean students since middle school years needs further research. Conclusions: To increase the rate of physical activity in Korean university students, evidence-based comprehensive approaches are needed including campaign and informational approaches, behavioral and social approaches and policy and environmental approaches adapted to Korean university students.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.67-82
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing the stages of exercise behavior change after adjusting for related covariates. Methods: Participants included 362 of fourth to sixth graders in 3 elementary schools in a metropolitan city in Korea. The data were collected using structured questionnaire included Korean Stages of Change Scale for Exercise. Results: Logistic regression results showed that the motivational factors associated with transition from precontemplation to contemplation were cognitive process of change, self-reevaluation, conscious raising; regarding that from contemplation to preparation, cons of the decisional balance; regarding those from preparation to action, behavioral process, counter-conditioning, stimulus control, which were very similar to the results of previous researches subjected other age groups. But, there was no motivational factors associated with from action to maintenance, and self-efficacy had no influence on forwarding stages of change. Conclusions: TTM would be applicable to explain the exercise behavior of some children in Korea, which suggested that it be useful in developing the programs to improve physical activities of Korean school children.