• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.434-442
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• 2016

This study examined differences in the preference of the fest therapy program regarding stress level. Using convenience sampling method, the surveys on the preferred type of forest healing program and social and psychological stress scales was carried out for adult male and female. As a basis of Psycho social Stress Scale (PWI-SF: Psychosocial Well-being Index Short Form), the adult 620 people were classified such as healthy group, potential stress group, high-risk stress group. The data were analyzed by use of SPSS 21.0 program. To see the difference in preferences for forest therapy program between the three groups according to stress levels, it was analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Depending on the stress levels, there were differences in the preferences of forest healing program such as breathing, breathing exercises, walking in the forest, listening to the sound of water flowing, viewing the forest, counseling, consultation and expert coaching, stress-related lectures, communication-related lectures, forest bathing wind bathing sun bathing. High-risk stress group preferred cognitive based program such as counseling, consultation and expert coaching, stress-related lectures, communication-related lectures. Healthy group appeared to prefer highly emotional approach of the program to take advantage of the five senses such as breathing, breathing exercises, walking in the forest, listening to the sound of water flowing, viewing the forest, forest bathing, wind bathing, sun bathing. Noticeable preference difference was not observed in the potential stress group. It is hoped this study will serve as a basis for the development of forest healing program regarding stress level.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.227-234
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• 2022

Purpose: Smoking is a way of coping with anxiety and stress. This study aimed to identify the effects of forest-thermal combined therapy on anxiety and depression in smokers who desire to quit smoking. Methods: Thirty participants were included in the study, 15 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group. Those in the experimental group participated in a three-day forest-thermal combined therapy program. The program includes forest walks, meditation and thermal therapy in the charcoal kiln. Results: Before and after the program, physiological indicators such as cortisol, heart rate variability, and serotonin anxiety level using the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), and stress level using the psychosocial well-being index (PWI) were measured in both groups. The differences in STAI (p=.012) and PWI (p=.006) scores between the experimental and control groups were statistically significant. However, cortisol, heart rate variability, and serotonin were not significantly different between the two groups after the program. Conclusion: These results show that forest-thermal combination therapy effectively reduces anxiety and stress in smokers. It suggests that forest-thermal therapy can potentially increase smoking cessation rates.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the emotional characteristics of adults who complained of fatigue using the Core Seven Emotion Inventory-Short Form (CSEI-s) followed by correlation analysis with the Chalder fatigue scale (CFQ) and Psychosocial Well-being Index-Short form (PWI-SF). Methods: In this study, the medical records of 45 participants who complained of fatigue and completed the CSEI-s, CFQ, and PWI-SF were evaluated. Records of a total of 45 adults were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 25.0). Frequency Analysis, Descriptive Analysis, Independent t-test, One Way ANOVA, and Correlation analysis were used for data analysis. Results: 1. According to the educational status of the participants, Thought (思) was identified to be significantly higher in below college graduate than in graduate school and above. 2. As the period of complaining of fatigue increased, a significant difference was observed in Depression (憂) and Fright (驚). 3. According to the degree of fatigue, there was a significant difference in Depression (憂) and Fright (驚), and especially Depression (憂) was higher in the middle fatigue group than in the low fatigue group. 4. PWI-SF, Anger (怒), Depression (憂), and Sorrow (悲) showed a positive correlation with CFQ scores. Conclusions: The results suggest that CSEI-s can be used to measure the psychological symptoms of a patient with fatigue.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.67-85
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• 2009

This study aims to provide the research for dental technician's stress prevention and management with basic materials by understanding dental technician's psychosocial stress level and examining relevant factors. The subject of this study is 255 dental technologists who work mainly in Seoul Gyeonggi district for a month of April of 2009 and I conducted cross-sectional study through self administered survey. The contents of survey include general feature, occupational feature, health behavior feature. I used Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire, JCQ and Psychosocial well-being index, PWI-SF as means of measurement. To compare the level of dental technician's psychosocial stress, I conducted t-test and ANOVA and I measured the factors that are related with psychosocial stress symptom with step by step multiple regressive analysis. According to the result of Cronbach's a value which is yielded to verify the reliability of means of measurement, the reliability of concept is sufficient. The detailed result of this study is as follows. 1. According to the result of analyzing the stress symptom in accordance with general feature and occupational feature, those dental technologists who are older and not married, graduate from junior college, have lower position, work at university hospital or general hospital show lower stress(p<0.05). There is no difference in the level of psychosocial stress with regard to duty related feature, period of service, daily average working hours, monthly average pay. 2. With regard to health behavior feature, those dental technologists who control weight better and have meal more regularly show lower stress(p<0.05). Those dental technicians who smoke, drink liquid and take a suitable sleep show low stress but the difference does not have significance statistically. 3. With regard to the factors of stress in the workplace, those dental technicians who have lower duty related requirement, have higher duty related control ability, have higher social support, have less instability of employment and have less workload and physical burden show lower stress(p<0.05). 4. According to the result of analyzing the factors that influence dental technologist's stress symptom, social support has the most enormous influence on stress symptom. Unstable employment, regular exercise, regular eating, daily average sleeping hours and technological capacity are also important in this order. According to the result of this study, those dental technicians who have higher social support, less instability of employment, do exercise more regularly, take enough sleep more soundly and have higher technological capacity show lower psychosocial stress symptom. Therefore, to adjust appropriately the dental technician's stress and properly maintain and improve the dental technician's mental health, effective management plan that enables dental technicians to maintain smooth human relationships for dental technicians should be sought. In addition, heath education and health management for dental technicians should be given more thoroughly so that they can establish desirable health behavior in daily life.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship among psychosocial stress, memory, and successful aging of the community-residing elderly. Methods: 152 people over 65 years old living in D area were interviewed, from August 1st, 2020 to October 30th, 2020. The outcomes were measured by Psychosocial Well-being Index (PWI), Mini-Memory Test (MiMeT) and successful aging. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. Results: There was a positive correlation between successful aging and memory. There was a negative correlation between psychosocial stress and successful aging, and between psychosocial stress and memory. Psychosocial stress was identified as a predictor of successful aging, which explained 26.4% of total variance of successful aging. Conclusions: When we prepare intervention programs which improve successful aging for community-residing older adults, we need to consider psychosocial stress. In addition, stress management programs for successful aging should be developed to improve current successful aging.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.4 s.59
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• pp.791-804
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• 1997

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is one of the common health problem that has been considered as stress-induced. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between life style and the level of stress and IBS by structured questionnaire which included questions on life style, the self-esteemed gastrointestinal symptoms, and Psychosocial Well-being Index(PWI). Subjects were 1,498 male white collars who get the regular health check and participated in survey at Inje University Health Promotion Center from January to ,December, 1996. The overall prevalence of IBS was 37.5%(561 cases), and the level of stress by PWI score was higher in IBS group$(41.8{\pm}14.2)$ than symptom-free group$(34.6{\pm}12.6)$. As the result of comparison between the two groups, heavier smoking (adjusted O.R=2.48, 95% C.I 1.81-3.41), longer daily working time (adjusted O.R=5.19, 95% C.I 3.59-7.56), stimulatory food materials-mainly hot or salty (adjusted O.R=1.87, 95% C.I 1.44-2.45), higher body mass index (adjusted O.R=1.80, 95% C.I 1.27-2.57), and higher level of stress (adjusted O.R=2.81, 95% C.I 1.80-4.43) were estimated as risk factors of IBS. On the contrary, 6-8 hours sleeping per day (adjusted O.R=0.38 95% C.I 0.21-0.70), 3-4 times exercise per week (adjusted O.R=0.57 95% C.I 0.39-0.83), and tenure more than 20 years (adjusted O.R=0.25 95% C.I 0.16-0.35) were considered as protective factors to IBS. In summary, the assessment of the stress level might be placed in the first priority to control IBS, at least by some degree, which suggested that IBS could be controlled by avoiding such risk factors and by encouraging such protective factors.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.355-367
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aims to identify factors influencing the health-related quality of life among women merchants at traditional markets. Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional descriptive study included 121 women merchants. Data were collected from May 01 to June 30, 2019 using the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), psychosocial well-being index-short form (PWI-SF), subjective health status, and HRQoL. Selected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression by applying the SPSS/WIN program 22.0. Results: The HRQoL was significantly different by age (F=5.87, p=.001), education (F=2.98, p=.022), working period (F=4.70, p=.004), exercise (t=2.20, p=.030), chronic disease (t=-2.57, p=.011), BMI (F=5.04, p=.008), depression (F=4.70, p=.004), stress (F=7.82, p<.001), and subjective health status (F=7.91, p=.001). Factors influencing the HRQoL for women merchants included BMI (β=-.35, p<.001), subjective health status (β=.33, p<.001), and stress (β=-.18, p=.021). The explanation power of this regression model was 29.8% (F=5.51, p<.021). Conclusion: BMI, subjective health status, and stress affect the HRQoL of the subjects evaluated. Therefore, there is a need for health management programs that may decrease stress, control the BMI, and improve the subjective health status of women merchants at traditional markets.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.868-875
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• 2017

The aim of the present study was to investigate antioxidant nutrient intake and risk of metabolic syndrome based on stress level in rural Korean women. Subject were participants from the Multi-Rural Communities Cohort Study, which was a part of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. According to scores of the Psychosocial Well-Being Index Short-Form, a total of 10,111 subjects were classified into 'low stress group (n=8,015)' from 0 to 26 points and 'high stress group (n=2,096)' above 27 points. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and blood chemical analysis. Dietary nutrient consumption was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. High stress group showed lower intake of antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, zinc, and carotene compared to the low stress group. Intake of fruits and vegetable was lower in the high stress group compared to the low stress group. Subjects with high stress showed higher risk of hypertension [odd ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.226 (1.112~1.351)] and hypertriglyceridemia [OR, 95% CI=1.227 (1.110~1.356)] than subjects with low stress. High stress group had a significantly greater odds ratio for metabolic syndrome compared with the low stress group [OR, 95% CI=1.216 (1.101~1.342]). Thus, the present study suggests that high stress might be associated with low intake of antioxidant nutrients and high risk of metabolic syndrome in rural Korean women.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2009

Objectives : Our objective was to examine and evaluate the psychological health of the residents of Taean during the cleanup of the Hebei Spirit(HS) oil spill and to review some factors associated with the results. Methods : A community survey of 71 men and women was conducted 8 weeks after the HS oil spill. Questionnaires used were the PWI(Psychological Well-being Index) scale for psychosocial distress, the CES-D(Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression) scale for depressive symptoms, and a questionnaire created to assess suicidal impulses. Results : The overall prevalence of high-risk psychosocial distress among the study group was 64.2%. The percentages of respondents with scores on the CES-D Scale above 16 and above 21 were 77.6% and 62.7%, respectively. The percentage of respondents categorized as having suicidal impulses was 18.3%. When compared with unexposed groups in the general population taken from various sources, the residents of Taean were 6.5 times as likely to have high stress and 9.4-9.7 times as likely to be depressed. No significant difference in the rate of suicidal impulse was found between the residents of Taean and the general population. Factors associated with high stress, depression, and suicidal impulses were age, a change in income, educational level, number of days working on the cleanup, and positive responses to questions about "affected daily activity" and "hospital visit due to work on cleanup". Conclusions : The results suggest that the HS oil spill had a significant impact on the psychological health of residents of Taean, but the comparability of the unexposed groups is a limitation of the study.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.47-58
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• 2004

This study was conducted to evaluated the degree of job-related life style and stress of industrial workers to present fundamental materials of preventive oriental medicine. The medical examination with oriental medicine method was performed from October 14 to November 1, 2002 for the 474 industrial workers and general characters, life style and Psychosocial Well-being Index(PWI) were collected by using self-recording type questionnaire. The results were as follows; 1) All 474 of subjects were male, job type was distributed into technician, 37.8% of them, white collar worker, blue collar worker, research worker in an orderly fashion. 2) As a result of comparison between the job types in general characters, research worker group was the highest in education level, above 10 years group in employee duration and 1.5-2.99 million won group in monthly income was the largest group in all job type and the distribution was significantly different. 3) Analyzing the difference in life style according to the job type shows that significantly highest prevalence of drinking alcohol was found in blue collar workers, they drank alcohol 2-4 times a week and that workers did not smoke in all group of job type and the prevalence of exercise was significantly high in less than 1 time a week. 4) Analyzing the difference in the degree of stress according to the job type shows that blue collar worker group had the highest score in Factor 1, Factor 4 fields, technician group had the highest score in Factor 2 field and the differences were significant. Considering above results, the present study shows that there are difference in life style and stress according to the job type in industrial workers and that health management according to job type must be required to improve health condition and to prevent disease of industrial workers in the future.