• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.402-411
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• 2010

The aims of this study were to investigate the level of activity in the elderly residing in city and rural area and to determine the contributing factors to quality of life (QOL). Subjects were 537 who were older than 60 years of age. QOL was assessed by the SF-36, and the level of activity was assessed by the Korean Activity Checklist. QOL in the elderly residing in city was higher than that in the elderly residing in rural area, and the level of activity was also higher in the elderly residing in city in instrumental activities of daily living, low and high level of physical activity, and social activity compared with the elderly residing in rural area. There was a significant correlation between the level of activity and QOL. The contributing factors to QOL were QOL lower level scores, the Korean Activity Checklist scores, health status, and occupation in the elderly residing in city, whereas the contributing factors to QOL were QOL lower level scores, the Korean Activity Checklist scores, health status, age, and level of education in the elderly residing in rural area. From the findings of this study, the environment in that the elderly can enjoy meaningful activity should be constructed and various programs should be developed.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.107-115
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of forest healing programs with walking, sightseeing, and forest scent among six healing forest treatments using forest environment on the cognitive function, depression, and quality of life of elderly living alone. The subjects of the study were 17 senior citizens living in Samcheok and complaining of severe depression and forgetfulness. They were divided into two groups, and each group participated in the six sessions of the weekly forest healing program. All of them were surveyed of a Korean version of the MMSE-K, BDI (Beck Depression Inventory Korean Version), and SF-36 (Short Form 36 health survey questionnaire) with the questionnaire designed for the one-group pre-post test to examine changes in cognitive function, depression, and quality of life. The results showed that the mental status, depression level, and quality of life of respondents were significantly higher after healing programs. These results suggest that participation in healing program activities using forest environment can improve cognitive function, relieve depression and improve quality of life for senior citizens living alone. Therefore, inducing older adults who live alone and avoid outside activities to participate in the regular forest healing program will contribute to the prevention of dementia due to age and environment.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.316-324
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify the relationships among age, activities of daily living and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for centenarians in Busan. Methods: Forty-nine centenarians (2 males and 47 females) participated in the study, done from April to July, 2006. Pace-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Activities of daily living were measured using K-ADL, K-IADL and health-related quality of life, using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results: Over 50% of the centenarians reported independence for six-items but not for bathing. With regard to type of dependency, 77.6% were independent in transferring, 71.4%, in using the toilet, 67.3%, in feeding and in continence and 57.1% in dressing but just 24.5% were independent in bathing. Age was significantly associated with K-IADL (r= -.303, p= .03). The centenarians were more impaired in physical health components compared to mental health components for health-related quality of life. Conclusion: These results may contribute to a better understanding of activities of daily living and health-related quality of life of centenarians. The findings are relevant to health professionals, in particular professionals who are developing wellness programs to optimize health-related quality of life and functional status for the extremely old age population.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether nutrient intakes and serum biochemical indices are associated with the skin condition of humans. Anthropometric data, skin surface hydration, ceramide content, dietary intake of nutrients and serum lipids (total cholesterol, HDL-, LDL-cholesterol, TG, MDA: malondialdehyde, TAS: total antioxidant status) were obtained from 36 healthy young women. Subjects were classified into 2 groups {LM: Low Moisture Group (n = 20) , HM: High Moisture Group (n = 16)} by forehead skin hydration. The results of this study were as follows: The average age, BMI, total body water, LBM, body fat$\%$, WHR, forehead hydration, ceramide content were 20.2 yrs, 20.7, 28.81, 39.2 kg, $28.0\%$, 0.8, $44.3\%$, and 1.05 $\mu$g/$\mu$g protein, repectively. The intakes of SF A (saturated fatty acid) , MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) in the HM group were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in the LM group, but zinc intakes in the LM group were higher than in the HM group. Serum levels of TAS in the LM group (1.27 mmol/l) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of in the HM group (1.20 mmol/l). Whereas other lipid levels were not significantly different, intakes of vitamin $B_{6}$ and folate showed significant positive correlation with the forehead hydration (r = 0.447, r = 0.377). Intakes of calcium and phosphorus showed significant negative correlation with forearm ceramide content (r = -0.496, r = -0.485). Several associations between nutrient intakes and skin conditions were observed, indicating that changes in baseline nutritional status may affect skin health.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.373-388
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a nutrition education and exercise on nutritional status in hemodialysis patients, with regard to quality of life (QoL), and fatigue. The subjects were divided into two groups : an educated (E) group (11 men and 9 women) and a non-educated (NE) group (7 men and 22 women). The educated group received a nutrition education and a regular exercise program for 3 months. Data on anthropometric indices and biochemical parameters were obtained from medical records. Dietary habits and nutrient intake were assessed through questionnaires and three-day food records. QoL (through the SF-36 questionnaire) and fatigue (measured by a visual analogue scale questionnaire) were assessed before and after the interventions. Dietary habit scores regarding food variety and fluid intake control significantly increased (P<0.05) after the nutrition education. Furthermore, the intake of total energy, carbohydrates, Fe, and vitamin A significantly increased (P<0.05). Vitamin C intake also significantly increased (P<0.01). Hb levels decreased whereas TG levels increased in the NE group. BUN levels decreased in the E group. After the nutrition education, QoL aspects, such as feelings of pain and general health, and the total score significantly increased (P<0.05) and the level of fatigue score decreased (P<0.01). The results of this study indicate that nutrition education and exercise for hemodialysis patients provides changes in dietary habit, daily nutrient intake, biochemical parameters, QoL, and the level of fatigue. Therefore, nutrition education and exercise help improve nutritional status and QoL.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.354-363
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between characteristics of severe ALS patient-caregiver couples and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in family caregivers. Methods: The participants in this study were 89 pairs of ALS patients using ventilators and a family caregiver. The characteristics of the ALS patients and caregivers, Korean-Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised, Zarit Burden Interview and SF-36 were measured in this study. The data were collected from August 2008 to April 2009. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and canonical correlation were used for data analysis. Results: The physical component summary and mental component summary of the HRQoL score for family caregivers were $147.49{\pm}31.63$ and $129.09{\pm}35.83$, respectively. HRQoL for caregivers was related to characteristics of the ALS patient-caregiver couples, such as patient's gender, caregiver's age, gender, marital status, daily time spent in caregiving and burden with one significant canonical variable. The significant variate showed that the lower the age, the time spent in caregiving and the burden of caregivers, the higher the HRQoL of caregivers. Conclusion: The support systems for caregivers considering caregiver characteristics such as demographics and burden should be implemented to improve the HRQoL of caregivers.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2016

Background: This study was designed to assess serum vitamin D status (25-OHD) in the fibromyalgia (FM) patients and to compare it with a healthy control group. It also aimed to investigate the correlation of serum vitamin D level with FM symptom severity and invalidation experiences. Methods: A total of 74 consecutive patients with FM and 68 healthy control participants were enrolled. The eligible FM patients completed the Illness Invalidation Inventory (3*I), the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) and a short-form health survey (SF-12). Venous blood samples were drawn from all participants to evaluate serum 25-OHD levels. Mann-Whitney tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed and Spearman's correlations were calculated. Results: 88.4% of FM patients had low levels of serum 25-OHD. FM patients had significantly higher level of serum 25-OHD than the control group ($17.24{\pm}13.50$ and $9.91{\pm}6.47$ respectively, P = 0.0001). There were no significant correlations between serum 25-OHD levels and the clinical measures of disease impact, invalidation dimensions, and health status. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that an increased discounting of the disease by the patient's spouse was associated with a 4-fold increased risk for vitamin D deficiency (OR = 4.36; 95% CI, 0.95-19.87, P = 0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that although high rates of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency were seen among FM patients and healthy non-FM participants, but it seems there was no intrinsic association between FM and vitamin D deficiency. Addressing of invalidation experience especially by the patient's spouse is important in management of FM.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.480-494
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• 2023

Objectives: This study sought to assess the effectiveness of community-based nutrition counseling on improving nutritional status, managing complex chronic diseases, and enhancing the quality of life for elderly individuals with chronic conditions, particularly in older adults with high levels of food insecurity and multiple chronic illnesses. Methods: Thirty elderly subjects with diabetes and hypertension who were registered at local Senior Welfare Center received individualized nutrition counseling, based on their Nutrition Quotient for the Elderly (NQ-E) index. Over a 16-week period, they received tailored counseling and underwent various health and nutritional assessments. The final analysis included 28 participants after two dropped out. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS v28.0. Results: The subjects were over 70, with multiple chronic diseases including diabetes and hypertension and predominantly female. After 16 weeks, significant improvements were observed in the subjects' grip strength, and HbA1c levels, as well as in their NQ-E scores, indicating improved dietary balance and diversity. There were no significant improvements in the 'Moderation' subdomain of the NQ-E index, suggesting that this aspect requires further attention in nutritional counseling. The subjects' nutritional risk scores (NSI) were also significantly decreased, indicating less nutritional risk. Lastly, as measured by the SF-36K, the subjects' quality of life showed significant improvement in several domains including physical role performance and social function. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that tailored nutrition counseling, based on the NQ-E index, can improve elderly health, manage chronic diseases, and enhance quality of life. This approach potentially broadens the scope of community nutritionists' roles within an aging society. However, additional research is necessary to evaluate these interventions' long-term effects and sustainability.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.616-628
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine symptom experiences, sleep quality, and quality of life in asthma patients and investigate any correlation among these factors. The study was conducted on 146 asthma patients that visited the Internal Medicine Department of Allergies at a hospital in Korea from March to June, 2015. Tools that were originally developed by Oh (1999) were used to measure the symptom experience of asthma patients. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) while quality of life was measured by the Short Form 36-Items Heath Survey (SF-36). The dates were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient using the SPSS 20.0 program. Symptom experiences of asthma patients showed a positive relation with sleep quality (r=.468, p<.001) and negative relationship with quality of life; PCS (r=-495, p<.001) and MCS (r=-.411, p<.001). The symptom experiences of an asthma patient along with sleep quality and quality of life turned out to be correlated. Therefore, this study is expected to be utilized as a basis for the development of assessment tools and arbitration programs to elucidate symptom experiences of asthma patients from various aspects and enhance their sleep quality and quality of life.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.123-142
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• 2010

Objectives : The knee pain is the main reason of getting acupuncture treatment. In order to have confidence in the results of a study, it is necessary to establish that questionnaire is both valid and reliable in questionnaire related study. The aim of this study was to review the instruments that are currently in sue for assessing the knee joint. Methods : A literature study was performed to choose appropriate scales for assessment for pain and the function of the knee. Theoretically based scales were selected for review. Therefore, 18 scales for knee and 9 scale for pain were reviewed. the status of scales involved in knee treatment of acupuncture throughout several countries was evaluated. Results & Conclusion : Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale, Cincinnati knee rating system(CKRS) are adequate for ligament injury in knee. International Knee Documentation Committee scoring system(IKDC) may become a publication requirement for journals in view of the international standing of the committee. The available outcome measure for use in osteoarthritis are Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC), Lequesne Functional Severity Index(LFI) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score(KOOS), and in rheumatoid arthritis are McMaster-Toronto Arthritis patient function preference questionnaire(MACTAR), Quality of Life-Rheumatoid Arthritis Scale(QoL-RA Scale). Visual analog scale(VAS), verbal rating scale(VRS) are commonly used for the standard pain scale. For long term follow-up study The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36(SF-36), Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales(AIMS), Health Assessment Questionnaire(HAQ) should be included. Each measurement has its own composition and characteristics. Their validity, reliability, responsiveness and practical characteristics were already evaluated. We found 20 domestic and 28 overseas papers about knee treatment using acupuncture assessed with knee scales.