• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2005

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in emotional response and coping pattern by age among cancer patients. Method: As descriptive research, from November 2000 to April 2001, data was collected with semi-structured questionnaire to 90 adult cancer patients, and analyzed using quantitative analysis. Result: Most emotional response at the time of diagnosis of cancer is despair in 20-39years & more than 60 years, and Impact in 40-59years. In emotional response during treatment by age, there were most much hope in 20-39 years, fear in 40-59years, and acceptance in more than 60years. In difficulties by age during treatment, there were most much mental burden in 20-29years, problems about occupation/finance in 40-59years, and physical discomfort related to treatment in more than 60 years. Resolution of difficulties of treatment shows avoidance in 20-39years, active participation in 40-59years and compliance in more than 60 years. Coping pattern during treatment was positive thinking in 20-39years, refreshment in 40-59years, and despair/avoidance in more than 60 years. Coping with treatment & progress shows in 20-39years maintenance of current health, 40-59years impossible to recover, more than 60year health recovery. Conclusion: Nursing could be considered emotional response and coping pattern according to age.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.338-346
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• 2018

Two molecular epidemiologic methods, IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (IS6110-RFLP) and 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable-number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR), are used worldwide in studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Conversely, because of its poor resolution, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is not widely used for MTB. In this study, we improved the 24-locus MIRU-VNTR and PFGE protocols and compared the effectiveness of these approaches for the molecular typing of MTB using 75 clinical isolates obtained from a cohort investigation of high-risk populations infected with MTB. The 24-locus MIRU-VNTR method demonstrated superior discriminatory ability, followed by PFGE and IS6110-RFLP. Next, we analyzed six isolates with clear epidemiologic connections; that is, isolates from patients who attended the same school. IS6110-RFLP and PFGE identified these samples as the same type. By contrast, according to MIRU-VNTR, two isolates differed from four other isolates at one locus each; one isolate was identified as Mtub29 and the other as QUB-26. In summary, the 24-locus MIRU-VNTR assay was the most useful molecular typing method among the three methods investigated due to its discriminatory power, short time required, and availability as an epidemiologic investigation tool. PFGE was the second-best method. Compared with the other loci assessed in the 24-locus MIRU-VNTR assay, the Mtub29 and QUB-26 loci appeared to exhibit greater variability during transmission.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.5009-5018
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• 2014

Introduction: Numerous countries have launched campaigns regarding sun protection in the last decades. Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess an intervention program aimed at higher knowledge and healthier attitudes regarding sun protection. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 4,133 students aged 8-12 years from a single Greek province. Results: In most items, knowledge levels after the intervention were found to be higher than those before ($2.8{\pm}0.9$ vs $3.3{\pm}0.9$), while knowledge about sun protection factors seems to have had the highest improvement (27.1% vs 56.6%). However, student attitudes did not appear to improve, with the exception of applying sunscreen with a higher SPF (29.7% vs 54.8%). Girls seemed to have healthier attitudes compared to boys, but gender played no role with regard to knowledge levels. Also, place of residence did not play any role regarding knowledge levels, although those living in semi-urban areas seemed to have more unhealthy attitudes. Logistic regression by correlating knowledge and attitudes established that higher knowledge levels are usually accompanied by healthier attitudes, albeit marginally. Conclusions: The intervention had a positive contribution to the student knowledge level regarding sun protection and also led to small improvements regarding some attitudes. Continuous similar interventions could lead to better results and the adoption of healthier attitudes.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate the influencing factors that characterize low density lipoprotein (LDL) phenotype and the levels of LDL particle size in healthy Korean women. In 57 healthy Korean women (mean age, $57.4{\pm}13.1$ yrs), anthropometric and biochemical parameters such as lipid profiles and LDL particle size were measured. Dietary intake was estimated by a developed semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The study subjects were divided into two groups: LDL phenotype A (mean size: $269.7{\AA}$, n = 44) and LDL phenotype B (mean size: $248.2{\AA}$, n = 13). Basic characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The phenotype B group had a higher body mass index, higher serum levels of triglyceride, total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein (apo)B, and apoCIII but lower levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and LDL particle size than those of the phenotype A group. LDL particle size was negatively correlated with serum levels of triglyceride (r = -0.732, $P$ < 0.001), total-cholesterol, apoB, and apoCIII, as well as carbohydrate intake (%En) and positively correlated with serum levels of HDL-cholesterol and ApoA1 and fat intake (%En). A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that carbohydrate intake (%En) and serum triglyceride levels were the primary factors influencing LDL particle size ($P$ < 0.001, $R^2$ = 0.577). This result confirmed that LDL particle size was closely correlated with circulating triglycerides and demonstrated that particle size is significantly associated with dietary carbohydrate in Korean women.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.566-575
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• 2007

The purpose of this research was to understand how individuals reflect on the frequency and quantity of foods that they consume. Participants selected 5 males and 15 females aged 30 years or older were first interviewed on the frequency of their food consumption. Then based on this data, they were given a cognitive interview using the method of verbal proving. The individual cognitive interviews were recorded with consent while being conducted after complete approval by the Seoul National University Institution Review Board. The recorded material was evaluated using a thematic analysis after transcribing them into text. By analyzing stages of reflection, the major barriers to make the device difficult are revealed: 1) More difficulty in remembering events over the course of a full year due to diversification in the types of food that people consume 2) difficulty calculating the average for seasonal foods 3) difficulty estimating the amount of consumption from the photos presented 4) difficulty estimating amount of consumption from the quantity presented 5) difficulty processing foods that people think are healthy and foods are unhealthy simultaneously 6) difficulty having to consider foods where target food goes in as an ingredient; 7) difficulties arising from having to increase frequency when the amount consumed is higher than the quantity that is presented 8) difficulty having to combine the frequency and quantity of each food item when numerous foods are clustered into one category. These findings show that the less participants were involved in cooking, the more diverse their eating habits were, and the more they tried to adhere to rules of filling out the questionnaire, the more it was difficult for them to come up with an answer to the question being asked. It therefore seems necessary to construct a Food Frequency questionnaire that is attentive to these problems that arise from the recall stages.

• The Korean Nurse
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.66-80
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• 1996

Reacently one the main issues has been to develop useful strategies to improve hospital services for patients in the health care delivery system in our rapidly changing society. This study has focused on exploring the perceptions that the clinical nurses have concerning who they are and what they are going to become in the days ahead as medical care reaches a new stage of advancement centered around the patient and hospital services. This study in also based upon the premise that the role of the clinical nurse practitioner. is central to the progress of any patient centered nursing program. This study was carried out by the members of the academic committee of Seoul Branch of Korean Nurses Association from January 1995 to February 1995. The interview method was a semi-structured questionnaire used to collect data from 25 staff nurses who were working more than 3 years at 3 different university hospitals in Seoul. The 6 interviews were selected from each hospital and they were trained for the interviewing techniques. The data were analysed qualitatively and 10 elements of the nurse's responsibilities classified such as caring for the patients (which includes specific medical care as well as general); assessing; diagnosing; coordinating with other health personnel; careful listening; teaching and the patient guiding; administering the prescriptions; giving information and counseling the patient; ward management. Although the premise of this study was based on a wholistic concept, the overall behavioral aspects of hospital clinical nursing were the major thrust of the questionnaire. Broad philosophical questions regarding the nature of nursing need to be further explored. The data gathered for this questionnaire should be useful as a reenforcement tool in educating nursing students as well as in continuing education for clinical nurses. For the future, another study should be done to determine the nursing/patient relationship.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8479-8486
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• 2016

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer globally. In Jordan, it is the number one cancer among men and the second most common cancer among women, accounting for 15% and 9.4% respectively of all male and female diagnosed cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions about colorectal cancer risk factors, signs and symptoms in Jordan and to provide useful data about the best modes of disseminating preventive messages about the disease. Materials and Methods: A stratified clustered random sampling technique was used to recruit 300 males and 300 females aged 30 to 65 years without a previous history of CRC from four governorates in Jordan. A semi-structured questionnaire and face to face interviews were employed. Descriptive and multivariate analysis was applied to assess knowledge and perceptions about CRC. Results: Both males and females perceived their CRC risk to be low. They had low knowledge scores about CRC with no significant gender association (P=0.47). From a maximum knowledge score of 18 points, the median scores of males and females were 4 points (SD=2.346, range 0-13) and 4 points (SD=2.329, range 0-11) respectively. Better knowledge scores were associated with governorate, higher educational level, older age, higher income, having a chronic disease, having a family history of CRC, previously knowing someone who had CRC and their doctor's knowledge about their family history of CRC. Conclusions: There is a low level of knowledge about CRC and underestimation of risk among the study participants. This underlines the need for public health interventions to create awareness about the illness. It also calls for further research to assess the knowledge and perceptions about CRC early detection examinations in Jordan.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2009

Objectives: With more and more health economic evaluations being performed in many countries, the question of whether the results from the foreign studies can be transferred to other country is becoming important. The objective of this study was to conduct a case study using three transferability diagnosis tools for economic evaluation on rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Three diagnosis tools were used to assess transferability: Welte's tool, Boulenger's and Urdahl's. Five researchers who have experience on economic evaluation made consensus on the evaluation through the semi-delphi method. Results: With Welte's tool, absolute and relative prices in healthcare, practice variation, health-status preference, productivity and work-loss time were evaluated as biased. The transferability information score by Boulenger's was 85.9%, which means qood quality reporting. In case of Urdahl's, research questions were well defined and reporting was transparent and explicitly stated. However, both the relevance of data inputs to Korea and robustness of model were relatively low. In conclusion the UK study on rheumatoid arthritis could be partially transferable to Korea, and will need modeling-based adjustments.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.255-264
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• 2008

Objectives: This study adopted a qualitative method to explore the layman's beliefs and experience concerning high blood pressure and its management in order to develop a strategy to increase adherence to proper medical treatment. Methods: Semi-structured interviews that focused on personal experiences with hypertension and its management were conducted with 26 hypertensive patients. The participants were selected according to a BP above 140/90 mmHg (hypertension stage 1), based on the seventh report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood pressure (JNC-VII). The interviews lasted for approximately 30 minutes (range: 20-60 minutes). The resulting questions were formulated into open-ended questions. The interview questionnaire was composed 17 items to examine non-adherence to treatment and 19 items to examine adherence to treatment. Results: Most participants recognized that the direct cause of high blood pressure was unhealthy behavior rather than inheritance. Thus, the hypertensive patient believed they could recover their blood pressure to a normal level through removing the direct cause of hypertension (weight reduction, diet, exercise) instead of taking drugs. The reasons for these statements were that the drugs for controlling hypertension are not natural or they are artificial, and they may have side effects, and drugs are not treatment for the root cause of hypertension. Most of the hypertensive patients chose to manage their behaviors as soon as they knew their blood pressure was high. Therefore, we should not divide the subjects into two groups according to their taking drugs or not, but they should be divided into two groups according to their willingness or not to manage their condition. Conclusions: For developing a strategy for an individual approach to hypertension management, we need to develop a client-centered attitude and strategy. That is, we need to tailor our approach to individual cases to avoid generalizations and stereotyping when developing an adherence increasing strategy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7803-7807
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• 2015

Opisthorchis viverrini infection is a serious public health problem in Southeast Asia especially in the northeast and north of Thailand. Therefore, a cross-sectional survey using multistage sampling was conducted from the rural communities of Surin province, Thailand, during September 2013 to July 2014. O. viverrini infection was determined using Kato's thick smear technique. Socio-demographic, information resources, and history data were collected using predesigned semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 510 participants completed interviews and had stools collected. Some 32 (6.47%) participants were infected with O. viverrini. The rate was slightly higehr in males (6.61%) than females (6.32%). High frequencies were found in the age groups 61-70 (19.4%) and 71-80 years (19.4%), those involved in agriculture (10.5%), and in primary school (10.3%). The distribution of high infection was found in Tha Tum (16.7%) and Sankha district (16.7%), followed by Samrong Thap (13.3%), Si Narong (13.33%), and Buachet district (13.33%). Chi-square testing indicated that age (61-70 and 71-80 year old), education (primary school) and occupation (agriculture), were significantly associated with O. viverrini infection (p-value<0.05). Of 72.6% participants who had past histories with stool examination, 17.0% of them had been infected with O. viverrini and 43.2% treated with praziquantel. This finding confirmed that O. viverrini is still a problem in Surin province, Thailand, and therefore, interventions are urgently required for mass treatment and health education implementation.