• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.221-232
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore emergency room nurse's work experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data were collected from 15 registered nurses working in the emergency room between October, 10th and December 15th, 2020, through focus group interviews and in depth interviews. Collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: The study derived four categories and eight themes. The four categories are 'sense of cringing with fear', 'nursing in chaotic situation', 'lonely struggles', and 'career growth as a nurse'. Emergency room nurses experienced fear and confusion in the COVID-19 pandemic, but overcame the crisis and had positive experiences of professional growth as a nurse. Conclusion: To protect emergency room nurses from infectious disease and improve their professional quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic appropriate education and healthcare resource should be provided. It is necessary to reflect clinical worker's opinions and improve the delivery system of guideline to reduce confusion in the field and develop practical infectious disease control guideline. Furthermore, better working conditions, appropriate rewards and social and mental support should be provided for nurses in emergency room.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.145-154
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study investigated clinical competency, COVID-19-related anxiety, coping strategies, self-efficacy, and perceived stress among graduating nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey. Participants were recruited from universities located in four major cities in South Korea. General demographic information, clinical competency, self-efficacy, perceived stress, COVID-19-related anxiety, and coping strategies were assessed using reliable questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean clinical competency, self-efficacy, perceived stress, adaptive coping, and maladaptive coping were 138.16 ± 18.34, 83.85 ±14.02, 21.37 ± 5.79, 53.15 ± 4.64, and 30.98 ± 6.73, respectively. COVID-19-related anxiety was reported by 4.3% of participants. Clinical competency was significantly positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = .44, p < .001) and adaptive coping (r = .20, p = .035) and was significantly negatively correlated with maladaptive coping (r = .20, p = .035). The predictors of clinical competency were self-efficacy (β = .434, p < .001) and adaptive coping (β = .173, p < .039), which explained 23% of the variance in clinical competency. Conclusion: Self-efficacy and adaptive coping strategies are significant predictors of clinical competence during the pandemic. Planning and implementing various curricular and non-curricular activities to increase senior students' self-efficacy and adaptive coping strategies will help prepare competent nursing graduates for the pandemic when they enter the nursing workforce.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.418-431
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The aims of this study were to examine the rate of depression among older adults living alone and to identify factors associated with depression in older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A secondary data analysis was performed using data from the 2020 Korea Community Health Survey. The study participants were 18,824 older adults aged 65 years and over living alone. The data of the complex sample design was analyzed with consideration for weights, stratification, and clustering. Complex sample multiple logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with depression in older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The results showed that the rate of depression in older adults living alone was 6.3%. Older adults living alone with decreased physical activity, decreased hours of sleep, and an increased or similar frequency of meeting with friends or neighbors were found to be more likely to have depression. In terms of factors related to the practice of COVID-19 infection prevention and control rules, not disinfecting regularly and not wearing a mask indoors were related to depression. For health-related factors, fair or poor self-rated health status, not having breakfast every day, and feeling stressed were related to depression. Conclusion: It is recommended to develop tailored interventions to prevent depression among older adults living alone by considering the factors related to their depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.17-28
• /
• 2024

This study aimed to analyze whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the characteristics of first-visit patients with peripheral facial palsy (PFP) and observe changes in their characteristics. This study analyzed the electronic medical records of 2,310 first-visit patients with PFP who visited the Facial Palsy Center, Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, in terms of demographic characteristics, disease phase, residence locations, hospital visit route, and patient care. During COVID-19, the proportion of acute patients increased by 5.3%, the proportion of visits by residents in Seoul increased by 3.8%, and the proportion of patients receiving only outpatient treatments increased by 12.8%. Significant relationships were present between the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the number of patients by disease phase (p = 0.043), residence locations (p = 0.003), and patient care (p = 0.003). Thus, several differences in the characteristics of first-visit patients with PFP visiting a Korean medicine hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of demographic characteristics, disease phase, residence locations, and patient care.

• East Asian Economic Review
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.69-94
• /
• 2024

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions across industries worldwide. This paper aims to analyze the economic impact of the pandemic on the sales performance of basic commercial areas in Seoul, Korea. Using a regression analysis with credit card transaction data, the study underscores the critical nature of determining the reference point for comparison. Firstly, in comparison to the revenue in the same quarter before the onset of the pandemic, a significant decrease in revenue was observed across most categories during the pandemic periods. Secondly, when compared to the counterfactual revenue in the same period, extrapolated by an exponential smoothing forecasting, the overall revenue decrease during the periods was less pronounced, except in a few categories. Interestingly, certain categories appeared to witness marginal increases in sales after the pandemic. The paper discusses some policy implications of these findings.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.106-118
• /
• 2024

This study examined whether the perceptions of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and individual and environmental factors related to healthy eating changed after the COVID-19 pandemic among adults living in Daqing, China. Data were collected through two rounds of online surveys conducted from April to May 2021 and from March to April 2023, using a questionnaire previously validated for use in Daqing. Using the snowball sampling method, 571 adult participants were recruited, most of whom were Daqing oilfield workers or members of their families. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine if the differences in the perceptions of the TPB and dietary environments exist during and after the pandemic after controlling for potential confounders. Scores of several subcomponents of TPB and mean scores of longterm intentions increased but scores of subcomponents and overall mean of motivation decreased after the outbreak. Multiple linear regression showed that only motivation for healthy eating decreased after the pandemic. Influenced by the pandemic, people increased their healthy eating behaviors. Nevertheless, as the pandemic subsided and the pace of life accelerated, people tended to choose convenient foods over healthy options. Consequently, the motivation for healthy eating has declined post-pandemic compared to during the pandemic.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.155-161
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated a redistribution of resources to meet hospitals' service needs. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on a regional trauma center in South Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed cases of polytrauma at a single regional trauma center in South Korea between January 20 and September 30, 2020 (the COVID-19 period) and compared them to cases reported during the same time frame (January 20 to September 30) between 2016 and 2019 (the pre-COVID-19 period). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes included the number of daily admissions, hospital length of stay (LOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS. Results: The mean number of daily admissions decreased by 15% during the COVID-19 period (4.0±2.0 vs. 4.7±2.2, p=0.010). There was no difference in mechanisms of injury between the two periods. For patients admitted during the COVID-19 period, the hospital LOS was significantly shorter (10 days [interquartile range (IQR) 4-19 days] vs. 16 days [IQR 8-28 days], p<0.001); however, no significant differences in ICU LOS and mortality were found. Conclusions: The observations at Regional Trauma Center, Pusan National University Hospital corroborate anecdotal reports that there has been a decline in the number of patients admitted to hospitals during the COVID-19 period. In addition, patients admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic had a significantly shorter hospital LOS than those admitted before the COVID-19 pandemic. These preliminary data warrant validation in larger, multi-center studies.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.172-179
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Out-of-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) often has a poor prognosis despite rescue efforts. Although the incidence and mortality of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have increased, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has decreased in some countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the prehospital setting, immediate treatment of cardiac arrest is required without knowing the patient's COVID-19 status. Because COVID-19 is usually transmitted through the respiratory tract, airway management can put medical personnel at risk for infection. This study explored whether on-scene treatments involving CPR for TCA patients changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. Methods: This retrospective study used data from emergency medical services (EMS) run sheets in Gangwon Province from January 2019 to December 2021. Patients whose initial problem was cardiac arrest and who received CPR were included. Data in 2019 were classified as pre-COVID-19 and all subsequent data (from 2020 and 2021) as post-COVID-19. Age, sex, possible cause of cardiac arrest, and treatments including airway maneuvers, oropharyngeal airway (OPA) or i-gel insertion, endotracheal intubation (ETI), bag-valve mask (BVM) ventilation, intravenous (IV) line establishment, neck collar application, and wound dressing with hemostasis were investigated. Results: During the study period, 2,007 patients received CPR, of whom 596 patients had TCA and 367 had disease-origin cardiac arrest (DCA). Among the patients with TCA, 192 (32.2%) were pre-COVID-19 and 404 (67.8%) were post-COVID-19. In the TCA group, prehospital treatments did not decrease. The average frequencies were 59.7% for airway maneuvers, 47.5% for OPA, 57.4% for BVM, and 51.3% for neck collar application. The rates of ETI, i-gel insertion, and IV-line establishment increased. The treatment rate for TCA was significantly higher than that for DCA. Conclusions: Prehospital treatments by EMS workers for patients with TCA did not decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the rates of ETI, i-gel insertion, and IV-line establishment increased.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.187-206
• /
• 2020

Under the on-going evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, estimating the economic impact of the pandemic is highly uncertain and challenging. This situation makes it difficult for policymakers, governors, and economic entities to formulate appropriate responses and decision makings. To provide useful information about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Korean economy, this study examined macroeconomic impact analysis stemming from the pandemic shocks with different scenarios for the Korean economy. Based on three scenarios using the growth rate of 2020 GDP and consumer expenditure patterns, the 2021 GDP by industry sector was forecast with two new approaches. First, the recovering process of the Korean economy from the shock was analyzed by applying a Flex-IO method. Second, a new forecasting approach combined with an IO coefficient matrix was applied to forecast the future GDP changes. The findings of this study are summarized as follows: First, the total GDP growth rate under the Pessimistic Scenario demonstrates less rebound from the shock than that of the Base Scenario. Second, agriculture, culture, and tourism-related sectors that are suffering from the severe losses of COVID-19 showed lower resilience than other different industries. Third, information and communications technology (ICT) industry maintains a stable growth trend and is expected to take the leading role for the Korean economy in the post-COVID-19 and the Industry 4.0 eras. The findings deliver that it needs to analyze how government expenditure responding the shock into the forecasting model, which can be more useful and reliable to simulate the resilience from the pandemic.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.544-553
• /
• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There are concerns about the adverse health effects of behavioral changes linked to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a survey to investigate changes in lifestyle habits, including exercise and eating, during the COVID-19 pandemic and their association with changes in weight. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We conducted a survey of 5,000 people in Hakui City, Japan, to assess their lifestyles and diets during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 3,992 complete responses were received. We also obtained pre- and post-pandemic health check-up data for 704 of the respondents. These health data were combined with the results of the questionnaire survey to identify factors associated with weight changes. Data were analyzed for 704 individuals. RESULTS: The mean body mass index was 22.5 ± 3.1 kg/m² for respondents whose weight did not change and 25.1 ± 2.7 kg/m² for respondents whose weight increased. The pre-pandemic mean values for abdominal circumference in females and for gamma-glutamyl transferase in males tended to be higher in those whose weight increased. Those with decreased weight tended to be older. Respondents who were already overweight were more likely to gain weight because of COVID-19-related changes in their lifestyle. In males, alcohol consumption was directly associated with weight, and in females, abdominal circumference was more important. CONCLUSION: The study found pre-pandemic overweight individuals likely gained more weight during it, with alcohol consumption being a significant factor for males. Weight loss was more crucial for those over 70, rather than weight gain.