• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3247-3251
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• 2015

Background: The attendance rates for cancer screening are low in Japan. Little is actually known about how the Japanese perceive cancer. Since beliefs about illness affect individuals' health care practice, the aim of this study was to explore beliefs about cancer and factors associated with those beliefs, focusing on representative cancer sites. Materials and Methods: Japanese adults (${\geq}20$ years old) who had not been diagnosed with any cancers and were not health care professionals were recruited, using a convenience sampling approach. A total of 91 participants completed questionnaires including open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the responses. Results: Five themes were suggested: (i) a threatening illness that might greatly change one's future life; (ii) basic cancer knowledge; (iii) a curable illness with early detection and adequate treatment; (iv) causes of cancer; and (v) anyone can develop cancer. Families or friends' negative consequences of cancer were associated with negative beliefs about the disease. Gestational cancer was the most representative site of most themes. Conclusions: A threatening illness (e.g., death or incurable illness) was the most common belief among the Japanese laypeople. Importance of early detection and treatments should be more emphasized, and future screening programs should include strategies modifying negative cancer beliefs among Japanese laypeople.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3293-3298
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• 2013

Background: The study investigated the influence of culturally-based health beliefs on engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviour. Specifically, the study compared levels of engagement between Western and Chinese youth in Australia and assessed the extent to which culture-specific attributions about the causes of illness, and health beliefs, predict engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviour. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four Western and 95 Chinese (N=189; Mean Age=20.8 years, SD=3 years) young adults completed an online questionnaire. Predictor variables were cultural health beliefs measured by the Chinese Cultural Views on Health and Illness scale (CCVH, Liang et al., 2008), and illness attributions beliefs measured by the Cause of Illness Questionnaire (CIQ, Armstrong and Swartzman, 1999). Outcomes variables were levels of engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviour. Results: Results indicated that Chinese participants have a significantly lower exercising rate and healthy dietary habits compared to the Western sample. Moreover, Chinese participants were found to believe more strongly than Westerners that cancer was associated with factors measured by the Traditional-Chinese-Model (TCM). Finally, the observed relationship between cultural health beliefs and physical inactivity was mediated by attributions of illness, in particular to the supernatural subscale, with the Sobel Test showing a significant mediation (z=-2.63, p=0.004). Conclusions: Mainstream approaches to encourage healthy lifestyles are unlikely to be effective when educating Chinese youth. Instead, health promotion programs should attempt to address the illness attribution beliefs and educate Chinese youth about the role of diet and exercise in prevention of diseases such as cancer.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.324-335
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of dietary self-efficacy and illness beliefs, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers for the reduction of sodium intake in the elderly. A cross-sectional study was performed on 252 elderly people, aged 65 yrs and above, living in Daejeon Metropolitan city and Jecheon city, Chungbuk from March 21 to March 30, 2011. Dietary self-efficacy of three factors (resisting relapse, reducing salt and behavioral skills), perceived benefits and barriers, accurate and inaccurate illness beliefs were measured by 5 or 4 point Likert scale. With the increasing education level of the elderly, dietary self-efficacy, and accurate illness belief score increased and perceived barrier score decreased. Perceived benefits score was higher in the subject living alone compared to those living with siblings or spouses. Among three factors of dietary self-efficacy, reducing salt was scored highest and behavioral skills scored lowest in the elderly. Recording meal diary and reading labels for salt content in the items of behavioral skills showed lower score than other items. Accurate illness beliefs and perceived benefits were more scored than inaccurate illness beliefs and perceived barriers respectively in the subjects. The subjects with higher accurate illness beliefs, lower inaccurate illness beliefs, higher perceived benefits, and lower perceived barriers for the reduction of sodium intake showed higher dietary self-efficacy. In summary, accurate illness beliefs and perceived benefits positively correlated with dietary self-efficacy for the reduction of sodium intake in the elderly, whereas inaccurate illness beliefs and perceived barriers are negatively correlated.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.155-181
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to explore 1) the illness experiences, 2) health behaviors (causal thoughts), and 3) health beliefs (health behavior changes after cancer diagnosis) among Korean breast cancer survivors using focus groups, which is a form of qualitative research methods. Thus, this study intended to understand how the illness experiences and health beliefs are associated with health behaviors. Three focus groups composed of 16 breast cancer survivors living in Seoul and GyeongGi were conducted with 5 to 6 people in each group. For illness experiences, health beliefs, and health behaviors of breast cancer survivors, some major themes related to physical, behavioral, psychological, and social domains were identified. Understanding health beliefs and health behaviors for Korean breast cancer survivors will be an important step toward developing social work interventions for enhancing health promotion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.88-95
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• 1990

In order to promote the Generalized Health Beliefs between the medical doctors and university students for more comprehensive health control, we researched the Generalized Health Beliefs invented by Dr. Cockburn and microsystemic enviromental factors. As a result, we obtained the following conclusion from the study: 1. Analytically possible answers were given by 525 students (92.6%), and among them, 356(67.8%) male students, and 196(32.2%) female students. 2. Items for Generalized Health Beliefs, Which were divided into 4 factors: 4 items for seriousness of health, 3 items for the barrier of medical utility, 4 items for the medical motivation, and 4 item for the control over illness. 3. Cronbach's alpha constant for respective analytic factors revealed that the seriousness of health; 0.92, the barrier of medical utility; 0.94, the medical motivation; 0.44, and the control over illness; 0.76. 4. The seriousness of health was influences by gender, origin of birth, residence, and frequency of visiting a doctor during one year period (<0.05). 5. The barrier of medical utility differs from origin of birth, residence, and frequency of visiting differs from origin of birth, residence, and frequency of visiting a doctor(<0.05). 6. Gender was found to be an influencing factor in the medical motivation, and gender and religion in the control over illness(<0.05).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.90-97
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• 2012

Objectives: While there have been many quantitative studies on the public's attitude towards mental illnesses, it is hard to find quantitative study which focused on the contextual effect on the public's attitude. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that affect the public's beliefs and attitudes including contextual effects. Methods: We analyzed survey on the public's beliefs and attitudes towards mental illness in Korea with multi-level analysis. We analyzed the public's beliefs and attitudes in terms of prejudice as an intermediate outcome and social distance as a final outcome. Then, we focused on the associations of factors, which were individual and regional socioeconomic factors, familiarity, and knowledge based on the comparison of the intermediate and final outcomes. Results: Prejudice was not explained by regional variables but was only correlated with individual factors. Prejudice increased with age and decreased by high education level. However, social distance controlling for prejudice increased in females, in people with a high education level, and in regions with a high education level and a high proportion of the old. Therefore, social distance without controlling for prejudice increased in females, in the elderly, in highly educated people, and in regions with a high education and aged community. Conclusions: The result of the multi-level analysis for the regional variables suggests that social distance for mental illness are not only determined by individual factors but also influenced by the surroundings so that it could be tackled sufficiently with appropriate considering of the relevant regional context with individual characteristics.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.506-516
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• 2018

This study was conducted to identify pain intensity and factors affecting pain intensity in patients with advanced cancer. Data were collected between June 1 and September 30, 2016 using a questionnaire. The sample size was 221 patients with advanced cancer who were admitted to the oncology department or who visited the outpatient of the general hospital. Data were evaluated by descriptive and Pearson's correlation analyses, one way ANOVA, t-tests and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The mean scores of pain intensity of cancer patients were 4.23 (${\pm}1.68$) based on the average daily pain intensity. Factors influencing pain intensity were illness perception (${\beta}=.27$, p<.001), pain opioid analgesics beliefs (${\beta}=.24$, p<.001), education (middle school, ${\beta}=.24$, p=.001), economic status (${\geq_-}400$, ${\beta}=.20$, p=.001), gender (female, ${\beta}=.14$, p=.017), pain management education (${\beta}=-.14$ p=.020) and diagnosis (Pancreatic Ca, ${\beta}=.14$, p=.020). It explained 28%. Overall, the results of this study revealed that illness perception and pain opioid analgesics beliefs were important factors influencing pain intensity, but that the most important influencing factor was illness perception. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop pain management strategies that include not only pain management knowledge and pain opioid analgesics beliefs, but also illness perception.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8519-8524
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• 2016

After diagnosis of cancer, many patients show more inclination towards religion and religious activities. This qualitative study using semi-structured interviews explored the perspectives and experiences of 17 Iranian cancer patients and their families regarding the role of religion in their adaptation to cancer in one of the hospitals in Tehran and a charity institute. The content analysis identified two themes: "religious beliefs" (illness as God's will, being cured by God's will, belief in God's supportiveness, having faith in God as a relieving factor, and hope in divine healing) and "relationship with God during the illness." In general, relationship with God and religious beliefs had a positive effect on the patients adapting to their condition, without negative consequences such as stopping their treatment process and just waiting to be cured by God. Thus a strengthening of such beliefs, as a coping factor, could be recommended through religious counseling.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 1981

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between family attitude about mental illness and their general characteristics. The subjects for this study were a sample of 120 families selected from psychiatric ward of one university hospital, which is one national hospital in Seoul. Data was collected from July 1th to August 10th in 3980 used by Opinion about Mental Illness Scale (O.M.I.). The materials were analized by S.P.S.S. program. The findings of the study were as follows: A. Families' attitude toward mental illness shown ay this study was more negative compared to those of Korea1 nursing professorss, nurses and nursing students. B. Variables which influence families' attitude about mental illness: 1. There is no significant between general characteristics and authoritarianism. (p＞ 0.05) 2. Benevolence (Factor B) was found to be significantly related to such variables as religion, eucation levels, existence of mental patient in their an intimate friends. (P < 0.01) Families' attitude about benevolence was mere positive in families who have not relegion or having christion beliefs: haying the higher education levels; not having a mental patient in their an intimate friends. 3. Mental health ideology (Factor C) was found to be significantly related to variable experience of mental illness. (P < 0.01). families' attitude about mental health ideology was more positive in families who had experience of mental illness. 4. Social Restrictiveness (Factor D) was found to be significantly related to variable relationship between families and patients(P<0.01). An intimate friend's attitude about mental health Ideology was mon positive than that of parent and couple. 5. Interpersonal Etiology (Factor E) was found to be significantly related to variable religion (P < 0.05). Families' attitude about interpersonal etiology was more positive in families who have relegion.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.875-885
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• 2023

This research delves into the evolving interplay between occupational diseases, work-related illnesses, and accidents in the construction industry, focusing on the past twenty years. One significant discovery is the 19-fold escalation in reported occupational diseases, prompting an examination of their root causes and connections to workplace environments. Frequently encountered work-related ailments include physically strenuous tasks, low back pain, and cerebrovascular issues, highlighting the need for robust prevention and management approaches. Predominantly, noise-induced hearing loss and pneumoconiosis are the most common occupational diseases. The study unveils notable correlations between specific work-related illnesses and accidents, indicating the necessity for bespoke safety measures. Additionally, a pronounced association between work-related illnesses and occupational diseases offers insights into underlying risk factors. Remarkably, the findings propose a bidirectional link between occupational diseases and accidents, challenging traditional beliefs about causality. These insights are pivotal for enhancing safety protocols, focusing on preventive measures, and foreseeing occupational diseases that may arise following accidents in the construction industry.