• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2017

Purpose: The purposes of this secondary analysis study was to examine prevalence, risk factors and unmet healthcare needs among adults with hypertension. Methods: A sample of 3,386 adults over the age of 40 with hypertension were drawn from the Korea Health Panel Study (2013). Using SPSS 22.0 version, descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, chi-square and logistic regression were performed. Results: Results showed that 18.9% of the sample reported unmet healthcare needs with the most frequently cited one was financial burdens (43.2%). The reported experiences of unmet healthcare needs differed by gender, marital status, vision or hearing impairment, memory problem, impaired mobility, subjective health status, total family income, depressive episode and the difficulty in making decisions. The sample participants were more likely to report unmet healthcare if they had vision impairment, low income and perception that their health status as moderate to poor. Those without vision impairment were less likely to report unmet healthcare needs. Conclusion: The identified risk factors of unmet healthcare needs should be addressed which would enhance access both to health care and to resolution of unmet healthcare needs. Since visual ability seems to impact perception of unmet healthcare needs, it may be useful to find ways to address this factor.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.584-594
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of visual and hearing impairment and to investigate the effect of visual and hearing impairment on depression and cognitive function in community-dwelling Korean elderly. Methods: The study population consisted of a representative community sample of 4,028 persons aged 65 and older from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging 2008. Depression and cognitive function were measured by CES-D 10-item scale and K-MMSE. Visual and hearing impairment were measured by 5-Likert scale. Data were analyzed using Rao-Scott ${\chi}^2$-test, simple and multiple logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of visual and hearing impairment were 37.3% and 14.0%, respectively. Of the participants, the prevalence of depression was 58.4% and cognitive impairment was 50.6%. There were significant differences in depression and cognitive function according to visual and hearing impairment. Far vision and hearing impairment were predictors for both depression and cognitive impairment even after covariates had been adjusted. Conclusion: These data suggest that visual and hearing impairment in older adults may increase their probability of experiencing depression and cognitive impairment. Thus sensory impairment should be considered a risk factor for mental health and the cognitive function of elderly.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.515-527
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was to the experiences hospital school programs health impaired children as perceived by mothers. Methods: The participants were 9 mothers of children with health impairment who had in hospital school program. ata were collected through in-depth interview using semi-structured questionnaire. The interviews were analyzed by content analysis. Results: domains and 13 categories were extracted from the analysis. The 5 domains related to the experience hospital school program were emotion, therapeutic course, interpersonal relationship, school reentry, and needs for hospital school management. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that participation hospital school programs not only educational support but it is also helpful for physical, psychosocial adjustment of health impaired children and could be used develop effective hospital school programs to improve the adaption of children with health impairment.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2023

Purpose: This study developed a shelter for dementia programs based on primary health care posts; and examined its effectiveness in rural older adults. Methods: This study used a case report provided by a primary healthcare post in Jeonnam, Korea, in 2023. A single group pre-test post-test design was used; for three months, and 10 older adults participated in the shelter for dementia programs based on the primary health care post. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured immediately after entering the shelter for dementia programs. Results: There were significant differences between the pre-test and post-test on the cognitive impairment screening test (p=.005). Conclusion: The shelter for dementia programs based on primary health care posts was effective in improving cognitive impairments of rural older adults.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.19 no.2 s.20
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• pp.263-272
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• 1986

During the 8 months from October 1985 to May 1986, the survey was performed on 211 leprosy patients over fifty years old, settled in the four villages of Iksan county, North of Chulla province. In that obserbation, we investigated the frequency and the degree of impairments according to sex, age, and anatomical location by the 'guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment'. The noticeable findings were made as follows: 1) Frequency of impairment by anatomical location was significantly higher in hand than eye and foot (p<0.01). 2) Frequency of impairment was significantly increased in eye according as age increase (p<0.01). 3) The degree of impairments of all patients was the highest in hand as 28.7%. 4) By the kinds of impairment, the flextion and the amputation were most common in hand and foot, and loss of central vision was common symptom in eye. 5) The degree of impairments of 211 leprosy patients was shown as 44.1% and increased according as age increase.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.371-385
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Soy isoflavone (SIF) and soy lecithin (SL) have beneficial effects on many chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. Regretfully, there is little evidence to show the combined effects of these soy extractives on the impairment of cognition and abnormal cerebral blood flow (CBF). This study examined the optimal combination dose of SIF + SL to provide evidence for improving CBF and protecting cerebrovascular endothelial cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: In vivo study, SIF50 + SL40, SIF50 + SL80 and SIF50 + SL160 groups were obtained. Morris water maze, laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), and hematoxylin-eosin staining were used to detect learning and memory impairment, CBF, and damage to the cerebrovascular tissue in rat. The 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were detected. The anti-oxidative damage index of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in the serum of an animal model was also tested. In vitro study, an immortalized mouse brain endothelial cell line (bEND.3 cells) was used to confirm the cerebrovascular endothelial cell protection of SIF + SL. In this study, 50 µM of Gen were used, while the 25, 50, or 100 µM of SL for different incubation times were selected first. The intracellular levels of 8-OHdG, SOD, GSH, and GSSG were also detected in the cells. RESULTS: In vivo study, SIF + SL could increase the target crossing times significantly and shorten the total swimming distance of rats. The CBF in the rats of the SIF50 + SL40 group and SIF50 + SL160 group was enhanced. Pathological changes, such as attenuation of the endothelium in cerebral vessels were much less in the SIF50 + SL40 group and SIF50 + SL160 group. The 8-OHdG was reduced in the SIF50 + SL40 group. The GSSG showed a significant decrease in all SIF + SL pretreatment groups, but the GSH showed an opposite result. SOD was upregulated by SIF + SL pretreatment. Different combinations of Genistein (Gen)+SL, the secondary proof of health benefits found in vivo study, showed they have effective anti-oxidation and less side reaction on protecting cerebrovascular endothelial cell. SIF50 + SL40 in rats experiment and Gen50 + SL25 in cell test were the optimum joint doses on alleviating cognitive impairment and regulating CBF through protecting cerebrovascular tissue by its antioxidant activity. CONCLUSIONS: SIF+SL could significantly prevent cognitive defect induced by β-Amyloid through regulating CBF. This kind of effect might be attributed to its antioxidant activity on protecting cerebral vessels.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2024

Background: Deficiency in scapular muscle endurance (SME) is a risk factor for rotator-cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP). However, the exact relationship among SME, pain, and functionality remains unclear. This study aims to compare SME, pain, and functionality in RCRSP patients to those in age-sex-matched healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-three patients with RCRSP and 23 age-sex matched healthy controls were included in the study. SME was measured using a 1-kg dynamometer. Self-reported pain level was assessed using a visual analog scale. The Functional Impairment Test-Hand, Neck, Shoulder, and Arm (FIT-HaNSA) was also used to assess functional impairment. Results: The control group had higher SME and total FIT-HaNSA scores than the patient group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant and positive correlation between SME and FIT-HaNSA scores in both groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: SME was affected by RCRSP. Pain and functional impairment were correlated with low SME.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.45-53
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• 2019

PURPOSE: This study examined the differences in the trunk impairment scores according to the levels of the gross motor classification system by evaluating trunk control in children with spastic cerebral palsy using the index of trunk impairment. In addition, the characteristics of trunk control disabilities were investigated according to the cerebral palsy type. METHODS: The subjects were 49 children (mean age 8.57±1.83 years, 11 with hemiplegia, 26 with diplegia, and 12 with quadriplegia) with spastic cerebral palsy levels I to IV under the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS). The coordination and balance of the children with cerebral palsy were evaluated using the index for trunk impairment. Statistical analyses were performed using a Kruskal-Wallis test, and Bonferroni analyses were used as a post-hoc comparison for any significant results. RESULTS: The median of the total scores of trunk impairment was 13 (range, 9-17), which was 56% of the maximum score. The total score of trunk impairment and subscales differed significantly according to the disease severity and type of motor disability. The scores for children with quadriplegia were the lowest compared to children with hemiplegia and diplegia. CONCLUSION: Trunk control function in children with spastic cerebral palsy was reduced, and varied according to the disease severity and types of motor disabilities. The degree of trunk impairment differed from the trunk control ability according to the degree of motor disability of children with cerebral palsy.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2019

Objectives: To identify the cost effectiveness of early dementia diagnosis using the 2014 Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service-National Patients Sample (HIRA-NPS). Methods: The medical costs of dementia between Western medical care and Korean medical care were compared through the reimbursement and non-reimbursement item code for dementia examination. In addition, the medical expenses of patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment were compared and analyzed with respect to Western and Korean medical care. Results: There were 87,434 claims, of which 16,101 patients were diagnosed with dementia and 38,680,789,560 won was found to be the medical expenses. 12,881 patients (80.0%) with dementia, 3,144 patients (19.5%) with mild cognitive impairment, and 76 patients (0.5%) progressing from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. The proportion of medical expenses was 97.6% for dementia patients, 2.3% for mild cognitive impairment, and 1% for patients progressing from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. 86,070 claims (98.4%) were from Western medical care, with16,824 patients (98.2%), and the medical expenses was 38,546,895,400 won (99.7%). 1,361 claims (1.6%) were from Korean medical care, with 303 patients (1.8%), and the medical expenses was 133,894,160 won (0.3%). Conclusions: This study compared and analyzed the medical costs of dementia patients and the diagnosis of both Korean and Western medical care. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic research data for investigating cost effectiveness of developing early diagnosis of dementia.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.7-19
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• 2023

Purpose: Mobility impairment persons are all people who experience mobility difficulties in their daily lives, which makes up about 30% of the population in Seoul Metropolitan City; this number is expected to increase with population aging. As the number of mobility impairment persons in need of vision correction increases, it is necessary to create the Universal Design guidelines and to provide the foundation to access convenience facilities at the entrance of optical shops, a health and medical institution. Methods: Of the 2,282 optical shops located in Seoul, 252 optical shops were chosen for data collection of actual photos, from April 10, 2022 to September 4, 2022. Based on the photographs, the height difference between the entrance and the sidewalk, safety handles, and opening and closing methods of entrances were investigated, as these factors correspond to the accessibility and the mobility of the mobility impairment persons. Results: Of the 252 optical shops surveyed, 114 (45.2%) have resolved the problems of height difference through improving horizontal accessibility (61) or using ramps (53). 36 (14.3%) optical shops chose automatic doors for opening and closing methods of the entrance. Implications: The rate of installation of access convenience facilities for the entrance of optical shops is slightly lower than the rate of installation of ramps, surveyed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It is necessary to apply the Universal Design to access convenience facilities for the entrance of optical shops for not only the mobility impairment persons but all people, regardless of age or ability, to conveniently access healthcare services.