• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.858-870
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• 2001

Purpose: This study was to compare changes in health behaviors, motivational factors, cardiovascular risk factors, and functional status (SIP) after implementing the 6-month motivation-enhancing program to institutionalized elderly women. Methods: Sixty-four elderly women participated. Face to face interviews with blood sampling and anthropometric assessment were conducted at the pretest, 10 weeks and 6 months during the program. Results: 1. The program participants showed significantly better health behaviors over 6 months. The mean motivational level was also significantly improved, especially for perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and emotional salience. 2. The mean of cardiovascular risk factors for the participants was 21.8 at the level of low to moderate risk. After completing the program, total risk score was significantly decreased to 18.7 at 10 weeks, and further to 17.7 at 6 months. A significant reduction was also found in HDL and LDL-cholesterol levels, blood pressure, obesity, inactivity, and stress. 3. The functional status (SIP) was 11% at the baseline and significantly changed in positive direction at 10 weeks(M=9.3) and at 6 month(M=6.3). The significant improvement was also found in physical and psychosocial dimensions and sleep/rest dimension. Conclusion: The motivation enhancing program was effective to reduce cardiovascular risks and to improve the functional status of institutionalized elderly women by motivating them to perform better health behaviors.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2018

Objectives: The objective of this study is to develop the diagnostic tool to distinguish between cold syndrome (CS) and heat syndrome (HS). Methods: A total of 1,753 subjects were divided into three groups, those are CS group, intemediate group, and HS group, by the mean and standard deviation of the cold heat syndrome differentiation score using 7 point scale consisting of 9 items. Demographic characteristics, diseases history, health status, Mibyeong, syndrome differentiation were analyzed. Results: CS is characterized by women, elderly, and low body mass index. CS has a history of thyroid disease, cataract, depression, osteoporosis, and HS has a history of prostatomegaly. CS receives less social psychosocial stress than HS, and the quality of life associated with health status is lower than HS. CS group has the tendency to be tired, painful, sleepless, dyspeptic and anxious. Conclusions: CS is a set of symptoms associated with decreased energy metabolism and decreased metabolic function, and is more likely to be unhealthy than HS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.68 no.3
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• pp.125-139
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• 2010

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently complain of dyspnea on exertion and reduced exercise capacity, which has been attributed to an increase in the work of breathing and in impaired of gas exchange. Although COPD primarily affects the pulmonary system, patients with COPD exhibit significant systemic manifestations of disease progression. These manifestations include weight loss, nutritional abnormalities, skeletal muscle dysfunction (SMD), cardiovascular problems, and psychosocial complications. It has been documented that SMD significantly contributes to a reduced exercise capacity in patients with COPD. Ventilatory and limb muscle in these patients show structural and functional alteration, which are influenced by several factors, including physical inactivity, hypoxia, smoking, aging, corticosteroid, malnutrition, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and ubiquitin-proteasome pathway activation. This article summarizes briefly the evidence and the clinical consequences of SMD in patients with COPD. In addition, it reviews contributing factors and therapeutic strategies.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2005

Purpose: To investigate the attitude, knowledge, and practice of safety and related factors of teachers in child care centers. Methods: The total sample consisted of 116 teachers from child care centers in Kyunggi Province. A questionnaire and checklist were used to collect data, which was analyzed with SPSS 11.5 Win program. Results: Most of the teachers were anxious about child accidents, and thought of safety as a primary concern. The mean score for knowledge on safety was 10.23, and the rate of correct answers ranged from 34.8％ to 98.3％. The mean score on practice of safety was 42.01. Teachers with higher education showed significantly higher scores in safety efficacy. Teacher's knowledge on safety was significantly different depending on the experience of safety education, but this did not apply to safety practice. Safety practice was significantly related to confidence in safety performance, health beliefs on safety, stress, and social support, but not related to knowledge of safety. Conclusion: Psychosocial factors were found to be important in safety practice. Related factors found in this study should be considered when providing safety programs for child care centers.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.100-107
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• 2016

Purpose: The goal of this study was to examine the association between perceived racial discrimination and substance use and the potential moderating effect of perceived parental affection between the two variables. Methods: A total of 101 Korean American adolescents participated in this cross-sectional study utilized an online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to describe for means and frequencies and the patterns of substance use. Logistic regression analysis was also used to examine the association between perceived discrimination and substance use. Results: Ninety percent of the participants reported perceiving racial discrimination, and 21% had used at least one kind of substance in the month prior to taking the survey. The most frequently used substance was alcohol, followed by marijuana and tobacco products. Logistic regression analysis revealed a link between perceived racial discrimination and substance use (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.01, 3.00). However, parental affection did not moderate between racial discrimination and substance use. Conclusion: These findings suggest that perceived racial discrimination is positively associated with substance use among Korean American adolescents, and health care providers, counselors, and school nurses should screen for discrimination-related stress and substance use in this population.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.110-121
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• 2000

With Cartesian dichotomy, a person's behavior and illness distinguished sharply between "biologically based" phenomena and "psychologically based" phenomena in western country. But a more balanced view that considers both concepts swept into psychiatry in the 1960s and 1970s. And ironically, the revolution of neurosicience and genetics have now reached a level of sophistication that allow it to serve as a bridge between biology and psychosocial environment. So, even subtle changes in the environment can produce biological changes in the brain. We review the history of definitions and relationship of mind and body. And we provide a selective survey of the recent 3 conceptual models of mind-body relationships in general-biopsychosocial model, mental-physical identity theory, organic unity theory-, the relationships of genetic and environment, and stress-diathesis model.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

Background: Firefighting involves exposure of firefighters to risks related to this activity, serious injuries, and occupational diseases are recorded. There are other consequences such as thermal and emotional stress. This systematic review is proposed in order to analyze the risks and consequences faced by these workers and thus provide elements to improve safety management systems in institutions. Method: A descriptive observational study of systematic literature review on the risks and consequences of exposure to firefighters' activity was proposed, and the information was analyzed and described based on the available data and according to the variables determined. Results: The studies showed data on mechanical, physical, chemical, psychosocial risks, workers' perception and resilience, and epidemiological data. Information related to firefighters' activity on falls and slips, exposure to noise, and high concentrations of carbon monoxide is detailed. In addition, the relationship between burnout, cognitive, and physical fatigue as adverse effects on health and performance is mentioned. Conclusions: Among the preventive measures, the use of personal protective equipment is suggested, incorporation in prevention programs of information on exposure to risk factors, as well as the implementation of models that can predict the perception of workers, additionally, the generation of management systems with safety climate models for fire departments.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.2
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• pp.102-110
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• 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major health burden worldwide, with over 600 million confirmed cases and 6 million deaths by 15 December 2022. Although the acute phase of COVID-19 management has been established, the long-term clinical course and complications due to the relatively short outbreak is yet to be assessed. The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant morbidity and mortality around the world. Interestingly, epidemiological studies have shown that fatality rates vary considerably across different countries, and men and elderly patients are at higher risk of developing severe diseases. There is increasing evidence that COVID-19 infection causes neurological deficits in a substantial proportion to patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome. Furthermore, lack of physical activity and smoking are associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) susceptibility. We should therefore explore why lack of physical activity, smoking, etc causing a population more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and mechanism involved. Thus, in this review article, we summarize epidemiological evidence related to risk factors and lifestyle that affect COVID-19 severity and the mechanism involved. These risk factors or lifestyle interventions include smoking, cardiovascular health, obesity, exercise, environmental pollution, psychosocial social stress, and diet.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.85-88
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• 2011

Purpose: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a relatively uncommon type of stress-induced cardiomyopathy characterized by transient left ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities. Emotional and physical stresses play a key role in this type of cardiomyopathy in postmenopausal women. The current hypothesis is that the syndrome represents a form of catecholamine surge due to stress or epinephrine-mediated acute myocardial stunning. Methods: A 44-year-old woman had suffered premature ventricular contraction following a cardiogenic shock during a breast augmentation surgery under enflurane anesthesia and tumescent solution infiltration. She was treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation at a local clinic. Then she was brought to the Emergency Department of the authors' hospital. Results: The woman's echocardiogram showed an ejection fraction of 20~25% with associated basal hyperkinesis and left ventricular apical ballooning. The patient was admitted to the ICU and required inotropic support for two weeks. The patient's condition dramatically improved, and her ejection fraction returned to 70%. Conclusion: It is believed that there were multiple triggering factors of the onset of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the woman's social and family history, including infiltration of a large volume of the tumescent solution and VPCs induced by enflurane anesthesia without premedication. The importance of careful history-taking, careful pre-operative consultation on psychological suffering especially for breast surgery, premedication before surgery, patient reassurance, and post-operative psychosocial and emotional assistance was again seen in this case.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.30-40
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the associations of food security with socio-demographic characteristics, nutrient intakes and mental health status among older Korean adults. Methods: This study was conducted using data from the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Subjects were 4,451 adults aged 65~98 years. Food security was measured using a self-reported question on food sufficiency of subjects' household. Based on the answers, study subjects were classified into secure, mildly insecure, moderately insecure, and severely insecure groups. Dietary intake was estimated by 24-hour dietary recall. Nutrient intake was assessed by dietary reference intakes (DRI). As for mental health status, the data on mental stress, depression, and suicide ideation were used. Results: Rate of food insecurity in older adults was 14.3%. Old age, being female, low education, low income level, living alone, and discomfort in daily living were more related to food insecurity. Means of nutrient intakes were significantly different according to food security status. Intakes of calcium, potassium, and vitamin $B_2$ were lower than recommended intakes in all groups. Consumption amounts of soy and soybean products, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, vegetable oils, meats, eggs, seafood, and dairy products were lower in food insecure groups. Mental stress, depression, and suicide ideation were higher in food insecure groups independent of the gender and income level. Conclusions: These present findings suggested that food security is related to mental health as well as nutrition status in older Korean adults. A national system that include food and psychosocial support programs for the elderly should be considered in order to improve the overall health of older Korean adults.