• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.72-84
• /
• 2013

In the study, pollution levels of indoor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in public facilities (vapor phase or particulate phase) were evaluated, and a health risk assessment (HRA) was carried out based on exposure scenarios. Public facilities in Korea covered by the law, including underground subway stations, funeral halls, child care facilities, internet cafes (PC-rooms), and exhibition facilities (6 locations for each type of facility, for a total of 48 locations), were investigated for indoor assessment. For the HRA, individual excess cancer risk (ECR) was estimated by applying main toxic equivalency factor (TEF) values suggested in previous studies. Among the eight public facilities, internet cafes showed the highest average $PM_{2.5}$ concentration at $110.0{\mu}g/m^3$ (range: $83.5-138.5{\mu}g/m^3$). When assuming a risk of facility exposure time based upon the results of the surveys for each public facility, the excess cancer risk using the benzo(a)pyrene indicator assessment method was estimated to be $10^{-7}-10^{-6}$ levels for each facility. Based on the risk associated with various TEF values, the excess cancer risk based upon the seven types cancer EPA (1993) and Malcolm & Dobson's (1994) assessment method was estimated to be $10^{-7}-10^{-5}$ for each facility. The excess cancer risk estimated from the TEF EPA (2010) assessment was the highest: $10^{-7}-10^{-4}$ for each facility. This is due to the 10-fold difference between the TEF of dibenzo(a,e)fluoranthene in 2010 and in 1994. The internet cafes where smoking was the clear pollutant showed the highest risk level of $10^{-4}$, which exceeded the World Health Organization's recommended risk of $1{\times}10^{-6}$. All facilities, with the exception of internet cafes, showed a $10^{-6}$ risk level. However, when the TEFs values of the US EPA (2010) were applied, the risk of most facilities in this study exceeded $1{\times}10^{-6}$.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.19
• /
• pp.8051-8055
• /
• 2014

Background: A common genetic variant rs3757318, located in intron of C6orf97, was firstly identified to be associated with breast cancer (BC) risk by a genome-wide association (GWA) study. However, subsequent validation studies with different ethnicities have yielded conflicting results. Materials and Methods: We performed a meta-analysis to synthesize all available data for evaluating the precise effect of this variant on BC susceptibility. Results: A total of 8 articles containing 11 studies with 62,891 cases and 65,635 controls were included in this meta-analysis. When compared to the G allele, the rs3757318-A allele was significantly associated with BC risk with the pooled OR of 1.21 (95% CI=1.15 - 1.29, P<0.001) but with obvious between-study heterogeneity (P=0.040). Stratified analysis suggested that diversity of ethnicity along with control source may explain part of the heterogeneity. Similarly, significant associations were also identified in heterozygote, homozygote, dominant and recessive genetic models. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses indicated robust stability of our results. Conclusions: Our present meta-analysis demonstrated that the variant rs3757318 is associated with increased BC risk. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to clarify the underlying biological mechanisms.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.14
• /
• pp.5551-5556
• /
• 2014

Background: The prognostic value of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu) for survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is still ambiguous. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to evaluate its prognostic significance. Materials and Methods: We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for published literature investigating associations between HER-2/neu status and overall survival of patients with CRC. A meta-analysis was performed using a DerSimonian-Laird model and publication bias was investigated by Begg's and Egger's tests. Subgroup analysis was also conducted according to the study design type, study quality score, cut-off value for HER-2/neu overexpression, publication region, patient number and publication year. Results: A total of 17 eligible studies involving 2,347 patients were identified for this meta-analysis. The combined hazard ratio (HR) was 1.31 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96-1.79), suggesting that HER-2/neu overexpression was not significantly associated with overall survival of patients with CRC. However, subgroup analysis revealed that HER-2/neu overexpression had an unfavorable impact on survival when the analysis was restricted to subgroups of study quality score ${\leq}5 $(HR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.17-2.10), Asian patients (HR=1.74, 95%CI: 1.22-2.49), patient number ${\leq}106$ (HR=1.57, 95%CI: 1.01-2.44), publication year before 2003 (HR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.02-2.49), and prospectively designed study (HR=3.62, 95%CI: 1.42-9.24). The effect disappeared in subgroups of study quality scores > 5 (HR=0.69, 95%CI: 0.33-1.44), non Asian patients (HR=1.14, 95%CI: 0.77-1.70), patients' number > 106 (HR=1.07, 95%CI: 0.67-1.72), publication year after 2003 (HR=1.13, 95%CI: 0.76-1.69), and retrospectively designed study (HR=1.22, 95%CI: 0.89-1.67). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that HER-2/neu overexpression might not be a significantly prognostic indicator for patients with CRC. Further studies are required to confirm these results.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.249-261
• /
• 2000

The purpose of this study were to identify the quality of life for the mothers of hospitalized chronic pediatric patients, and to explore the factors affecting the QOL of those mothers. The subjects were 201 mothers whose children had hospitalized at one University hospital with chronic diseases. Data were collected from the December, 1997 to December, 1998. We used a revised QOL instrument consisting of 34 items, 5 point likert scale based on the Noh's QOL instrument. The revised QOL consists of six subscales, those are physical status and function, self esteem, emotional status, economic status, relationship with family members, and relationship with neighborhood. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation using SPSS-PC. The results were as follows: 1. The mean score of quality of life for the mothers of chronic pediatric patients was 100.31, and item mean was 2.95. In subscale analysis, item mean of economic status was the lowest, and that of relationship with family members was the highest. 2. Correlations between characteristics of chronic pediatric patients, their mothers and QOL of mothers were as follows; 1) Total QOL of mothers had a significant positive relationship with progressing time relapse after diagnosing and age of mothers. There was a significant negative relationship between the total QOL of mothers and number of hospitalization of their children. 2) QOL on self esteem and economic status had a significant relationship with age of pediatric patients, the time relapse after diagnosis, and age of mothers. Total number of family members and QOL on economic status showed a significant positive relationship. QOL on emotional status, economic status, and relationship with family members of mothers showed negative correlations with the number of hospitalization of their children. 3. Followings were the result of difference in QOL among different demographic cha- racteristics of the subjects. 1) QOL on economic status of mothers was significantly higher when fathers of pediatric patients had jobs. 2) Total QOL score, QOL on emotional status, and QOL on relationship with neighborhood were significantly higher when mothers of pediatric patients had spouses. 3) QOL on self esteem of mothers was significantly higher when mothers had religion. 4. Followings were the result of difference in QOL among different diagnosis of the children. 1) Total QOL score of mothers whose children had congenital heart disease was higher than that of mothers whose children had leukemia and cancer. 2) QOL on emotional status, economic status, and relationship with family members of mothers whose children had congenital heart disease were higher than those of mothers whose children had leukemia, cancer, and epilepsy.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.148-155
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how wish granting influences children with life-threatening medical conditions when it comes to their adaptation to disease with a focus on the mediating effect of resilience and stress caused by disease. Methods: From January 2, 2015 through January 12, 2015, a survey was conducted on 292 children with life-threatening diseases whose wishes were granted through Make-A-Wish Korea. The data were collected using the impact of a wish scale, the Children's Adjustment to Cancer Inventory, the Childhood Cancer Stressor Inventory, and the resilience scale in children with chronic illness. The data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 20.0 and Amos 21.0. Results: Satisfaction with the wish granting program enhances resilience, and resilience affects stress caused by medical conditions as well as adaptation to disease. Also, stress caused by medical conditions influences adaptation to disease. Conclusion: Wish granting is effective in both facilitating chronically ill children to adjust to disease and reduce their stress from disease. Thus, children with life-threatening medical conditions could be assisted or motivated to adjust to disease by improving satisfaction achieved by wish granting.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.147-152
• /
• 2011

Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Pediatric Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Questionnaire Brain Tumor Survivor (version 2.0) Aged 13 years and older (Parent Form) (pedsFACT-BrS parent of adolescent). Methods : The pedsFACT-BrS parent of adolescent was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Korean, following standard Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) methodology. The psychometric properties of the pedsFACT-BrS parent of adolescent were evaluated in 170 brain tumor patient's mothers (mean age=43.38 years). Pretesting was performed in 30 mothers, and the results indicated good symptom coverage and overall comprehensibility. The participants also completed the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF-50), Neuroticism in Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Karnofsky score. Results : In validating the pedsFACT-BrS parent of adolescent, we found high internal consistency, with Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ coefficients ranging from 0.76 to 0.94. The assessment of test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient revealed satisfactory values with ICCs ranging from 0.84 to 0.93. The pedsFACT-BrS for parent of adolescent also demonstrated good convergent and divergent validities when correlated with the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF-50) and the Neuroticism in Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The pedsFACT-BrS parent of adolescent showed good clinical validity, and effectively differentiated between clinically distinct patient groups according to the type of treatment, tumor location, shunt, and Karnofsky score of parent proxy report. Conclusion : We confirmed that this reliable and valid instrument can be used to properly evaluate the quality of life of Korean adolescent brain tumor patients by their parents' proxy report.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.683-692
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify cancer-related symptom clusters and to validate the conceptual meanings of the revealed symptom clusters in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey and methodological study. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (N=194) were recruited from a medical center in Seoul. The 20-item Symptom Checklist was used to assess patients' symptom severity. Selected symptoms were factored using principal-axis factoring with varimax rotation. To validate the revealed symptom clusters, the statistical differences were analyzed by status of patients' performance status, Child-Pugh classification, and mood state among symptom clusters. Results: Fatigue was the most prevalent symptom (97.4%), followed by lack of energy and stomach discomfort. Patients' symptom severity ratings fit a four-factor solution that explained 61.04% of the variance. These four factors were named pain-appetite cluster, fatigue cluster, itching-constipation cluster, and gastrointestinal cluster. The revealed symptom clusters were significantly different for patient performance status (ECOG-PSR), Child-Pugh class, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion: Knowing these symptom clusters may help nurses to understand reasonable mechanisms for the aggregation of symptoms. Efficient symptom management of disease-related and treatment-related symptoms is critical in promoting physical and emotional status in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.168-181
• /
• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identified patterns of studies and to analyze the nursing research related to the massage intervention in Korea and to improve direction of nursing research in massage intervention in Korea. Methods: The research studies related to the massage were selected from the Korean Nurses Academic Society Journal and dissertation which were conducted experimental research design the last 7 years in Korea. The total numbers of the studies were 58. Result: The study subjects were post operational state in 34.5%, healthy adult in 17.2% studies. The others dealt with infant, cancer, dementia, hypertension, preterm neonates, elderly. Types of massage were whole body in 31.1%, foot in 22.6%, hand in 17.2%, back in 13.8% studies. And Meridian massage in 17.2%. Length of massage was below 5 minutes in 17.2%, 6~10 minutes in 29.4% and 11~20 minutes in 32.8% studies. Frequency of massage was only 1 time in 25.9%, 2~5 times in 31.1% studies. Massage produced psychological and physiological effects. Positive psychologic effects were anxiety relief, pain relief, mood enhancement and fatigue relief. Positive physiologic effects on body systems were blood pressure, heart rate, edema, skin temperature, immune system, blood glucose, excretion, PMS syndrome and growth and development. Conclusion: As a result, effects of massage were almost positive. Therefore massage is useful alternative nursing intervention. But more attention research is needed to identify the objectivity instrument to measure and repeat research.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.81-85
• /
• 2007

Colorectal carcinomas occur primarily in elderly people and are rare in children. Unlike adult colorectal carcinomas, the overall prognosis is very poor because of the usual delay in diagnosis and advanced stages at presentation or initial diagnosis, and a high incidence of aggressive tumor pathology such as mucinous adenocarcinoma. Colon cancer should not be excluded in children only based on age or barium enema results. Therefore, colonoscopy should be performed in pediatric patients with unexplained rectal bleeding and abdominal pain. We report a rare case of a child with a mucinous adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon in a 12-year-old boy, who presented with an abdominal mass and abdominal pain and review the medical literature.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.147-157
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and practice toward breast self-examination (BSE) among middle and high school girls. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using self-report questionnaires. Participants were 412 students, 137 middle and 275 high school girls. Data were collected from December 7 to 23, 2016 and analyzed using t-test and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The percentage of correct answers for knowledge about breast self-examination among middle and high school girls was 29.2%. The mean score for practice ($5.89{\pm}0.10$) among middle and high school girls was low. For knowledge, there were significant differences according to grade (t=5.93, p<.001), having heard about BSE (t=4.02, p<.001), experience of BSE (t=2.51, p=.012), and need for education (t=3.37, p=.001). In practice, there were significant differences according to having heard about BSE (t=3.64, p<.001), experience of BSE (t=2.64, p=.017). Knowledge level of BSE positively correlated with practice of BSE (r=.21, p<.001). Conclusion: Research results suggest that education on BSE for middle and high school girls is needed to increase the possibility of early detection of breast cancer.