• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.231-237
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality in pre-elderly and elderly individuals in Jakarta, Indonesia. Methods: We employed a case-control study design, utilizing secondary data from the Epidemiology Surveillance, Immunization Prevention, and Disease Control Sections of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, collected from December 2020 to January 2021. The study included 188 cases and an equal number of controls. Cases were COVID-19 patients confirmed to have died, as reported by hospitals and communities and subsequently verified by healthcare workers. Control subjects were patients who completed a 14-day isolation period and had been officially declared recovered by healthcare professionals. The dependent variable was the mortality of COVID-19 patients in the January 2021 period. The independent variables consisted of demographic data (age and sex), clinical symptoms (cough, runny nose, anosmia, diarrhea, headaches, abdominal pain, muscle pain, and nausea/vomiting), and comorbidities (hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes). Multivariate analysis was conducted using multiple logistic regression. Results: The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed several factors associated with COVID-19 fatalities in Jakarta: age of 60 years or older (odds ratio [OR], 4.84; 95% CI, 3.00 to 7.80), male (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 2.41 to 3.68), dyspnea (OR, 3.93; 95% CI, 2.04 to 7.55), anosmia (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.46), and heart disease (OR, 4.38; 95% CI, 1.04 to 18.46). Conclusions: The control and prevention of COVID-19 among elderly individuals require particular vigilance. When a COVID-19 case is detected within this demographic, prompt treatment and medication administration are crucial to mitigate the presenting symptoms.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.44.1-44.11
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• 2023

Background: A series of breast cancer cases were recently reported in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Nurses are generally exposed to risk factors for breast cancer such as night shift work, antineoplastic agents, and job strain. However, the epidemiological evidence of excess incidence among nurses remains lacking. This study aims to investigate the excess incidence of breast cancer among nurses in a tertiary university hospital and provide epidemiological evidence of occupational risk factors. Methods: A retrospective cohort was developed using personnel records of female workers in the nursing department who worked from January 2011 to June 2021 in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea. Sick leave records were used to identify cases of breast cancer. The standardized incidence ratio of breast cancer among nurses was compared to the general population. Results: A total of 5,509 nurses were followed up for 30,404 person-years, and 26 breast cancer cases were identified. This study revealed a significantly increased breast cancer incidence among all included nurses, with a standardized incidence ratio of 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-2.41), compared to the general population. Workers, who handle antineoplastic agents in their representative department and current and/or former department, had significantly elevated breast cancer standardized incidence ratios of 2.73 (95% CI: 1.008-5.94) and 3.39 (95% CI: 1.46-6.68), respectively. Conclusions: This study provides significant evidence of increased breast cancer risk among nursing staff in a hospital setting, particularly those who handle antineoplastic drugs. Measures that reduce exposure to risk factors should be implemented, especially anticancer drugs, to protect healthcare professionals. Further research at a national level that focuses on healthcare workers is necessary to validate breast cancer incidence and its contributing factors.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.238-244
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• 2023

Background: Many patients use online resources to educate themselves on surgical procedures and make well-informed healthcare decisions. The aim of our study was to evaluate the quality and readability of online resources exploring shoulder arthroplasty. Methods: An internet search pertaining to shoulder arthroplasty (partial, anatomic, and reverse) was conducted using the three most popular online search engines. The top 25 results generated from each term in each search engine were included. Webpages were excluded if they were duplicates, advertised by search engines, subpages of other pages, required payments or subscription, or were irrelevant to our scope. Webpages were classified into different source categories. Quality of information was assessed by HONcode certification, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria, and DISCERN benchmark criteria. Webpage readability was assessed using the Flesch reading ease score (FRES). Results: Our final dataset included 125 web pages. Academic sources were the most common with 45 web pages (36.0%) followed by physician/private practice with 39 web pages (31.2%). The mean JAMA and DISCERN scores for all web pages were 1.96±1.31 and 51.4±10.7, respectively. The total mean FRES score was 44.0±11.0. Only nine web pages (7.2%) were HONcode certified. Websites specified for healthcare professionals had the highest JAMA and DISCERN scores with means of 2.92±0.90 and 57.96±8.91, respectively (P<0.001). HONcode-certified webpages had higher quality and readability scores than other web pages. Conclusions: Web-based patient resources for shoulder arthroplasty information did not show high-quality scores and easy readability. When presenting medical information, sources should maintain a balance between readability and quality and should seek HONcode certification as it helps establish the reliability and accessibility of the presented information. Level of evidence: IV.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2024

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of mental health (MH) symptoms and associated factors among medical students who were engaged in combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in 4 provinces/cities of Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 580 participants was conducted at a medical university in Northern Vietnam. MH was assessed using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, which was previously standardized in Vietnam. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the association between MH symptoms and relevant factors. Results: Out of a total of 2703 medical students, 21.5% responded to the questionnaire. Among the 580 respondents, the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 43.3%, 44.0%, and 24.7%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with self-reported depression included being female and having a COVID-19 infection. Similarly, being female and having a COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with self-reported anxiety. Factors associated with self-reported stress included being female, having a personal or family history of MH symptoms, working more than 8 hr/day, and having a COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: COVID-19 has adversely impacted the MH of medical students. Our findings are valuable in their potential to motivate universities, MH professionals, and authorities to offer mental healthcare services to this group. Furthermore, there is a pressing need for training courses designed to equip future healthcare workers with the skills to manage crises effectively.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.53-66
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• 2012

The main purpose of this research is to gain full understanding of how well people are aware and prepared for after retirement. To reach the goal to learn more about the upcoming aging society, professionals from variety of medical fields were employed as subjects to this research. In order to get a detailed result, and to provide an ideal suggestion, the research was conducted with 406 professional workers from 31 different medical institutions as its subjects. Obtained results were summarized as follows. First, in terms of government policies in the field, the idea of long term recuperation insurance gained more support than the belief that the public annuity is a sufficient economic countermeasure. Second, there is a causal relation between the economical preparation for retirement and the reason why people do not prepare for their after retirement. The more one feel short of money, the more one is obtuse towards the necessity of preparing for retirement, the more ignorant one is about preparing for retirement, the higher the chance that there will be no preparation done for his/her after retirement.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6895-6898
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• 2015

Background: We aimed to explore whether levels of patient-centredness, job satisfaction and psychological distress varied between oncology nurses and doctors. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires, a total of 24 nurses and 43 doctors were assessed for patient-centredness, psychological distress, and job satisfaction using the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Job Satisfaction Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test and MANCOVA, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Overall response rate was 95.6% (43/45) for physicians and 85.7% (24/28) for nurses. Even after adjusting for known covariates, our principal finding was that doctors reported greater psychological distress compared to nurses (p=0.009). Doctors also reported lower job satisfaction compared to nurses (p = 0.017), despite higher levels of patient-centredness found in nurses (p=0.001). Findings may be explained in part by differences in job characteristics and demands. Conclusions: Mental health is an important concern not just in cancer patients but among healthcare professionals in oncology.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.113-122
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• 2016

Objectives : This study analyzed the influencing relationship among oral health belief, prevention of oral diseases, and quality of life subject in adults over 20 years of age. Methods : This study enrolled 237 participants who visited Y hospital located in the Gyeongnam district as the final subjects for the analysis. From the collected data, multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the relative influence of oral health belief on each parameter using SPSS 18.0. Results : Based on the regression analysis results, it was found that the factor in oral health belief with the strongest influence on the intention to prevent oral disease was importance. The behavior for prevention of oral disease was influenced by sensitivity, and the quality of life was affected by self-efficacy. Conclusions : These results, suggest that in order to promote oral health in adults, continuous support from oral health professionals is required to make patients recognize the importance and the sensitivity of oral health and reduce sensitivity.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2010

Objectives: The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of shared-decision making on patient satisfaction. The study is significant since it focuses on developing appropriate methodologies and analyzing data to identify patient preferences, with the goals of optimizing treatment selection, and substantiating the relationship between such preferences and their impact on outcomes. Methods: A thorough literature review that developed the framework illustrating key dimensions of shared decision making was followed by a quantitative assessment and regression analysis of patient-perceived satisfaction, and the degree of shared-decision making. Results: A positive association was evident between shared-decision making and patient satisfaction. The impact of shared decision making on patient satisfaction was greater than other variable including gender, education, and number of visits. Conclusions: Patients who participate in care-related decisions and who are given an explanation of their health problems are more likely to be satisfied with their care. It would benefit health care organizations to train their medical professionals in this communication method, and to include it in their practice guidelines.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.820-828
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• 2003

Purpose: In this longitudinal study, we examined the moral judgment level and its related factors, such as individual characteristics. The result of this study will provide baseline data to establish policy of ethics education for college students and healthcare professionals. Method: We enrolled 37 nursing students and 20 medical students as the subjects in a university in Suwon, Korea. We conducted a questionnaire on the subjects using Korean version of Defining Issues Test(DIT) to analyze the subjects' moral judgment level. Collected data was coded using ASCII document and scored using Fortran program for computer. Then the data was statistically analyzed by SPSS Version 10.0. Result: Nursing students' moral development score at each stage were consistently higher at stage 5A across 4-years rather than other stages. On the other hand, medical students' moral development score were consistently higher at stage 4 than other stages. There was no significant difference in the change P(%) score at each academic year in both groups. In the perspective of the subjects' general characteristics, P(%) score showed no significant in both groups. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, further studies will examine the correlation between curriculum and moral judgment development in detail. Moreover, we suggest that the current ethics education should be developed and evaluated in more realistic manner.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.323-328
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• 2020

Purpose: Hope has been identified as a protective factor that contributes to achieving a better quality to life, especially in patients with chronic disease. The purpose of this review was to synthesize current knowledge about the relationship between hope and quality of life among adolescents living with chronic illnesses. Methods: We searched major English-language databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL) for studies from January 1, 2002 to July 12, 2019. Studies were included if they provided data on hope and its relationship with quality of life among adolescents with chronic diseases. Results: In total, five articles were selected from the 336 studies that were retrieved. All five studies reported a positive correlation between hope and quality of life, such that people with a higher level of hope had a better quality of life. Hope was found to have direct and indirect effects on quality of life in adolescents with chronic diseases. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals should make more efforts to enhance hope in adolescents with chronic diseases in order to improve their quality of life. Future studies exploring how hope develops in adolescents with chronic diseases and the long-term impact of hope on quality of life are necessary.