• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.506-525
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• 1992

Older people, because of the psychological and physiological changes related to the aging process are more vulnerable to experiencing powerlessness than any other age group. This self destructive cycle of depression in older people related to the experience of continued and long term powerlessness can lead even to death. The purpose of this study was to measure powerlessness and resources to increase power in older people, and to measure the effectiveness of a psychological rehabilitation program for reducing powerlessness. The research methodology used was a two step process. In the first step, a survey was done of perceived powerlessness and power resources comparing four groups of elderly people ; those living at home, those in hospital, those living in nursing homes and those attending educational programs for the elderly. The total sample size was 236. In the second step, a psychological rehabilitation program was carried out, pre and post measurements were taken related to this program. The sample consisted of 29 residents in a nursing home. The results of the study are as follows : 1. Powerlessness was classified as cognitive, emotional, activity and learning. The lowest score for powerlessness was in the area of activity, that is the people in the sample felt more power concerning their activities. The highest score was in the area of cognition where they felt they had less power. 2. When the different groups of elderly were compared, it was found that the residents of the nursing home had the highest score on perceived powerlessness and the group who were living at home had the lowest score. 3. Among the general characteristics, the factors influencing the powerlessness score were age, sex, level of education, financial resources and health status. In the interaction effects among these factors, it was found that level of education and health status were factors influencing perceived powerlessness. The elderly with lower education and poorer health status had the higher scores for perceived powerlessness. 4. The power resources could be classified into the following areas : physical strength, emotional strength, positive self-image, energy, knowledge, motivation and belief system. Belief system was given the highest score among the power resources and energy, knowledge and motivation were given low scores. 5. The group participating in an educational program for the elderly had the highest score for power resources while the group made up of residents of a nursing home had the lowest score as well as the highest score for perceived powerlessness. 6. The factors influencing the power resource scores were sex, level of education, financial resources and health status. In the analysis of the interaction effect among the factors, it was found that sex, level of education and financial resources were the factors that influenced the power resource score, that is, women, those with a low level of education and those with poor financial resources reported a lower level of power resources. 7. There was a negative correlation between perceived powerlessness and power resources in the elderly in this study. Since power resources explainded 49% of the variance for powerlessness, it can be concluded that the power resources can be used to reduce powerlessness. 8. The psychological rehabilitation program was carried out with the nursing home residents over a period of five weeks. No statistically significant difference was found in the scores on powerlessness between the pre and post tests, but there was a slight decrease in the raw scores on the post test for emotional, activity and learning powerlessness. There was a statistically significant increase in the power resource scores for emotional strength, positive self-image, energy, knowledge and motivation in the post test as compared to the pre test. In conclusion, the study indicates that a psychological rehabilitation program for the elderly could be effective in increasing power resources and this in turn could lead to a decrease in perceived powerlessness.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.438-448
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• 2016

This study was conducted to identify factors influencing the weight control behavior of college students. The subjects included college students in the C area, and data were collected through a self reported structured questionnaire from Dec 01 to 20 of 2015. Overall, 289 subjects were analyzed. Analyses consisted of descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The findings showed a prominent distortion of college students' perceptions of their bodies based on evaluation by others and obesity stress, which had special impacts on their weight control behavior. Weight control behavior, body self-awareness (r=.31, p<0.001), assessment of body by others (r=.30, p<0.001), and obesity stress (r=.43, p<0.001) were closely related to their weight control behavior. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that their weight control behavior was closely influenced by obesity stress (${\beta}=.37$, p<0.001) and assessment of body by others (${\beta}=.15$, p=0.009). These variables accounted for 20% of the weight control behavior (F=37.30, p<0.001). Overall, assessment of body by others and obesity stress were found to be predictors of their weight control behavior. These findings indicate that it is necessary to develop and implement information programs and design appropriate prevention programs that can induce healthy weight control behaviors. Such programs should include health education, as well as intervention programs to identify such predictors and help college students judge and perceive their body shapes objectively so that they control their weight in a proper manner.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between pet ownership and asthma symptoms in Korean children. Methods: This study used data from the 8th Panel Study on Korean Children in 2015. For the final study, 1598 cases were used. Wheezing as an asthma symptom was self-reported as an outcome variable. Whether children had owned dogs or cats or not was used as an independent variable. Results: A total of 6.8% of children lived with dogs and 2.1% of children lived with cats in their homes. There were 4.0% of children who had asthma symptoms in the past year. When comparing 'children who had owned dogs for more than 12 months' with 'children who had not owned dogs', the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for 'asthma symptoms' were 1.20 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10-1.30) among male children and 2.19 (95% CI, 1.94-2.46) among female children. When comparing 'children who had owned cats for more than 12 months' with 'children who had not owned cats', the adjusted ORs for 'asthma symptoms' were 38.94 (95% CI, 35.55-42.65) among male children and 5.32 (95% CI, 4.60-6.16) among female children. When comparing 'children who had owned both dogs and cats for more than 12 months' with 'children who had not owned at all', the adjusted OR for 'asthma symptoms' was 13.22 (95% CI, 11.93-14.65), and when comparing 'children who had owned cats only' with 'children who had not owned at all', the adjusted OR for 'asthma symptoms' was 9.25 (95% CI, 8.50-10.08). Conclusions: As a result, children's asthma symptoms were higher in the case of cats than with dogs, and in the case of cats, boys were more at risk than girls. In the analysis for the risk of asthma symptoms when a dog and a cat are raised at the same time, it was statistically confirmed that the children in the home were more at risk than with single animal ownership. The results of this study can be considered to be of great importance in policy-making and for the use of educational materials in the field of environmental health.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.56-69
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• 2001

Objectives : This study was designed to develop and standardize a checklist for ergonomic risk factors, and to provide ergonomic guidelines for managing cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) in automobile assembly lines. Methods : The Checklist for Ergonomic Risk Factors (CERF-1) was developed based on the results of previous studies, and then modified after performing pilot study. Information on the symptoms possibly related with CTDs was obtained using a self-reported Questionnaire from 465 automobile assembly workers. Their job conditions were examined to assess risk factors through both direct observation and video analysis. Results : Rate of detecting risky job through CERF-1 was 85.6%, and was similar to that (88.8%) by Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration(OSHA) checklist but higher than that (63.7%) by American National Standards Institute(ANSI) Z-365. Relationship of the exposure scores derived from CERF-1 with levels of symptom was greater (r=0.49) than OSHA (r=0.28) and ANSI Z-365 (r=0.22). Considering the relationship, jobs scoring higher than 16 could be classified as the Risk Job. and lower than 16 as the Low Risk Job. Sensitivity and specificity of the Risk Job were 92.5 % and 31.5 %, respectively. Odds ratio (OR) after age adjustment was 5.69 (95 % confidence interval 3.15-10.29) for the Risk Job, and these ORs were significantly different from those of the Low Risk Job. The exposure scores were Quite valid, in that the scores at the main survey were significantly correlated with those at the follow-up survey, as suggested by test-retest(r=0.88) and inter-rater reliability(r=0.80). Conclusions : The CERF-1, developed in this study, will be an efficient tool for evaluation of risk jobs for CTDs in automobile assembly lines, and can be used easily by health care providers.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.357-367
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• 2017

The study investigated information about the effects of message framing on colorectal cancer(CRC) screening related health beliefs and compliance with the CRC screening test within the theoretical framework of the prospect theory and the Health belief model (HBM). This study was using a non-randomized controlled quasi-experimental design. One hundred and sixty-four in the industrial workers who were currently nonadherent to guidelines for receiving screening were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: (a) gain-framed message, (b) loss-framed message, and (c) general-framed message. CRC screening-related health beliefs was self-reported after the intervention. And the immunoassay Fecal Occult Blood Test (iFOBT) kit was collected at 1 week. The research finding were analyzed by $x^2$ test and one-way ANOVA using SPSS 21.0. The loss-framed message group had higher perceived susceptibility, severity and benefit than the gain-framed message and general message. The participation rate for the immunoassay Fecal Occult Blood Test(iFOBT) was highest in the loss-framed message group. The loss framed messages more effective to enhance screening behavior. The present results provide a theoretical basis for developing educational guidelines for CRC testing and could be used for performing comprehensive approach by predicting and suggesting the practical effects according to message type in advance.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.385-392
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have reported an association of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) 3123Cytosine/Adenine (3123C/A) polymorphism with essential hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the AT2R 3123C/A polymorphism affects blood pressure for free-living hypertensive men during a 5-month intervention period. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The subjects were free-living hypertensive Japanese men aged 40 to 75 years who agreed to intervention in the period from 2004 to 2011. Detection of the AT2R 3123C/A polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction. The dietary intervention was designed to decrease salt level and to increase potassium level through cooking instructions and self-monitoring of the diet. The exercise session consisted of activities such as stretching, resistance training, and walking. Blood pressure, urinary sodium and potassium excretion, dietary and lifestyle data, and non-fasting venous blood sample were collected at baseline and after the intervention period. RESULTS: Thirty nine subjects were eligible for participation and the follow-up rate was 97.4%. The C allele proportion was 57.9%. AT2R 3123C/A polymorphism was X-chromosome-linked, therefore we analyzed the C and A genotypes. At baseline, no significant differences were observed between the genotype groups. After the intervention, there were no significant differences in lifestyle habit between the groups. Nevertheless, the estimated salt excretion (g/day) was significantly decreased only in the C genotype (13.0-10.3, P = 0.031). No significant change was observed in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (mmHg) in the A genotype, but a significant decrease was observed in the C genotype (150.0-141.5, P = 0.024). CONCLUSTIONS: In the C genotype, it might be easy to improve SBP through lifestyle intervention in free-living hypertensive Japanese men, however generalization could not be achieved by the small sample size.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4705-4710
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• 2015

Background: Though a large proportion of cancer survivors are assumed to be commonly affected by sleep disturbance, few studies have focused on short sleep problems and its correlates among Korean cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of short sleep in adult cancer survivors from a nationwide population-based sample and to identify risk factors for short sleep duration. Materials and Methods: Based on the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2007-2012), 1,045 cancer survivors and 33,929 non-cancer controls were analyzed. The prevalence of short sleep was compared between these two groups. Associations between short sleep and its correlates were evaluated using multiple logistic regression among cancer survivors: odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were estimated after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, psychological conditions, and cancer-related factors. Results: About 8.1% of cancer survivors slept for less than 5 hours per day (6.2% men and 9.3% women), whereas this was the case for only 3.7% of non-cancer controls. Cancer survivors who had the lowest household income level showed a significantly higher likelihood for short sleep (adjusted OR 2.82, 95%CI 1.06-7.54). Self-reported poor health and depressive symptoms were found to be associated with significantly increased likelihood for short sleep in cancer survivors (adjusted OR 3.60, 95%CI 1.40-9.26 and adjusted OR 2.00, 95%CI 1.17-3.42). Gastric cancer survivors had a 3.97-fold increased risk for short sleep (95%CI 1.60-9.90). Conclusions: The prevalence of short sleep occurs at a high rate among the Korean cancer survivors, which may indicate a poorer quality of life and a higher risk of future complications in survivorship. Targeted interventions that can assist cancer survivors to cope with sleep disturbances as well as ensuring psychological stability are warranted to reduce the latent disease burden.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3763-3767
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• 2016

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among females across the world. It is a preventable cancer and early detection is very feasible. This study aimed to identify which women characteristics are potentially associated with and may have an important in uence on the uptake of cervical cancer screening in Kurdish women living in the west of Iran.. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in late 2014. A random sample of women aged 40 years and above without history of cervical cancer and identi ed as Kurdish background were selected and interviewed by two trained interviewers. Information about sociodemographic and reproductive factors, history of diseases, and cervical screening was collected using a questionnaire and women who had undergone a hysterectomy were excluded. Univariate analyses were used to describe the general characteristics of the study population. Multivariable logistic regression models with self-reported screening history were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% con dence intervals (CI). Signi cance was considered at the 5% level. Results: A total of 561 women were included in this study (mean age $43.6{\pm}5.17$ years) participation in cervical screening at least once was about 32%. Cervical screening uptake percentage was signi cantly lower among people over 60 years of age (adjusted OR= 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11-0.64), and those who were illiterate (OR= 0.41 95% CI: 0.23-0.73) and post-menopausal (OR= 0.56, 95% CI: 0.35-0.91). Women with ${\leq}1$ child were less likely to report a Pap test (adjusted OR=0.43 95%CI: 0.13-1.37) Cervical screening uptake was higher among women with health insurance (OR= 2.31, 95% CI: 1.50-3.56). Conclusions: Cervical screening participation in this study was low compared to other studies in developed countries. The screening uptake was different based on age, education, parity, insurance coverage and menopausal status. It is recommended to target these groups of women in cervical screening program.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2008

Objectives : Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and toluene have been reported to induce reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. This study was performed to investigate the effects of low level exposure to PAHs or toluene on the lipid peroxidation level in elementary school children and the elderly in a rural area. Methods : Forty seven elementary school children and 40 elderly people who were living in a rural area and not occupationally exposed to PAH or toluene were the subjects of this study. Information about active or passive smoking and diet was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. The urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), 2-naphthol, hippuric acid and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentrations were measured, and these values were corrected with the urinary creatinine concentration. Results : In school children, the geometric means of the urinary 1-OHP, 2-naphthol, hippuric acid and TBARS levels were $0.02\;{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine, $0.47\;{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine, 0.14 g/g creatinine and $0.95\;{\mu}mol/g$ creatinine, respectively. Those values for the elderly were $0.07{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine, $1.87{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine, 0.11 g/g creatinine and $1.18\;{\mu}mol/g$ creatinine, respectively. The mean levels of urinary 1-OHP, 2-naphthol and TBARS were significantly higher in the elderly subjects than in the children. The urinary TBARS level was not correlated with the urinary 1-OHP, 2-naphthol and hippuric acid, but they were correlated with the age of the subjects. Conclusions : These results suggest that low level inhalation exposure to PAH or toluene does not markedly increase lipid peroxidation, and age is a significant determinant of lipid peroxidation.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.470-475
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• 2019

Background: There is a lack of statistical analysis investigating the relationship between sleep problems and commute time in Korea. We aimed to analyze the association between representative health symptoms, sleep disturbances, and commute time according to working hours in Korea. Methods: The 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey data were used for analysis, and unpaid family workers and workers who work fewer than three days in a week were excluded. Commute time, working hours, and sleep hours were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for sleep problems were calculated using a multivariate logistic regression model with ≤10 min commute time as the reference group. Results: Among a total of 28,804 workers (men = 14,945, women = 13,859), 2.6% of men and 3.2% of women experienced sleep problems. In both sexes, long commute time (51-60 minutes and >60 minutes) showed an increased OR [men, 2.03 (CI = 1.32-3.13) and 2.05 (CI = 1.33-3.17); women, 1.58 (CI = 1.05-2.39) and 1.63 (CI = 1.06-2.50), respectively]. In stratification analysis of working hours, long commute time (51-60 and > 60 minutes) showed an increased OR in men working >40 hours/week [2.08 (CI = 1.16-3.71) and 1.92 (CI = 1.08-3.41), respectively]. Furthermore, long commute time (41-50, 51-60, and >60 minutes) showed an increased OR in women working >40 hours/week [2.40 (CI = 1.27-4.55), 2.28 (CI = 1.25-4.16), and 2.19 (CI = 1.17-4.16), respectively]. Moreover, commute time >60 minutes showed an increased OR in women working ≤40 hours/week [1.96 (CI = 1.06-3.62)]. Conclusion: This large cross-sectional study highlights that long commute time is related to sleep problems in both sexes. Shorter commute times and decreased working hours are needed to prevent sleep problems in workers.