• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.243-249
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• 2017

Objectives: Stress is a psychological reaction to stimuli such as anxiety or threat felt by a person either physically or mentally when placed in a difficult situation. Although a relationship between stress and dry mouth has been reported, it remains understudied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between stress and subjective dry mouth among the elderly living in a rural region. Methods: A total of 214 people aged ${\geq}60years$ living in a rural area were recruited with an informed consent for a cross-sectional analysis. Information about stress and subjective dry mouth was obtained by an interview survey with a constructed questionnaire. Data on other potential confounding factors (including oral factors) such as socio-demographic data, health-related behaviors, the number of remaining teeth, and subjective chewing ability were also gathered at the same time. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship of stress and dry mouth using SPSS. Results: The Crude odds ratio (OR) of stress awareness affecting subjective dry mouth was 2.59 (95% confidence interval: 1.43-4.68). After adjusting for sex, education, income, smoking, and alcohol intake, the adjusted OR was 2.52 (95% confidence interval: 1.30-4.87) which was statistically significant. Conclusions: Elderly people who were stressed had an approximately 2-fold increase in experiencing subjective dry mouth when compared to their stress-free counterparts.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.176-187
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the levels of self-esteem, rehabilitation motivation and quality of life and to identify the influencing factors of quality of life in stroke patients who were receiving rehabilitation therapy. Data were collected from February 22 to March 20, 2016 using self-administered questionares and the data from 216 participants were analyzed using SPSS WIN 21.0 program(SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The results of this study were as follows: the mean self-esteem was 3.09/5, rehabilitation motivation was 3.60/5, and quality of life was 2.95/5. Sex, age, education, caregiver, occupation, duration after attack, the degree of disability(dependence), and cognitive function were significantly associated with quality of life. There was positive correlation between quality of life and self-esteem(r=.45, p<.001) and there was positive correlation between quality of life and rehabilitation motivation(r=.27, p<.001). Variables such as self-esteem, duration after attack, the degree of disability(dependence), and cognitive function explained 43.6%(F=14.87 p=<.001) of the variance in quality of life in model 3. Consequently, it is needed to develop and apply nursing intervention and programs for improving self-esteem during rehabilitation in order to improve quality of life of stroke patients.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 2019

Background: Excessive stress causes varied physiological and psychological disorders including male reproductive problems. Here, we attempted to investigate the protective effects of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer; KRG) against sub-acute immobilization stress-induced testicular damage in experimental rats. Methods: Male rats (age, 4 wk; weight, 60-70 g) were divided into four groups (n = 8 in each group): normal control group, immobilization control group, immobilization group treated with 100 mg/kg of KRG daily, and immobilization group treated with 200 mg/kg of KRG daily. Normal control and immobilization control groups received vehicle only. KRG (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) was mixed in the standard diet powder and fed daily for 6 mo. Parameters such as organ weight, blood chemistry, sperm kinematic values, and expression levels of testicular-related molecules were measured using commercially available kits, Western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: Data revealed that KRG restored the altered testis and epididymis weight in immobilization stress-induced rats significantly (p < 0.05). Further, KRG ameliorated the altered blood chemistry and sperm kinematic values when compared with the immobilization control group and attenuated the altered expression levels of spermatogenesis-related proteins (nectin-2, cAMP responsive element binding protein 1, and inhibin-${\alpha}$), sex hormone receptors (androgen receptor, luteinizing hormone receptor, and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor), and antioxidant-related enzymes (glutathione S-transferase m5, peroxiredoxin-4, and glutathione peroxidase 4) significantly in the testes of immobilization stress-induced rats. Conclusion: KRG protected immobilization stress-induced testicular damage and fertility factors in rats, thereby indicating its potential in the treatment of stress-related male sterility.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.264-277
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• 2018

Focusing on the potential impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on older adults' quality of life, this study empirically examined the influence of smartphone use in old age on life satisfaction, depression, social activity and social support of Korean older adults. In order to examine the effects of smartphone use, this study analyzed data from 630 questionnaire surveys from older adults aged 65 and over living in Seoul. The effects of smartphone use were tested using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, controlling for socio-demographic variables such as age, sex, spouse, education and income. Results showed that the effects of smartphone use on life satisfaction, depression and social activity of older adults were statistically significant. However, the effects of smartphone use on social support of older adults was not statistically significant. This study suggests that ICT such as smartphones in old age plays generally positive roles in enhancing psychological, mental and social aspects of quality of life. This implies that further practical efforts to expand the distribution and use of ICT in old age are required to improve quality of life and successful aging of older adults.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.370-379
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• 2018

This study was conducted 1) to investigate the effects of treatment and other factors on the quality of life of thyroid cancer surgical patients and 2) to provide fundamental data for development of an intervention and symptom management program to improve the quality of life of those patients. A total of 76 patients who were diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent thyroidectomy from July 2013 to December 2014 participated in this study. To investigate the factors affecting quality of life, a t-test and ANOVA analyses were conducted, after which multiple regression analysis was performed. The results were statistically significant between preoperative and one month after surgery of sex, cancer history, fatigue, and quality of life until 3 months after surgery of stage, cancer history, anxiety, and pain. Multiple regression analysis showed that the most influential factors affecting the quality of life were depression and fatigue at one month prior to and after surgery and anxiety at three months after surgery, while no factors were found to be influential at six months after surgery. Overall, the results of this study suggested that it is imperative to manage depression and fatigue one month prior to and after surgery to reduce the physical and psychological pain experienced by thyroid cancer patients. Moreover, three months after the surgery, anxiety should be closely monitored and controlled to improve the quality of life of the patients. This approach is expected to reduce the burden on the health care system and social costs, which will positively affect public health.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.594-602
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• 2019

Objective : Although surgical intervention, such as percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP), is the standard treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs), its effectiveness and safety are unclear. Therefore, this study compared the safety and efficacy of conservative treatment with that of PVP for acute OVCFs. Methods : Patients with single-level OVCFs who were treated conservatively with a transdermal fentanyl patch (TFP) or with PVP between March 2013 and December 2017 and followed-up for more than 1 year were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with pathologic fractures, fractures of more than two columns, or a history of PVP were excluded. Clinical outcomes (visual analog scale [VAS] scores) and radiographic factors were evaluated, including changes in the compression rate of the corresponding vertebral body at onset and after 12 months, sagittal Cobb angle at onset and after 6 and 12 months, and the incidence of adjacent compression fractures. Results : Of the 131 patients evaluated, 75 were treated conservatively using TFPs and 56 underwent PVP. We divided the patients into TFP and PVP groups. Their baseline characteristics (including sex, level of fracture, and bone mineral density T-scores) were similar, but the TFP group was significantly younger. The overall VAS score for pain showed a greater decrease during the first month (1 week after PVP) in the PVP group but remained similar in the two groups thereafter. The compression rate after 12 months increased in the TFP group but decreased in the PVP group. Five patients in the PVP group, but none in the TFP group, experienced adjacent compression fractures within 12 months. Conclusion : We compared clinical and radiological outcomes between the TFP and PVP groups. The immediate pain reduction effect was superior in the PVP group, but the final clinical outcome was similar. Although the PVP group had a better-preserved compression rate than the TFP group for 1 year, the development of adjacent fractures was significantly higher. Although TFPs seemed to be beneficial in reducing the failure rate of conservative treatment, the possibility of side effects (22.6%, 17 out of 75 patients, in this study) should be carefully monitored.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.390-408
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• 2019

Objectives: Several pattern diagnosis questionnaires have been developed to objectify the process of pattern diagnosis in Korean medicine. In this context, this study aimed to develop a food retention questionnaire for functional dyspepsia (FRQ-FD) by modifying the previously developed food retention questionnaire (FRQ) and to verify its reliability and validity. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify the optimal cut-off value of the FRQ-FD for standardization and use in clinical situations. Methods: To develop the FRQ-FD, we extracted the major symptoms of food retention pattern for functional dyspepsia from Chinese/Korean medicine textbooks and requested an importance survey from experts using the Delphi method. The first draft of the FRQ-FD was composed of 25 questions comprising 8 questions from the textbooks and the Delphi method and 17 questions from the FRQ already developed in 2013. To analyze its reliability, validity, and optimal cut-off value, 60 subjects were enrolled in this study from June 25 to August 13, 2018. Thirty patients were diagnosed as both functional dyspepsia and food retention pattern, and 30 healthy participants were not. All participants were requested to fill up the FRQ-FD, Stomach Qi Deficiency Questionnaire (SQDQ), Scale for Stomach Qi Deficiency pattern (SSQD), visual analog scale (VAS) for dyspepsia, Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version (NDI-K), and functional dyspepsia-related quality of life (FD-QoL). Results: No statistically significant differences were found in sex distribution, age, and body mass index between the patient group and the control group. As five questions affected the reliability negatively and three questions affected the clinical validity negatively, we decided to exclude the eight questions upon further investigation. The Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ coefficient of the revised FRQ-FD (17 items) was 0.899, and its clinical validity was verified. Construct validity was analyzed by factor analysis and produced five factors. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between the revised FRQ-FD and the other dyspepsia scales, namely, SQDQ, SSQD, VAS, NDI-K, and FD-QoL. VAS and NDI-K especially had strong positive correlations with FRQ-FD. Conclusions: The FRQ-FD developed in this study can provide fundamental reliability and validity for a pattern diagnosis questionnaire. FRQ-FD can help to diagnose food retention pattern in functional dyspepsia patients. Further studies are required to inspect several statistical factors.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.59-71
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• 2019

Korea's average annual working hours are among the highest in the OECD. Such long-term work has been a factor that reduces the quality of life by discouraging workers' productivity and interrupting the compatibility of work and family, prompting the government to encourage flexible work systems, such as increasing part-time jobs, but a lack of quality part-time jobs. Part-time work enables flexible labor for workers, but at the same time, workers will involuntarily opt for part-time work as they have poor working conditions and negative social views. In this respect, the effect of the working type on an individual's life is expected to be different. In addition, for women, gender gaps exist in the labor market and the impact of part-time work on life satisfaction is expected to differ from men in terms of working and family alike. Using the data from the 2017 "Seoul Survey Urban Policy Indicator Survey", the ordered logistic regression model was used to analyze the cross-effect of working type and sex on satisfaction. The analysis of the study showed that when other factors were controlled, life satisfaction was high in the order of fulltime female, full-time male, part-time female, and part-time male. In addition, further analysis shows that the parttime female workers have the highest probability of choosing low life satisfaction, while the probability of choosing high life satisfaction is the lowest, and full-time male workers have the lowest probability of choosing low life satisfaction, while the highest probability of choosing high life satisfaction is the highest.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.705-711
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• 2019

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common urogenital disorder in men, benign tumor and is a typical disease deteriorating the quality of old men's lives, and its prevalence increases with age. Though the molecular pathogenesis of BPH has not yet been clearly revealed, it is known that the variation and aging of the endocrine including sex hormone may cause BPH. Especially the hypertrophy of the prostate cell by the formation of the excessive dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is estimated to cause BPH. If testosterone exists excessively in blood, a lot of DHT is produced in prostate by $5{\alpha}-reductase$. Thus, in this study we tried to analyze haematological change and histopathological change by using the model rat with BPH caused by hypodermic injection of testosterone to prove the effect of Houttuynia cordata extracts on BPH. Rats were divided into four experimental groups: no treatment group (N), the testosterone injection and D.W treatment group (DO), the testosterone injection and Houttuynia cordata treatment group (HO) and testosterone injection and finasteride treatment group (FO). Prostate weight, volume and weight ratio in the HO and FO groups were significantly lower than the DO group. Testosterone and DHT levels in the HO group were significantly lower than the DO group. The HO and FO groups showed trophic symptoms and were lined by flattened epithelial cells, thus, the stromal proliferation is relatively low as compared to the DO group. These results suggest that Houttuynia cordata may control benign prostatic hyperplasia.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.268-276
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• 2019

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome causes diabetes and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study examined the correlation between metabolic syndrome, nutrition intake, and triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio. Methods: Using the data from the $7^{th}$ KNHANES (2016), this study was conducted on healthy adults aged 19 and older. The components and existence of metabolic syndrome and nutrition intake were independent variables and the TG/HDLcholesterol ratio was a dependent variable. A complex sample logistic progress test was used with age, sex, smoking, and drinking frequency corrected. Results: The TG/HDLcholesterol ratio of people with metabolic syndrome was as high as 1.314 on average, compared to people without metabolic syndrome (p < 0.0001). Among each component of metabolic syndrome, the TG/HDL cholesterol ratio had a significant association with fasting blood glucose, TG, HDL cholesterol, and waist circumference (p < 0.05). Only energy and carbohydrate intake were significantly related to the TG/HDLcholesterol ratio (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The TG/HDLcholesterol ratio is associated with each component of metabolic syndrome, but in particular, it is positively correlated with the presence of metabolic syndrome. Lower energy intakehad a positive correlation with the TG/HDLcholesterol ratio. These results show that metabolic syndrome can be predicted using the TG/HDLcholesterol ratio, and a diet strategy through nutrition and health education is necessary to prevent metabolic syndrome.