• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2010

This study examined the relationship between speech intelligibility and comprehensibility for hearing impaired children with cochlear implants. Speech intelligibility was measured by orthographic transcription method for acoustic signal at the level of words and sentences. Comprehensibility was evaluated by examining listener's ability to answer questions about the contents of a narrative. Speech samples were collected from 12 speakers(age of 6~15 years) with cochlear implants. For each speaker, 4 different listeners(total of 48 listeners) completed 2 tasks: One task involved making orthographic transcriptions and the other task involved answering comprehension questions. The results of the study were as follows: (1) Speech intelligibility and comprehensibility scores tended to be increased by decreasing of severity. (2) Across all speakers, the relationship was significant between speech intelligibility and comprehensibility scores without considering severity. However, within severity groups, there was the significant relationship between comprehensibility and speech intelligibility only for moderate-severe group. These results suggest that speech intelligibility scores measured by orthographic transcription may not accurately reflect how well listener comprehend speech of children with cochlear implants and therefore, measures of both speech intelligibility and listener comprehension should be considered in evaluating speech ability and information-bearing capability in speakers with cochlear implants.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 2024

Background: Safety data sheets (SDSs) are hazard communication materials that accompany chemicals/hazardous products in the workplace. Many SDSs contain dense, technical text, which places considerable comprehension demands on workers, especially those with lower literacy skills. The goal of this study was to assess SDSs for readability, comprehensibility, and suitability (i.e., fit to the target audience). Methods: The Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool assessed SDSs for suitability and readability. We then amended the SAM tool to further assess SDSs for comprehensibility factors. Both the original and amended SAM tool were used to score 45 randomly selected SDSs for content, literacy demand, graphics, and layout/typography. Results: SDSs performed poorly in terms of readability, suitability, and comprehensibility. The mean readability scores were Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (9.6), Gunning Fog index (11.0), Coleman-Liau index (13.7), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook index (10.7), all above the recommended reading level. The original SAM graded SDSs as "not suitable" for suitability and readability. When the amended SAM was used, the mean total SAM score increased, but the SDSs were still considered "not suitable" when adding comprehensibility considerations. The amended SAM tool better identified content-related issues specific to SDSs that make it difficult for a reader to understand the material. Conclusions: In terms of readability, comprehensibility, and suitability, SDSs perform poorly in their primary role as a hazard communication tool, therefore, putting workers at risk. The amended SAM tool could be used when writing SDSs to ensure that the information is more easily understandable for all audiences.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.550-558
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• 2002

This study was designed to examine the factors that influence the burnout of nurses practice healthcare in a hospital setting. Subjects for this study were 245 nurses working at University K hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data for this study was collected from 15 to 27 April, 2002. The data collection instruments used for this study are as follows: Maslach Burnout Inventory(1981), Orientation to Life Questionnaire(Sense of Coherence, SOC) by Antonovsky (1987) and Modified Coping Resources Inventory developed by author. The analysis of the data was completed using the descriptive, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression using the SAS program software. The results of this study were as follows: 1. Total mean score of burnout was 4.0. Mean scores of the subscales were; emotional exhausion 4.7, personalization 3.7, and personal accomplishment 3.4.2. Significant statistical differences according to demographic characteristics of the subjects were found in the variables of age, job position, years of working, perceived job stress, and burnout. 3. Burnout was negatively related to sense of coherence(r=-.65) and coping resources (r=-.40); subscales of SOC of comprehensibility(r=-.57), manageability (r= -.55), and meaningfulness(r= -.52); subscales of coping of self-care(r=-.36), and cognitive coping(r=-.39). 4. Job stress was the highest factor influence burnout. Sixty-one percent of the total variance of burnout was experienced by variables of comprehensibility, meaningfulness, age, self-care, manageability and leisure activities including job stress. In conclusion, it was found that a low level of burnout was related to high scores of SOC and coping resources. Job stress, manageability, and meaningfulness were the highest factors influencing the level of subscale of emotional exhausion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Therefore, it is necessary to search for strategies to promote SOC and coping resources for reducing the level of burnout of nurses.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.348-358
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• 2001

This study was designed to identify the relationship between the level of sense of coherence(SOC) and coping resources of nurses working in hospital. The subjects of this study were 248 nurses working at C University hospital in Seoul. The data was collected during the period from July 1. to July 14. 2001. The insruments for this study were SOC scale by Antonovsky(1987) and Coping Resources Inventory by author. The analysis of data was done by simple statistics, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient with SAS program. The results of this study were as follows: 1. Total mean SOC was 132.1/203.0 with a range 96.0 to 171.0. The mean score of this item was arranged according to three areas. The meaningfulness was 4.9, managability was 4.7, and comprehensibility was 4.2. 2. Total mean coping resources was 144.5/225.0 with a range 93.0 to 190.0. The highest mean score of item according to the area was social support 4.0 and the lowest mean score was self care coping 2.7. 3. A significant statistical difference between age, religion, spending money and SOC was found. 4. Significant statistical difference between age, educational level, spending money, working period and coping resources were found. 5. Coping resources by the level of SOC was high in the highest group of SOC(F=6.19, p=0.00). With respect to the area of coping resources, higher group of SOC was using much coping resources generally except area of leisure. 6. SOC was positively related to age(r=0.17), working periods(r=0.16), each SOC area, coping resources and all area of them except leisure. 7. The coping resources were positively related to age(r=0.21), working periods(r=0.21), SOC (r=0.49), each coping resources area, and each SOC area. In conclusion, we confirmed that the level of SOC of the subjects was low relatively and the high level of sense of coherence was related to the high score of coping resources. Therefore, it could also contribute to select suitable nurses in their fields. In the future, it's necessary to develop strategies improving SOC.

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