• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.49-58
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• 2019

This study aims to analyze the relevance between oral health practices and oral discomforts of the elderly in an urban-rural area by surveying the elderly in welfare centers for the Elderly-continued oral health care program. The result shows that the elderly brush their teeth under regular oral care, and practice oral health life by scaling for the prevention of periodontal disease. Most of the elderly who drink alcohol have experienced implant care and tend to quit drinking after the treatment, and seemed to get their oral discomfort relieved. However, no relevance is found between implant experiences and social discomfort. Furthermore, the elderly who had bad breath expressed pronunciation, taste, pain and chewing discomfort, and social discomfort (P>.05). The educational level of the elderly did not have an impact on oral discomfort, but smoking, chewing and bad breath discomfort seemed to be related to social discomfort(P>.05). Therefore, since oral discomfort of the elderly causes social discomfort which decreases their quality of living, we recommend oral health departments of local governments to help the elderly maintain happy lives by continuing to study the practical use of reducing oral discomfort.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.105-115
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• 2015

Purpose: This descriptive correlational study was intended to analyze the relationship among menopausal symptoms. competency of self-care agency and social support in middle-aged women. Methods: Participants in the study were 140 women who were 45-60 years of old. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics., t-test, ANOVA, $Scheff{\grave{e}}^{\prime}s$ test and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The frequency and discomfort of menopausal symptom were low, but the mean discomfort score were higher than frequency score. Middle-aged women with lower competency of self care experienced more frequent menopausal symptoms (t=-0.28, p=.001) and more discomfort (t=-0.24, p=.004). However, There was no significant difference in menopausal symptoms according to social support. Conclusion: Nursing interventions to enhance competency of self-care agency in middle-aged women are required in order to reduce the discomfort of menopausal symptoms.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.40-52
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• 2002

This study was conducted to describe disease characteristics, psycho-social factors and treatment behavior of patients with lupus and to analyze relationships anions these variables. The subjects were consisted of 120 lupus patients at G university hospital in Seoul. Data were collected by means of structured interview with questionnaires, and analyzed by using frequencies, $x^2$test, t-test, ANOVA, and correlation. The results were as follows; 1. The average age of the subjects was 31.34 years and average duration of suffering lupus was about 7.3years. Severity of symptoms was moderate and the disturbance of living activities was at the very low level. 2. Self-efficacy score of lupus patients was high, and life satisfaction was at moderate level. 3. Dosage for most of the subjects was about twice a day. 16.7% of them took non-prescribed medicine and only 27.5% perform exercise. 4. Positive correlation was shown among symptom, discomfort of living activities, self-efficacy and life satisfaction, while there was negative correlation among symptom and self-efficacy, symptom and life satisfaction, discomfort of living activities and self-efficacy, and discomfort of living activities and life satisfaction. In addition, exercise showed significant relationship with discomfort of living activities, and non-prescribed medicine showed significant relationship with discomfort of living activities and self-efficacy. These results show that lupus is a chronic disease of long suffering duration among young people. Severity of the symptom was at modest level, while discomfort of living activities were relatively insignificant. However self-efficacy was relatively high. Furthermore self-efficacy has influences on symptom and discomfort of life activities, just as exercise affects discomfort of life activities. Therefore it is required to examine further measures for continuous exercise.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.99-104
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• 2013

With diversity of mobile services (e.g., messenger, and social network service) on smartphone, the demand of text input using a soft keyboard is increasing. However, studies on subjective and physiological responses of users for various touch locations are lacking. The present study investigated the ergonomic effects according to touch locations of a soft keyboard on smartphone. The experiment of the present study measured perceived discomfort using Borg's CR-10 scale and electromyography (EMG) on forearm (abductor pollicis longus, and extensor digitorum communis) and thumb (abductor pollicis brevis, and first dorsal interossei) muscles. Perceived discomfort was significantly varied from 0.7 (extremely weak discomfort) to 2.5 (weak discomfort) depending on touch locations. %MVC according to touch locations was only significant at abductor pollicis brevis which varied from 10% to 23%. The experimental results of the present study can be utilized in the ergonomic design of a soft keyboard.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.85-90
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• 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and quality of life (QOL) in elderly people and to examine potential cross-cultural differences. Methods: The author surveyed 82 elderly people, over the age of 65, residing in a nursing home in a Korean rural area and 73 Korean immigrants living in Houston Texas USA who were also elderly. The degree of social support was measured with 20 questions that were answered using a 5 grade scale. The quality of life was measured in 5 fields (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, each scored using a 3 grade scale) with EUROQOL EQ-5D. Results: The mean score of social support was 65.43 for domestic Korean elderly people (range: 26 to 98); it was 73.43 for elderly Korean Americans (range: 26 to 100). The score was lower for domestic Koreans despite the traditional environment (p<0.05). Regarding QOL, 61% of domestic Korean elderly people complained of pain/discomfort and 47.5% appeared to have anxiety/depression, 30.5% complained of limitations in mobility, 20.7% reported limitations in usual activities, and 14.6% had limitations in basic self.care activity such as washing or dressing. A similar proportion of Korean American elderly had limitations in usual activities (19.2%) and self care activity (9.5%). But significantly fewer complained of anxiety/depression (16.5%, p<0.01) or pain/discomfort (38.3%, p<0.01). The major differences in psychological domains of QOL may be related to the degree of social support and the difference in the socio.cultural environment. Conclusion: Social support is a major determinant of QOL, especially for psychological domains, and these relationships are under the influence of the socio.cultural environment.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.40-50
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• 2003

Purpose: To investigate audiometery and characteristics related to tinnitus in tinnitus patients, and to understand the relationship between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life. Methods: The subjects were 110 patients with tinnitus. The data were collected using tinnitus handicap questionnaire, quality of life, and pure tone audiometry, which measured hearing level in dB and frequency in Hz matching of tinnitus. Results: Majority of tinnitus patients (75.5%~81.8%) had normal auditory sensation. but 82.7% of patients indicated that they have heard tinnitus "frequently" or "always", and the major sounds of tinnitus were "wing, wung, wang". The matching sounds of tinnitus had various range in hearing level(dB) and frequency(Hz). Tinnitus patients reported moderate levels of the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life, and there were negative correlation between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life(r=-.314, p<.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that special attention is needed for tinnitus patients because the physical, psychological, and social impacts of tinnitus could be decrease their quality of life. Specialized nursing intervention considering specific conditions related to tinnitus is required to solve various health problems of tinnitus patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.306-319
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• 2013

This study explores various issues of appearance management behavior for plus-size women in Korea with a focus on clothing. In-depth interviews and focused group interviews were conducted with 24 plus-size women. The interviews were recorded and the transcripts were analyzed based on grounded theory. Discomfort was the main phenomenon involving the experience of plus-size women related to appearance management. Psychological as well as physiological/physical discomfort, unmet needs (regarding clothing) and inconvenient shopping experiences were frequently mentioned. Causal conditions for discomfort were obesity, social stigma, and an underdeveloped clothing market for plus-size consumers. Interviewees developed strategies to cope with discomfort (suppressing clothing need, loss of interest in clothing, diversion from clothing needs, sole focus on physical comfort, dress-up and increase in shopping channels, and change in shopping patterns) that depended on contextual conditions (such as duration of obesity and attitudes of people) close to the interviewees. The discomfort of interviewees decreased or continued depending on if they became ambivalent about their obese condition, lost weight, or utilized plus-size specialty stores.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.212-221
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therapy (Jang-Gu) on depression, stress, pain and body discomfort in women with osteoarthritis. Methods: The study is designed using one group pretest-posttest experimental design. 31 arthritis patients, the subjects of the group participated in the music therapy program. The program was provided for 12 weeks (two times per week). The questionnaires were used to measure the outcome variables before and after the program. Data were analyzed with the SPSS 17.0 using descriptive statistics, paired t-test. Results: Depression, Stress, Pain did not decrease. But body discomfort decreased (p=0.001). Conclusion: Therefore this program was effective in body discomfort and can be a community based self-help management program for arthritis patient.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.51-63
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aims to examine factors affecting depression of Older Adults by using the data of the elderly survey conducted by the Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs in 2020. Methods: The total sample was 4,777 people aged over 65 years old. In this study, sociodemographic variables, information devices'use behavior and discomfort variables were input to examine the effect on depression. The data was analyzed with t²-test, ANOVA and hierarchical regression by SPSS statistic program. Results: First, use behavior and discomfort of information devices and depression were significantly different by sociodemographic variables(sex, age, level of education, marital status). Secondly, regression analysis showed that age and level of education affected an influence on depression in Model 1, which analyzed only sociodemographic variables. However, Model 2, which analyzed devices' use behavior and discomfort variables at the same time, showed that they affected depression. Conclusions: It was suggested to develop customized health education and mental health promotion were needed to reduce depression in the elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.29-43
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• 2020

Thermal environment of city is getting worse due to severe urban heat island caused by climate change and urbanization. The cooling effect of street tree is regarded as a effective way to ameliorate the urban heat environment. The effect is largely made up of shadow formation and transpiration. This study aims to identify how the transpiration affects the discomfort index by analyzing comprehensive impact of the transpiration on the air temperature and relative humidity. The changes in the amount of transpiration, air temperature, and relative humidity were estimated for Seogyo-dong area which has a lot of floating population in Seoul, at 2 p.m. in dry day in July and August. On average, the transpiration of the street tree decreased the temperature 0.3℃ and increased the relative humidity 2.6% in an hour. As a result of these changes in temperature and humidity, the discomfort index rose mostly(0.036 on average). It was always get rise especially on the day when the discomfort index was above 80(0.05 on average). However, compared with the significant change in temperature and humidity, the variation of the discomfort index itself was very slight(up to 0.107). Therefore, the effect of transpiration by the street trees might not be effective in the planning to improve the thermal environment(especially on the day when the discomfort index is high). It is necessary to select the species of trees and planting location considering the cooling effect of shade formation synthetically.