• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study was to review literature about private health insurance (PHI) schemes for Korean older adults published in Korea and abroad from 2015 to 2019, and to present the implications of the study and provide an overview of PHI utilization by Korean older adults. Nineteen quantitative academic research papers were selected and analyzed with respect to presentation time, research purpose, data source, and study design. Old age, low income, low education, and chronic disease were found to hinder enrollment in PHI schemes. Although the relationship between PHI and medical usage was not consistent, it was positively related to health outcomes such as subjective health status and health-related quality of life. Therefore, for PHI to fulfill the role of providing supplementary medical care for older adults with high medical demands, a national improvement policy should be developed to address the barriers that prevent older adults adopting PHI schemes, and empirical studies related to medical usages by and the health outcomes of older adults should be conducted in order to generate a basis for the use of PHI.

• The Journal of Sustainable Design and Educational Environment Research
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2022

To understand the level of disability-free environment in existing high schools, this study evaluated the level of application of facilities for the disabled at 177 high schools located in Seoul and suggested the direction of improving the physical environment of high schools. Detailed standards related to school facilities such as the Act on the guarantee of convenience promotion for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, pregnant women and nursing mothers, and the Act on the prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities were examined, and previous studies related to the subject were reviewed. The overall application level of facilities for the disabled was investigated by conducting a field survey of high schools, and the application level was analyzed by the period before and after the enforcement of the Acts and by the presence or absence of special classes.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.229-236
• /
• 2022

Lipidomic analyses of transient breast milk are far more limited than those of other dairy products. As a preliminary analysis of breast milk lipidomes, analytical methods for polar and nonpolar lipids from transient breast milk were developed, and detailed fatty acid profiles were determined in this study. The newly developed methods include solvent fractionation of phospholipids and acyl glycerol, one-pot derivatization to FAMEs and pyridylcarbinol esters, and instrumental analysis, including GC-FID and GC-MS. The results indicate that breast milk contains 16 major common fatty acids with 8-22 carbons. Additionally, 29 minor fatty acids were identified, including odd-numbered fatty acids and branched analogues with 11-23 carbons. Their detailed concentrations in different fractions were measured using the internal standard method. In addition to ordinary fatty acids, breast milk contains several branched fatty acids, including iso/anteiso acids with 15-18 carbons. Structural studies have been performed on selected minor fatty acids via chemical synthesis.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.141-148
• /
• 2023

Purpose : This study examined the relationship between suicidal thoughts, hand grip strength, socioeconomic status, educational level, and disease occurrence. Methods : Korean national health and nutrition examination survey 2017 were used in this study. 5,449 were analysed. For comparison between groups, cross-tabulation analysis and mean comparison were performed. Logistic regression analysis were performed to analyze the influencing factors between grip strength and suicidal ideation. Results : Our results are consistent with the literature on the importance of socioeconomic status in health. The lower the level of education, the higher the suicidal thoughts. Being single or divorced was also significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Moreover, a lower income level was significantly associated with a higher suicide intention. Furthermore, older ages, lower educational levels, and lower income were significantly associated with a higher odds ratio of suicidal thoughts. Interestingly, suicidal thoughts were significantly lower among non-smokers. In contrast, suicide intention did not differ significantly according to gender, age, monthly drinking habit, aerobic physical activity, and disease occurrence. Suicidal thoughts decreased as grip strength increased and this was statistically significant. Socioeconomic status, disease occurrence, and handgrip strength level affected the security of an individual's livelihood and were significant risk factors for suicidal thoughts. These associations remained significant in multiple logistic regression even after controlling for all covariates. Conclusion : Future prevention intervention efforts to reduce suicide risks should consider handgrip strength. Studies to explore the possible proximal risk factors and mediators between handgrip strength and suicidal thoughts are also warranted.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.141-149
• /
• 2023

Objectives: Most developmental screening tests have been built as parent-performed questionnaires. However, they often do not guide parents on how to answer the questionnaire. This study aimed to develop easily applicable parent guidelines. Methods: We implemented the Delphi procedure with 20 panelists. The development of the initial questionnaire was based on the results of two surveys of parents and experts provided by a policy research report that investigated the item adequacy of the Korean Developmental Screening Test. Round one included 33 items comprising all possible measurements in six categories that were identified as difficult to understand or confusing. Round two merged and modified some items and included 32 items. We defined consensus as a median agreement value of one or less and convergence and stability values of 0.5 or less. The subjective usefulness of the parent guidelines was examined based on their previous test experiences. Results: Consensus was reached after the second round, reflecting the items with the highest level of accuracy in each category. Of the 167 parents who participated in the survey, 113 (67.7%) affirmed the usefulness of the guidelines, while 10 (6.0%) answered that they were not useful. Items that recommended a different scoring strategy in answering the questionnaire from their previous measurements were found to be more useful by the parents. Conclusion: The parent guidelines, composed of five bullet points, drew on the consensus of the experts. Further studies are required to assess whether these guidelines improve the accuracy of screening tests in clinical settings.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.111-127
• /
• 2023

Objectives: Pre-pregnancy diet has an important role in preparing for healthy generation. However, evidence on this issue has been scarce. A scoping review synthesising current evidence will support the demand to map 'what has been researched' on pre-pregnancy diet and maternal and child health. Methods: Systematic search was performed using PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study design) framework in electronic databases. Articles were screened for eligibility, summarized, and the quality was assessed using the National Institute of Health assessment tool. The review structure complies with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guide. Results: Forty-two articles were included after full-text screening. Twenty-five studies were in high-income countries (HICs), six in each upper-middle income, five in lower-middle income countries (LMICs), and one in low-income countries (LIC). Based on the regions: North America (n=16), Europe (n=5), South America (n=4), Australia (n=4), Asia (n=5), Middle East (n=2), and sub-Saharan Africa (n=1). The two-most observed diet-related exposures were dietary pattern (n=17) and dietary quality (n=12). The most assessed outcome was gestational diabetes mellitus (n=28) and fetal and newborn anthropometry (n=7). The average quality score±standard deviation was 70±18%. Conclusions: Research related to pre-pregnancy diet is still concentrated in HICs. The context of diet may vary; therefore, future research is encouraged in LMICs and LICs context, and Mediterranean, South-East Asia, Pacific, and African regions. Some maternal and child nutrition-related morbidity, such as anemia and micronutrient deficiencies, have not been discussed. Research on these aspects will benefit to fill in the gaps related to pre-pregnancy diet and maternal and child health.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.1274-1288
• /
• 2022

Objectives: The study investigated the effect of Korean medicine treatment on a hemiplegic patient with conscious and cognitive disorders due to hemorrhagic transformation after interventional reperfusion therapy of anterior circulation infarction. Case presentation: The patient was treated with acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and herbal medicine in combination with Western medicine and physical therapy. The effects on clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Manual Muscle Test (MMT), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Korean Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Korean Nu-DESC), and Modified Bathel Index (MBI). After the treatment, the MMT grade increased from Gr.0-1 to Gr.0-3, the GCS score increased from 10 to 15, the K-MMSE score increased from 8 to 15, the Korean Nu-DESC score decreased from 3 to 1, night delirium disappeared, and the MBI score increased from 13 to 26. Conclusions: Complex Korean medicine treatments were effective for improving the clinical symptoms of hemorrhagic transformation after interventional reperfusion therapy for anterior circulation infarction in a patient with hemiplegia and conscious and cognitive disorders. However, further studies are needed.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.551-556
• /
• 2023

This study was attempted to confirm whether the color therapy intervention study on the elderly with mild cognitive impairment was effective in cognitive function and depression as a method of meta-analysis. In this study, the size of the effect of cognitive function and depression on the final eight studies of the experimental study was calculated through a domestic database from 2000 to October 2022. As a result, the statistically significant average effect size of the entire study was confirmed. In the test of the difference in effect size between groups, both cognitive function and depression were found to have significant effect sizes. Through this study, it was confirmed that calerotherapy is an effective intervention that can improve cognitive function and alleviate depression in the elderly with mild cognitive impairment. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to develop an intervention program for the elderly with mild cognitive impairment using calerotherapy.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.299-311
• /
• 2023

This study is to verify the development process and effectiveness of a learning strategy program for junior college students. The necessity and feasibility of learning strategy programs for junior college students were confirmed and reviewed through prior studies, and the program development process was divided into four stages: program planning, program development, program execution, and program evaluation, and integrated into program development management. In the first stage of program planning, the development direction, goals and objectives were set. In the second stage of program development, prior research analysis, content selection, program organization, and evaluation plan were conducted. In the third stage of execution, the program was executed, and in the fourth stage of evaluation, program evaluation was conducted to develop the program. In order to verify the effectiveness of the program, the test was conducted using the learning strategy diagnostic scale for junior college students to collect data, and the effectiveness was verified for the pre-, post-, and post-test scores.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.173-183
• /
• 2023

Background: Understanding the stability of quantitative sensory tests (QSTs) over time is important to aid clinicians in selecting a battery of tests for assessing and monitoring patients. This study evaluated the short- and long-term reliability of selected QSTs. Methods: Twenty healthy women participated in three experimental sessions: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 6 months. Measurements included pressure pain thresholds (PPT) in the neck, upper back, and leg; Pressure-cuff pain tolerance around the upper-arm; conditioned pain modulation during a pressure-cuff stimulus; and referred pain following a suprathreshold pressure stimulation. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and minimum detectable change (MDC) were calculated. Results: Reliability for PPT was excellent for all sites at 2 weeks (ICC, 0.96-0.99; MDC, 22-55 kPa) and from good to excellent at 6 months (ICC, 0.88-0.95; MDC, 47-91 kPa). ICC for pressure-cuff pain tolerance indicated excellent reliability at both times (0.91-0.97). For conditioned pain modulation, reliability was moderate for all sites at 2 weeks (ICC, 0.57-0.74; MDC, 24%-35%), while it was moderate at the neck (ICC, 0.54; MDC, 27%) and poor at the upper back and leg at 6 months. ICC for referred pain areas was excellent at 2 weeks (0.90) and good at 6 months (0.86). Conclusions: PPT, pressure pain tolerance, and pressure-induced referred pain should be considered reliable procedures to assess the pain-sensory profile over time. In contrast, conditioned pain modulation was shown to be unstable. Future studies prospectively analyzing the pain-sensory profile will be able to better calculate appropriate sample sizes.