• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.364-372
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• 2000

Objectives : Cancer is the second most frequent cause of death in Korea. Cancer screening tests can save lives through early detection. Enhancing the cancer screening rate is an important strategy for reducing cancer mortality. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the screening rate and related factors in a rural area. The study investigated relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, several preventive behaviors, and the experience of several cancer screening behaviors. Materials and Methods : The study population was recruited voluntarily from the three rural areas(Myen) in Chungju city. The participants completed structured questionnaire from July 21, 1990 to July 26, 1998. Results : The proportions of the study population who had previously received stomach, liver, breast, or cervix cancer screening tests were 24.5%, 18.5%, 27.0%, 59.2% respectively. The 1-year screening rates of stomach, liver, breast, and cervix cancer were 7.4%, 6.8%, 8.6%, 15.6% respectively. In multivariate logistic analysis, some sociodemographic variables, preventive behaviors, or psychological variables were significantly associated with several cancer screening tests. Those who had previously received a stomach cancer screening test were significantly associated with the presence of chronic disease, physician's recommendation, use of alcohol family history of cancer, or previous liver cancer screening test. Those who had previously received a liver cancer screening test were associated with education level, physician's recommendation and previous stomach cancer screening test. Those who had received a cervix cancer screening test were significantly associated with education level, presence of a transportation vehicle, physician's recommendation use of alcohol and previous breast cancer screening test. And those who had received a previous breast cancer screening test were significantly associated with age, marital status, and earlier cervix cancer screening test. Conclusion : Based on the results of this study a strategy to promote cancer screening and health objectives at the district level can be made.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.464-477
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate factors affecting the dementia screening test based on the health belief model. Methods: The survey was conducted with structured questionnaires assessing the knowledge of dementia, health beliefs, self-efficacy and cue to action for dementia screening. Study participants were 156 older adults and data from 121 respondents were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, frequency percentage, chi-squared (${\chi}^2$) test, t-test and logistic regression analysis were conducted using SPSS version 23.0. Results: Factors influencing the dementia screening test were found to be gender, self-efficacy on dementia screening, and the presence of family or friends who underwent dementia screening. Older adults who were female (OR=4.92, p=.003), showed an increasing average score of self-efficacy for dementia screening (OR=2.85, p=.002), and had family members or friends who underwent dementia screening (OR=4.60, p=.003) were more likely to receive dementia screening. Conclusion: This study showed that education and programs enhancing self-efficacy associated with the dementia screening test, as well as utilizing the network of family or friends are necessary to increase the rate of dementia screening.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5545-5549
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• 2012

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a breast cancer screening educational program on women's knowledge and intention to seek breast cancer screening in Taiwan. Materials and Method: This study describes the knowledge and intention of breast cancer screening changes during the period pre and post group education. A pre-test and post-test were used in both the experimental and the control groups. A convenience sampling was used. Two structured questionnaires were used. Results: The mean knowledge of breast cancer screening scores (pre-test and post-test) of the experimental group participants were 12.6 and 14.0. Then the mean knowledge of breast cancer screening scores (pre-test and post-test) of the control group participants were 11.8 and 12.1. The mean intention of breast cancer screening scores (pre-test and post-test) of the experimental group participants were 11.4 and 13.5. And the mean intention of breast cancer screening scores (pre-test and post-test) of the control group participants were 11.6 and 12.4. An independent-t test was applied to examine the differences among the two groups, revealing that the average post-test knowledge score differ significantly between the two groups (t =4.18, p<.00); and the post-test intention also demonstrate a marked statistical difference (t = 2.07, p<.05). A paired-t test was applied to examine the differences of each group, revealing that the total average scores of the experimental group participants on the knowledge of breast cancer screening scale clearly differ statistically (t =-5.54, p<.00); and the pre-test and post-test intention testing also demonstrate a marked statistical difference (t =-7.70, p<.00). Conclusions: These findings are helpful in understanding the knowledge and intention of breast cancer screening changes during the period pre and post group education. It is expected that these results can offer a reference for clinical breast cancer prevention.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.399-411
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• 2019

Background: This study aimed to explore the associations of social-demographic, health-behavioral, and woman-specific factors with the non-screening status of the cervical cancer screening test in Korean adult women. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of 9,698 Korean adult women aged 20 years or more who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys V (2010-2012). Rao-Scott chi-square tests and survey logistic regression analyses were employed respectively to analyze the difference in the non-screening status of the cervical cancer screening test by each characteristic and to explore the factors related to the non-screening status. Results: The rate of the non-screening status of the cervical cancer screening test was 53.5% over the previous 2 years. In the survey logistics regression analysis, age, marital status, educational levels, income levels, residential area, occupation, private health insurance, smoking, alcohol, obesity, menstrual status, pregnancy experience, and hormone replacement therapy were significantly associated with the non-screening status of the cervical cancer screening test. Conclusion: On the basis of the results of this study, some social-demographic, health-behavioral, and woman-specific characteristics of Korean adult women seem to affect the non-screening status of the cervical cancer screening test. Therefore, appropriate health policies need to be designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated to reduce the non-screening status of the cervical cancer screening test of them.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2008

Twenty years have passed since a prenatal screening for Down syndrome and neural tube defect was applied to obstetric field. The Quad test (AFP, hCG, uE3, Inhibin-A) of the second trimester and the combination test (PAPP-A, hCG, NT) of the first trimester became popular now. The recent trend of prenatal screening is to combine these two screening tests together in order to increase a detection rate of Down syndrome. Three types of screening methods are introduced as follows; integrated test, sequential test and contingent test. In addition to combination of each test, an incorporation of characteristic ultrasound findings of Down syndrome is suggested for its risk calculation. The absence of fetal nasal bone would be a very useful marker especially in the first trimester screening test. According to a change of way calculating risk of Down syndrome, obstetrician's role will be more increased not by passive participation, but by active participation using ultrasound in risk calculation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8455-8460
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• 2016

Background: Poor participation rates are often observed in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs utilising faecal occult blood tests. This may be from dislike of faecal sampling, or having benign bleeding conditions that can interfere with test results. These barriers may be circumvented by offering a blood-based DNA test for screening. The aim was to determine if program participation could be increased by offering a blood test following faecal immunochemical test (FIT) non-participation. Materials and Methods: People were invited into a CRC screening study through their General Practice and randomised into control or intervention (n=600/group). Both groups were mailed a FIT (matching conventional screening programs). Participation was defined as FIT completion within 12wk. Intervention group non-participants were offered a screening blood test (methylated BCAT1/IKZF1). Overall participation was compared between the groups. Results: After 12wk, FIT participation was 82% and 81% in the control and intervention groups. In the intervention 96 FIT nonparticipants were offered the blood test - 22 completed this test and 19 completed the FIT instead. Total screening in the intervention group was greater than the control (88% vs 82%, p<0.01). Of 12 invitees who indicated that FIT was inappropriate for them (mainly due to bleeding conditions), 10 completed the blood test (83%). Conclusions: Offering a blood test to FIT non-participants increased overall screening participation compared to a conventional FIT program. Blood test participation was particularly high in invitees who considered FIT to be inappropriate for them. A blood test may be a useful adjunct test within a FIT program.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.7-18
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• 2006

An aphasia screening test can serve a main purpose of differentiating aphasics from non-aphasic patients in a quick as well as efficient manner. As a preliminary study for developing a standardized aphasia screening test for Korean patients, we constructed an aphasia screening test constituting items from the Paradise' Korean version-the Western Aphasia Battery(P K-WAB). All test items were analyzed in order to extract items with optimal item discrimination and adequate item difficulty indices. From the results, we were able to select some items from each subtest with optimal results of discriminant function analysis for aphasic and normal control groups. It is expected, thus, that information on the item analysis could be utilized in developing a Korean aphasia screening test.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2317-2322
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• 2015

Background: Despite the increasing number of screening examinations performed for cervical cancer utilizing the Papanicolaou smear test (Pap test), few studies have examined whether this strategy is cost-effective in Korea. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of cervical cancer screening strategies incorporating the Pap test based on age at the start and end of screening as well as screening interval. Materials and Methods: We designed four alternative screening strategies based on patient age when screening was started (20 or 30 years) and discontinued (lifetime, 79 years). Each strategy was assessed at screening intervals of 1, 2, 3, or 5 years. A Markov model was developed to determine the cost-effectiveness of the 16 possible cervical cancer screening strategies, and this was evaluated from a societal perspective. The main outcome measures were average lifetime cost, incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Results: Compared with various strategies comprising younger starting age, discontinuation age, and longer screening intervals, strategies employing annual screening for cervical cancer starting at a target age of 30 years and above were the most cost-effective, with an ICER of 21,012.98 dollars per QALY gained (with a Korean threshold of 30,000,000 KRW or US$27,272). Conclusions: We found that annual screening for cervical cancer beginning at a target age of 30 years and above is most cost-effective screening strategy. Considering the potential economic advantages, more intense screening policies for cervical cancer might be favorable among countries with high rates of cervical cancer and relatively low screening costs.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.97-110
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• 2005

Objectives: Recent studies have shown that tailored messages for cancer screening to the beliefs and stage of cancer screening behavior of individual women increases the take-up probability. Many studies on cancer screening have used the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to identify variables associated with cancer screening behavior. This study was carried out to identify the cognitive-behavioral factors associated with stomach cancer screening among women aged 40 years and over, and to develop and evaluate a tailored educational program for stomach cancer screening by stages of change. Methods: Building on the TTM constructs, we conducted a quasi-experimental study(N=283) to test the effectiveness of a tailored educational program for endoscopic stomach cancer screening. We carried out pre and post tests in the experimental group(N=162) and the control group(N=121), and the experimental group was subdivided into an on-line group(N=81) and an off-line group(N=81) by educational methodology using e-mail and the postal service. We used the chi-square test, trend test, and paired t-test to test the effectiveness of the program for stomach cancer using a tailored stage-matched messages. Results: To examine the effectiveness of the program for stomach cancer screening by the tailored stage-matched messages, the stage-matched materials were offered to the experimental group(N=162) four times for 4 weeks. The stage-matched materials consisted of the four types for stomach cancer. The tailored message was effective in changing the cognitive-behavioral factors, such as experience process, behavior process, con opinion for stomach cancer, self-efficacy, and the behavioral stages for stomach cancer screening. The stomach cancer screening adherence was higher for the stage-matched materials using postal mail than for those using e-mail. Conclusion: To improve the stomach cancer screening rate, the use of tailored messages for stomach cancer screening will be generated using an expert system. Therefore the implementation of tailored educational program will be supported a partnership between public and private health organizations and increasing awareness of the necessity of community-based interventions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.791-800
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was to investigate the characteristics and related factors of breast cancer screening and repeat screening, and to propose nursing interventions to increase the rate of breast cancer screening and repeat screening. Method: Study subjects was 236 women residing in the community, teachers and nurses who were older than 45 were recruited. Data was collected with self administered questionnaires from July 1st to August 31st, 2003 and analysed using SPSS/WIN 10.0 with $X^2$test, t-test, and stepwise multiple logistic regression at a significant level of =.05. Result: The breast cancer screening rate was 57.2%, and repeat screening rate was 15.3%. With the multiple logistic regression analysis, factors associated with mammography screening were age and perceived barriers of action, and factors related to the repeat mammography screening were education level and other cancer screening experience. Conclusion: Based on the results, we recommend the development of anintervention program to decrease the perceived barrier of action, to regard mammography as an essential test in regular check-up, and to give active advertisement and education to the public to improve the rates of breast cancer screening and repeat screening.