• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.412-422
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the job characteristics and health status of sales and service workers at micro-enterprises. Methods: Multivariate analyses were conducted using data on respondents to the 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey who were business owners (7,572 persons) or employees (3,317) working in sales or service positions at micro-enterprises. Results: Among those analyzed, business owners were found to experience worse health conditions than employees. Business owners also differed from workers in terms of job characteristics. More than employees, they engaged in tiring or painful postures that negatively affected subjective health condition, experience of muscle pain, and experience of depression or anxiety. While employees' health was negatively affected by dealing with angry customers, the health status of business owners was negatively affected even by dealing with ordinary customers. Conclusions: These results show that the owners of micro-enterprises were in a more vulnerable state of health rather than their employees. In order to address this, it is necessary to correct work posture and reduce the stresses that come from customers.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.161-173
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• 2021

Purpose: This study examined: 1) what it meant for patients to have multimorbidity 2) how they manage their illness using health care facilities, and 3) what contextual backgrounds exist regarding the health care system. Methods: This qualitative research obtained individual in-depth interviews from 22 patients. Participants were selected by purposive sampling among those who saw physicians more often than the national average from the 2013 medical-claim data. The transcribed data were analyzed using Ground theory. Results: Multimorbidity patients suffered from "chain-like serial symptoms" and "pain without a breakthrough". They expressed themselves as "indeed patients among patients", "my body is a general hospital", and "an incompletely normal person". There was a demand to resolve the anxiety arising from the situation in which the body keeps getting sicker without showing any signs of recovery. In a state of reduced social support and a lack of trust in the doctor, their desire to be healed led them to receive a temporary relief through dependence on medical institutions. Conclusion: This research recognized the desire of multimorbidity patients to seek temporary relief through dependence on medical institutions. A more patient-centered directed care plan, specific to the needs of the patients with multimorbidity is required.

• CELLMED
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.15.1-15.3
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure of Koreans in Arirang songs. Arirang is a representative song that strengthens the collective identity and social bond of Koreans. For Koreans who mainly eat rice, Arirang represents rice, life, and reason for its existence. Koreans have been singing Arirang together for a long time, overcoming pain, sadness, and hardships and consoling their minds and bodies. Arirang is a national music that is loved more and sung more often than the national anthem. The hill on the mountain is not a place to stay. The pass is a passing place. This gives us a lot of thought. We have various difficulties living in the world. The word Arirang means that Arirang is not one state. The end of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure is surely a joy. Arirang Pass (Arirang Gogae) is not a staying pass, but a crossing pass. Arirang, which contains joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, is a soul song and a consolation medicine for mental and physical health. We suggest that Arirang song compared to standard care may have beneficial effects on anxiety, hope, pain, and depression in patients.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.99-108
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• 2022

Purpose: The wide distribution of smartphones has changed life and user behavior. This phenomenon has both advantages and disadvantages for users. As smartphones become a part of our daily lives, smartphone addiction has recently become a social issue in many countries. This study explores factors that affect smartphone addiction and the consequences of addictive behaviors. Research design, data and methodology: Our model hypothesizes that four key factors determine addictive behavior: flow, enjoyment, preference for online social life, and escape reality. Commitment and compulsive use are mediating variables that connect key drivers and addictive results. Based on the SEM (structural equation model) analysis of 497 survey responses, these four driving factors each have a significant effect on the compulsive use of smartphones directly or indirectly; the compulsive use of smartphones directly influences the three results Results: We conducted a reliability and validity analysis, and the results were successful. In the hypothesis test, every path is accepted as expected at the significance level of 0.05. Conclusions: Among the four driving factors, escape reality is the vital factor influencing smartphone addiction and its consequences. And anxiety is the number one consequence influenced by the compulsive use of smartphones.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2009

Arteriosclerosis is a pathologic term that contains hardening of arterial wall, loss of arterial elasticity and stenosis of artery. To diagnose this disease, conventional angiography, MRA, transcranial doppler ultrasonography are commonly used. And it causes various clinical phases by a region of the disease. In oriental medicine, arteriosclerosis is classified into congested fluids(痰飮), blood stasis(瘀血), stagnation of Gi(氣滯) and treated by Herb-Med, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and the like. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oriental medical therapy on cerebral arteriosclerosis. A patient with cerebrovascular disease admitted due to dizziness, mild dysarthria, tinnitus, anxiety disorder and his Brain MRA showed severe arteriosclerosis in right anterior cerebral artery(ACA) and middle cerebral artery(MCA). Every day, we administered to patient Herb Med and Herb pills. Also, acupuncture, moxibustion were done, too. As a result of the treatment, the patient's follow up Brain MRA showed improved state of ACA stenosis.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.959-965
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• 2022

Through psychological evaluation, this study attempted to verify the effect of quality of life improvements from gardening activities in apartment landscaping spaces. The study was conducted on 32 mothers raising children. Psychological valuation was conducted using world Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire(WHOQOL-Bref), the Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS), the Life Satisfaction Experience Scale(LSES), and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised(SCL-90-R). The psychological analysis results showed that, engaging in gardening activities for two weeks had, a positive effect on mothers' environmental of quality of life evaluation. The LSES indicates that satisfaction with oneself significantly increased after starting the gardening activities. The activity resulted in a positive change in attitude toward life. The SCL-90-R results showed changes in the mother's psychological state. There was a significant amelioration of obesessive-compulsive behaviors, hostility, and phobic anxiety. In conclusion, this study was found that, for mothers in apartments, outdoor gardening activities can significantly affect their quality of life. Moreover, it can help prevent mental health deterioration, Further study should be conducted on the beneficial effects of gardening on the variety of age groups and activities.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential benefits of microcurrent stimulation as a non-invasive therapeutic approach for managing pain and improving the quality of life in women suffering from primary dysmenorrhea. Design: A case study. Methods: This study was conducted, involving a cohort of 6 women diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea, aged between 20 to 30 years. Participants were received microcurrent stimulation using low-intensity microcurrents for 30 minutes every day for 4 weeks. The intensity of microcurrent stimulation was 25 μA and the frequency was 8 Hz. The intervention was administered between the menstruations, with pain intensity and quality of life being assessed at baseline, and then at the end of menstrual cycle. Pain intensity was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) and menstrual symptom questionnaire (MSQ), while the quality of life was assessed through the stress response inventory (SRI), state trait anxiety inventory (STAI), center for epidemiologic studies depression (CES-D), and menstrual distress questionnaire (MEDI-Q). Results: After the intervention, participants demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity, as evidenced by improved VAS scores (p<0.05). However, the changes in MSQ scores did not reach statistical significance. Regarding quality of life measures, no statistically significant differences were found in the SRI, STAI, CES-D, and MEDI-Q scores after the intervention (p>0.05). Conclusions: This study suggest that microcurrent stimulation holds promise as a potential treatment option for alleviating pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2015

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to evaluate reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Postconcussional Syndrome Questionnaire(KPCSQ) which was originally developed in 1992 by Lees-Haley. Methods:Patients with traumatic brain injury were recruited from April 2009 to December 2011 from the Korean University Ansan Hospital. We selected patients that met the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria of postconcussional syndrome and organic mental disorder including organic mood disorder, organic emotionally labile disorder, organic anxiety disorder and organic personality disorder. The KPCSQ, Trait and State Anxiety Inventory(STAI-I, II), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CESD) were administered to all subjects. Factor analysis of the items were performed and test-retest correlation were evaluated. Internal consistency of the KPCSQ and its subscales was assessed with Cronbach's alpha. External validity of the KPCSQ were examined by correlation coefficient with the STAI-I, II, and CESD. Results:The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the total PCSQ was 0.956. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.845. The PCSQ showed significant correlation with STAI-I, II and CESD. The factor analysis of the PCSQ yielded 4 factors model. Factor 1 represented 'affective and cognitive symptoms', factor 2 represented 'somatic symptoms', factor 3 represented 'infrequent symptoms' and factor 4 represented 'exaggeration or inattentive response'. There was no significant difference between the PCS group and the organic mental disorder group in the score on each measure. The scores on KPCSQ and its subscales in the subjects that had scored 5 or more in 'exaggeration or inattentive response' are significantly higher than those in the subjects had scored 4 in 'exaggeration or inattentive response'. Conclusions:This study suggests that the Korean version of PCSQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing psychiatric symptomatology of patients with traumatic brain injury. Further investigations with greater numbers of subjects are necessary to assess the clinical usefulness of the KPCSQ.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2001

Objectives: An Increased level of psychophysiologic arousal and diminished physiologic flexibility would be observed in patients with panic disorder compared with a normal control group. We investigated the differences of psychophysiologic response between patients with panic disorder and normal control to examine this hypothesis. Methods: Ten Korean patients with panic disorder who met the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV were compared with 10 normal healthy subjects. In psychological assessment, levels of anxiety and depression were evaluated by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck's Depression Inventory and Hamilton Rating Scale For Anxiety and Depression. Heart rate, respiration rate, electrodermal response, and electromyographic activity were measured by biofeedback system (J & J I-330 model) to determine psychophysiologic responses on autonomic nervous system. Stressful tasks included mental arithmetic, video game, hyperventilation, and talking about a stressful event. Psychophysiologic responses were measured according to the following procedures : baseline(3 min)-mental arithmetic (3 min)-rest (3 min)-video game (3 min)-rest (3 min)-hyperventilation (3 min)-rest (3 min)-talking about a stressful event (3 min). Results: The baseline level of anxiety and depression, electrodermal response (p=.017), electromyographic activity (p=.047) and heart rate (p=.049) of patients with panic disorder were significantly higher than those of the normal subject group. In electrodermal response, patient group had significantly higher startle response than the control group during hyperventilation (p=.001). Startle and recovery responses of heart rate in the patient group were significantly lower than responses in the control group during mental arithmetic (p=.007, p=.002). In electrodermal response of the patient group, startle response was significantly higher than recovery response during mental arithmetic (p=.000) and video game task (p=.021). Recovery response was significantly higher than startle response in respiratory response during hyperventilation. Conclusion: The results showed that patients with panic disorder had higher autonomic arousal than the control group, but the physiologic flexibility was variable. We suggest that it is helpful for treatment of panic disorder to decrease the level of autonomic arousal and to recover the physiologic flexibility in certain stressful event.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2010

Purpose: The aims of this study are to evaluate psychological impact and quality of life according to the cancer diagnosis and mutation status in Korean families with BRCA mutations. Materials and Methods: Seventeen affected carriers (AC), 16 unaffected carriers (UC) and 13 healthy non carriers (NC) from 13 BRCA mutation families were included in the study. Outcomes were compared with regard to depression (Beck Depression Inventory), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI), optimism (Reevaluation of the Life Orientation test, LOT-R), knowledge of hereditary ovarian cancer, and quality of life (QoL) (SF-36v2 Health Survey, physical component score [PCS], mental component score [MCS]) among three groups. Result: Level of depression, optimism, and PCS were similar in AC, UC, and NC. Anxiety score was elevated in all three groups. MCS was significantly low in AC than in UC and NC (P=0.009, P=0.017). Knowledge of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer was high in AC than NC (P=0.001). MCS was significantly related to whether patient was affected by cancer (P=0.043) and has occupation (P=0.008) or not in multivariable analysis. Conclusion: From this cross sectional study, psychological adverse effect was not related to the carrier status of BRCA mutation. Elevated anxiety in BRCA family members was observed but, independent to affection and the type of genetic mutation. AC showed low mental QoL. Further effort to understand psychological impact and QoL of genetic testing in BRCA family members is required for follow-up in clinical aspects.