• Perspectives in Nursing Science
• /
• 제11권1호
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a two-year global health project to improve maternal and child health (MCH) in Ethiopia. Methods: This is a descriptive case study. The target area is Kilte Awlaelo Woreda in Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia. A baseline survey was conducted to identify the needs of community residents and health care professionals. A MCH program was developed according to a project design matrix that included: infrastructure renovation of health centers; continuing education for midwives, nurses, and health extension workers (HEWs); and improvement of residents' MCH awareness. Project evaluation will examine the structure, process, and outcomes of the program. Results: The baseline survey showed low rates of family planning (31%) and antenatal and postnatal care use (36.1% and 69%, respectively). The institutional birth rate was 13.5%. Midwives and nurses received 2~4 educational programs about family planning and perinatal care. HEWs were also given practical education. Water and electrical infrastructure of all five health centers in the Kilte Awlaelo Woreda were renovated. Additionally, medical supplies and equipment were provided. Community health education on perinatal care, family planning, and personal hygiene was presented. Conclusion: This study highlights the role of nursing in global health and provides basic information on the development and outcomes of the global health project.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• 제22권6호
• /
• pp.194-207
• /
• 2022

Amid growing social interest in child abuse, and announced the seriousness of child abuse crimes and aroused public interest in related issues. Based on true stories and characters, both films created unique narratives about child abuse cases, but drew on the traditional representation and discursive construction of child abuse news articles. By setting the stepmother as the perpetrator and the father as the neglecter, the gender role of women as primary caregiver was reconfirmed and the stereotypical image of the 'evil stepmother' in popular narratives was exploited. The cinematic reenactment of the evil stepmother not only highlighted the normative family discourse, but also reinforced the maternal myth by emphasizing the binary opposition between the evil stepmother and the lost birth mother.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
• /
• 제37권4호
• /
• pp.255-265
• /
• 2022

The cellular communication network factor (CCN) family proteins regulate many biological events such as angiogenesis, tumor growth, placentation, implantation, and embryogenesis. The expression and function of CCN1, CCN2, and CCN3 at the maternal-conceptus interface are established in humans and rodents, but little is known about the role of CCN4 to CCN6 in the reproductive organs in any other species. Several studies in transcriptome analysis in pigs have shown that the expression of CCN4 and CCN6 increases in the endometrium during early pregnancy. However, their expression, regulation, and function in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy have not been fully understood in pigs. Thus, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of CCN4 and CCN6 during the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. We found that the levels of CCN4, but not CCN6, changed during the estrous cycle. The levels of CCN4 were greater during mid- to late pregnancy than in the early stage, and the levels of CCN6 were greatest on Day 15 of pregnancy. CCN4 and CCN6 were detected in conceptus tissues during early pregnancy and in chorioallantoic tissues during the later stage of pregnancy. CCN4 mRNA was mainly localized to epithelial cells, CCN6 mRNAs to epithelial and stromal cells in the endometrium. In endometrial explant cultures, CCN4 expression was increased by progesterone, and CCN6 expression by interferon-𝛾. These results suggest that CCN4 and CCN6 may play roles in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating the endometrial epithelial cell functions in pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• 제36권7호
• /
• pp.1034-1043
• /
• 2023

Objective: Two serine protease inhibitors, peptidase inhibitor 3 (PI3) and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), play important roles in protease inhibition and antimicrobial activity, but their expression, regulation, and function at the maternal-fetal interface in pigs are not fully understood. Therefore, we determined the expression and regulation of PI3 and SLPI in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and at the maternal-fetal interface in pigs. Methods: Endometrial tissues during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, conceptus tissues during early pregnancy, and chorioallantoic tissues during mid to late pregnancy were obtained, and the expression of PI3 and SLPI was analyzed. The effects of the steroid hormones estradiol-17β (E2) and progesterone (P4) on the expression of PI3 and SLPI were determined in endometrial explant cultures. Results: PI3 and SLPI were expressed in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, with higher levels during mid to late pregnancy than during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Early-stage conceptuses and chorioallantoic tissues during mid to late pregnancy also expressed PI3 and SLPI. PI3 protein and SLPI mRNA were primarily localized to endometrial epithelia. In endometrial explant cultures, the expression of PI3 was induced by increasing doses of P4, and the expression of SLPI was induced by increasing doses of E2 and P4. Conclusion: These results suggest that the PI3 and SLPI expressed in the endometrium and conceptus tissues play an important role in antimicrobial activity for fetal protection against potential pathogens and in blocking protease actions to allow epitheliochorial placenta formation.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• 제36권8호
• /
• pp.1167-1179
• /
• 2023

Objective: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of endoproteases produced by various tissues and cells and play important roles in angiogenesis, tissue repair, immune response, and endometrial remodeling. However, the expression and function of MMPs in the pig endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy have not been fully elucidated. Thus, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of MMP2, MMP8, MMP9, MMP12, and MMP13 in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface during pregnancy in pigs. Methods: Endometrial tissues during the estrous cycle and pregnancy and conceptus and chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy were obtained and the expression of MMPs was analyzed. The effects of steroid hormones and cytokines on the expression of MMPs were determined in endometrial explant cultures. Results: Expression levels of MMP12 and MMP13 changed during the estrous cycle, while expression of MMP2, MMP9, MMP12, and MMP13 changed during pregnancy. Expression of MMP2, MMP8, and MMP13 mRNAs was cell type-specific at the maternal-conceptus interface. Gelatin zymography showed that enzymatically active MMP2 was present in endometrial tissues. In endometrial explant cultures, estradiol-17β induced the expression of MMP8 and MMP12, progesterone decreased the expression of MMP12, interleukin-1β increased the expression of MMP2, MMP8, MMP9, and MMP13, and interferon-γ increased the expression of MMP2. Conclusion: These results suggest that MMPs expressed in response to steroids and cytokines play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating endometrial remodeling and processing bioactive molecules in pigs.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• 제13권3호
• /
• pp.349-356
• /
• 2007

Purpose: This study was to done to develop a nursing intervention, Meridian massage and to investigate its effects on the infants' growth and sleep of infants and on role confidence and sensitivity in their mothers. Method: This study used a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized quasi experimental. Infants and mothers from Y health center were assigned to an experimental group (17) and control group (14). Meridian massage was given to infants by their mothers. Data were collected from August 11, 2005 to February 24, 2006. Infants in the experimental group had Meridian massage for 15 min per time, three times a week for 3 weeks. Result: Regarding growth, infants in the experimental group showed a statistical significant increase in weight and height compared to those in the control group. Sleeping well was also significant for infants in the experimental group compare to those in the control group. There was no signifiant difference in confidence in mothering role between the two groups. Sensitivity for the mothering role was significantly higher for mothers of infants in the experimental group compare to those in the control group. Conclusion: Meridian massage is an effective nursing intervention in improving infant growth and maternal-infant interaction.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• 제53권6호
• /
• pp.666-677
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study was intended to evaluate the effects of an Infant Health Promotion Program (IHPP) for mothers with their firstborn infants. Methods: This study employed a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants consisted of 17 mothers with their firstborn infants in the experimental group and 17 in the control group from two women's hospitals. The experimental group received eight sessions of the program for four weeks. The collected data were analyzed using the chi-square test and repeated-measures ANOVA using an SPSS/WIN ver. 22.0. Results: The experimental group receiving the program had statistically significant higher levels of infant health promotion knowledge (F = 22.91, p < .001), social support (F = 27.64, p < .001), maternal role confidence (F = 8.25, p = .005) and health promotion behavior for infants (F = 16.85, p < .001) than the control group. The experimental group had a statistically significant lower level of parenting stress than the control group (F = 29.93, p < .001). Conclusion: The study's findings indicate that the IHPP is effective in improving health promotion knowledge, social support, and maternal role confidence and decreasing parenting stress among mothers with their firstborn infants. A method of delivering intervention, focused on readily accessible online platforms, coupled with intervention strategies grounded in the theory of self-efficacy, proves to be an advantageous approach for this particular target group.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
• /
• 제35권2호
• /
• pp.63-84
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of parental differential treatment and social support perceived by adolescents with siblings with special needs on their self-esteem and internalized problems. The subjects comprised one hundred 12- to 18-year-old adolescents with siblings with special needs. The major results of this study were as follows. First, there were significant differences in adolescents' self-esteem by participation in support programs for siblings of children with special needs. Second, there was no significant effect of parental differential treatment on adolescents' self-esteem. Third, there was a significant effect of social support (family, friends, and teachers) on adolescents' self-esteem. Fourth, there was no effects of paternal differential parenting on adolescents' internalized problems. However, there was a significant effect of differential maternal affection on adolescents' internalized problems. Fifth, there was a significant effect of social support, especially in terms of support provided by friends, on adolescents' internalized problems. In conclusion, social support and differential maternal affection both have an important role in adolescents' self-esteem and internalized problems.

• Human Ecology Research
• /
• 제53권4호
• /
• pp.413-424
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived parenting behaviors and dispositional gratitude of adolescent children in Korea. Participants consisted of 403 high school students from the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. Dispositional gratitude of adolescents and parenting behaviors (including respect, lessons, attention, and lack of trust) were reported by adolescents. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, and multiple regression analyses. The results were as follows. First, the average levels of parental lack of trust and maternal attention were different as a function of gender. Second, girls showed higher levels of dispositional gratitude than boys. Third, greater parental respect, lessons, and attention were linked to higher levels of dispositional gratitude of adolescent children; whereas lack of trust was linked to lower levels of dispositional gratitude. Fourth, paternal lessons was the most meaningful factor in explaining the level of dispositional gratitude in boys while maternal attention was the most meaningful factor in girls. These results suggest that parents play an important role in the development of dispositional gratitude in adolescents. Differential parental roles were discussed to promote the level of dispositional gratitude for adolescents.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• 제35권3호
• /
• pp.139-150
• /
• 1997

The purpose of this study was (1) to explore the difference in parental satisfaction regarding personal/family, work, and psychological variables of employment characteristics, and (2) to investigate the most effecting variables on the parental satisfaction. For this study, the working mother with children aged under 10 year were surveyed. The results of this study were as follow; (1) There were significant differences in the parental satisfaction according to work time, job preference, income, the difficulty of work life. However, working mother's personal and family variable were not found as the related variable. Psychological variables were correlated with parental satisfaction. (2) Maternal role efficiency, dual role conflict, flexibility of work, marriage year, income, psychological stress, expanded family, durations of occupation, spouse support significantly predicted parental satisfaction. Psychological variables were important in parental satisfaction of working mothers.