• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.267-272
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to test the accuracy of self-reported information used in indirect estimation of pesticide exposure. Methods: To do so, self-reported values on the duration of pesticide application per day were compared with observed values. The number of days of pesticide application per year as recorded in self-administered logs was compared with recalled values. Results: It was found that participants underestimated the duration and frequency of actual pesticide use. High correlations were found between self-reported values and observed values, as well as between recalled values and recorded values. Conclusions: The reason might be that farmers unconsciously under-recall the application of pesticide since many customers prefer eco-friendly agricultural products. Farmers thought the task of applying pesticides to be essential, and this may explain why the participants in this study tended to accurately recall their pesticide-related work.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.377-383
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• 2019

Objectives: Self-reported disease history is often used in epidemiological studies. In this study, we acquired the hospital records of subjects who self-reported stroke or myocardial infarction (MI) and evaluated the validity of the participants' self-reported disease history. We also determined the level of agreement between specialists and non-specialists. Methods: Among the participants in the Health Examinees study, 1488 subjects self-reported stroke or MI during 2012-2017, and medical records were acquired for the 429 subjects (28.8%) who agreed to share their medical information. Each record was independently assigned to 2 medical doctors for review. The records were classified as 'definite,' 'possible,' or 'not' stroke or MI. If the doctors did not agree, a third doctor made the final decision. The positive predictive value (PPV) of self-reporting was calculated with the doctors' review as the gold standard. Kappa statistics were used to compare the results between general doctors and neurologists or cardiologists. Results: Medical records from 208 patients with self-reported stroke and 221 patients with self-reported MI were reviewed. The PPV of self-reported disease history was 51.4% for stroke and 32.6% for MI. If cases classified as 'possible' were counted as positive diagnoses, the PPV was 59.1% for stroke and 33.5% for MI. Kappa statistics showed moderate levels of agreement between specialists and nonspecialists for both stroke and MI. Conclusions: The validity of self-reported disease was lower than expected, especially in those who reported having been diagnosed with MI. Proper consideration is needed when using these self-reported data in further studies.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.326-329
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• 2013

Height and weight are important indicators to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI); measuring height and weight directly is the most exact method to get this information. However, it is ineffective in terms of cost and time on large population samples. The aim of our study was to investigate the validity of self-reported height and weight data compared to our measured data in Korean children to predict obese status. Four hundred twenty-two fifth-grade (mean age $10.5{\pm}0.5$ years) children who had self-reported and measured height and weight data were final subjects for this study. Overweight/obese was defined as a BMI of or above the 85th percentile of the gender-specific BMI for age in the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts or a BMI of 25 or higher (underweight : < 5th, normal : ${\geq}5th$ to < 85th, overweight : ${\geq}85th$ to < 95th). The differences between self-reported and measured data were tested using paired t-test. Differences based on overweight/obese status were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear trends. Pearson's correlation and Cohen's kappa were tested to examine agreements between the self-reported and measured data. Although measured and self-reported height, weight and BMI were significantly different and children tended to overreport their height and underreport their weight, the correlation between the two methods of height, weight and BMI were high (r = 0.956, 0.969, 0.932, respectively; all P < 0.001), and both genders reported their overweight/non-overweight status accurately (Cohen's kappa = 0.792, P < 0.001). Although there were differences between the self-reported and our measured methods, the self-reported weight and height was valid enough to classify overweight/obesity status correctly, especially in non-overweight/obese children. Due to bigger underestimation of weight and overestimation of height in obese children, however, we need to be aware that the self-reported anthropometric data were less accurate in overweight/obese children than in non-overweight/obese children.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2011

This study aimed to determine the feasibility of survey questionnaires for pesticide poisoning. We conducted a pilot study to develop a questionnaire for evaluating pesticide poisoning symptoms and to examine the validity of self-reported information for individual pesticides used. In December 2010 we interviewed 20 farmers with self-reported pesticide poisoning histories residing in Gyeonggi Province. For validity of pesticide information, the purchased pesticide lists from the agricultural cooperative federation were compared with individual self-reported pesticides used. Neurological symptoms were the most common among clinical symptoms related to pesticide poisoning, followed by gastrointestinal, dermal and eye symptoms. Insecticides were the main causative pesticide class for poisoning. Twenty one major symptoms were selected for screening for acute pesticide poisoning in a field study based on the pilot results and literature reviews. Substantial under-reporting was found in data on self-reported individual pesticides used (9.2%), as well as low accuracy (36%) compared with their actual purchase lists. In this pilot study, we suggest the selected symptom lists may apply to a field survey of pesticide poisoning. However, the self-reported information on individual pesticides may not be valid and alternative methods need to be developed.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.28
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• pp.9.1-9.5
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• 2013

Objectives Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful tool for assessing exposure in epidemiologic studies. We used GIS to determine the geographic extent of contamination by perfluorooctanoic acid, C8 (PFOA) that was released into the environment from the DuPont Washington Works Facility located in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Methods Paper maps of pipe distribution networks were provided by six local public water districts participating in the community cross-sectional survey, the C8 Health Project. Residential histories were also collected in the survey and geocoded. We integrated the pipe networks and geocoded addresses to determine which addresses were serviced by one of the participating water districts. The GIS-based water district assignment was then compared to the participants' self-reported source of public drinking water. Results There were a total of 151,871 addresses provided by the 48,800 participants of the C8 Health Project that consented to geocoding. We were able to successfully geocode 139,067 (91.6%) addresses, and of these, 118,209 (85.0%) self-reported water sources were confirmed using the GIS-based method of water district assignment. Furthermore, the GIS-based method corrected 20,858 (15.0%) self-reported public drinking water sources. Over half (54%) the participants in the lowest GIS-based exposure group self-reported being in a higher exposed water district. Conclusions Not only were we able to correct erroneous self-reported water sources, we were also able to assign water districts to participants with unknown sources. Without the GIS-based method, the reliance on only self-reported data would have resulted in exposure misclassification.

• Global Health & Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.48-59
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• 2019

Purpose: Based on the salutogenetic model, the purpose of this study was to identify the levels of health-related information-seeking behavior, and the level of the health locus of control (HLC), sense of coherence (SOC), and self-rated health (SRH) among Korean patients with colorectal cancer, and to identify the factors influencing SRH. Methods: Using a correlation study design, 122 patients with colorectal cancer were recruited. A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess the participants' health-related information-seeking behavior, HLC, SOC, and SRH. Results: Most participants reported health-related information-seeking behaviors. The most frequently sought information included cancer diets, how to improve overall health, therapy methods, and carcinogenesis or metastasis. Throughout the process, participants were concerned about the quality of the information. Patients with information-seeking behaviors reported lower scores in powerful and chance HLC. SRH scores were influenced by being male, not being in a metastasis state, not having a colostomy, and higher SOC scores. Conclusion: Subjective health among patients with colorectal cancer is better if patients are male, have not had a colostomy, and have higher levels of SOC. Further studies need to explore the impact of information-seeking behavior on the health status of these patients in a longitudinal study design.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.213-225
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between Agent Orange exposure and self-reported diseases in Korean Vietnam veterans. Methods: A postal survey of 114 562 Vietnam veterans was conducted. The perceived exposure to Agent Orange was assessed by a 6-item questionnaire. Two proximity-based Agent Orange exposure indices were constructed using division/brigade-level and battalion/ company-level unit information. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for age and other confounders were calculated using a logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence of all self-reported diseases showed monotonically increasing trends as the levels of perceived self-reported exposure increased. The ORs for colon cancer (OR, 1.13), leukemia (OR, 1.56), hypertension (OR, 1.03), peripheral vasculopathy (OR, 1.07), enterocolitis (OR, 1.07), peripheral neuropathy (OR, 1.07), multiple nerve palsy (OR, 1.14), multiple sclerosis (OR, 1.24), skin diseases (OR, 1.05), psychotic diseases (OR, 1.07) and lipidemia (OR, 1.05) were significantly elevated for the high exposure group in the division/brigade-level proximity-based exposure analysis, compared to the low exposure group. The ORs for cerebral infarction (OR, 1.08), chronic bronchitis (OR, 1.05), multiple nerve palsy (OR, 1.07), multiple sclerosis (OR, 1.16), skin diseases (OR, 1.05), and lipidemia (OR, 1.05) were significantly elevated for the high exposure group in the battalion/company-level analysis. Conclusions: Korean Vietnam veterans with high exposure to Agent Orange experienced a higher prevalence of several self-reported chronic diseases compared to those with low exposure by proximity-based exposure assessment. The strong positive associations between perceived self-reported exposure and all self-reported diseases should be evaluated with discretion because the likelihood of reporting diseases was directly related to the perceived intensity of Agent Orange exposure.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-84
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• 2016

The paper investigates open access (OA) self archiving policies of different Open Access Repositories (OARs) of COAPI (Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions) founder members as reported in June 2011 (i.e. a total of 22 members against a total of 46 COPAI members as reported by Open Biomed (http://openbiomed.info/2011/08/coapi-cats/). The paper consulted three databases (OpenDOAR, ROAR and ROARMAP) in order to evaluate twenty-two (22) COAPI-members OARs self archiving policy documentations and highlights of some progress on issues so far. After analyzing policy documentations, key findings have been highlighted and common practices have been suggested in line with global recommendations and best practice guidelines at national and international levels for strengthening national research systems. The paper has implications for administrators, funding agencies, policy makers and professional librarians in devising institute specific self archiving policies for their own organization.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2002

Purpose: This descriptive study was designed to investigate Body Mass Index(BMI), weight control behavior, and self-esteem in high school adolescents. Method: The convenience sample consisted of 129 high school females and 106 high school males. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire from November to December, 1999. BMI was calculated by using the subject's self-reported body weight and height to identify objective obesity. Self evaluation about subjective obesity was measured by a single item question. Preferred BMI was calculated by using the subject's elf-reported body weight and height which the subjects desired. The Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale was utilized to measure the level of self-esteem. Results: Results of the study revealed that high school females perceived themselves as more more obese than their the actual BMI, excessively participated in dieting behavior and exercises, and reported lower self-esteem than that of males. Conclusion: Based on this study, health care providers need to educate female adolescents about healthy behavior as well as the normal weight range in BMI.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.2
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• pp.267-294
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• 1998

Recently, self-efficacy is one of the critical constructs that have been found to influence human decisions about behavior selection and the performance associated with the selected behavior. The construct has been widely adopted and tested In the fields of social psychology and/or other behavioral sciences. In information systems field, however, it has been hardly studied, although computer self-efficacy could have been an important factor explaining and predicting human computer usage behaviors. From this perspective, main purposes of the study is to understand causal relation among the factors influencing computer self- efficacy, computer usage behavior and computer self-efficacy. The research reported in this study have several objectives; 1) to develop a measure of computer self-efficacy, 2) to Identify the factors influencing self-efficacy, and 3) to reveal the relationship between self-efficacy and computer usage behavior and then 4) to explain the causal model of computer self-efficacy. By reviewing the literature, past experience, others' use, encouragement by others, and anxiety are selected as the factors influencing computer self-efficacy. Four hypotheses concerning the relationship between each of the variables and computer self-efficacy are tested by LISREL. One more hypothesis about the relationship between computer self-efficacy and computer usage is also tested. The results show that computer self-efficacy is significantly influence by computer anxiety, encouragement by others, and computer experience, and that it is closely correlated with computer usage behavior.