• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.617-627
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate fatigue and its related factors in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Method: The subjects of this study consisted of 98 patients receiving radiotherapy. Subjects were recruited from C University Hospital radiation oncology unit located in Gwangju from March to May, 2001. Questionnaire and medical records were used for data collection. The obtained data was analyzed using SAS program that included descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Post-hoc test(Fisher's LSD) and Pearson's correlation coefficients. Result: The fatigue perceived by the subjects was middle level ($5.59{\pm}1.59$) and 72.4% of them reported greater than 5 points. The subjects in no religion, low income, and spouse caregiver groups experienced the higher fatigue than another groups, respectively. The subjects in nasopharyngeal cancer, head & neck radiation site, and analgesics medication groups did, experience fatigue as well. The fatigue not only positively correlated with symptom distress, disruption of usual activity, sleep dissatisfaction, and mood state, but also negatively with less family support. Conclusion: Cancer patients receiving radiotherapy experience the middle level of fatigue and it correlates with the multi-dimensional factors. However, further research is needed to identify the changes in fatigue over the radiotherapy period through longitudinal design and to develop nursing intervention for fatigue decrease.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of family caregivers of home care patients. Methods: A total of 40 caregivers had been selected from a hospital-based home care agency in Gyunggi province. The instrument developed by Hileman, Lackey, & Hassanein(1992) was modified to 55 items and used in this study. The instrument consists of 6 categories: informational, household, patient care, personal, spiritual, and psychological needs. Out of 29 analysed with descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation test using SPSS 14.0. Results: Most caregivers were females, with a mean age of $60.0{\pm}15.5$, 32.1% were spouses, and 92.9% were living with patients. Patient's activities of daily living score was very low, and 44% of patients had cerebrovascular disease. Caregiver's needs were moderate, and the greatest being personal need. There was a significant difference between caregiver's monthly income and needs. Conclusion: Home care nurses need to teach and support family caregivers with specific programs and services to meet the identified and unmet needs of caregivers of home care patients. In-home respite and institutional respite are recommended for family caregivers taking care of patients with chronic disease.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.71-86
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• 2007

This study aims at looking into the use of oriental medical services in treating disease and patient's attitude of oriental medicine by social classes. The first to be explored through this study is medical accessibility, classifying them by age, gender and job. Second is to examine kinds of oriental medical services and expenses incurred in treating the disease. Third is to compare satisfaction for the services offered and investigate into relations between disease and oriental medicine through cross-analysis by class, and provide fundamental materials for enhancing accessibility to oriental medical centers for treating chronic diseases. The 1,376 households for the period of time from Apr. to Jun. 2005, were asked to answer to the questionnaires offered. The conclusion from the survey can be summarized as follows. Medical services for the onset of disease were less offered to females, older group, low schooling, and low-income bracket. It is attributable to an economic cause, in both genders. The in- and outpatients' rate were found higher in groups of female, older age, low-income and blue-color workers. Use of oriental medical centers were higher in outpatients than inpatients probably for low-income brackets were less frequently put on regular physical checkups, more exposing to diseases. Each hospitalization was found over six days longer in average; 19.7 days for oriental medical hospitals, 12.5 for hospitals. The hospital charges that patients should pay for one hospitalization showed 909,000 won in oriental medical hospitals, much higher than 518,000 won in hospitals. Outpatients were also found to pay more for oriental medical services; 55,000 won for oriental medical hospitals, 19,000 for hospitals. As to outpatients' satisfaction, oriental medical hospitals were generally found to be a little more satisfactory than general hospitals; 11.2% of respondents answered Very Satisfactory. Satisfaction to services offered to outpatients showed 82.2% of respondents responded to Over Satisfactory for herb clinics, 76% for general hospitals. For future intention to use oriental medical services, females, over 51 years old, lower education and income, and blue color workers showed more intention to use them. To be more competitive in treating chronic diseases, it is necessary that oriental medical services become more accessible through extending its coverage of insurance into more medical herbs and their prepared packs, as well as mapping out extensive publicity strategies to make known to the public about high efficacy of medical herbs and their safety.

• The Korean journal of sports medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.189-196
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the difference of body mass index (BMI) to smart phone proficiency in men and women over the age of 60. Methods: Patients were divided into three groups with high (n=33), average (n=34), and low (n=33) smart phone proficiency. Fitness characteristics related to smart phone usage were evaluated by measuring cardiorespiratory endurance, grip strength, eye-hand coordination. As well, smart phone proficiency was evaluated by a self-reported questionnaire and a smart phone usability task that was composed of two categories: usage of the smartphone device itself and usage of phone applications. The differences in BMI of the subjects was analyzed by analysis of covariance adjusting for independent variables including age, smartphone usage period, eye-hand coordination, education and income. Results: There was a significant difference in BMI among the three groups after adjustment of age, eye-hand coordination, smartphone usage period, education and income. The results showed that the self-reported questionnaire showed a significant difference in BMI between high proficiency and low proficiency groups (high $24.88{\pm}2.46$, low $23.37{\pm}2.56$; p=0.037). Smart phone usability test results also showed a significant difference in BMI among the three groups (high $25.18{\pm}2.58$, low $23.15{\pm}2.6$; p=0.000 and high $25.18{\pm}2.58$, middle $23.57.7{\pm}1.69$; p=0.010). Conclusion: Our results suggest that high smart phone proficiency shows increased BMI in the elderly. This study suggests that people over the age of 60 who have high smartphone proficiency should be cautious of an increased BMI score.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.122-136
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• 2000

Chronic illness requiring attention and management during a long period of time puts great burden onto patients, their family and society. For patients with chronic illnesses, providing social support is the most important, and the fundamental support comes from their spouses. Amount and quality of support from spouses seems to differentiated according to the sex of patients. Female patients tend to believe that their spouses are not very supportive. Therefore, the researchers assessed the burden of husbands of female arthritis patients to discover the factors that result in greater burden. Also, they developed a theoretical model of husbands′ care for their wives through a qualitative research into husbands′ experience. Method 1: The study material was 650 female arthritis patients registered in an arthritis clinic. The questionnaire about the disease experience of female arthritis patients and the burden of husbands were sent. Returned questionnaires numbered 210(32.3%) and 27 were excluded because of inadequate answers. The remaining 183 questionnaires were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 51 years and the mean age of spouses was 55 years. The mean marital period was 28 years. The average duration since diagnosis was 9.1 years. Education level was varied from primary school to graduate school, and average income/month was 1,517,300 won. Method 2: Initial questionnaire studies on the burden of husbands were performed. Among 183 responding husbands, 23 consented to participate for a qualitative research. Data was obtained by direct and telephone interviews. The mean age of participants was 58 years, and the educational level and socioeconomic status also varied. Result: 1. Husbands′ burden: The average burden was 57.68 with a range of 6-96. 2. Burden and general characteristics: The husband′s burden correlated with the age of the patients, numbers in the family, therapy methods, patient′s level of discomfort, patient′s disease severity, patient′s level of dependence and the husband′s understanding of the level of severity. 3. Linear correlation analysis on burden: The husbands′ burden is explained in 22.5% by husband′s recognition of level of severity and husbands′ age. 4. There were four patterns of the burden on husbands: both objectve burden and subjective burden were high(pattern I), both of objectve burden and subjective burden were low(pattern II), objective burden was high but subjective burden was low(pattern III), objective burden was low but subjective burden was high(pattern IV). The pattern was correlated with the family income, educational level of the patients and their husbands, therapy methods, patient′s level of discomfort, patient′s disease severity, patient′s level of dependence and husband′s understanding of level of severity. 5. The core category of the caring experience of the husbands with arthritis patients was "companionship". The causal factor was the patients′ experience due to symptoms : physical disfigurement, pain, immobility, limitation of house chores, and limitation of social activities. Contextural factors are husbands′ identification of housework and husbands′ concern about the disease. The mediating factors are economic problems, fear of aging, feeling of limitation and family support. The strategy for interaction is mind control and how to solve emotional stress. The "companionship" resulted from caring activities, participation of household activities, helping patients′ to coping with emotional experience. 6. Companionship is established through the process of entering intervention, and caring state of mind. Entering intervention is the phase of participation of therapy and involvement of houseworks. The caring phase consists of decision on therapy, providing therapy, providing direct care, and taking over the household role of wife. Through caring phase, the changing phase set a stage in which husbands consolidate the relationship with their wives, and are reminded of the meaning of marriage. As a result, in changing phase, husbands′ companionship is enhanced. In conclusion, nursing care of chronic illnesses should include a family member especially the spouse. All information on disease shoud be provided to patients and whole family member. Strong support should also be provided to overcome difficulties in taking over role of other sex. Then the quality of life of patients and families will be much improved.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.449-455
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was found the risk factors of cataract by gender in elder and older Korean adults. Methods: We investigated the data for 5,024 (men 2,163 people, women 2,861 people) people, aged 40-95 years, from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We divided into two groups (group 1: 40-64 years, group 2: 65-94 years). We divided into two groups (group 1: 40-64 years, group 2: 65-94 years). Cataract was decided in case of at least one eye with lens opacity. We presented significant odds ratio (OR) increase of cataract according to the obesity and socioeconomic information including house income and education level after adjusting for diabetes, hypertension, high triglyceride, outside active, smoking and drinking habits in two groups with distinction of sex. Results: House income (or education) was strongly related to the prevalence of agerelated cataract in all groups. In models adjusting for all other related factors, cataract patients with lower income and education had a higher prevalence of cataract (group1: OR, 1.84[1.17-2.91], OR, 3.00[1.90-4.74], group 2: OR, 3.47[2.53-4.74], OR, 7.44[5.41-10.23] for men. In comparison, for women, cataract patients with lower income, lower education and obesity had a higher prevalence of cataract (group1: OR, 1.72[1.14-2.60], OR, 4.48[2.72-7.38], OR, 1.40[1.10-1.82], group 2: OR, 2.32[1.70-3.16], OR, 29.99[20.31-44.28], OR, 1.27[1.04-1.54]). Conclusions: Factors of low socioeconomic status were associated with age-related cataract in Korean. Obesity-cataract association was stronger in women.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.100-109
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors that predict a current smoking behavior and higher emotional stress among male patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: The study was approved by an institutional review board from a university hospital, 2010. A face to face interview using questionnaires was performed with 185 first-time ACS male patients who were undertaken a percutaneous coronary intervention at a cardiovascular care unit. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 15.0. Results: About 54% of the study subjects were currently smoking. The current smokers had dyslipidemia and reported bad eating habits compared to the non-smokers. The current smokers were younger, living alone, and reported lower perceived benefit on smoking cessation than the non-smokers, and 15% of them did not consider quitting (precontemplation stage). Smoking status was not significantly related to emotional stress. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being employed including professional or labor increased the odds of current smoking four or three times compared to the non-employed or retired. Low income or dyslipidemia also increased the likelihood of current smoking 2.8 and 2.1 times, respectively. Blue collar workers or heavy drinkers had 2.9 and 2.8 times more risks of having higher level of stress. Conclusion: An occupational background and health habits should be considered to develop an effective educational strategy for smoking cessation and stress reduction among male patients with ACS.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to provide the basic data to improve the QOL in patients suffering from female cancers. Subjects of this study were consisted 255 persons who admitted or visited three university hospitals. The instruments used for this study included "the Quality Of Life Scale(QOL)" developed by National Conference on Cancer Nursing and successively amended by Kwon(1990), "Anger in" developed by Spielberger(1988) and successively amended by Chon(1997). The collected data were analyzed using a SPSS 11.0 for PC. To find out significant factors of Anger in & QOL in patients with Female Cancer patients, Frequency, Percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe-test, Pearson's correlation coefficients were conducted. The main findings : Anger in score was a little low & QOL score was middle. Several characteristics of the subjects were identified to differenti ate the "Anger in" and "QOL". Age status(F=2.64, p=0.05), education status(F=2.73, p=0.04), Health insurance(t=2.27, p=0.00) and cancer insurance status(t=2.97, p=0.00) was significant factors of the "Anger in". Education status(F=2.64 p=0.05), Occupation status (t=2.90, p=0.00), Monthly income (F=3.23 p=0.01), Stage of disease(F=9.23 p=0.00), Perceived health status(F=73.61 p=0.00), Perceived fatigue status(F=11.26 p=0.00) was significant factors of the "QOL". In conclusion, Anger in score was a little low & QOL sore was moderate. The degree of Anger in and quality of life were significantly negative correlated. Therefore, It is needed strategies for intervention of 'Anger in' to improve the QOL in female cancer patients. The significant characteristics of related to "anger in" & QOL should consider in sociopsychogical nursing intervention.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.84-93
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• 2015

Objectives: The present study was conducted in order to examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and osteoporosis prevalence in Korea and to assess whether different associations are found in single-person households. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from 2008 to 2011. The study subjects were people aged ${\geq}50$ years with osteoporosis as defined by bone mineral density. Multivariate logistic models were used to estimate prevalence odds ratios (pORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Gender differences in the likelihood of osteoporosis were analyzed based on household income, education level, and residential area. Results: There were 8221 osteoporosis patients aged ${\geq}50$ years, of whom 927 lived in single-person households. There was a gender-specific association between osteoporosis prevalence and all three SES factors that we analyzed: income, education, and residential area. After adjusting for age, SES, and health behaviors, including body mass index (BMI), low household income was only significantly associated with osteoporosis in men, whereas education level had an inverse relationship with osteoporosis only in women (p=0.01, p<0.001, respectively). However, after controlling for age and BMI, rural residency was only associated with osteoporosis in women living in single-person households (pOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.43). Conclusions: The Korean adult population showed a gender-specific relationship between SES and osteoporosis prevalence, with a different pattern found in single-person households.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.45 no.10 s.461
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• pp.641-650
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• 2007

Few reports regarding the effect of government paid denture project for low-income elders evaluated by the participating dentists are available despite the project was launched in 2002. Thus, this study investigated the effect of the project evaluated by the participating dentists and suggested public health policies for the better development of the project. Survey questionnaire regarding desire to continue participation, motivation of the participation, list of complaints, wish of the payment increase, and wish of the abutment crown increase were completed by 117 dentists in Seoul and Pusan. 78.6% of them desired to continue the participation while 16.2 % of them did not. When the motivation of participation was the service for the society, they tended to show the desire of continuing participation. Half of them were satisfied with the current payment(50.4%), while the other 47.9% did not. Complicated oral health status(48.7%), poor cooperation of patients(8.5%) and too frequent after cares low payment(6.8%) were complained. Payment increase compensating the addition of preprosthetic procedures for the complicated oral health status and the after cares was desired. Also, more thorough education regarding the denture project for the patients by the public health center is needed to alleviate the inconvenience of the participating dentists.