• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.288-303
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• 2024

Objectives: North Koreans have been facing chronic food shortages and malnutrition. This study examined the nutritional status of North Koreans and the perceptions of South Korean adults regarding their nutritional status. Methods: The nutritional status was examined using nutritional indicators for the general population, children, and reproductive-aged women in North Korea. An online survey was conducted among 1,000 South Korean adults aged 19-69 years to investigate their perceptions regarding the nutritional status of North Koreans. Results: Although the nutritional status of children in North Korea has consistently improved, significant progress in the general population and reproductive-aged women in the country remains elusive. The prevalence of malnutrition among North Korean children has decreased to a level that is not considered severe based on international standards, although it shows a substantial difference from that among South Korean children. The prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity in North Korea remains over 40%. South Korean adults perceive the nutritional status of North Koreans as being more severe than it is in reality. Notably, a significant inconsistency exists between the perceived and actual nutritional status of North Korean children, with over 95% of South Korean adults perceiving North Korean children's malnutrition as being more severe than it actually is. Moreover, South Korean adults in their 20s to 40s tended to perceive the nutritional status of North Koreans as being more severe than those in their 50s to 60s did. Conclusions: The nutritional status of North Koreans is a matter of concern. The disparity between South Koreans' perceptions of the nutritional status of North Koreans and the actual status highlights the need for accurate information dissemination to effectively address malnutrition in North Korea. These efforts could be instrumental in enhancing public awareness and fostering social consensus on food aid and nutritional support programs for North Korea.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly Korean women and to investigate related factors. Methods: A total of 100 elderly women attending a local elderly welfare center were recruited for study. Evaluation criteria included demographics, clinical status, nutritional status (using a mini-nutritional assessment), food intake, and nutritional bioparameters, including homocysteine, transferrin, prealbumin and lymphocyte levels, and their antioxidant power status. Results: Among the test group, 83% of the subjects were classified as undernourished, and they often had hyperlipidemia and a lower intake of fiber ($p$ <.05, respectively) and vegetables than normal subjects. In a correlation analysis, their nutritional status was associated with abdominal circumference, the Korean Geriatric Depression Scale score and the Enriched Social Support Inventory score. Nutritional bioparameters and antioxidant power were associated with age among undernourished subjects. Old age, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia, and poor social support significantly increased the risk of undernutrition. Poor social support, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and depression significantly increased the risk of nutritional deficiency after controlling for age, educational and economic variables. Conclusion: More strategies to increase social support in the Korean female elderly population may improve their nutritional status.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.112-121
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the mediating effect of nutritional status on the relationship between symptom experience and functional status of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Methods: A total of 141 COPD patients visiting D hospital and I hospital in B city were enrolled in this study. Data were collected from January 2017 to July 2017. Outcome variables were measured by Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF) for nutritional status, The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) for symptom experience, and The Functional Performance Inventory Short Form (FPI-SF) for functional status. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and path analysis using SPSS/WIN 21.0 and AMOS 25. Results: There was a significant negative correlation between symptom experience and nutritional status (r=-.61, p<.001), a significant negative correlation between symptom experience and functional status (r=-.40, p<.001), and significant positive correlation between nutritional status and functional status (r=.47, p<.001). Symptom experience had indirect effects on functional status through nutritional status. Conclusion: For enhancing functional status in COPD patients, it is necessary to develop nursing intervention programs to enhance symptom management as well as nutritional status.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.130-139
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the mediating effect of nutritional status in the relationship between symptom experience and functional status among in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: Subject (N=139) were lung cancer patients visiting the D hospital in B city. Data collection was conducted from May 2016 to February 2017. Seven nutritional status measurement tools, 22 symptom experience tools, and 15 EORTC QLQ-C30 functional scales were used to measure nutritional, symptom, and functional levels. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS / WIN 21.0 using descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, 3-step regression analysis of Baron and Kenny, and Sobel test. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between symptom experience and nutritional status, a significant negative correlation between symptom experience and functional status, and significant negative correlation between nutritional status and functional status. Symptom experience had direct effect and indirect effects on functional status through nutritional status. Conclusion: For enhancing functional status in lung cancer patients, it is necessary to develop nursing intervention programs to palliate symptoms and improve nutritional status.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.434-439
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the association between initial nutritional status and treatment outcome of hepatoma patients. Initial nutritional status was measured based on weight, serum albumin and total lymphocyte counts. Treatment outcome was measured in the three categories such as complication, treatment status at discharge and mortality. The study subjects were 120 patients with hepatoma cancer admitted at a university hospital in Seoul. The information about initial nutritional status and treatment outcome was collected from medical records. Chi-square test was used to test the association between initial nutritional status and treatment outcome As a result. 76.6% of the subjects were classified as the nutritional risk group based on initial nutritional states. Prevalence of complication was higher in nutritional risk group I and II than that in non-risk group(p<0.05). Death rare of the nutritional risk group was significantly higher than that of non-risk group(p<0.001). The findings suggest the strong association between the initial nutritional status and treatment outcome of hepatoma cancer.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.11
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• pp.552-558
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• 2021

The food shortage in North Korea is a serious situation that has spanned the mid-1990s to today. North Korean refugee children, even those born in North Korea, China, or South Korea, had poor nutritional status at birth; thus, their growth and nutritional status should be continuously monitored. This review focused on the health status of North Korean children and the nutritional status of North Korean refugee children upon settling in South Korea. Immediately after entering South Korea, North Korean refugee children were shorter and lighter than South Korean children and had a serious nutritional status. Over time, their nutrition status improved, but they remained shorter and lighter than South Korean children. A new obesity problem was also observed. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor their growth and nutritional status.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.621-629
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutritional support, gastric residual volume, and nutritional status of the intensive care unit (ICU) patients on enteral feeding. Methods: A descriptive longitudinal design was used to collect 5 day data on enteral nutrition of 52 ICU patients in an university hospital. Nutritional support was calculated with actual caloric intake compared to individual caloric requirement. Residual volumes were measured prior to routine feedings, and the serum albumin levels and the total lymphocyte counts were checked to evaluate nutritional status. The data were analyzed using one group repeated measures ANOVA, paired t-test, and Spearman's bivariate correlation analysis. Results: The subjects received their first enteral feeding on the $5.75^{th}$ day of ICU admission. The mean nutritional support rate was 49.1% of the requirement, however prescription rate and support rate were increased as time goes by. Gastric residual volumes were less than 10 cc in 95% cases. A significant negative correlation was found between nutritional support and nutritional status. Conclusion: The nutritional support for ICU patient was low compared to the requirement, and their nutritional status was worse than at the time of ICU admission. Further studies are necessary to develop nursing interventions for improving nutritional support for ICU patients.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.81-89
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• 2008

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between powerlessness, sense of belonging and nutritional status of the elderly. Method: The study sample was 100 living at home and institutions. Data were collected by interview from Oct. to Dec. in 2003. The instruments were helplessness scale developed by Jung (1998), sense of belonging scale SOBI-A and nutritional initial screening. Results: The mean score of powerlessness was $2.71{\pm}0.30$, sense of belonging was $2.87{\pm}0.19$ and nutritional status was $4.42{\pm}3.34$. There was a statistically significant differences in powerlessness according to age (F=3.185, p=0.027), health status (F=6.945, P=0.002), religion (F=5.941, P=0.001), current spouse (t=-0.384, p=0.026), in sense of belonging according to age (F=4.40, P=0.006), length of education (F=10.64, P=<.0001) and in nutritional status according to age (F=3.34, P=0.022), health status (F=2.86, P=0.027). There was a statistically significant correlation between powerlessness and nutritional status (r=0.219, p=0.029). Conclusions: Nurses are able to decrease powerlessness or increase sense of belonging and nutritional status of the elderly by developing the health promotion program, improving perceived health status and empowering social interaction of the elderly specifically living at institutions.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.505-516
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The association between nutritional status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is not fully understood. This study was conducted to understand the role of nutritional status on HRQoL among people with and without T2DM. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Structured survey and direct measurement of anthropometric data were conducted among people with and without T2DM. Nutritional status was measured with Mini Nutritional Assessment tool and HRQoL was measured with a 36-item Short Form Healthy Survey. Data collection was conducted in Chuncheon, South Korea with 756 participants who are older than 40 yrs of age. RESULTS: This study found that overall HRQoL were significantly lower in people with T2DM than people without T2DM after controlling for key covariates. When stratified by nutritional status, a greater degree of negative impact of T2DM on overall physical HRQoL was observed among well-nourished or at risk of malnutrition, whereas significant and more evident negative impact of diabetes on overall psychological HRQoL was observed only among malnourished. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest the role of nutritional status among people with T2DM on overall, especially psychological aspects of HRQoL. Future longitudinal or intervention studies are warranted to test the impact of nutritional status on HRQoL among people with T2DM.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.110-116
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the pre-and post-transplant nutritional assessment for patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods: The subjects of this study were 25 patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. The data collection was performed from January 31st to March 31st, 2011. The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), anthropometrics and biochemical test were collected from the time they entered the isolation unit until they left. Results: Pre-transplant nutritional assessment status indicated moderate malnutrition which scored $7.32{\pm}1.68$ in PG-SGA. There were 22 patients (88.0%) with moderate malnutrition and 3 patients (12.0%) with severe malnutrition. Post-transplant nutritional assessment indicated severe malnutrition status which scored $11.92{\pm}3.26$ in PG-SGA. Pre-and post-transplant nutritional assessment displayed significant differences (p<.001) in PG-SGA score. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation led to a deterioration of patients' nutritional status. Pre-transplant patients were already in malnutrition status and patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT were at risk for malnutrition. Conclusion: Pre-and post-transplant patients were categorized as having undernutritional and malnutritional status. Pre-transplant nutrition status impacted on post-transplant nutritional status. Health care personnel should pay attention to patient's nutrition status when undergoing allogeneic HSCT with appropriate nutritional assessment tools.