• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.3-17
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• 2022

This study aims to empirically analyze the impacts of the topographic characteristics of residential areas and the characteristics of land use and transportation on average trip distance of the senior citizens in Busan Metropolitan city. Multiple regression is conducted to accomplish the purpose of this study, and the conclusions and policy implications of the analysis are as follows. First, the average and standard deviation of the residential areas are significantly related to average trip distance of the senior citizens. Thus, urban transportation policies need to take account of the topographic characteristics of the residential areas. Second, average distance from the nearest subway station and density of bus stops have positive and negative association respectively. Mobility improvement polices for senior citizens should consider urban spatial structure and different approach processes to transportation facilities by modes. Third, mobility and residential environment improvement policies for senior citizens should take into account different sociodemographic characteristics by locations. This shows that the mobility convenience policy for senior citizens is more necessary than any other policy for administrative dong, where traffic access is relatively low and the single senior citizen population is concentrated.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to research sociodemographic characteristic, work-concerned characteristic, health behavior, life stress, psychosocial stress, job stress and self-esteem of dental hygienists and to find their effects on cortisol level in saliva. The target of this study is 219 dental hygienists registered in Daegu and Gyeongbuk Dental Hygienists Association as of February 2010. For life stress, there was significant difference depending on working years of current job(p<0.05), self health status and regular meal(p<0.01). For psychosocial stress, there was significant difference depending on age(p<0.05), daily working hours(p<0.01), self health status, sleeping hours, regular meal and hobby and leisure activity(p<0.01). For job stress, there was significant difference depending on academic background (p<0.05), job experience, position, man power appropriateness in department and working years of current job(p<0.05). For cortisol level in saliva, extra working days(p<0.05) and self health status(p<0.05) showed significant difference and job stress and cortisol level in saliva showed the negative correlation(p<0.01). Health behavior gave a significant effect to life stress by path coefficient -36.807(p<0.05) and that to psychosocial stress by path coefficient -5.209(p<0.001). And health behavior also gave a significant effect to self-esteem by path coefficient 0.561(p<0.05). Life stress gave a significant effect to psychosocial stress by 0.012(p<0.05) with self-esteem to psychosocial stress by -2.437(p<0.001) and psychosocial stress to job stress by 0.523(p<0.001). Job stress gave a significant effect to cortisol level in saliva by -0.060 (p<0.05). It was found that the most significant factor that affects cortisol level in saliva was job stress, but showed negative correlation. It can be assumed that chromic job stress cause shortage in cortisol excretion, and caused lower cortisol level in saliva.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2014

Objectives : Breast cancer has been the most prevalent female cancer in South Korea since 2001. Early detection of this disease is the most effective strategy for reducing mortality. The objective of this study was to identify factors which could predict advanced stage at diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods : Participants who were initially diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to the Stress Clinic of the Breast Cancer Center at Kyungpook National University Hospital were included. Through a semi-structured interview, the authors investigated psychosocial variables such as the extent of marital and family functioning and emotional-economic family burden as well as sociodemographic and health behavior-, health characteristic- and cancer-related variables. Results : Data were collected from 219 participants. One hundred and twenty(54.8%) subjects were diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer. Variables that were significantly different between the advanced-stage and early-stage groups included : monthly breast self examination(p<0.000), annual mammographic screening(p<0.000), mode of tumor detection(p<0.000), nature of the first symptoms(p<0.000), time to treatment after diagnosis(p<0.000), overloaded economic and family burden(p=0.018), marital functioning(p<0.000) and family functioning(p<0.00). Logistic regression analysis indicated that irregular annual mammography screening(OR=7.431 ; 95% CI 2.407-22.944) or a lack of screening(OR=25.299 ; 95% CI 7.855-81.482) and a dysfunctional marital relationship(OR=4.772 ; 95% CI 2.244-10.145) were significantly associated with advanced stage at diagnosis of breast cancer. Conclusions : We reconfirmed screening behavior to be a risk factor for delayed diagnosis of breast cancer. Our findings also emphasized the importance of psychosocial factors such as marital functioning in early detection of breast cancer. Psychiatric consultation in the area of martial functioning could be beneficial for increasing early detection in breast cancer.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.108-117
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• 2023

Objectives : Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterized by the manifestation of a variety of physical symptoms, but little is known about differences in autonomic nervous system activity according to symptom severity, especially within patient groups. In this study, we examined differences in heart rate variability (HRV) across symptom severity in a group of SSD patients to analyze a representative marker of autonomic nervous system changes by symptoms severity. Methods : Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for patients who were diagnosed with SSD based on DSM-5 from September 18, 2020 to October 29, 2021. We applied inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) methods to generate more homogeneous comparisons in HRV parameters by correcting for selection biases due to sociodemographic and clinical characteristic differences between groups. Results : There were statistically significant correlations between the somatic symptom severity and LF (nu), HF (nu), LF/HF, as well as SD1/SD2 and Alpha1/Alpha2. After IPTW estimation, the mild to moderate group was corrected to 27 (53.0%) and the severe group to 24 (47.0%), and homogeneity was achieved as the differences in demographic and clinical characteristics were not significant. The analysis of inverse probability weighted regression adjustment model showed that the severe group was associated with significantly lower RMSSD (β=-0.70, p=0.003) and pNN20 (β=-1.04, p=0.019) in the time domain and higher LF (nu) (β=0.29, p<0.001), lower HF (nu) (β=-0.29, p<0.001), higher LF/HF (β=1.41, p=0.001), and in the nonlinear domain, significant differences were tested for SampEn15 (β=-0.35, p=0.014), SD1/SD2 (β=-0.68, p<0.001), and Alpha1/Alpha2 (ß=0.43, p=0.001). Conclusions : These results suggest that differences in HRV parameters by SSD severity were showed in the time, frequency and nonlinear domains, specific parameters demonstrating significantly higher sympathetic nerve activity and reduced ability of the parasympathetic nervous system in SSD patients with severe symptoms.