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Although previous research based on data from the U.S. suggests that parents' widowhood is associated with increased emotional support from children, little is known about the impact of late-life widowhood on intergenerational relationships in other cultures. Using data of Korean older adults, this paper examined: (1) the effect of widowhood on both positive and negative aspects of parent-child relationships and (2) whether these effects are moderated by older adults' expectations about children's filial responsibilities and the geographic proximity to their children. Analyses are based on data from the Hallym Aging Study, a stratified multi-stage probability sample of older adults living in the cities of Seoul and Chuncheon in Korea. Compared to married older adults, widowed persons in this sample reported higher levels of ambivalence, lower levels of positive interactions, and higher levels of negative interactions with their children. Parents' notion about filial responsibilities did not have a significant moderating effect, whereas geographic proximity to children was a significant moderator. Findings suggest that widowhood is associated with greater strain in intergenerational relationships in Korea. Helping widowed older adults forge constructive relationships with their children may enhance both bereaved older adults' and their children's well-being in this cultural milieu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of the workforce with regard to organizational tenure is rapidly changing. In this paper, we examine the cross-level effects of tenure diversity on individual-level creativity. In keeping with the categorization-elaboration model, we propose individual-level explicit knowledge as a mediating mechanism between tenure diversity and individual creativity, and knowledge sharing as moderating the relationship between tenure diversity and individual explicit knowledge. Using a sample of 341 Korean insurance agents from 76 groups, we find that knowledge sharing moderates the relationship between tenure diversity and individual explicit knowledge. Results further support the direction of the hypothesized relationships, with tenure diversity positively influencing individual explicit knowledge at high levels of knowledge sharing and exhibiting a negative influence at low levels. Individual explicit knowledge carries these indirect effects to individual creativity, although directional significance was only found at extremely high and low values. Practitioner Points Tenure diversity is now a fact of organizational life that managers need to embrace. While our results suggest that tenure diversity is positively related to individual creativity, individual explicit knowledge and knowledge sharing play important roles in the association., Knowledge sharing appears to be a key boundary condition, which modifies the influence of tenure diversity on individual explicit knowledge. Working in a diverse group is not enough; the knowledge has to be shared., Individual explicit knowledge mediates the relationship between tenure diversity and individual creativity; it carries a positive indirect effect when knowledge sharing is high and a negative indirect effect when knowledge sharing is low. For complex jobs, where creativity is desired, but much of the work is independent, managers need to encourage employees with diverse levels of tenure to share experiences and ways of performing their tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Shin et al. (2012) Practices and predictors of 2009 H1N1 vaccination in cancer patients: a nationwide survey in Korea. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(601), e120-e128. Background Because patients with cancer are considered to be at high-risk for influenza infection and related complications, annual vaccination is recommended. The emergence of the novel H1N1 influenza virus in 2009 complicated the medical care of patients with cancer. The present study examined H1N1 vaccination practices among patients with cancer during the pandemic season and investigated factors related to the vaccination. Methods A national multicenter cross-sectional survey of patient-doctor dyads was performed; A total of 97 oncologists (response rates of invited participants, 87·4%) and 495 patients (response rates of recruited participants, 86·5%) were included. Patients with cancer provided information concerning vaccination practices and reasons for/against it. Oncologists answered questions about their recommendations and knowledge of H1N1 vaccination. Mixed logistic regression was used to identify patient-level and physician-level predictors of H1N1 vaccination. Results Only 34·1% of the patients had received H1N1 vaccination, and 53·5% had not considered the need for vaccination. The H1N1 vaccine was proactively recommended by physicians in only a small fraction of patients (8·3%). Increasing age, higher educational status, longer time since the cancer diagnosis, comorbidities, and greater knowledge of H1N1 vaccination among oncologists were significant predictors of patients being vaccinated. Conclusions The present results showed low levels of utilization and poor interaction between patients and physicians with regard to the need for vaccination. In addition, the oncologist's level of knowledge affected the adoption of preventive services. Intervention strategies are needed to maximize the rapid adoption of preventive methods to confront future pandemic threats in the cancer patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper is a report of a study designed to test an explanatory theory of postpartum fatigue. Background. Postpartum fatigue is influenced by various factors and affects a mother's performance. A full understanding of postpartum fatigue is very important for developing effective nursing strategies to reduce postpartum fatigue and enhance mothers' performance. Methods. Healthy postpartum women were recruited from five medical centers and one midwifery office in urban area in Korea (n = 291) by convenience sampling. Data were collected at 4- to 8-week follow-up visits after childbirth in 2006, using a self-report questionnaire. The proposed fatigue theory incorporated postpartum fatigue, postpartum depression, sleep quality, childcare stress, unsatisfactory feeding, social support, infant difficulty and satisfaction with Sanhujori, the Korean traditional postpartum care provided for 3 weeks following delivery by non-professional caregivers. Structural equation modelling was used to test the explanatory theory of postpartum fatigue. Results. The modified fatigue theory showed good fit and high compatibility with the empirical data. In the final explanatory theory, postpartum depression and sleep quality directly affected postpartum fatigue, while childcare stress and the cultural phenomenon of Sanhujori had indirect effects on postpartum fatigue, via postpartum depression and sleep quality respectively. Conclusion. These findings suggest the potential role of comprehensive nursing focused on decreasing postpartum depression and improving sleep quality as a way to decrease postpartum fatigue. Also, nursing strategies for decreasing childcare stress and enhancing Sanhujori satisfaction may be helpful in reducing postpartum fatigue in Korean mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

shin s.m., kim m.j., kim e.s., lee h.w., park c.g. & kim h.k. (2010) Medical Aid service overuse assessed by case managers in Korea. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(10), 2257–2265. Aim. This paper is a report of a study conducted to describe characteristics of overusers of the Medical Aid service, assess appropriateness of overusers’ medical service use, and determine contributing factors to medical aid overuse in Korea. Background. Medical Aid use in Korea has increased in recent years, but no systematic studies reported the characteristics of overusers and appropriateness of their medical service use. Method. In a cross-sectional study, case managers conducted interviews, evaluated participants’ insurance claim data, and determined overusers by the case managers’ determination of the appropriateness of their medical service use and their expenditures during the year of 2006. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple logistic regression were used for data analysis. Result. Most heavy users were elderly, female, less educated, and had stress, lower perceived health status and multiple clinic visits. Twenty-five per cent of inpatients and 63·9% of outpatients were classified as overusers. The average total cost per capita of an overuser was 43·3% higher than that of an optimal user. Age, education, stress, arthritis, multiple clinic visits and frequent clinic visit recommendations by providers were statistically significant contributing factors to the overuse. Conclusion. Preventive measures are needed to decrease the overuse of Medical Aid in Korea; such measures should focus on characteristics contributing to overuse, including the provider-induced demand for more clinic visits. Case managers could play an important role as gatekeepers, managers, and educators for optimal use of Medical Aid in Korea and elsewhere in the world that faces similar problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the interactionist’s perspective of creativity, this paper proposes a new research model of creativity manifestation to explore how factors affecting individual creativity depend on team characteristics. We investigated the antecedents of creativity in the literature—task complexity, team member exchange, and knowledge sharing—and then examined the relationships and differences between temporary and permanent teams. To maximize practical implications, we studied two team types like project task force (PTF) and research and development (R&D) teams in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry in Korea, where strong creativity is required for team performance. PTF teams operate with a clear mission to be completed on a deadline, while R&D teams create scientific enhancements for existing products. The proposed structural model was tested empirically with cross-sectional data from 289 professionals from the two team types. Results indicated that, in the case of PTF teams, task complexity had an indirect relationship with individual complexity through knowledge interaction among team members, while for R&D teams, task complexity was directly associated with individual creativity, and indirectly associated with the creativity through team member exchange. Thus, team characteristics must be considered together with task complexity and knowledge interactions in order to achieve team goals more effectively by maximizing each member’s creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kang SW, Yoo JS. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2012; 18: 268-274 Health-promoting lifestyle and depression in metabolic syndrome patients in Korea This cross-sectional study assessed the association between health-promoting lifestyle and depression in metabolic syndrome patients by using a questionnaire survey in Korea. Data were collected from 195 adults (> 20 years old) with hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes. The correlation coefficient (r) between health-promoting lifestyle and depression was −0.309 ( P < 0.001), and correlation between individual lifestyle dimensions and depression varied from −0.135 to −0.391. The non-depressed group had higher health-promoting lifestyle scores than the depressed group ( P = 0.003). Scores for three dimensions of the health-promoting lifestyle profile-self-actualization ( P < 0.001), interpersonal support ( P = 0.001) and stress management ( P = 0.025)-were significantly higher in the non-depressed groups. Logistic regression analysis provided an odds ratio of 2.766 ( P = 0.003) for health-promoting lifestyle between the two groups. For patients with metabolic syndrome, depression was negatively associated with health-promoting lifestyle and is an important factor affecting health-promoting behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the mental health status among Chinese and Korean male nursing students and further clarify the predictors of the mental health. Methods: Research data was collected from 86 undergraduate male nursing students of China and Korea by using the SCL-90-R questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed by using SPSS version 22.0. Results: Findings showed Chinese male nursing students reported higher scores of SCL-90-R than the Chinese norms, and Korean group scored lower than Chinese group and the Korean norms. The key predictors of male nursing students' mental health include having a male role model in the nursing field, receiving positive career guidance from teaching staff and having the support and respect of family and friends. Conclusion: Chinese male nursing students need to improve their mental health level more urgently than Korean male nursing students. Chinese educators need to pay more attention to role model education and spread more excellent male nurse models for male nursing students, and Korean educators need to support male nursing students with enthusiastically and provide more positive guidance for their study and career planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated patterns of the use of dietary supplement and doping awareness among high-ranked judoists from 2 countries. Korean (70 men and 31 women) and Japanese (37 men and 34 women) national judo team members were divided into 2 groups (high and low competitive performance levels) according to their international and national rankings. Fifty-nine percent of Korean and 61% of Japanese judoists consumed dietary supplements. Eighty-eight percent of high- and 51% of low-competitive-performance-level Korean judoists consumed dietary supplements. Sixty-eight percent of high- and 57% of low-competitiveperformance- level Japanese judoists consumed dietary supplements. Oriental supplements (34%), vitamins (23%), and protein powder (12%) were the most commonly consumed dietary supplements in Korean judoists. Vitamins (45%), protein powder (33%), and minerals (15%) were the most commonly consumed dietary supplements in Japanese judoists. Thirty-eight percent of judoists from both countries had not received any proper education about antidoping, and 44% of judoists from both countries had not received knowledge of antidoping legislation. There was a significant difference in education about antidoping between high and low competitive-performance levels of Korean judoists (p < .001). Korean judoists received significantly less antidoping education than Japanese judoists (p < .001). The associations for antidoping education and knowledge of antidoping legislation with the use of dietary supplements were 3.46 (95% CI = 1.31-9.12) and 1.63 (95% CI = 0.71-3.76), respectively. Our findings showed that use of dietary supplements in judoists from both countries was increased after experiencing antidoping education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study analysed the characteristics of HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder) in Korean women. Two hundred and seventeen women seen for sexual dysfunction were assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Revised (DMS IV-TR) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). A diagnosis of HSDD was more common in women in their 40 s (56%), who had previously undergone surgery for a feeling of 'wide vagina'. Both too much or too little sexual activity caused HSDD. Longer physical contact and sexual foreplay duration lessened the prevalence of HSDD. We concluded that special attention should be paid to women in their 40 s, particularly those with a history of vaginal surgery as they are at risk of HSDD. Potential treatment options should include couple counselling about the optimal frequency and duration of sexual activity, as well as treatment specific to the disorders identified by the FSFI. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: Many socio-medical factors affect the prevalence of HSDD (Hypoactive sexual desire disorder). Age, cultural factors, relationship status, education, religion, employment, mental distress, depression, medications, menopausal status, multiple psychiatric disorders and a variety of medical conditions impact on sexual function. What do the results of this study add: A history of wide vaginal surgery (perineoplasty, vaginal rogation rejuvenation, or anterior vaginal introitoplasty) affects the incidence of HSDD (and have not been evaluated before). Both too much or too little sexual activity were found to have caused HSDD. A longer physical contact and duration of sexual foreplay lessened the prevalence of HSDD. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: We concluded that special attention should be paid to women in their 40 s; particularly those with a history of wide vaginal surgery, as they are at risk of HSDD. Potential treatment options should include couple counselling about the optimal frequency and duration of sexual activity, as well as treatment specific to the disorders identified by the FSFI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Smartphone overuse can cause not only mobility problems in the wrists, fingers and neck but also interference with sleep habits. However, research on smartphone addiction and sleep disturbances is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to investigate daytime sleepiness in association with smartphone addiction risk in Korean adolescents.Methods: A cross-sectional survey method was used in this study. The Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale was used to assess daytime sleepiness, and the Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale index was used to evaluate the degree of risk for smartphone addiction.Results: The analyses were performed in 1796 adolescents using smartphones, including 820 boys and 976 girls. The at-risk smartphone users made up 15.1% of boys and 23.9% of girls. Our multivariate analyses demonstrated that students who were female, consumed alcohol, had lower academic performance, did not feel refreshed in the morning and initiated sleep after 12 am were at a significantly higher risk of smartphone addiction. The at-risk smartphone user group was independently associated with the upper quartile Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale score in students with the following factors: Female gender, alcohol consumption, poor self-perceived health level, initiating sleep after 12 am, longer time taken to fall asleep and duration of night sleep less than 6 h.Conclusions: The quality of sleep in adolescence affects growth, emotional stability and learning skills. Therefore, the management of smartphone addiction seems to be essential for proper sleeping habits. There is a critical need to develop a means of preventing smartphone addiction on a social level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study aimed to investigate perceptual body image and the relationship between perceived body image (PBI) and weight control differentiated according to obesity categories across the adult lifespan by sex among Koreans. Methods We analyzed data on 10 198 adults aged 25 or older from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized Koreans. Results Significant discordance between PBI and body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC) was found in all age groups in both sexes, and the discordance for obesity grew more severe with age. Linear associations between PBI and BMI or WC were found in normal weight and obese groups in all age groups in both sexes, with relatively greater BMI or WC differences for PBI found in obese men aged ≤64 or ≤44, respectively, and obese women of all ages or aged ≥75, respectively, compared to normal weight. Obese women aged ≥65 (BMI) or ≥75 (WC) and obese men in the 45--54 and 65--74 age groups (BMI and WC) had significant association between PBI and weight control. Conclusions Interventions regarding accurate body size perception should be prioritized for obese women aged ≥65 or ≥75 and for obese men aged 45-54 and 65-74. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study is to find the association of chronic disease prevalence (CDP) with suicide-related ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA) and to determine the combined effect of CDP and quality of life (QoL) with SI or SA. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: The data were collected from the nationally representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV and V (2007-2012). For the analysis, a total of 35,075 adult participants were selected as the final sample, which included 5773 participants with SI and 331 with SA. Statistical Analysis: Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the odds ratio after adjusting for age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, and household income. Results and Conclusion: SI was positively associated with selected CDP, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, ischemic heart disease (IHD), cancer, diabetes, renal failure, and depression, except hypertension. Subjects with CVD, IHD, renal failure, and depression were found likely to have increased odds for SA as compared to non-SA controls. Lower QoL strongly affected SI and SA. Furthermore, the likelihood of SI increased for depressed and cancer subjects who had low QoL in comparison to subjects with high QoL and without chronic disease. Similarly, statistically, significant interaction was observed between lower QoL and depression in relation to SA compared to non-SA controls. These data suggest that suicide-related behavior could be predicted by the prevalence of chronic disease and low QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study aims to evaluate the association of salivary matrix metalloproteinase-9 ( MMP-9) and interleukin-8 ( IL-8) with periodontitis and its screening ability on periodontitis. Material and Methods We selected 693 participants from the Yanypyeong Cohort: 577 participants with periodontitis and 116 participants without periodontitis. Periodontitis was assessed by dentists using a panoramic radiograph. Salivary MMP-9 and IL-8 were assayed using multiplexed bead immunoassay (Luminex). MMP-9 and IL-8 were categorized into low, medium and high. Age, sex, income, smoking, drinking, exercise, obesity and metabolic syndrome were confounders. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the association between MMP-9, IL-8 and periodontitis. Receiver operating characteristic curve was applied for sensitivity, specificity and c-statistics. Results High MMP-9 and medium IL-8 were associated with periodontitis: adjusted odds ratio were 2.2 [95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.3-3.7] for MMP-9 and 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1-3.4) for IL-8. The final screening model using salivary MMP-9 for periodontitis had a sensitivity of 0.46, specificity of 0.77 and c-statistic of 0.63 ( p < 0.001). Conclusions Our data show that salivary MMP-9 and IL-8 could be potential markers for periodontitis. The screening model for periodontitis could be useful in clinics and home. A future prospective study is indicated for predicting the occurrence of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: Underweight and severe obesity were associated with an increased prevalence of hearing loss in a Korean population. Objective: The relationship between weight and hearing loss is unclear. This study, therefore, analyzed the relationship between hearing loss and body mass index (BMI) in a Korean population. Methods: The prevalence and severity of hearing loss were assessed in 61 052 subjects who underwent health screening examinations, including hearing tests. Subjects were divided into five groups according to BMI (underweight, normal, overweight, obese, and severely obese). The relationships between the prevalence and severity of hearing loss and BMI were analyzed, after adjusting for the effects of age. Results: The rates of mild or greater hearing loss in the underweight, normal, overweight, obese, and severely obese groups were 24.9%, 20.4%, 21.8%, 21.2%, and 24.1%, respectively. Mild severity of hearing loss was the most common in all five groups, followed by moderate, moderately severe, and severe hearing loss, in that order. Multivariate analysis, showed that the odds ratios of hearing loss in the severely obese, and underweight groups, compared with the normal group, were 1.312 and 1.282, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To identify the impact of preprocedural left ventricular ejection fraction and adherence to prescribed medication on major adverse cardiac events in patients with a successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Background Although advances in percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary artery disease have considerably reduced poor outcomes such as major adverse cardiac events, many patients still experience adverse outcomes after a percutaneous coronary intervention. Thus, in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention, it is extremely important to identify the predictors for major adverse cardiac events. Design A retrospective and cross-sectional design. Methods Three hundred and nineteen patients who underwent successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention participated in this study. Participants were assessed for major adverse cardiac events after percutaneous coronary intervention for the first year. Preprocedural left ventricular ejection fraction was measured by echocardiogram. Medication adherence was used with the validated Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 items at the first year after the successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Results Of the 319 patients, 102 had major adverse cardiac events after the successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention. On the basis of Cox regression, after adjusting for patient characteristics, lower baseline left ventricular ejection fraction and medication nonadherence and were statistically significant and independent predictors of major adverse cardiac events. Conclusions Our results show that major adverse cardiac events after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention are associated with low left ventricular ejection fraction at baseline and medication nonadherence after discharge. Therefore, healthcare providers should consider multidimensional approaches to improve low left ventricular ejection fraction and medication adherence. Relevance to clinical practice The findings suggest that the classification of high-risk patients after percutaneous coronary intervention need to be based on level of preprocedural left ventricular ejection fraction. Follow-up of these patients may include educational interventions to enhance medication adherence, to decrease the prevalence of major adverse cardiac events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether dietary and urinary Na is associated with adiposity in Korean children and adolescents (10-18 years), a population with a high salt intake. Study subjects were Korean children and adolescents who participated in the cross-sectional nationally representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2011). This study used measures of dietary (24-h dietary recall) and urinary Na (Na:creatinine ratio) and three methods to determine obesity (BMI, waist circumference (WC) and total body per cent fat (TBPF)). Higher Na intake was significantly associated with obesity, adjusting for the covariates. Subjects in the highest tertile of urinary Na excretion had a significantly higher OR for higher adiposity compared with those in the lowest tertile (multivariate-adjusted OR 3·13 (95% CI 1·81, 5·50) for BMI, 2·15 (95% CI 1·27, 3·66) for WC and 1·92 (95% CI 1·29, 2·86) for TBPF, respectively). Na intake estimated by the 24-h recall method also showed significant association with adiposity (multivariate-adjusted OR 2·79 (95% CI 1·66, 4·68) for BMI and 2·14 (95% CI 1·25, 3·67) for WC, respectively). The significant associations between Na and adiposity remained significant after additionally adjusting for sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Our results revealed a significant positive association between urinary and dietary Na and adiposity in Korean children and adolescents, independent of SSB consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the relationships between fried food consumption and metabolic risk factors and hypertension in Korean adults. The study was based on the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2010 and 2011. A total of 9221 Korean adults aged ≥19 years were studied. Fried food consumption was assessed using a validated FFQ. Metabolic risk factors such as waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), TAG, HDL-cholesterol and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were measured. Hypertension was defined as SBP≥140 mmHg, DBP≥90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication. Adjusted OR for elevated blood pressure significantly increased in men (OR 1·62; 95 % CI 1·11, 2·37; Ptrend=0·0447) and women (OR 2·20; 95 % CI 1·21, 4·00; Ptrend=0·0403) with a greater than twice a week consumption of fried food compared with those who rarely consumed fried food. However, fried food consumption was not associated with other metabolic risk factors (abdominal obesity, high FPG, hypertriacylglycerolaemia, low HDL-cholesterol and the metabolic syndrome). The adjusted OR for hypertension increased by 2·4-fold in women (OR 2·37; 95 % CI 1·19, 4·72; Ptrend=0·0272) with a greater than twice a week fried food consumption compared with those who rarely consumed it. No significant association was found between fried food consumption and hypertension in men. This study suggests that frequent fried food consumption is associated with hypertension in Korean women. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of different types of fried foods on hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined trends in body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and childhood overweight and obesity prevalence between 1998-2001 and 2010-2012 according to household income and urbanity among nationally representative Korean children and adolescents aged 10-19.Methods: The repeated cross-sectional data from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in 1998-2001 and 2010-2012 were used. Gender specific trends in age-adjusted means of WC and BMI by household equivalized income and urbanity were compared between years. The age-standardized prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity was calculated using three international criteria (International Obesity Task Force, World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and a Korean national reference standard.Results: Among boys, overall BMI and overweight prevalence increased between 1998-2001 and 2010-2012, while overall WC decreased. Clear gender differences were found in the relationship of childhood obesity metrics with household income and urbanity and the time trends of those relationships. Positive relationships between these parameters were found for boys while negative relationships appeared for girls. In addition, compared with the childhood obesity prevalence among boys in rural areas, the prevalence among boys in urban areas were slightly lower in 1998-2001 but became greater in 2010-2012.Conclusions: This study revealed gender difference in the association of childhood obesity with household income and urbanity and its time trends. The long-term gender-specific monitoring of socioeconomic and urban-rural differences in childhood obesity measures is warranted in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this cross‐sectional study was to investigate the relationship between depression in elderly individuals and chronic illness, subjective health status, and cognitive impairment. Method: This study used the dataset of the Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons, which was conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in 2011. Participants (n = 10 674) were randomly selected from a pool of individuals aged 65 years and older. Elderly depression was evaluated by the short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with depression in terms of their sociodemographic and health‐related characteristics. Results: Our results revealed that chronic illness, subjective health status, and cognitive impairment were significant factors associated with depression. In particular, subjective health status showed the highest odds ratio (OR) (OR for bad subjective health status = 4.290, P < 0.001), followed by chronic illness (OR for three or more chronic illnesses = 1.403, P < 0.01) and cognitive impairment (OR = 1.347, P < 0.001) in the final model. Interestingly, the significant association between chronic illness and depression was attenuated (OR for three or more chronic illnesses = 1.403, P = 0.01) or even disappeared (OR for two chronic illnesses = 1.138, P = 0.274; OR for one chronic illnesses = 0.999, P = 0.996) after adjustment for subjective health status in the final model; this may be attributable to the close relationship among the variables studied: chronic illness, subjective health status, and depression. Conclusions: Development and implementation of prevention strategies, including management of chronic illness, individual's perception of health status, and cognitive impairment, could possibly reduce the impact of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited research has been conducted on the association between intake of fruits and vegetables and hypertriglyceridemia, especially in Asian populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between total fruit and vegetable intake, as well as subgroups of fruit and vegetable intake, with hypertriglyceridemia among Korean adults.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 7934 adults aged 19-64 years from the fourth Korean Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Fruit and vegetable intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire. Subgroups of fruits and vegetables included citrus, non-citrus and carotene-rich fruits and cruciferous, green leafy and carotene-rich vegetables. Hypertriglyceridemia (plasma triglyceride ⩾150 mg/dl) was diagnosed using a blood sample drawn after 12+ hours of fasting.Results: There were 2001 (25.2%) cases of hypertriglyceridemia among the participants. Total fruit intake was significantly inversely associated with the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia; the multivariate odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of hypertriglyceridemia across increasing quintiles were 1.00 (ref), 0.76 (0.62, 0.92), 0.72 (0.58, 0.90), 0.68 (0.54, 0.85) and 0.64 (0.49, 0.82; Ptrend=0.001) after controlling for survey year, body mass index, waist circumference, smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, education and income. Similar inverse associations were found for all fruit subgroups. However, we found no significant association between intakes of total or subgroups of vegetable and hypertriglyceridemia; the odds ratio for top vs bottom quintile was 1.00 (0.81-1.24) for total vegetable intake.Conclusions: Our findings support a potential beneficial role of fruit consumption to reduce blood triglyceride levels in Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Near-elderly adults go through many changes in socioeconomic status, such as retirement, which may affect their mental health differently according to when they live. We aimed to compare the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and its changes according to sociodemographic factors using nationally representative surveys of Korean near-elderly adults conducted 10 years apart.Methods: Nationwide community samples of individuals aged 55-64 years living in 2001 (n = 1256) and 2011 (n = 1066) were compared. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to diagnose MDD. Sociodemographic data were collected using self-reported questionnaires including questions on employment and economic status. We examined differences in MDD prevalence and its association with sociodemographic factors over time by calculating 2011-to-2001 odds ratios (ORs) using multivariable logistic regression models.Results: Among near-elderly people, MDD tended to be more prevalent in 2011 than in 2001. However, only near-elderly men in 2011 showed a higher risk of MDD compared with those in 2001 (2011-to-2001 OR 4.19), while women did not. The prevalence ratio by gender decreased from 7.04 in 2001 to 2.34 in 2011. Among vulnerable sociodemographic groups, a significant increase in MDD was observed in unemployed men (adjusted OR 8.35), but not in unemployed women or other vulnerable groups.Conclusion: This study provides evidence of a substantial increase in MDD in Korean near-elderly men and suggests that unemployment should be considered as an important correlate of MDD in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The possibility of developing breast cancer is a concern for all women; however, few studies have examined the relationship between cancer worry and the stages of adoption for breast cancer screening in Korea. Here, we investigated the associations between cancer worry, the stages of adopting breast cancer screening, and socio-demographic factors known to influence screening behaviors. Methods: This study was based on the 2013 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, an annual cross-sectional survey that utilized nationally representative random sampling to investigate cancer screening rates. Data were analyzed from 1,773 randomly selected women aged 40–74 years. Chi-squared tests and multinomial logistic analyses were conducted to determine the associations between cancer worry and the stages of adoption for breast cancer screening and to outline the factors associated with each stage. Results: Korean women were classified into the following stages of adoption for breast cancer screening: pre-contemplation (24.7%), contemplation (13.0%), action/maintenance (50.8%), relapse risk (8.9%), and relapse (2.6%). Women in the action/maintenance stages reported more moderate to higher levels of worry about getting cancer than those in the pre-contemplation stage. Further, age of 40–49 years and having private cancer insurance were associated with women in the action/maintenance stages. Conclusion: Interventions to address breast cancer worry may play an important role in increasing participation and equity in breast cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether indices of obesity are associated with insulin resistance in Korean adolescents. Methods: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional analysis of 817 healthy adolescents aged 15–16 years without diabetes. Percentiles group of weight-for-height, body mass index (BMI)-for-age, waist circumference (WC)-for-age, and skin fold thickness (SFT)-for-age were based on the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts. Percentiles of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and percent body fat were calculated for the study population. Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR). Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio for insulin resistance according to seven obesity indices. Generalized linear models were used to assess the associations between obesity indices and continuous HOMA-IR levels. Results: Sex and age-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for insulin resistance, defined as HOMA-IR>2.50, of the 75–94th and ≥95th percentiles of weight-for-height were 3.87 (2.38–6.30) and 11.37 (5.87–22.02), compared to the <50th percentile. Corresponding odds ratios were 3.27 (2.02–5.28) and 11.72 (6.05–22.73) for BMI-for-age, 4.72 (2.82–7.88) and 13.22 (6.42–27.23) for WC-for-age, 3.67 (2.27–5.94) and 13.58 (6.71–27.48) for WHR, 4.78 (2.99–7.67) and 12.84 (6.23–26.46) for WHtR, 2.62 (1.61–4.26) and 6.68 (3.46–12.90) for SFT-for-age, and 2.29 (1.33–4.26) and 10.06 (4.39–23.06) for body fat. These associations were more prominent when insulin resistance was defined as HOMA-IR>3.16 and were stronger in males than in females. Continuous measure of HOMA-IR was significantly associated with body weight, BMI, WC, WHR, WHtR, and SFT in both sexes (p<0.001), and with percent body fat in males only (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that obesity indices are positively associated with insulin resistance in apparently healthy adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine the association between healthy diet and exercise, individually and combined, and low muscle mass in older Korean adults. Design Population-based cross-sectional study from the Fourth and Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2008 to 2011. Setting Community. Participants Nationally representative sample aged 65 and older (1,486 men, 1,799 women) in the Republic of Korea. Measurements A food frequency questionnaire was used to determine frequency of food group consumption (meat, fish, eggs, legumes; vegetables; fruits). Participation in exercise (aerobic and resistance) was based on self-report. Combined healthy lifestyle factors were calculated as the number of recommendations met regarding consumption of food groups and exercise performed. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass ( ASM) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and low muscle mass was defined using the variable of ASM adjusted for weight. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between healthy lifestyle factors and low muscle mass, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and health-related variables. Results In women, after controlling for covariates, vegetable consumption (odds ratio ( OR) = 0.52, 95% confidence interval ( CI) = 0.30-0.89) and aerobic exercise ( OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.39-1.00) were inversely associated with low muscle mass. Also, the odds of low muscle mass was lower in women with three or more healthy lifestyle factors versus none ( OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.23-0.87). In men, there were no associations between food group consumption and exercise and low muscle mass. Conclusion Older women who exercise and consume a healthy diet have lower odds of low muscle mass. Engaging in multiple healthy behaviors may be important in preventing low muscle mass in late life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between 2-year-old children’s exposure to TV and language delay. Methods: The subjects of this study were 1,778 toddlers (906 males and 872 females) who participated in the Panel Study on Korean Children conducted in 2010. The linguistic ability of the toddlers was measured with the K-ASQ (Korean-Ages and Stages Questionnaire). The relationship between the amount of young children’s exposure to TV and language delay was analyzed with Poisson regression. Results: The average daily TV watching time of 2-year-old Korean toddlers in this study was 1.21 hours. After all confounding variables were adjusted, toddlers with over 2 hours and less than 3 hours of TV watching time had 2.7 times more risk (RR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.13–6.65) of language delay than those with less than 1 hour of TV watching time. Those with more than 3 hours of TV watching time had approximately 3 times (RR = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.12–8.21) more risk (p<0.05). In addition, the risk of language delay increased proportionately with the increase in toddlers’ TV watching time (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Two-year-old Korean toddlers’ average daily TV watching time of more than 2 hours was related with language delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives This study aims to identify the effects of type D personality on symptom control and quality of life and to explore factors influencing quality of life among asthma patients in Korea. Background Psychological factors such as depression and stress are well known to be related to medical outcomes and quality of life in asthma patients. People with type D personality are vulnerable to stress, show poor prognosis in disease and experience low quality of life. Design A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Methods A total of 144 patients with asthma participated in this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires: the Type D Personality Scale-14, Asthma Control Test and Asthma-Specific Quality of Life. Results About 33% of participants were classified into the type D personality group. The type D personality group showed statistically significantly lower symptom control and asthma-specific quality of life compared to the non-type D personality group. Based on forward stepwise multiple regression, the most significant factor of quality of life was symptom control, followed by type D personality, hospitalisation within the previous one year, and lifetime hospitalisation experiences. Conclusions The prevalence of type D personality in asthma patients was high, and type D personality was significantly associated with poor symptom control and low quality of life. Psychosocial interventions might be beneficial to improve symptom control and quality of life in asthma patients with type D personality. Relevance to clinical practice Nurses should be aware of the high prevalence of type D personality and the effects on symptom control and quality of life in asthma patients. Nurses should also provide personality-specific interventions to improve quality of life in such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines ethnic and gender differences in exposure to discrimination and its association with depressive symptoms among five immigrant groups. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 900 adult immigrants (50.8 % men, 49.2 % women) sampled from five ethnic immigrant communities in Toronto between April and September 2001. Men reported higher levels of discrimination than women. Ethiopians had the highest perception of discrimination followed by Korean, Iranian, Vietnamese, and Irish immigrants. With regard to discrimination-related depressive symptoms, Iranian and Korean men showed a greater risk than their Irish counterparts. Among women, Vietnamese and Irish seemed to be more vulnerable to discrimination than other ethnic groups. Despite experiencing the highest level of discrimination, Ethiopian men and women showed no association between discrimination and depressive symptoms. The exposure and psychological response to discrimination vary significantly across ethnicities and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the perception of nursing students/ educators on the contribution of ethics education to ethical competence of nursing students. It addresses questions including how they look at general contribution of ethics education, contribution of ethics education to ethical competence and features of ethics education needed to promote ethical competence. It suggests that ethics education adds to the ethical awareness and ethical reasoning competencies of nursing students.

Objectives: The study examined major diatheses and stressors directly related to suicidal ideation among elderly Korean immigrants. The study also explored the significant interactions among these factors.Method: Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 220 elderly Korean immigrants (age ≥ 65) in Los Angeles County.Results: Using a robust hierarchical regression, the study found that neuroticism and hopelessness were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. In addition, two interaction terms – neuroticism by hopelessness and neuroticism by acculturation – were both significant predictor variables with strong explanatory power.Conclusion: The theoretical implications as well as the practical implications for developing and implementing late-life suicide prevention strategies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Childhood and adolescent overweight is a recognized public health concern as the prevalence is already high and continues to increase. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and overweight status by gender among Korean children and adolescents. Methods The data used in this study were taken from the 2009 Korean Survey on the Obesity of Youth and Children. Underweight individuals (n = 1,010) and children and adolescents whose age, height, or weight information was missing (n = 591) were excluded from the data set, resulting in a total of 8,555 subjects who were included in this analysis. Subjective SES, parental education level, parental occupational status, and family structure were used to measure parental SES. Chi-squared tests were used for univariable analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted for multivariable analysis. Results After adjusting for subject's characteristics including gender, age, parental interest in weight management of children, parental body shape, economic status variables that significantly influenced childhood overweight were identified. Low economic status increased the probability of childhood overweight (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.5). Conclusions There is an inverse association between parental SES variables and the overweight status of children and adolescents. Additionally, parental body shape is an important factor that influences childhood and adolescent overweight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) is a national surveillance system that has been assessing the health and nutritional status of Koreans since 1998. Based on the National Health Promotion Act, the surveys have been conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). This nationally representative cross-sectional survey includes approximately 10 000 individuals each year as a survey sample and collects information on socioeconomic status, health-related behaviours, quality of life, healthcare utilization, anthropometric measures, biochemical and clinical profiles for non-communicable diseases and dietary intakes with three component surveys: health interview, health examination and nutrition survey. The health interview and health examination are conducted by trained staff members, including physicians, medical technicians and health interviewers, at a mobile examination centre, and dieticians’ visits to the homes of the study participants are followed up. KNHANES provides statistics for health-related policies in Korea, which also serve as the research infrastructure for studies on risk factors and diseases by supporting over 500 publications. KCDC has also supported researchers in Korea by providing annual workshops for data users. KCDC has published the Korea Health Statistics each year, and microdata are publicly available through the KNHANES website (http://knhanes.cdc.go.kr). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Higher serum uric acid (UA) was associated with higher bone mass, lower bone turnover, and lower prevalence of vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women. Furthermore, UA suppressed osteoclastogenesis and decreased production of reactive oxygen species in osteoclast precursors, indicating UA may have beneficial effects on bone metabolism as an antioxidant. Introduction: UA is known to play a physiological role as an antioxidant, and oxidative stress has detrimental effects on bone metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the association of serum UA level with the osteoporosis-related phenotypes and its direct effect on bone-resorbing osteoclasts using in vitro systems. Methods: This is a large cross-sectional study, including 7,502 healthy postmenopausal women. Bone mineral density (BMD) and serum UA concentrations were obtained from all subjects. Data on bone turnover markers and lateral thoracolumbar radiographs were available for 1,023 and 6,918 subjects, respectively. An in vitro study investigated osteoclastogenesis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels according to UA treatment. Results: After adjusting for multiple confounders, serum UA levels were positively associated with BMD at all sites (all p < 0.001). Compared with the participants in the highest UA quartile, the odds for osteoporosis were 40 % higher in those in the lowest quartile. The serum UA levels were inversely related to both serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and osteocalcin levels ( p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively). Consistently, subjects with vertebral fracture had lower serum UA levels, compared with those without it ( p = 0.009). An in vitro study showed that UA decreased osteoclastogenesis in a dose-dependent manner and reduced the production of ROS in osteoclast precursors. Conclusion: These results provide epidemiological and experimental evidence that serum UA may have a beneficial effect on bone metabolism as an antioxidant in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Korea, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been widely used in government-led, public health center-based smoking cessation services since 2004 and varenicline has become available from 2007 but without reimbursement. In this study which used a series of nationwide cross-sectional surveys in Korea performed from 2005 to 2011, we examined the prevalence of smoking cessation medication use and factors associated with it. Methods: We analyzed data from the third to fifth waves of Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2011). Prevalence of each smoking cessation method use was calculated for each year, and its secular trend was tested by multivariate logistic regression. Results: Among smokers who made quit attempt during the previous year, 15.7% had used smoking cessation medications,15.3% had used NRT, and 0.7% had used prescription medication. There was a significant increasing trend for NRT use (P<0.001) during the study period, but use of prescription medication did not show any increase over time (P = 0.654) Education on smoking prevention and cessation was associated with smoking cessation medications use (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.58–2.75). Conclusions: While the use of NRT has increased over years through government-sponsored smoking cessation programs, use of prescription drugs remained very low and flat probably due to lack of reimbursement. Education of smokers about effective smoking cessation methods and change in reimbursement policy are suggested to stimulate evidence-based smoking cessation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To investigate cardiac self-efficacy and its predictors among patients with coronary artery diseases. Background Patients with coronary artery diseases must perform the health behaviour to prevent recurrent cardiac events. It has been already well known that self-efficacy is a vital factor in both initiating and maintaining health behaviours. Design Descriptive correlational and cross-sectional survey design. Methods Subjects were interviewed using structured study questionnaires. The data collected were statistically analysed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including the t-test, anova, Tukey's test, Pearson's correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analysis to determine the predictors of cardiac self-efficacy. Results A convenience sample of 214 patients with coronary artery diseases was included. The mean age of subjects was 60·71 ± 10·07 years, and three-fourths were men. The overall model significantly explained 15·8% of variance in cardiac self-efficacy. Among predictors, occupation, diagnosis, body mass index, experience of receiving patient education and awareness of risk factors had statistically significant influences on cardiac self-efficacy. Conclusions Rather than disease knowledge, factors related to subject's perception were more likely to associate with cardiac self-efficacy. These findings might provide a theoretical basis to develop nursing interventions for enhancing cardiac self-efficacy of patients with coronary artery diseases. Relevance to clinical practice Clinical nurses taking care of patients with coronary artery diseases should consider the patients' perception on their coronary artery diseases including experience of receiving patient education, and awareness of risk factors in encouraging the cardiac self-efficacy to promote the health behaviours for the secondary prevention of coronary artery diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To examine the relationship between the perception on parenting practices and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD) symptoms in school-age children. Background Psychosocial attention deficit hyperactivity disorder intervention approaches emphasise environmental risk factors at the individual, family and community level. Parenting variables are strongly related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptom severity. Design A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Methods The participants were 747 children and their parents in two elementary schools. The instruments used were Korean Conners Abbreviated Parent Questionnaire and Korean version Maternal Behavior Research Instrument (measuring four dimensions of parenting practices: affection, autonomy, rejection, control). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results The rejective parenting practice was statistically significant in logistic regression controlling gender and age of children, family structure, maternal education level and socio-economic status. The rejection parenting is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children ( OR = 1·356). Conclusions These results suggest the importance of specific parenting educational programmes for parents to prevent and decrease attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. It would be more effective rather than focusing only on the child's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms, developing educational programmes for parents to prevent rejection parenting practice and improve parenting skills in the family system. Relevance to clinical practice When developing a treatment programme for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, healthcare providers should consider not only the child's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms, but also the parenting practices. Comprehensive interventions designed to prevent rejection and improve parenting skills may be helpful in mitigating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which investigated the effects of work-family conflict and the work environment of nurses as influences on their job satisfaction. The study aimed to provide basic data to inform hospital management administrators, educators and nurse managers about the importance of providing healthy work environments for nurses. It was found that charge nurses have higher job satisfaction than that of staff nurses.

Oxidative stress may be affected by lead exposure as well as antioxidants, yet little is known about the interaction between dietary antioxidants and blood lead levels (BLL) on oxidative stress level. We investigated the interaction between dietary antioxidants and BLL on oxidative stress level. As part of the Biomarker Monitoring for Environmental Health conducted in Seoul and Incheon, Korea, between April and December 2005, we analysed data from 683 adults (female = 47·4 %, mean age 51·4 (sd 8·4) years) who had complete measures on BLL, dietary intakes and oxidative stress marker (urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)). Dietary intakes were assessed by a validated semi-quantitative FFQ, BLL was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and 8-OHdG by ELISA. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the influence of BLL on the association between dietary antioxidants and 8-OHdG. Geometric means of BLL and 8-OHdG concentrations were 4·1 (sd 1·5) μg/dl and 5·4 (sd 1·9) μg/g creatinine, respectively. Increases of vitamins C and E were significantly associated with the decrease of log10 8-OHdG in the adults from the lowest quartile of the BLL group ( ≤ 3·18 μg/dl, geometric mean = 2·36 μg/dl) than those of the highest quartile BLL group (>5·36 μg/dl, geometric mean = 6·78 μg/dl). Regarding antioxidant-related foods, vegetables excluding kimchi showed a higher inverse relationship with 8-OHdG in the lowest quartile BLL group than the highest group. These findings suggest a rationale for lowering the BLL and increasing the intake of dietary antioxidants in the urban population in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background/Aims: An association between metabolic syndrome and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is still controversial. We investigated the association between metabolic syndrome in itself and HRQoL in the Korean adult population. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional analysis of 8,941 adults ≥19 years of age who participated in the 2007 and 2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. EuroQoL five-dimension (EQ-5D), the EQ-5D index and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) were used to assess HRQoL. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 26.2%. Compared to the participants without metabolic syndrome, those with metabolic syndrome were older and comprised a higher proportion of men. Moreover, participants with metabolic syndrome were more likely to have a lower education level, to be current smokers, to have activity limitation and to have more frequent metabolic abnormalities and comorbidities. Metabolic syndrome was associated with HRQoL based on EQ-5D and EQ VAS in simple regression analysis. However, metabolic syndrome was not significantly associated with HRQoL after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, income, education level, marital status, obesity, diabetes mellitus, stroke, history of heart disease and chronic kidney disease for EQ-5D, and in addition history of depression for EQ VAS. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome in itself was not associated with impaired HRQoL after adjusting for confounding variables such as socio-demographic factors, medical comorbidities and obesity. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the family factors affecting on withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in Korea on the basis of Olson's Circumplex Model. A descriptive study was conducted with 364 Korean adults who had experienced a family member with cancer being hospitalized at least 1 month prior in Korea. Data were analysed by using the Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regressions with SPSS/ WIN 15.0 program. The mean score of The mean score of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment appeared low. Significant bivariate correlations were found among withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, family cohesion and family communication. Family factors predicting withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment were family cohesion and family communication. This study demonstrated that balanced families with optimal family cohesion and communication are predicted to easily accept withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for their family member at the terminal stage in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common skin disorder that affects the well-being and quality of life (QOL) of patients. Recently, we developed and validated a questionnaire for measuring QOL in Korean patients with CU, called the Chronic Urticaria-Specific Quality of Life (CU-QOL) questionnaire. Aim. To evaluate the clinical significance of a computerized version of the CU-QOL, in adult patients with CU. Methods. This was a cross-sectional observational study that enrolled 249 Korean patients with CU from five university hospitals and measured computerized CU-QOL scores and Urticaria Activity Score (UAS) simultaneously. The internal consistency of the computerized CU-QOL was analysed using Cronbach α. To identify clinical correlations between the CU-QOL and patient characteristics, the atopic status and serum autoantibodies, including antinuclear, antithyroglobulin and antimicrosome antibodies, were measured. Multiple linear regression models were used to identify CU-QOL predictors. Results. Cronbach α was 0.94 for the overall computerized CU-QOL score. The CU-QOL scores correlated significantly with the UAS ( r = −0.49, P < 0.001). Of the factors aggravating CU, delayed pressure, sunlight exposure and emotional stress significantly influenced the overall CU-QOL scores in the univariate analysis. Multivariate regression models indicated that UAS and emotional stress were significant predictors of the four domains and of the total CU-QOL scores. Conclusions. The computerized CU-QOL is a convenient and valid tool for measuring QOL in patients with CU. This study suggests that UAS, dermatographism and emotional stress are strong CU-QOL predictors in Korean patients with CU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine the perceived health status, family support and life satisfaction of older Korean adults and the relationships among them. This study was designed to be a descriptive correlation study using questionnaire. Subjects were 246 older people who were over 65 years of age in Seoul and Daegu metropolitan city, Korea. Measures were the Cornell Medical Index- Simple Korean Form to measure the perceived health status, the Family Support Instrument to measure the family support and the Standard Life Satisfaction Instrument for Korean people to measure the life satisfaction. Perceived health state was worse as average 3.3, family support was good as average 3.4 and life satisfaction was low as average 3.1. There were statistically significant positive correlations among perceived health state, family support and life satisfaction and between family support and life satisfaction. The predictors of life satisfaction in elderly were family support, age, monthly allowance and perceived health state. These factors explained 37.5% of the total variance. The major influencing factor was family support. This cross-sectional study provides preliminary evidence that to develop nursing strategy to increase family support of older Korean adults is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

kim m.j., park c.g., kim m., lee h., ahn y-h., kim e., yun s-n. & lee k-j. (2012) Quality of nursing doctoral education in Korea: towards policy development. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(7), 1494-1503. Abstract Aims. This article is a report on an international study of the quality of nursing doctoral education; herein, we report findings for Korea. Specific aims were to: examine the validity and reliability of the quality of nursing doctoral education questionnaire; and identify contributing factors and domain(s) for improvement. Background. The quality of nursing doctoral education has been a worldwide concern with the recent rapid increase in number of nursing doctoral programmes around the world, and comprehensive evaluation is needed for policy recommendations. Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted from October 2006 to January 2007, used an online questionnaire evaluating four domains: programme, faculty, resources and evaluation. Seven deans, 48 faculty, 52 graduates and 87 students from 14 nursing schools participated. Results. Content and construct validity, and construct reliability of the questionnaire were established. Overall, participants reported that the perceived quality of private universities/schools was significantly higher than that of public/national universities. A higher ratio of doctoral to non-doctoral students was significantly associated with higher quality. The domains of programme, faculty and resources were highly correlated. The programme was the most important domain; availability of sufficient materials and information for students most needed improvement. Overall, faculty perceived the quality of the programme, faculty and resources as more positively than did the graduates and students. Conclusion. This study provides useful policy guidance for nurse educators worldwide for improving doctoral programmes and faculty's role in educating students. Further study is recommended that examines contributing factors to quality doctoral education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The results of recent studies suggest that factors in rural environments may protect against the development of allergic diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of allergic diseases, to establish if this prevalence is influenced by migration from rural to urban areas and to identify environmental risk factors associated with these diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional study of children aged 9-12 years from a rural village, a rural town and an urban city in Korea was conducted. Demographic and disease-related information was obtained via a detailed questionnaire, and skin prick tests were performed. Results: There were significant differences in lifestyle and environmental factors between children from the rural village, the rural town and the urban children. The prevalence of allergic diseases and atopy was higher in urban children. A lower prevalence of allergic diseases and atopy was associated with farming parents, contact with farm animals during pregnancy, owning pets or a stable, breast-feeding and having older siblings. A comparison of rural village and rural town children revealed no evidence of an association of allergic diseases and atopy with farming parents, contact with farm animals during pregnancy or owning a stable. On the other hand, having older siblings and antibiotic use during infancy were significantly associated with allergic diseases and atopy in these children. Conclusions: Protective factors associated with a farming environment and/or rural lifestyle may influence the prevalence of allergic diseases and atopy in Korean children. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the current practice of the involvement in decision making from the perspectives of terminal cancer patients, and to explore its possible associations with quality of life and quality of death in Korea.Methods: A multi-center, cross-sectional survey was performed on 93 terminal cancer patients. The questionnaire solicited their opinions regarding participation in treatment decision making, as well as quality of life (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire for Palliative Care) and quality of death (Good Death Inventory-Patient Version).Results: A total of 78.5% of the patients had awareness of their terminal status, while 21.5% did not; 42.4% stated that they knew their condition and shared the decision-making responsibility with the medical staff and their family, while 21.7% made decisions on their own, and 35.9% left the decision-making responsibility to others. Patients who were aware of their illness and who actively participated in the decision making did not score higher than others on outcome measures of quality of life and quality of death. Moreover, the former even showed lower scores in some domains, including the ‘physical and psychological comfort’ (4.99 versus 5.61, p = 0.03), ‘environmental comfort’ (5.51 versus 6.04, p = 0.08), and ‘emotional functioning’ (55.70 versus 71.01, p = 0.06).Conclusion: in Korea, patient autonomy is not a universally accepted value from the perspectives of terminal cancer patients, nor is patient involvement in decision making always conducive to high quality of life or quality of death. The level of information and the pace at which it is provided should be tailored to each individual’s ability, preference, need, and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims. The study compared the levels of symptoms and uncertainty, their associated factors, relationships between them and predictors of uncertainty by treatment trajectory among breast cancer survivors. Background. Little is known with regard to how uncertainty and symptoms are related to treatment trajectory among breast cancer survivors. Design. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Method. A total of 252 women with breast cancer, receiving cancer therapy, or having completed their therapy were recruited from the National Cancer Center in Korea. Measurements used included symptom subscales of the European Organization of Research and Therapy for Cancer QLQ-C30 and Breast Cancer Module BR23 and the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale. Results. Women in treatment reported more severe symptoms and higher levels of uncertainty than women having completed treatment. During treatment, most symptoms were positively correlated with the level of uncertainty, whereas, in women who had completed treatment, only dyspnoea, insomnia, systemic therapy side effects and arm symptoms positively correlated with uncertainty. There were also differences in predictors of uncertainty by treatment trajectory. Age, marital status and pain were significant predictors of uncertainty during treatment, while monthly income, dyspnoea and insomnia were predictors of uncertainty after treatment. Conclusions. Among breast cancer survivors, levels of symptoms and uncertainty, associated factors, relationships between them and predictors of uncertainty differed depending on treatment trajectory. Relevance to clinical practice. To provide trajectory-sensitive nursing intervention for uncertainty among breast cancer survivors, age, marital status and pain should be considered during treatment, while factors such as economic status, dyspnoea and insomnia should be taken into account after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008, the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) initiated Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS), the first nationwide survey to provide data that could be used to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate community health promotion and disease prevention program. This community-based cross-sectional survey has been conducted by 253 community health centers, 36 community universities and 1,500 interviewers. The KCHS standardized questionnaire is developed jointly by KCDC staff, a working group of health indicators standardization subcommittee and 16 metropolitan cities and provinces with 253 regional sites. The KCHS was administered by trained interviewers and the quality control of KCHS was improved by introduction of computer-assisted personal interview in 2010. The questionnaire was reviewed annually so that revised and/or new questions could be added based on public health policy. The additional questions included the fixed and rotating cores, emerging issues and optional modules. The standardized questionnaire of KCHS covered a wide variety of health topics, which could be used to assess the prevalence of personal health behaviors related to causes of disease. The KCHS data allows that the differences of health issues among provinces can be directly compared. Furthermore, the provinces can use these data for their own cost-effective health interventions to improve health promotion and disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe acculturation, food patterns, overweight, and gender differences among Korean immigrants in the United States. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory survey assessed acculturation, food frequencies, and weight status of 195 Korean immigrants. Results: Acculturated Korean immigrants (score ≥2.5) were more likely to consume both healthy and unhealthy US foods. Acculturation was not associated with overweight. Men were more likely to be acculturated (OR=2.46; CI=1.26-4.79) and overweight (OR=5.08; CI=2.37- 10.90) than women. Moreover, overweight men reported more frequent consumption of fast foods, hot dogs (OR=2.92;CI=1.18-7.22), and tacos (OR=4.12;CI=1.60-10.62) than did nonoverweight men. Conclusion: Dietary interventions in Korean immigrants should take gender differences in acculturation and food patterns into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike previous studies focusing on either market structure or gender earning gap separately, this study considers market structure as a more crucial factor in determining the gender earning gap. The estimated wage differentials between sectors from the fixed-effects (FE) model demonstrate a substantial drop in the size of wage gaps, reflecting systematic sorting between formal and informal sectors by unobserved workers’ abilities. While estimated wage differentials from cross-sectional analysis between formal and informal sector among male workers disappear in the FE estimations, the wage gap between the formal and the informal sector among female workers still exists in the FE estimations, thus suggesting a differing dual labor market severity between gender groups. Based on these empirical results, we discuss a policy direction involving simultaneous consideration of the dual structure of the labor market and gender discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]