• Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.957-963
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• 2015

Objective To compare the pain-reducing effect of forest bathing alone versus forest bathing in combination with stretching and strengthening exercises in patients with chronic posterior neck pain. Methods Sixty-four subjects with posterior neck pain that had lasted more than 3 months were enrolled. They were randomly divided into a forest bathing alone (FBA) group and a forest bathing with exercise (FBE) group; each group included 32 subjects. All subjects from both groups walked every morning in the forest for about 2 hours for 5 days. In the afternoon, the FBE group did a stretching and strengthening exercise for about 4 hours; the FBA group had free time in the woods. Visual analog scale (VAS) on one day, VAS over the previous week, neck disability index (NDI), EuroQol 5D-3L VAS (EQ VAS) and index (EQ index), McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ), the number of trigger points in the posterior neck region (TRPs), and the range of motion of the cervical spine were evaluated on the first and last day of the program and compared between the two groups. Results The number of TRPs were significantly reduced in the FBE group compared with the FBA group (p=0.013). However, the other scales showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion When patients with chronic posterior neck pain underwent a short-term forest bathing (less than 7 days) program, FBE was more effective in the reduction of the number of TRPs than FBA. However, all other pain measurement scales we evaluated showed no statistically significant difference between the two protocols.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2021

Objectives: We conducted a retrospective chart review to investigate the effects of Korean Medicine (KM) treatment on weight loss in patients with morbid obesity (body mass index [BMI]≥30 kg/m²) and to compare the effects of KM counseling and non-counseling on weight loss. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with morbid obesity who received KM treatment for at least 1 month. We evaluated the effects of KM treatment on body weight, BMI, body fat, fat mass, EuroQol-5D, and the Korean version of the obesity-related quality of life scale (KOQOL). We also assessed the liver and kidney functions, and adverse events. We performed a comparative analysis between the counseling and non-counseling groups. Results: A total of 37 patients who underwent 4 weeks of KM treatment involving Wolbi-tang, electroacupuncture, and KM counseling were included in this study. Twenty-one patients were assigned to the counseling group and sixteen patients to the non-counseling group. There was a significant decrease in weight, BMI, fat mass, and KOQOL (P<0.05) with improvements in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. The counseling group had a greater reduction in body weight, BMI, body fat, and fat mass compared to the non-counseling group, although it was not significant. In the BMI below 35 (n=25), the reduction ratio of body weight, body fat mass, and body fat was higher in the counseling group than in the non-counseling group; additionally, body fat decreased significantly in counseling group (P<0.05). No severe adverse effects were observed. Conclusion: KM treatment could be effective for weight loss, especially in patients with morbid obesity, KM counseling could also be a good tool for weight loss, typically in patients with BMI<35 kg/m².

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.538-555
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• 2018

Purpose: This study examined the association of the type and frequency of coffee consumption with the health-related quality of life and metabolic bio-markers in adult men and women from the 2013 ~ 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Methods: A total of 11,201 subjects (4,483 men and 6,718 women) were classified according to the type of coffee consumption (non-coffee, black coffee, 3-in-1 coffee) and type and frequency of coffee consumption (non-coffee, ${\leq}2$ times/day of black coffee, > 2 times/day of black coffee, ${\leq}2$ times/day of 3-in-1 coffee, > 2 times/day of 3-in-1 coffee) using food frequency questionnaires. Dietary nutrient intake data were assessed using food frequency questionnaires. The health-related quality of life was measured using the EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and EQ-5D index score. Data on metabolic bio-markers were obtained from a health examination. Results: Among men and women, the proportion of subjects with an energy intake below the estimated energy requirement (EER) was lower among the 3-in-1 coffee consumption group, and the proportion of subjects with iron intakes below the estimated average requirements (EAR) was lower among the 3-in-1 coffee consumption group. Women (OR: 0.810, 95% CI: 0.657 ~ 0.998) with the ${\leq}2$ times/day of 3-in-1 coffee had a lower risk of impaired health-related quality of life (lowest 20% level in the EQ-5D score) compared to the non-coffee consumers after a multivariable adjustment. In both men and women, the type and frequency of coffee consumption was not associated with metabolic bio-markers risk after multivariable adjustment. Conclusion: These results suggest that 3-in-1 coffee consumption may be associated with a lower risk of impaired health-related quality of life and may not be associated with the metabolic bio-markers risk in adult men and women.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the instrument on pattern identification for insomnia (PIT-Insomnia) and verify the correlation between PIT-Insomnia and psychological tests. Methods: Two evaluators examined the pattern identification of the participants who met insomnia disorder diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and took the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score over 15 once manually and twice using the PIT-Insomnia to measure the inter-rater and test-retest reliability. We also conducted the following surveys: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Korean version of Beck's depression inventory (K-BDI), the Korean version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-K), the Korean Symptom checklist-95 (KSCL-95), and the EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D), to measure concurrent validity and correlation between the PTI-Insomnia and psychological tests. Results: 1. The test-retest reliability analysis of the pattern identification results showed moderate agreement, and test-retest reliability analysis of each pattern identification score showed agreements from poor to moderate. 2. The inter-rater reliability analysis of the pattern identification results via manual showed slight agreement, when analysis was performed with calibration, the inter-rater reliability analysis of the pattern identification results via manual showed fair agreement. 3. The concordance analysis between results via manual and the PIT-Insomnia showed poor agreement, when the analysis was performed with calibration, concordance analysis showed fair agreement. 4. The concordance analysis between the PIT-Insomnia and the PSQI showed positive linear correlation. 5. The concordance analysis between the PIT-Insomnia and the PSQI, K-BDI, STAI-K, KSCL-95, and EQ-5D showed that non-interaction between the heart and kidney have positive linear correlation with the K-BDI, anxiety item of KSCL-95, dual deficiency of the heart-spleen have positive linear correlation with somatization item of KSCL-95, paranoia item of KSCL-95, heart deficiency with timidity have positive linear correlation with stress vulnerability item of KSCL-95, parania item of KSCL-95, phlegm-fire harassing the heart have positive linear correlation with K-BDI, paranoia item of KSCL-95, depressed liver qi transforming into fire have positive linear correlation with the anxiety item of KSCL-95, parania item of KSCL-95, all pattern identification have negative linear correlation with EQ-5D. Conclusions: The PIT-Insomnia has moderate agreement of reliability and reflects the severity of insomnia since it has some concurrent validity with the PSQI. There are some correlations between the PTI-Insomnia with specific psychological tests, so we could suggest it can be used appropriately in the clinical situation.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2021

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate quality of life, severity of depression, suicidality, subjective health and subjective stress of depression with subjective cognitive decline in Korean adults. Methods : We used the 7th KNHANES data to enroll 415 participants with a score of 10 or higher on Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), aged 20-64. Depression was divided into two groups based on the presence/absence of subjective cognitive decline. Demographic and psychological characteristics were compared between two groups. Correlation analysis of subjective cognitive decline, quality of life, depression, suicidal idea was carried out. To detect which variables influenced quality of life, a multiple regression analysis was carried out. Results : Among the 415 participants, 98 had depression with subjective cognitive decline. We identified significant differences in age, marital status, education, employment between the two groups. After adjusting for these variables, depression with subjective cognitive decline had lower EuroQol-5D index scores, more severe depressive symptoms without cognition and worse subjective health than depression without cognitive decline. There was a significant correlation between subjective cognitive decline and quality of life (r=-0.236, p<0.001), suicidal idea (r=0.182, p<0.001), depression score without cognition (r=0.108, p=0.028). Through multiple regression analysis, subjective cognitive decline was predictor of reduced quality of life (β=-0.178, p<0.001). Conclusions : Depression with subjective cognitive decline has poor quality of life and severe depression. Cognitive decline should be considered to improve treatment result in depression.