• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.115-122
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• 2004

Adequate vitamin B$_2$ vitamin B$_{6}$, folate and vitamin B$_{12}$ nutrition is known to be important for reproductive function in women of childbearing age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum vitamin B$_2$ vitamin B$_{6}$, folate and vitamin B$_{12}$ status and serum homocysteine levels in 115 women aged 33.2$\pm$4.0 years, who had been diagnosed with infertility, and 49 women aged 34.5$\pm$3.8 years having at least one born child. Total vitamin B$_2$ and vitamin B$_{6}$ intakes in infertile women were significantly lower than those in control. Serum vitamin B$_2$ vitamin B$_{6}$, folate and vitamin B$_{12}$ concentrations were significantly lower in infertile women than those in control and serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in infertile women than those in control. Thirteen percent in infertile women and zero percent in control were assessed as hyperhomocysteinemic and there was a significant difference in the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia between infertile women and control. 41% infertile women were assessed as folate deficiency. Serum folate concentrations was negatively correlated with serum homocysteine of the infertile women and control. Total vitamin B$_2$ intakes was negatively correlated with serum homocysteine of the infertile women and control. Total vitamin B$_{6}$, folate intakes were negatively correlated with homocysteine of infertile women only. In conclusion, infertile women are needed to intake more B vitamins intakes. Furthermore researches are needed to estimate adequate B vitamin supplementation in infertile women. (Korean J Nutrition 37(2): 115-122, 2004): 115-122, 2004)

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.36-50
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was determine the relationship between social support and the infertility stress of infertile women. The subjects for this were 64 infertile women living in S city, Kyung Book Province. The data was collected during $4^{th}$ July and $14^{th}$ August, 1988 using the social support scale developed by Park(1985) and the infertility stress scale developed by Kim et. al.(1995) The data analysis was done by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression using SPSS PC program. The results were as follows. 1. The mean of social support of the infertile women was 3.80. 2. The negative correlation was revealed between social support and the infertility stress(r=-.56, p=.001). 3. Research has revealed that the support need of social support was a predictor of the infertility stress of the infertile women, explaining 30.9% of total variance. 4. the general characteristic variable significantly related to the level of the infertility stress of the infertile women was marriage satisfaction(t=-3.28, p=.004). The results of this study suggest that social support is related to the infertility stress of the infertile women. Therefore, The nurse is recommended to apply supportive intervention in caring for infertile women.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.370-380
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop an uncertainty scale for infertile women. Methods: The process included construction of a conceptual framework, generation of 12items, verification of content validity, selection of secondary items, verification of construct validity and extraction of final items. In order to verify the reliability and validity of the preliminary instrument, data were collected from 50 infertile women in an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) clinic. Data were analyzed by item analysis, Varimax factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. Results: There were 10 items in the final instrument categorized into 2 factors labeled as "personal (6 items)" and "relational (4 items)" The total variance explained was 73.36%. The instrument was shown to have good reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of .899. Conclusion: Validity and reliability of the scale were confirmed in this study showing its utility to measure uncertainty for infertile women. The instrument can help understand sterility and accurately measure uncertainty for infertile women. The instrument can also be used to evaluate nursing interventions designed for mitigating uncertainty for infertile women.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.341-350
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• 2003

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify dietary factors related to infertility in Korean women through a case-control study. Methods: The case group was composed of 236 women who had been diagnosed as infertility in hospital. The control group of 181 healthy women with children were recruited from local immunization centers. Socio-economic status, medical history, dietary intakes using food frequency questionnaire and stress were surveyed by interview. Anthropometric measurements were made and the causes of infertility were identified through medical records. Fasting blood samples were taken from subgroup of the subjects. Results: The mean age of infertile and control groups was 31.1 and 32.4 years, respectively and the difference was statistically significant. The mean Body Mass Index of infertile women was not significantly different from control women, however, Waist/ Hip Ratio and Triceps Skinfolds Thickness were significantly lower in infertile women than in control women. The dietary intake status was generally satisfactory in both groups. The intakes of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, retinol, vitamin B2 and niacin were lower in infertile women than in control women. The infertile women also showed lower intakes of animal foods. No differences were found between two groups in serum concentrations of albumin, hemoglobin, Fe, TIBC, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, C3, IgA, IL-2, however, infertile women showed higher levels of Zn and IgG. The stress score was higher in infertile women. Conclusions: From the results of this study, dietary factors and nutritional status do not seem to be directly related to infertility. However, the intertile women have lower nutrient intake and lower body fat content than control women. Further researches are needed according to the causes of infertility for long term to establish the relationship between dietary factors and infertility.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.1379-1391
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to investigate loneliness in infertile women and determine how loneliness related to personal characteristics, cause of infertility, family composition, and family conflicts. It also provides basic data for nursing strategies concerning infertile women.A total of 182 subjects were selected at an infertile clinic in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected from May 2 to June 21, 1997 by questionaire. It consisted of questions concerning general characteristics, items relating to infertility, and the Loneliness Scale. The UCLA Loneliness scale was used(more specifically, the Korean version of the Revised UCLA Scale by Kim Ok Soo.) The data were analyzed by using SPSS/PC computer program. The result are as follows : 1. The mean age of infertile women was 32.4 years old, and the mean age of souses was 34.8 yerars old. 30.2% of women had a marital duration of 3-5 years, and 25.8% had a marital duration of 5-10 years. 23.1% reported the main etiology of infertility as unexplained, 18.1% reported ovulation disturbances, and 26.4% reported complex causes. 3.8% of the couples had sexual relationship difficulty 83% lived in nuclear families, while 17% lived in large families. 2. The mean loneliness scores of infertile women was 35.53(SD=8.66). The total loneliness score of this study was 80. 3. There were significant differences in loneliness scores according to ages(F=6.893, p=.001), education background(t=4.418, p=.000), and the educational background of husband(t=2.339, p=.020). 4. Loneliness scores related to family situations were significantly different according to several male nephews in husbands' family(F=2.822, p=.027). 5. Loneliness scores related to conflicts were significantly different according to husbands and their family(F=11.465, p=.000). Nurses should acknowlege the fact that some infertile women may experience loneliness. In conclusion, nurses can provide infertile women with information about ways to decrease loneliness and create support groups for themselves, assisting infertile women to adjust to the experience of infertility through positive methods.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.216-229
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• 1996

Pregnancy and delivery are the God's blessing as well as the right of all married women. But, these are agonizing events for the infertile women. Therefore, supportive nursing care for the infertile women is crucial in the process of diagnosis and treatment of infertility. The introduction of In Vitro Fertilization is a solution for infertility. But we take it serious that such socio-cultural factors as patriarchism, sex role, and motherhood are negatively influencing infertility women's experiences. Thus, nurses who take care of the infertile women need to have feministic perspectives as well as medical information, and expertise so that they could reach a comprehensive understanding on infertile women's experiences.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 1987

To estimate the influence of plasma copper and zinc concentration on infertility, we measured copper and zinc levels in plasma of 117 infertile women and 14 infertile men by atomic absorption spectrophotometry from January, 1987 through June, 1987 and the results were as follows. 1. The mean plasma copper level was significantly lower in infertile women than in fertile control women while mean plasma zinc level significantly higher in infertile women than in fertile control women. 2. A significant difference in the mean plasma level between infertile women with tubal and endometrial factor and normal controls was noted. 3. The mean level of copper in plasma of azoospermic patients was significantly higher than in fertile control subjects. 4. In fertile control and infertile women, no diurnal and menstrual cyclic variations in plasma zinc and copper levels were present, respectively. Also, there were no significant correlation between plasma zinc and copper levels in all studied group of subjects.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.244-259
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• 1995

This study was designed and carried out to describe the stress of the infertile women and identify its predictors. The subjects of this study, 131 infertile women, were in primary or secondary infertility. the were conveniently sampled out from the infertility clinics of K University Medical Center and C Hospital in Seoul. The data were collected by using the Infertility Stress Scale which consisted of 35 items with four dimensions(cognitive, affective, marital and social stress) from August to November 1994. The data were analyzed by using the pc-SAS program. The information was obtained of Mean, Standard Deviation, Frequencies, Percentile, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's multiple comparison test and Multiple Regression. The results are as follows; 1. The Mean of the stress of the infertile women is 2.78. The Means of the stress in 4 dimensions are 3.81 in the cognitive dimension, 3.05 in the affective dimension, 2.06 in the marital adjustment dimension and 2.41 in the social adjustment dimension. 2. The predictors of the stress of the infertile women are their educational levels and subjective economic status. They explain 14.08% of total variance.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2020

Purpose: Infertile women experience various physical, psychological, and relational problems that affect their infertility-related quality of life (QoL). This study investigated infertile women's infertility-related QoL with the goal of identifying how it is influenced by fatigue, depression, and marital intimacy. Methods: A sample of 140 infertile women was surveyed in a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from February to April 2018 using self-report structured questionnaires at three infertility clinics located in Jeonju, Korea. Data were analyzed using the independent t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analysis in SPSS for Windows version 25.0. The subjects agreed to complete a face-to-face interview, including administration of the Fatigue Severity Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Marital Intimacy Scale, and the Fertility Quality of Life tool. Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.6±4.3 years. Infertility-related QoL was negatively correlated with fatigue (r=-.42, p<.001) and depression (r=-.56, p<.001), and positively correlated with marital intimacy (r=.30, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that depression (β=-0.44, p<.001), fatigue (β=-0.27, p<.001), and husband's attitude (β=-0.19, p=.007) had significant effects on the QoL of infertile women, accounting for 40.5% of the variance in infertility-related QoL. Conclusion: The study provides insights into how infertile women's infertility-related QoL was influenced by depression, fatigue, and their husbands' attitudes regarding infertility treatment. To improve infertile women's infertility-related QoL, healthcare providers should consider developing strategies to decrease depression and fatigue in infertile women and to address their husbands' attitudes.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.165-182
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• 2005

Purpose : To investigate the stress degree of infertile women and its correlations with Qi-stasis. Methods : 162 women, enrolled for treatment at oriental hospital, completed Infertility Stress Scale, Stress Response Inventory and Qi-stasis questionnaire. Their demographic features and infertility-related factors were recorded. 137 infertile women and 25 normal subjects were analyzed. Results : 1. 43 infertile women(33.86%) among the sample group were diagnosed as Qi-stasis. 2. There were close score correlations among Infertility Stress Scale, Stress Response Inventory, and Qi-stasis(p=.000). 3. Experience of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), possibility of spontaneous pregnancy, coitus frequency, whether the spouse is the eldest son or not had the influences on Infertility Stress. Abortion experience had influences on stress response and Qi-stasis. 4. It was revealed that Infertile women(n=137) had significantly higher scores of 'Infertility Stress' and subscales such as 'sexual satisfaction', 'marital satisfaction', 'familial adjustment', 'social adjustment' as well than control group(n=25). Conclusion : The results provide that the stress degree of infertile women had significant correlations with Qi-stasis and show the possibilities of oriental medicine treatment for stresses of infertile women.