• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.725-735
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of burden, family resilience and adaptation of caregivers of elderly patients with dementia, and further to identify factors influencing their adaptation. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed. Data were collected from questionnaires distributed to 131 family caregivers of elderly patients who visited at the Centers for Dementia in Seoul during 2012~2013. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The average age of the care giving subjects was 63.58, and 31.3% were male, and 41.2% were the spouses. Statistically significant relationships were found between burden and adaptation (r=-.38, p<.001), and between family resilience and adaptation (r=.52, p<.001), and between burden and family resilience (r=-.35, p=.001). Thirty percent of adaptation was explained by burden and family resilience. The most influencing factor to adaptation was family resilience which explained about 27% of the variance. Conclusion: The results of the study clearly indicate that family resilience explains better than burden on adaptation of family caregivers. Thus, to develop more effective nursing intervention for family caregivers of elderly patients with dementia, it would be necessary to integrate family resilience in the programs. 27% is not that much and I wonder if we have to do more work to identify the factors that influence care giving.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.47-52
• /
• 2020

Glucagon regulates glucose and fat metabolism as well as being involved in the production of ketone bodies. The new antidiabetic drug, a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, increases glucagon, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization due to heart failure. The presence of metabolic syndrome is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases(CVD) in type 2 diabetes(T2DM) patients. We, thus, investigated the association between glucagon levels and metabolic syndrome in T2DM patients. This cross-sectional study involved 317 T2DM patients. Fasting and postprandial (30 min after ingestion of a standard mixed meal) glucagon levels were measured. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. A multiple regression logistic analysis was employed for statistical evaluation. A total of 219 (69%) subjects had metabolic syndrome. The fasting and postprandial glucagon levels did not differ between the group with metabolic syndrome and the group without. Postprandial glucagon levels increased significantly with the increase in the number of metabolic syndrome components, but the fasting levels did not. However, a hierarchical logistic regression analysis revealed that the postprandial glucagon levels did not contribute significantly to metabolic syndrome even after adjusting for other covariates. Fasting and postprandial glucagon levels are not associated with metabolic syndrome in T2DM patients. However, further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between glucagon and cardiovascular risk in patients with T2DM.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.499-508
• /
• 2010

Purpose: Cardiovascular risk factor modification is important for patients with coronary artery disease to prevent poor progression of the disease. Without an understanding and an awareness of risk factors, patients with coronary artery disease are not able to reduce their risk by the lifestyle modification. The aims of this study were to assess patient's awareness of risk factors and to identify predictors of awareness of risk factors. Methods: A descriptive correlational study using a cross-sectional survey method was performed. The sites of the study were three hospitals in Seoul, Korea. The sample consisted of 214 subjects. The awareness of risk factors and other subjects' characteristics were measured by a questionnaire developed for this study. Results: A range of subjects (gender: 72.0%; hyperlipidemia: 51.9%; hypertension: 40.7%; obese: 37.4%; age: 35.5%; smoking: 22.4%; diabetes: 19.2%; family history: 18.2%) were not able to accurately identify the risk factors. Among predictors, gender (${\beta}$=-.17) and diabetics (${\beta}$=-.25) had statistically significant influences on awareness of risk factors. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the lack of awareness of risk factors for coronary artery disease. The findings have important implications for nursing practice in terms of guiding educational strategies for the modification of risk factors for coronary heart disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.165-168
• /
• 2012

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of oral cancer and its associated factors among university students in Malaysia. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 200 university students in Malaysia. A self administered questionnaire was used to collect data. It included questions on sociodemographic data, awareness and knowledge of oral cancer. Results: Mean age of the respondents was $21.5{\pm}2.5$ and the age ranged from 18 to 27 years. The majority of the respondents were aware of oral cancer (92.0%) and recognized the followings as signs and symptoms of oral cancer: ulcer and oral bleeding (71.0%), followed by swelling (61.5%). A satisfactory knowledge was observed on the following risk factors; smoking (95.5%), poor oral hygiene (90.5%), family history (90.0%), alcohol (84.5%) and poor fitting dentures (83.0%). However, unsatisfactory knowledge was observed about hot/spicy food (46.5%), obesity (36.0%), old age (31.5%), dietary factor (29.0%) and smokeless tobacco (25.5%). Knowledge of oral cancer was associated significantly with age (p<0.01), year of study (p<0.01) and course of study (p<0.01). Conclusion: Instead of satisfactory awareness and knowledge of oral cancer and its clinical presentations, inadequate knowledge was observed about its risk factors. There is a need to introduce oral cancer education among university students.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.3619-3623
• /
• 2013

Background: The scientific evidence relating to the burden of oral diseases attributable to tobacco use has been reviewed and the need for a well-structured dental teaching program concentrating on oral cancer education and tobacco cessation interventions has been emphasized. The aim of our study was to evaluate the awareness of oral cancer and perception of tobacco use cessation counseling among dental students at all study levels in India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Materials and Methods: A structured, pre-tested, self-administered 15-item questionnaire was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey. Data analyses including percentages, frequency distributions and tests of chi-square were generated. Results: A total of 621 (97.6%) Indian, 493 (96.5%) Saudi, 194 (96.5%) Yemeni and 187 (98.4%) United Arab Emirates respondents recognized the association between oral cancer and cigarette smoking. Although more than 96% of the students surveyed recognized the association between oral cancer and cigarette smoking and about 55% reported cigarette smoking as one of the etiological factors of oral cancer, more than 66% of students who reported cigarette smoking as an etiological factor of oral cancer disagreed/strongly disagreed with all the statements concerning tobacco use cessation. Conclusions: A higher level of oral cancer awareness did not have a positive impact on the perception of tobacco use cessation counseling among the sample surveyed.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.213-219
• /
• 2019

Background: Smoking exerts an adverse effect on the periodontal tissue by reorganizing the ecosystem of oral microorganisms and is considered to be an important factor in the development of periodontal disease. Although cross-sectional studies on smokers and non-smokers have been attempted to investigate the microbial differences in periodontal oral cavity, only few studies have been conducted to investigate the changes in oral microorganisms during smoking cessation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of bacteria in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) over a period of one year among 11 smokers trying to quit smoking. Methods: Eleven smokers trying to quit smoking visited the clinic at baseline, two weeks, two months, four months, six months, and 12 months to give saliva and GCF samples. The amounts of 16S rRNA, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum, Streptococcus mutans, and Streptococcus sobrinus in saliva and GCF were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction TaqMan probe assay. The results were analyzed by nonparametric statistical analysis using Friedman test and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: After cessation of smoking, the amounts of 16S rRNA corresponding to P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum, P. intermedia, and T. denticola in saliva decreased and then again increased significantly. The amount of F. nucleatum 16S rRNA in GCF decreased significantly after smoking cessation. Positive correlations were observed between 16S rRNA and F. nucleatum and between F. nucleatum and T. denticola in saliva and GCF. Conclusion: Even if the number of subjects in this study was small, we suggest that smoking cessation may reduce the total bacterial amount and F. nucleatum in GCF. However, the results regarding changes in the microbial ecosystem due to smoking or smoking cessation were inconsistent. Therefore, further in-depth studies need to be carried out.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.139-147
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting maintenance of exercise among elderly with metabolic syndrome. In order to achieve this purpose, the study design was used a cross-sectional survey. Study participants were a total of 136 elderly with metabolic syndrome and they completed the questionnaire consisted of outcome expectations, exercise self-efficacy, exercise social support, physical activity environment, and exercise maintenance. The data was analyzed using frequency, $X^2$, t-test, and Logistic regression by SPSS Win 20.0 program. The study results had shown that factors affecting maintenance of exercise among elderly with metabolic syndrome, were gender, outcome expectation, and exercise self-efficacy. This study results indicated that the personal motivation such as self-efficacy and outcome expectation among elderly with metabolic syndrome was the most important factor to maintain their exercise. Therefore, we should consider on developing health promotion program to enhance the personal motivation such self-efficacy and outcome expectation for elderly with metabolic syndrome. In addition, this results would used to develop adequate nursing strategies for taking care them in the community.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.536-545
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influencing effects of type D personality on symptom experiences and quality of life in percutaneous coronary intervention patients. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 158 patients with percutaneous coronary intervention participated in this study, between July 1 and November 1, 2015. Data were analyzed by means, standard deviations, t-test, $x^2$ test, ANCOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analysis using SPSS 22.0 program. Results: About 53.8% of participants were classified as type D personality. The type D personality group reported statistically significantly higher symptom experience, lower cardiac function, and lower cardiovascular-specific quality of life compared to non-type D personality group. On stepwise multiple regression, the most significant factor of quality of life was symptom experiences (adjusted $R^2=.25$, p<.001), followed by type D personality (adjusted $R^2=.31$, p<.001). Conclusion: Personality trait assessment is recommended for patients with percutaneous coronary intervention to assess symptom experiences and quality of life. In addition, development of nursing intervention might be beneficial to manage symptom experience and quality of life in percutaneous coronary intervention patients with type D personality.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2014

Usage of heavy metal element (Pb, Hg and Cd etc.) in electronic devices have been restricted due to the environmental banning of the European Union, such as WEEE and RoHS. Therefore, it is needed to develop the Pb-free solder plated ribbon in photovoltaic (PV) module. This study described that degradation characteristics of PV module under damp heat (DH, $85^{\circ}C$ and 85% R.H.) condition test for 1,000 h. Solar cell ribbons were utilized to hot dipping plate with Pb-free solder alloys. Two types of Pb-free solder plated ribbons, Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) and Sn-48Bi-2Ag, and an electroless Sn-40Pb solder hot dipping plated ribbon as a reference sample were prepared to evaluate degradation characteristics. To detect the degradation of PV module with the eutectic and Pb-free solder plated ribbons, I-V curve, electro-luminescence (EL) and cross-sectional SEM analysis were carried out. DH test results show that the reason of maximum power (Pm) drop was mainly due to the decrease fill factor (FF). It was attributed to the crack or oxidation of interface between the cell and the ribbon. Among PV modules with the eutectic and Pb-free solder plated ribbon, the PV module with SAC305 ribbon relatively showed higher stability after DH test than the case of PV module with Sn-40Pb and Sn-48Bi-2Ag solder plated ribbons.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.317-321
• /
• 2016

Background: This study was conducted with aim of providing an overview of the current status of occupational health services and identifying the most common harmful agents at workplaces of Iranian self-employed enterprises (Nano-Scale Enterprises). Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among a random sample including 1,758 employees engaging in self-employed enterprises with 5 and less employees. Results: Coverage of occupational health surveillance was very poor, annual health examinations were been conducted only for 64 (3.64%) of males and 31 (1.76%) of females, and occupational health trainings were not included of the services at all. Personal Protective Equipment were available in 462 (26.3%) of the enterprises. only in 0.4% of the enterprises working processes were been equipped by a local exhaust ventilation system. Difficult postures were the most common (81.5%) adverse working conditions. Conclusion: This study revealed a poor level of the implementation of occupational health services in Iranian self-employed enterprises. Based on the findings, providing basic training on the occupational health, more enforcing in conduction of health examinations and providing PPE, and taking appropriate strategies aimed at eliminating or minimizing work environment harmful agents are the major factor that should be considered to improve the level of occupational health services among the studied enterprises.