• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.565-574
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• 2018

Previous studies have shown that forest therapy program can help prevent dementia. However, few studies have focused on low-income elderly people living alone. The current study examined the meanings that the elderly living alone receiving medical care assigned to the urban forest therapy program, as a way to understand the pathways that nature-based intervention affect preventing dementia. Twenty-one participants were recruited and they participated in a five-week urban forest therapy program. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 21 participants who experienced the urban forest therapy program, and analyzed qualitative data using thematic analysis. Results showed that all themes identified were related to connectedness with oneself, neighbors and nature. Awarenesses of change were consisted of positive and negative themes. The themes of positive awareness were improvements of mental and emotional condition, feelings of isolation and loneliness, and health-related lifestyle. The negative themes were terminations of short-term programs and inconvenient access to the urban forest. Based on these data, we suggest an urban green welfare framework for future research and interventions for preventing dementia of underprivileged elderly group.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.194-201
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• 2021

Amputation changes the lives of patients and their families. Consequently, the patient must adapt to altered body function and image. During this adaptation process, psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, can occur. The psychological difficulties of patients with amputation are often accepted as normal responses that are often poorly recognized by patients, family members, and their primary physicians. Psychological problems can interfere with rehabilitation and cause additional psychosocial problems. Therefore, their early detection and treatment are important. A multidisciplinary team approach, including mental health professionals, is ideal for comprehensive and biopsychosocial management. Mental health professionals could help patients set realistic goals and use adaptive coping styles. Psychiatric approaches should consider the physical, cognitive, psychological, social, and spiritual functions and social support systems before and after amputation. The abilities and limitations of physical, cognitive, psychological, and social functions should also be considered. To improve the patient's adaptation, psychological interventions such as short-term psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, biofeedback, and group psychotherapy can be helpful.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7229-7235
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• 2013

Background: To determine whether the Health Partner Program is effective in training long-term cancer survivors to be health coaches. Materials and Methods: We randomly assigned cancer survivors who were selected through a rigorous screening process to either the Health Partner Program or the waiting-list control group. The program consisted of 8 weeks of training in health management, leadership, and coaching. At baseline, 8, and 16 weeks, we measured primary outcomes using the Seven Habit Profile (SHP), the Korean Leadership Coaching Competency Inventory (KCCI), Ed Diner's Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Posttraumatic Growth inventory (PTGI) and secondary outcomes using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) short form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36). Results: We recruited 70 subjects and randomly assigned 34 to the intervention group. The Sharpen the Saw habit of the SHP increased significantly more in intervention group than in the control group (p=0.049), as did most PTGI factors. The intervention group also showed a significantly greater enhancement of vitality (p=0.015) and mental health (p=0.049) SF-36 scores but no improvement in KCCI, SWLS, HADS, or IES-R scores. The intervention group also showed a greater clinically meaningful improvement in the "Think Win-Win" of SHP (p=0.043) and in the personal strength score (p=0.025) and total score (p=0.015) of the PTGI. Conclusions: Long-term cancer survivors can benefit from the Health Partner Program to become health coaches.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.314-326
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effects of uncertainty, social support, and sick role behavior on health-related quality of life in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Methods: This study is a descriptive research using self-reporting questionnaire. Data were collected from 167 patients with peripheral arterial disease. Measurement tools were Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support(MSPSS), Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS), Sick role behavior measurement tools and SF-36 Version I. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis by using SPSS/WIN 24.0. Results: Factors that significantly influenced physical health-related quality of life were age (β=-.19, p=.010), monthly income (β=.17, p=.027), uncertainty (β=-.29, p<.001), and exercise and rest (β=.28, p<.001) that all together accounted for 32.6% of the variance. Factors that significantly influenced mental health-related quality of life were monthly income (β=.20, p=.015), drinking (β=.17, p=.040), uncertainty (β=-.24, p=.001), and exercise and rest in sick role behavior (β=.26, p=.003) that all together accounted for 18.2% of the variance. Social support was an insignificant factor on physical and mental health-related quality of life. Conclusion: To improve the health-related quality of life of people with peripheral arterial disease, it is necessary to develop a systematic nursing intervention program including a strong support system, education, strategies for alcohol abstinence, and exercise and rest therapy.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.280-286
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• 2006

Purpose: To test whether a hope carries the influence of pain to health related quality of life in patients with cancer. Method: 114 cancer patients recruited with. Data were collected through the Visual analog Scale, the Herth Hope Index, and the SF-36 Standard Korean Version. Results: The results showed that the measurement variables (pain, hope and health-related quality of life) were all significantly interrelated. The results of MedGraph revealed that the full mediation effect of hope in the relation between pain and mental component summary of quality of life was significant. Conclusion: These results imply that hope need to be considered in planning intervention programs for the enhancement of quality of life in patients with cancer.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.1097-1105
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• 2018

Purpose: Loneliness is an extremely subjective experience that is influenced by life experiences and circumstances. This study attempted to provide basic data for the development of nursing intervention strategies to understand the concept of loneliness and to reduce loneliness on various topics. Methods: The research analysis method is based on the framework of concept analysis proposed by Walker and Avant (1988). Results: The results of this study are as follows: 1) Self-alienation 2) Isolation of human beings 3) Psychological damage reaction 4) Pain 5) Loneliness is the loss of a comfortable "frame". The prerequisites can be divided into personal characteristics and situational characteristics. Empirical criteria include intimate others, lack of social relationships or problems, family and friendship, belonging, recognition or expression of loneliness, emotional state changes and changes in health behavior, and physical symptoms. Conclusions: Loneliness is an important indicator of well-being and a cause of physical and mental illnesses, so nurses facing various subjects should be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of loneliness. By promoting and sustaining their interest, they should be able to enjoy lonely people.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.473-482
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• 2014

Focusing on the holistic concept of health, which embraces both physical and mental health, we investigated the effects of parenting and community factors on the health of 1,248 first- and second-year middle school students, on the basis of the data of the Korean Survey on the Activities and Culture of Youth and Children in 2009. The latent class analysis revealed three types of holistic health groups from the data, named as follows: (1) the healthy group, (2) moderate group, and, (3) fragile group. Then, we analyzed the effects of parenting factors and community safety on these health types according to the students' year in school and their mother' s status of employment. The results showed that the first-year students had consistent parenting effects on their own type of health, while the safety of the community only partly contributed to the probability of affiliation to healthier types. However, in the case of the second-year students, a neglectful parenting style and community safety consistently had significant effects on the students' type of health, while parental concern about an adolescent's health did not contribute to the probability of affiliation to healthier types when only the mother was unemployed. The discussion considers how these results provide basic resources for formulating policies and creating intervention programs for addressing the health problems of adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.113-128
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the current state and trends of health-related research on foreign migrants living in Korea. Methods: Among 85 articles identified via PubMed and RISS and additional 7 articles by ancestry search, 28 were selected for the review. Two authors independently reviewed the articles using a literature review matrix and examined together the three aspects of the studies: research methods, research topics, and research results. Results: Most of the articles were published between 2005-2009, and only 3 studies used an interdisciplinary approach. Most were exploratory and there were 4 intervention studies: three of them examined the effect of an art therapy on acculturative stress and mental health among marriage migrant women. The lack of information on informed consent, approval of institutional review board, and the validity/reliability of the translated instruments were noted. Conclusions: Research is needed to examine migrants' health behaviors, the prevalence of chronic illness among migrants, and the influence of acculturation on the use of health resources, health behaviors, and health status. Researchers should be aware of ethnic issues when they work with foreign migrants.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3747-3751
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• 2016

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a combination of chronic anovulation, obesity, and hyperandrogenism and can affect sexual function in women of reproductive age. It is also associated with endometrial cancer. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency and predisposing factors of sexual dysfunction in PCOS patients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 16 married women with a definite diagnosis of PCOS were recruited. Sexual function was assessed in the domains of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain using the female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire. Patients were also assessed for mental health using the depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21) questionnaire. Presence of hirsutism was assessed using the Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) scoring system. Demographic data were obtained from patients during in-person interview. Results: Sexual dysfunction was present in 62.5% of patients with the domains of arousal and lubrication particularly affected (93.8% and 87.5%, respectively). Patients with symptoms of depression and anxiety were significantly more likely to suffer sexual dysfunction than those without these symptoms (p=0.04 and p=0.03 respectively). Patients with stress symptoms reported higher orgasm dysfunction than those without (p=0.02). No significant difference in any of the FSFI score domains was observed between patients with and without hirsutism. Conclusions: PCOS patients markedly suffer from sexual dysfunction and therefore it seems appropriate to be screened for intervention. Poor mental health conditions that may be the result of infertility or other complications of PCOS should also be considered as curable causes of sexual dysfunction in these patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.169-181
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• 2009

Purpose: Mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder are a major mental health problem in college students. We investigate the prevalence of depression and bipolar disorder and the relevance of risk factors for these mood disorders among one college freshmen. Methods: The subjects were 2,865 college students who entered one university located in Seoul and Ansung in 2009. We used BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) for depression assessment and K-MDQ (Mood Disorder Questionnaire) for bipolar disorder assessment. Demographic and socioeconomic factors were measured by questionnaire. Height, weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol, complete blood cell count, and liver function test data were obtained by physical examination for freshmen. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were performed to analyze the possible risk factors for depression and bipolar disorder. Results: With different BDI cutoff value, 16 and 21, the prevalence of depression was 8.7% (male: 7.6%, female: 10.1%) and 2.4% (male: 2.5%, female: 2.3%), separately. 'Low economic status', 'urban birth place', and 'low grade at entrance' were significantly associated with depression. Using the original cutoff criterion, defined as clustering of 7 or more symptoms that caused moderate or severe problems, the prevalence of bipolar disorder was 1.3% (male: 1.4%, female: 1.1%). The risk factor of bipolar disorder was academic fields (art fields). Conclusion: Depression and bipolar disorder are common disease in college freshmen. Therefore, Campus-based mental health service program is needed to help with prevention of and early intervention of these mood disorders.