• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.8
• /
• pp.3839-3843
• /
• 2016

Background: Cigarette smoking is a major public health issue in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in recent years, particularly among adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking usage among adolescent students in the north of the country. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study investigated 305 adolescent students from the Northern KSA population, their ages ranging from 11 to 19 years old. Results: Of the 287 respondents, 56/287(19.5%) were found to be current smokers. Of the 56 current smokers, 14/52 (27%), 29/52 (55.8%), and 9/52 (17.2%) smoked 1-3, 4-10 and 11+cigarettes/day, respectively. For duration most had smoked for 26-36 months. Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicate that cigarette smoking use is still an important risk behavior among adolescent students. The findings of this study found a significant association of cigarette smoking usage and adolescents various believes and attitude for initiation of smoking and perception toward knowledge of other factors that contribute to the burden of tobacco use.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.27-42
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study is aimed to provide the fundamental data for building the patient safety culture by identifying the perceptions of patient safety culture of hospital nurses. Methods: this study was a cross-sectional survey. For this study, 816 nurses participated from three general hospital and one university hospital located in Gwangju and Chonnam. The data were collected from April to June, 2012 by self-administrated questionnaires. The 'Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture'developed AHRQ(2004) and translated in Korean and edited by Je(2006), was used to measure the patient safety culture which the nurses were perceived. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test using SPSS window 18.0. Results: With a possible score of 5 points, the average score for nurses'perceived patient safety culture 3.32. In the sub dimension of patient safety culture, the score hospital-level aspects was the highest level of 3.27(0.50) and reporting system medical errors was the lowest of 3.08(0.40). The difference of perception level on patient safety culture were statistically significant depending on demographic and job-related characteristics such as age, hospital level, work experience in present hospital, work experience in present unit, work experience in present area, positions, work hours of week. Conclusion: The scores of perception of which were shown to be relatively low in this study, needed to be improved through continuous education, evaluation and researches. We suggest developing a new tool on patient safety culture fit our country which will help to manage ongoing patient safety culture.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.145-152
• /
• 2021

Background: The Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision-Making Act has allowed anyone aged 19 or older to sign an Advance Directive not to receive life-sustaining treatment when they are in the 'death process'. Recently, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association announced to raise awareness of the Advance Directive to the general public through community pharmacies across the country. This study aimed to investigate the public's willingness to accept pharmacist's consultation regarding the Advance Directive and to present future directions to pharmacists Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire study using 16-items was conducted in adults, Study subjects were recruited by convenience sampling method during August 5-15, 2020. Results: Of 460 respondents, 51.7% were younger than 30-year-old and 58.7% were not in the healthcare field in terms of job or major. 60.2% knew about the Advance Directive and 81.7% agreed the necessity to sign when healthy. 50.0% had the willingness to consult with pharmacists on the Advance Directive for well-dying and 80.4% preferred verbal explanation together with written information. Simple linear regression analysis results showed a significant relationship between trust in pharmacists or satisfaction with pharmacist's communication and willingness to use pharmacist' consultation on the Advance Directive (1-point increases in values measured on a five-point scale are associated with 0.464 and 0.486 increases, respectively.) Conclusion: This study suggests that pharmacists need to improve the public's trust and communication capability to satisfy with public's demands on well-dying service.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.30-40
• /
• 2022

Purpose: Pediatric acute appendicitis has a stable incidence rate in Western countries with an annual change of -0.36%. However, a sharp increase was observed in the Asian region. The Indonesian Health Department reveals appendicitis as the fourth most infectious disease, with more than 64,000 patients annually. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify and evaluate the risk factors and diagnostic modalities for accurate diagnosis and early treatment. This study also clarifies the usage of pediatric appendicitis score (PAS) for children <5 years of age. Methods: The current study employed a cross-sectional design with purposive sampling through demographic and PAS questionnaires with ultrasound sonography (USG) results. The analysis was performed using the chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests and logistic regression. Results: This study included 21 qualified patients with an average age of 6.76±4.679 years, weighing 21.72±10.437 kg, and who had been hospitalized for 4.24±1.513 days in Siloam Teaching Hospital. Compared to the surgical gold standard, PAS and USG have moderate sensitivity and specificity. Bodyweight and stay duration were significant for appendicitis (p<0.05); however, all were confounders in the multivariate regression analysis. Incidentally, a risk prediction model was generated with an area under the curve of 72.73%, sensitivity of 100.0%, specificity of 54.5%, and a cut-off value of 151. Conclusion: PAS outperforms USG in the sensitivity of diagnosing appendicitis, whereas USG outperforms PAS in terms of specificity. This study demonstrates the use of PAS in children under 5 years old. Meanwhile, no risk factors were significant in multivariate pediatric acute appendicitis risk factors.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.445-468
• /
• 2011

Based on the framework of self-determination theory and past relevant literature, the study develops and estimates a causal relationship between intrinsic motivation, career commitment, and turnover intention. The study utilizes data from a cross-sectional survey conducted on 353 child welfare workers of the fields of foster care, child protective services, and child residential care all over the country. The study relies on Structural Equation Modeling(SEM) method. The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicate the validity of measurement model. The results of SEM tests show a good fit of the proposed model. Controlling the level of salary and the working hours of the workers, the model reveals that intrinsic motivation is positively related to career commitment, and that career commitment is negatively related to turnover intention. In other words, the effect of intrinsic motivation on turnover intention is mediated by career commitment. Implications of the findings for practice and study limitations are discussed.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.10 no.9
• /
• pp.237-247
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level and intensity of emotional labor of physical therapists and occupational therapists, and to identify the factors affecting them. Cross-sectional study was conducted on physical therapists and occupational therapists across the country using self-populated questionnaire. A total of 2,000 questionnaires were distributed to retrieve 1,500 questionnaires(75%), of which 1,374 questionnaires(68.7%) were finally analyzed, excluding 126 that answered duplicates or were missing answers. Multi-linear regression was performed to identify factors on the strength of emotional labor. According to the analysis results, high-risk groups in the areas under 'Emotional demand and regulation' and 'Overload and conflict in customer service' and 'Emotional disharmony and hurt' were 29.4%, 19.0% and 22.0% respectively, especially in 'Emotional demand and regulation', 'Overload and conflict in customer service', 'Emotional disharmony and hurt' for women working days, and 49% of daily work hours. Accordingly, we will be able to regularly screen physical therapists and occupational therapists for dangerous groups, and manage the intensity of emotional labor through the creation of a therapist's working environment, such as limiting overtime hours and assigning appropriate number of patients. Through this study, the grounds and methods for mitigating the negative effects of emotional labor and mediating emotional labor should be provided.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 2020

Objectives: This study was conducted to explore recent trends in the prevalence of pediatric elevated blood pressure and hypertension (HTN) in Korea and the United States, applying the new HTN reference values for adolescents. Methods: This study analyzed 17 339 (8755 Korean and 8584 American) adolescents aged 10 to 17 who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, respectively, between 2005 and 2016. HTN was defined using percentile-based reference values for non-overweight adolescents from 7 nations, and obesity was defined by body mass index (BMI) based on country-specific growth charts. All analyses were stratified by sex and year-over-year changes were evaluated by calculating the p for trend. Results: Systolic blood pressure showed a statistically meaningful upward trend in Korean boys and girls, while diastolic blood pressure did not show any significant changes. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels declined among United States boys and girls. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure and HTN remained similar in Korean adolescents, but declined in both sexes among United States adolescents. BMI increased in both sexes among Korean adolescents, although the overweight and obesity rates stayed the same. No significant trends were found in any obesity indices among United States adolescents. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure and HTN by obesity level was higher among Korean adolescents than among their United States peers in both sexes, and the gap became higher at more severe levels of obesity. Conclusions: Despite the strong correlation between obesity and HTN, recent trends in the prevalence of HTN and obesity among Korean and United States adolescents were strikingly different. Follow-up studies are necessary to determine why the prevalence of HTN was more than twice as high among Korean adolescents than among their United States counterparts.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.1795-1802
• /
• 2015

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer types in women and is amongst the most devastating and stressful events in the life of women. The external appearance of breast cancer patients usually changes due to the surgical and/or medical therapies used. An association may be found between social support perception and social appearance anxiety in patients with breast cancer in the period after mastectomy. Therefore, this study investigated the social appearance anxiety and social support status in women with breast cancer in our country. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment or follow-up in Medical Oncology and General Surgery departments. Results: The mean age of the participants was $51.13{\pm}8.48$ years (range, 24-74 years) with nearly half of the patients (40.6%) aged 40-50 years. Of the patients, 39.1% had stage 3 breast cancer. The mean score on Cancer Patient's Social Support Scale (CPSSS) was $134.85{\pm}9.35$, and there was a significant difference in CPSSS total scores betweena the age groups, educational levels, self-reported income levels and stage of disease (p<0.05). The mean Social Image Anxiety Scale (SIAS) score was found to be $34.30{\pm}9.35$ (min:16, max:66) in women participating in this study. The CPSSS and SIAS scores of the participants were inversely correlated, and the SIAS score was found to decrease with the increasing CPSSS score but with no statistically significant difference (r=-0.110, p=0.217). Conclusions: Social appearance anxiety is higher in the patients with poor social support.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.1351-1355
• /
• 2014

Background: Ovarian sex-cord stromal tumours (SCST) are rare, and relatively infrequent in children. These have to be distinguished from more common germ cell tumors in children and also from benign epithelial neoplasms. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to report the clinical and pathological findings in young patients with these tumours in our population. Material and Methods: The present observational cross-sectional study included all subjects <21 years of age diagnosed with ovarian SCST, in Aga Khan University Hospital Histopathology Laboratory, Karachi, Pakistan, from January 1992 till July 2013. Results: Of the total of 513 SCSTs presented during the study period, 39 fulfilled inclusion criteria and were assessed. The age range was 4-250 months. Most of the tumours presented at stage-1 and an abdominal mass was the most common presenting symptom, along with menstrual disturbance. The left side ovary was slightly more affected (53.5%). Of the total, 15 were juvenile granulosa cell tumours (JGCT), 11 sclerosing stromal tumours (SST), 10 of the fibrothecomas spectrum, 2 Sertoli leydig cell tumours (SLCT) and one a sex cord tumour with annular tubules (SCTAT). Detailed immunohistochemical analyses were performed in 33 cases. Recurrence/metastasis was noted in 4/21 cases with follow-up data. Conclusions: Ovarian sex cord stromal tumours are very rare in young age in our population, and usually present at an early stage. Most common among these are juvenile granulosa cell tumours, although surprisingly sclerosing stromal tumours were also common. Clinical symptoms due to hormone secretion in premenstrual girls and menstrual disturbance in menstruating girls are common presenting features.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.1093-1098
• /
• 2014

Background: Cancer is a major public health problem both in our country and worldwide due to its disease burden, fatality and tendency for increased incidence. In Turkey, breast cancer ranks first with an incidence of 41.6% and cervical cancer is the tenth most common cancer with an incidence of 4.4%. Objectives and Design: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 240 women aged from 15 to 65 years admitted to a gynecology-obstetrics outpatient clinic of a private hospital in Gaziantep. Study data were collected by the investigators through a 36-item questionnaire form which was generated using information gathered from similar surveys in the literature. Results: It was determined that 34.6% of women were high-school graduates, and 64.2% had a medium income level. The majority (79.2%) stated that they never performed BSE and 49.5% of them said that they did not know how to do it. Some 79.2% did not know what a Pap smear was and 73.3% had not experienced a smear test ever. Conclusions: In this study, we found that most of the women had insufficient knowledge of breast and cervical cancer, while knowledge and practices increased with the education level. Based on these findings, we suggest that there is a need for planning, implementation and assessment of health policies and healthcare services at the national and regional level and we believe that nurses working in the field of protective health services should develop educational programmes for women with a primary focus on cancer in order to increase awareness among the female population in Turkey.