• Anxiety and mood
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2017

Objective : A pilot project entitled '50s mental health screening project' was conducted in Seoul. As a part of this project, we conducted surveys to obtain the opinions of psychiatrists regarding mental health screenings. Methods : A questionnaire was mailed to members registered with the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, which enquired about the '50s mental health screening project'. Results: A majority (90.9%) of the subjects agreed on the purpose and implementation of the project. However, there were fewer individuals that actually showed the intent to participate (65.8%). The mean age of the group with the intention to participate was higher compared to the group with no intention to participate. The factors that negatively affected the intent to participate included prejudice and discrimination against psychiatry (3.795), low health insurance reimbursement (3.784), and inconvenience of reporting to public health centers (3.664). The most appropriate method that scored the highest for screening mental health was face-to-face consultation with a psychiatrist (3.889). Most of the participants agreed on the method of a self-reported survey along with an interview of psychiatrist (84.9%). Conclusion : Subjects were concerned about prejudice and discrimination against psychiatry, low health insurance reimbursement, and inconvenience of reporting to public health centers. These problems need to be supplemented. Face-to-face consultation with a psychiatrist may be considered an appropriate method for future mental health screening.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8541-8551
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• 2016

Background: The coverage of breast and cervical cancer screening has only slightly increased in the past decade in Thailand, and these cancers remain leading causes of death among women. This study identified socioeconomic and contextual factors contributing to the variation in screening uptake and coverage. Materials and Methods: Secondary data from two nationally representative household surveys, the Health and Welfare Survey (HWS) 2007 and the Reproductive Health Survey (RHS) 2009 conducted by the National Statistical Office were used. The study samples comprised 26,951 women aged 30-59 in the 2009 RHS, and 14,619 women aged 35 years and older in the 2007 HWS were analyzed. Households of women were grouped into wealth quintiles, by asset index derived from Principal components analysis. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Screening rates for cervical and breast cancers increased between 2007 and 2009. Education and health insurance coverage including wealth were factors contributing to screening uptake. Lower or non-educated and poor women had lower uptake of screenings, as were young, unmarried, and non-Buddhist women. Coverage of the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme increased the propensity of having both screenings, while the universal coverage scheme increased the probability of cervical screening among the poor. Lack of awareness and knowledge contributed to non-use of both screenings. Women were put off from screening, especially Muslim women on cervical screening, because of embarrassment, fear of pain and other reasons. Conclusions: Although cervical screening is covered by the benefit package of three main public health insurance schemes, free of charge to all eligible women, the low coverage of cervical screening should be addressed by increasing awareness and strengthening the supply side. As mammography was not cost effective and not covered by any scheme, awareness and practice of breast self examination and effective clinical breast examination are recommended. Removal of cultural barriers is essential.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.61-68
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a workplace-based work-conditioning program (WCP) on the management of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) in an automobile-parts manufacturing company. In total, 1,110 subjects with WRMDs participated in workplace-based WCP emphasizing function-centered management and ergonomics. We investigated the incidence of WRMDs variables (number of persons diagnosed with industrial accident-related WHMDs, number of cases of WRMD) and financial benefits (cost of workers' compensation insurance and lost work days related to WRMDs) per year before and after WCP. Additionally, we compared self-reported pain intensity and functional disability in subjects with musculoskeletal pain before and after the WCP. Pain intensity was measured using a visual analog scale (VAS), and functional disability was measured by the neck disability index (NDI) and the Oswestry disability Index (ODI). The number of person diagnosed with industrial accident-related WRMDs, the number of cases of WRMD, the cost of workers' compensation insurance and lost work days related to WRMDs per year decreased by 51%, 37%, 34%, and 47%, respectively, and VAS, NDI, and ODI scores decreased significantly after implementation of WCP (p<.05). Thus, the results of the present study suggest that function-centered, workplace-based WCP was effective in managing WRMDs at an automobile-parts manufacturing company.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.245-253
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• 2016

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate payer-driven medication adherence intervention program from the patient's and counselor's perspectives. Methods: Target patients for intervention were selected by retrospective adherence measures based on national health insurance claims data for hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia. As a serial intervention for higher risk groups of medication non-adherence, initial direct mailing, the first direct telephone call and the second direct call or a home visit were followed. Interview approach to qualitative inquiry was used to evaluate intervention results. Results: Participants including 4 patients received telephone calls, and 4 National Health Insurance Service staff and 4 pharmacists participated as counselors were interviewed regarding their impression of the intervention program. Three major themes arose: overall perception; necessities; and suggestions for success, of the intervention. Despite short period of intervention, educational intervention by telephone counseling involving pharmacists shows potential to improve self-management of chronic disease, and pharmacist-involvement. But more sophisticated selection of target patients requiring the intervention and complementation of electronic database system would be necessary. In addition, personal disposition of counselor was revealed to be an important factor for achieving successful outcome of intervention. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the individualized counseling intervention would be an efficient option for improved medication adherence. Further researches should include longer periods of interventions, a quantitative analysis using adherence measures based on claims data and consideration of clinical benefits associated with the intervention.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.179-199
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was conducted to prepare the fundamental data on oral hygiene of the elderly and to assess the behavior of oral hygiene, subjective oral health, oral health problem among the elderly, and to contribute to successful enhancement of life in their declining years. Methods: The author surveyed the behavior of oral hygiene, subjective oral health, oral health problem to 192 elderly at a health center of Busan using structured self- administered questionnaire from Nov. 2nd 2009 to Feb. 10th 2010. Collected data were analysed by SPSS WIN 18.0 statistical program for frequency, percentage production, ${\chi}^2$ (Chi-square) verification, t-test, One-way ANOVA, Logistic Regression. Results: The distribution of total subjects by oral health behaviors were 56.8% for "have ever trained how to tooth brushing", 76.6% for "correctly performed tooth brushing by himself ", 71.8% for "tooth brushing a day is two times and less", 87.5% for "it doesn't tooth brushing in meals and after" and 53.6% for "it doesn't use the facility for oral health", respectively. The distribution of total subjects by the state of perceived oral health were 51.0% for "feel the oral discomfort", 51.6% for "feel the comfortable chewing on starchy food", respectively. The mean point of perceived oral health by general characteristics of total subjects were statistically significant difference in sex, type of medical insurance, smoke, exercise, and chronic disease. The mean point of perceived oral health by oral health behaviors of total subjects were statistically significant difference in educational experience on tooth brushing, recognition for tooth brushing by himself, tooth brushing a day, and tongue cleaning. The risk factors of perceived oral health were type of medical insurance and chronic disease in general characteristics, tooth brushing in meals and after and tooth brushing a day, and tongue cleaning in oral health behaviors. Conclusion: The author recommend to the prevention of chronic disease, carry out the tooth brushing in meals and after, three times and over tooth brushing a day and tongue cleaning for oral health. and the author consider that it need to prepare the active countermeasure to oral health such as reeducation for oral health and supply to the tongue cleaner.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.301-309
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• 2015

Objectives: To investigate trends in the prevalence of allergic disease over a 9-year period. Methods: Using National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) data, the annual number of patients with allergic disease was obtained for each regional subdivisions (small cities, counties, and districts) from 2003 to 2011. Annual populations for each sub-region were obtained and used to calculate the standardized prevalence. To compare prevalence within the study period, data was standardized spatially and temporally. For standardization, demographic data was used to obtain the registered population and demographic structure for 2010, which was used to perform direct standardization of previous years. In addition, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to visualize prevalence for individual sub-regions, and allergic diseases were categorized into five groups according to prevalence. Results: The nationwide outpatient prevalence of allergic rhinitis increased approximately 2.3-fold, from 1.27% in 2003 to 2.97% in 2013, while inpatient prevalence also increased approximately 2.4-fold,. The outpatient prevalence of asthma increased 1.2-fold, and inpatient prevalence increased 1.3-fold. The outpatient prevalence of atopic dermatitis decreased approximately 12%, and inpatient prevalence decreased 5%. Conclusions: There was a large difference between prevalence estimated from actual treatment data and prevalence based on patients' self-reported data, particularly for allergic rhinitis. Prevalence must continually be calculated and trends should be analyzed for the efficient management of allergic diseases. To this end, prevalence studies using NHIS claims data may be useful.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1-16
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• 2010

As a cross-sectional study, this study was aimed to investigate and compare the job efficiency and satisfaction of nurses according to the hospital grade. Survey was conducted by mail on June 2009, and the respondents were 1,016 nurses working in 15 hospitals which are 9 high-grade general hospitals and 6 general hospitals. The percent of nurses acknowledging their hospital grades is 34.5%, and that is 20.5% at high-grade general hospitals. As the result of review of studies, it is concluded that under the circumstance that differential rates are contracted to calculate fees for hospital services and copayment of patients are according to nursing grades and hospital grades, the degree of nurses' awareness of insurance fees impact on their performance like recording of care and prescription. In order to improve nurses' performance, they need to be educated about the national insurance fee system. In hospitals with higher nursing grade and more beds, the levels of nursing quality and faithfulnes and their job satisfaction were higher. Nurses' awareness of their hospital nursing grade was related to the quality of nursing but not the faithfulness. Nurses working in higher nursing-grade hospital are more self-respect and satisfied at their jobs, and their job efficiencies are not significantly different. The current nursing fees based on the proper number of nurses per beds of nursing units should be changed to be based on the amount of job per nurse by their nursing protocol, and the nurse staffing standard should be differentiated between nursing grades. As the aspect of nursing, 24-hours patient care, it is difficult to improve nurses' job satisfaction, and in the other hand, that tends to depend on their income level. In the current circumstance, comprehensive research is required to investigate the propriety of 25% of the inpatient fees as the nursing management charge.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.408-414
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• 2005

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the sociodemographic and health characteristics on the out-of-pocket health spending of the individuals aged 20 and older in Korea. Methods : We used the data from the 2001 National Public Health and Nutrition Survey. The final sample size was 26,154 persons. Multiple linear regression models were used according to the age groups, that is, one model was used for those people under the age of sixty-five and the other was used for those people aged sixty-five and older. In these analyses, the expenditures were transformed to a logarithmic scale to reduce the skewness of the results. Results : Out-of-pocket health expenditures for those people under the age of 65 averaged 14,800 won per month, whereas expenditures for those people aged 65 and older averaged 27,200 won per month. In the regression analysis, the insurance type, resident area, self-reported health status, acute or chronic condition and bed-disability days were the statistically significant determinants for both age groups. Gender and age were statistically significant determinants only for the non-elderly. Conclusions : The findings from this study show that the mean out-of-pocket health expenditures varied according to the age groups and also several diverse characteristics. Thus, policymakers should consider the out-of-pocket health expenditure differential between the elderly and non-elderly persons. Improvement of the insurance coverage for the economically vulnerable subgroups that were identified in this study should be carefully considered. In addition, it is necessary to assess the impact of out-of-pocket spending on the peoples' health care utilization.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness of dental hygienists in public health center towards multicultural family and educational needs to provide information on community oral health programs. Methods : The subjects were 74 recruited from 126 dental hygienists in 14 public dental clinics in Jeonbuk Province. A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 64 dental hygienists in charge of dental health care. Data were anlatzed by the statistical package SPSS WIN 12.0. Results : The characteristics of the subjects had no impact on their positive multicultural awareness, and there existed differences by age, rank and period of services in the channel of information acquisition. They got 3.5 out of five in multicultural awareness showing a positive way. The types of medical services for multicultural family revealed that they provided oral health education, dental checkup services and simple treatment covered by health insurance. Health insurance accounted for 15.4 percent of dental services. The obstacles to dental services in multicultural family were communication problems, poor concern for oral health and cultural gaps. They got 3.86 out of five points in educational needs for multicultural family who need the dental education most. The multicultural family showed the higher score in every question. Conclusions : Public health center dental clinics should help dental hygienists to acquire information on multicultural family. Public health center should provide the easy access way of dental health checkup for the multicultural family.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.355-360
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine unmet dental care needs and related factors among adults in Korea. The study included a nationally representative sample of Koreans (Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2104). The dependent variable was unmet dental care need and the independent variables were socioeconomic status and oral health status. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the associations between explanatory variables and unmet dental care needs. The major causes of unmet dental care needs included economic burden, work life, and academic reasons; in addition, dental treatment was considered to have lower priority. The factors that had statistically significant relationships with unmet dental care needs were sex, age, self-rated oral health status, and difficulty in mastication. The findings of the study, suggest a need for lower dental insurance copayments in keeping with the policies and principles aimed at strengthening the national health insurance system. In addition, groups with limited access to dental services should be identified, and effective health care policies and services should be established for these individuals.