• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.185-192
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• 2013

Objectives : Weight loss and loss of appetite in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients are common symptoms, these are associated with survival as well as nutritional condition. The changes in weight and appetite were reported after treatment using Megestrol acetate and Korean medical treatments. Methods : Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient with weight loss and loss of appetite were treated by administering megestrol acetate a known anti-malignant tumor agent and Korean medical treatments such as acupuncture, pharmacopuncture and herbal medicine. The changes in weight and appetite were checked using body mass index(BMI) and simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire(SNAQ). Results : There was a more than 17 kg increase in weight. BMI increased from 15.94 $kg/m^2$ to 21.97 $kg/m^2$ and SNAQ score increased from 7 to 16. Owing to several side effects, Megestrol acetate was stopped after which only Korean medical treatments were provided. After which the lasting effects in BMI and appetite could be seen. Conclusion : There are few studies on weight loss and loss of appetite in ALS patients. Using only megestrol acetate can cause several considerable side effects. Which respect to this, the findings in this study could open up new clinical guideline possibilities.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify nutritional status, and relationships among malnutrition, depression and quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancer who were receiving chemotherapy. Methods: For this study a descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 111 women who were enrolled and agreed to undergo a face-to-face interviews including administration of the structured questionnaires: Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). Results: Mean body mass index was 23.3 and mean body weight was 56.5 kg. Sixty-three (57%) of the 111 patients were malnourished according to the PG-SGA. The malnourished patients showed higher levels of depression and lower quality of life compared to the non-malnourished patients. In addition, malnutrition was associated with BMI level, depression, appetite and quality of life. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the prevalence of malnutrition is high and malnutrition in patients with gynecologic cancer influences depression and adversely affects the quality of life of these women. To improve the patient's quality of life, nutritional assessment and appropriate management is important to decrease malnutrition in patients with gynecologic cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2015

The present study investigated the risk and prevalence of dysphagia as well as related factors among free-living elders. Subjects were 419 elderly men (116) and women (303) aged 65 years and older ($74.49{\pm}4.70y$) living in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongbuk-do area in Korea. Data were collected by personal interviews using questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and chi-square test. Prevalence of dysphagia was 53.50% among participants. Risk of dysphagia was significantly different according to age (P<0.001), use of dentures (P<0.05), and activities of daily living (P<0.05). Moreover, dysphagia risk group had significant food intake problems, including poor appetite, smaller portions to reach satiety, frequent meal skipping, as well as poor taste compared to the normal group, accompanied by high risk of weight loss as assessed by simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire (P<0.01). Taken together, risk of dysphagia was more prevalent in older people, affecting the majority of those living independently in the community. This could indicate an association with undernutrition due to factors affecting food intake.