• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.130-140
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore levels of suicidal ideation and identify subgroups of high suicidal risk among the depressed elderly in Korea. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted on secondary data from the 6th (1st year) Korean national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES). A total of 239 depressed elders aged 60 or over who participated in the KNHANES. The prevalence of suicidal ideation and its related factors, including sociodemographic, physical, psychological characteristics and quality of life (EQ-5D index) were examined. Descriptive statistics and a decision tree analysis were performed using the SPSS/WIN 23.0 and SPSS Modeler 14.2 programs. Results: Of the depressed elderly, 28.9% had suicidal ideation. Three groups with high suicidal ideation were identified. Predictive factors included perceived stress level, household income level, quality of life and restriction of activity. In the highest risk group were those depressed elderly with moderate and low levels of stress, less than .71 of EQ-5D index and restriction of activity, and 80.0% of these participants had suicidal ideation. The accuracy of the model was 80.8%, its sensitivity 85.9%, and its specificity 68.1%. Conclusion: Multi-dimensional intervention should be designed to decrease suicide among the depressed elderly, particularly focusing on subgroups with high risk factors. This research is expected to contribute itself to the policy design and solution building in the future as it suggests policy implications in preventing the suicide of the depressed elderly.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.454-461
• /
• 2018

Background: Working conditions and psychosocial work factors have acquired an important role explaining the well-being and performance of professional drivers, including those working in the field of public transport. This study aimed to examine the association between job strain and the operational performance of public transport drivers and to compare the expositions with psychosocial risk at work of three different types of transport workers: taxi drivers, city bus drivers, and interurban bus drivers. Method: A sample of 780 professional drivers was drawn from three transport companies in Bogota (Colombia). The participants answered the Job Content Questionnaire and a set of sociodemographic and driving performance questions, including age, professional driving experience, work schedules, and accidents and penalties suffered in the last 2 years. Results: Analyses showed significant associations between measures of socio-labor variables and key performance indicators such road traffic accidents and penalties. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis contributed to explain significantly suffered accidents from key variables of the Job Demand-Control model, essentially from job strain. In addition, throughout post-hoc analyses, significant differences were found in terms of perceived social support, job strain, and job insecurity. Conclusion: Work stress is an issue that compromises the safety of professional drivers. This research provides evidence supporting a significant effect of job strain on the professional driver's performance. Moreover, the statistically significant differences between taxi drivers, city bus drivers, and interurban bus drivers in their expositions to work-related stress suggest the need for tailored occupational safety interventions on each occupational group.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.719-734
• /
• 2021

The aim of this study was to determine the therapeutic effects of beauty care on negative mental health, including stress and depression. Nail care, massage care, and makeup were used as programs for beauty therapy. Qualitative research was conducted with six female participants over five-month period. After interviewing the subjects in advance, beauty care treatments were performed every week 4 weeks in the following order: nail care, massage, and makeup. The results are as follows, First, the participants perceived beauty care in the form of 4 concepts: "courtesy in social life," "investment in oneself," "self-satisfaction," and "self-care." Second, the effects of beauty therapy were categorized as "psychological effects," "confidence," "behavioral changes," "evaluation of others," and "positive social effects." Third, each subject showed different psychological effects during the process when the function of the therapy took effect through the beauty care treatment. It was confirmed that confidence levels increased as a result of treatment through the process of becoming re-aware of oneself. Positive statements from the participants included: "I want to go out," "I have become kind and positive to others," "I have become more active in a given task," and "It seems that my work ability is improving." Finally, t-test results for self-esteem, depression, and stress showed there were significant differences in self-esteem and depression. This confirmed that self-esteem increased, and depression decreased after the beauty care treatment.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.141-152
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a couple-centered antenatal education program and to test the program's feasibility. Methods: With a preliminary-experimental study design, 33 pregnant couples who were expecting their first child participated in this study. The program consisted of four sessions (1 hour/session/week) of education and counseling. Data were collected before and after the intervention from September 2018 to April 2019 at a women's hospital in Daejeon, Korea, with demographic data forms, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, Korean Newborn Care Confidence Scale, Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale-10. Results: The pregnant women and their husbands were on average 32.30±3.10 and 33.21±6.25 years old, respectively. The mean marriage duration was 2.34±1.63 years, the gestational age was 31.30±2.66 weeks, and 78.8% of the couples had a planned pregnancy. After the program, both the pregnant women and their husbands showed significant improvements in attachment to the fetus and confidence in providing infant care. Prenatal depression, prenatal stress, and fear of childbirth in pregnant women significantly decreased after completing the program. However, the dyadic adjustment score did not change significantly either in the pregnant women or their husbands. Conclusion: A couple-centered antenatal education program seems to be effective for couples adjusting to parenthood, but further studies should explore ways to have a positive impact on couples' relationships.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.216-227
• /
• 2022

Background: Food insecurity may contribute to mental health indicators such as stress, anxiety, or depression. We investigated whether food insecurity was associated with mental health indicators and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a representative sample of the Korean population. Methods: This study enrolled 12,987 adults without a history of medically serious disease from the 2012, 2013, and 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Household food security status was categorized as "food security," "mild food insecurity," and "moderate/severe food insecurity." The association between mental health and HRQoL was evaluated using a multivariate logistic regression model with food security as the reference group. Results: The adjusted odds ratio of adverse mental health or low HRQoL increased significantly in mild or moderate/severe food insecurity compared to food security. In the moderate/severe food insecurity group, it was 1.98% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-2.99) higher for perceived stress, 3.58% (95% CI, 2.44-5.26) higher for depression symptoms, 4.16% (95% CI, 2.68-6.45) higher for suicidal ideation, and 2.81% (95% CI, 1.91-4.15) higher for quality of life. Conclusion: Food insecurity was strongly associated with negative mental health status and poor HRQoL. There is a need for a dietary support program that provides psychosocial support to those experiencing food insecurity.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.112-122
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is increasing, and diabetes patients have decreased bone density. Their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is diminished by the resultant physical dysfunction and depression. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing HRQoL in postmenopausal women with diabetes and osteoporosis. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of the Seventh Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018), which utilized a complex, multistage probability sample design. The participants in the study were 237 women with diabetes and osteoporosis. To evaluate the factors that influenced HRQoL, a complex-samples general linear model was constructed, and the Bonferroni correction was performed. Results: In this sample of women aged 45 to 80 years (mean±standard deviation, 71.12±7.21 years), the average HRQoL score was 0.83±0.18 out of 1.0. Factors influencing HRQoL were age (70s: t=-3.74, p<.001; 80s: t=-3.42, p=.001), walking for exercise more than 5 days a week (t=-2.83, p=.005), cerebrovascular disease (t=-8.33, p<.001), osteoarthritis (t=-2.04, p=.014), hypertension (t=2.03, p=.044), higher perceived stress (t=-2.17, p=.032), poor glycemic control (t=3.40, p=.001), waist circumference (t=-2.76, p=.007), sitting time per day (t=-2.10, p=.038), and a longer postmenopausal period (t=3.09, p=.002). Conclusion: In order to improve the HRQoL of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and diabetes, it is necessary to implement intervention strategies that enable the effective management of chronic diseases, while preventing the complications of diabetes and minimizing stress through physical activity.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.152-158
• /
• 2023

Objectives: This study examined the associations between Internet addiction and suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among South Korean adolescents. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1694 Korean adolescents. The suicidal Ideation Questionnaire and Deliberate Self-Harm Inventories were used to identify high-risk suicide and NSSI groups, respectively. Internet addiction was assessed using the Internet Addiction Scale. Other questionnaires included sociodemographic data, perceived academic stress, and daily life-related factors. We also performed a logistic regression analysis using the high suicide risk and NSSI groups as dependent variables. Results: The high suicide risk and NSSI prevalence rates among participants were 11.8% and 28.3%, respectively. A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that Internet addiction is associated with higher suicide risk and NSSI. Additionally, being female and academic stress were significant suicide risk factors, while male participants had a higher NSSI prevalence. Conclusion: Our results suggest that monitoring adolescents' Internet use and providing education to prevent Internet addiction would lower high suicide and NSSI risk. Moreover, suicide and NSSI risk screening in adolescents with Internet addiction and providing suitable interventions will be essential for the preventing suicide and NSSI.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.366-377
• /
• 2010

We surveyed 553 middle school students living in Incheon using questionnaires to compare their food behaviors and snack intake patterns according to weight groups based on BMI. Mean BMI was 20.3 for males and 19.6 for females. The rate of underweight, normalweight and overweight students was 33.3, 51.7, and 15.0%, respectively. Compared to the other two groups, the overweight students perceived their body shape more accurately (p<0.01). Regarding the reasons for skipping dinner, the most frequent answer by the underweight students was 'because of snacks', while that of the overweight students was 'to lose weight' (p<0.01). The normalweight students were found to eat a Korean traditional type breakfast more frequently than the other weight groups (p<0.05). The overweight female group was more likely to overeathabitually, whereas the normalweight and underweight groups tended to overeat when they were under stress (p<0.05). As for the amount of the snack intake, the overweight male students replied that they eat quite a lot of snacks. As a conclusion, the problems found in the underweight group were unbalanced diet and the disturbance of regular meal patterns due to inappropriate snack intake. The problems shown in the overweight group were overeating due to habit or stress, fast eating speed and large amount of snack intake.

• Journal of Practical Engineering Education
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.761-770
• /
• 2023

This study was conducted to identify factors affecting depression in the elderly using three-year Community Health Survey data from 2020, when COVID-19 was declared an epidemic. Differences in depression according to general characteristics, health behavior, subjective health level, and medical use among 220,921 elderly were analyzed using complex samples t-test and ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors affecting depression it was carried out. As a result of the study, the level of depression among elderly women was found to be high, with an average of 1.21±0.01 for elderly men and 1.74±0.02 for elderly women, and there was a difference in generation type, with depression being higher in the first generation for elderly men and the third generation for elderly women. Variables that had a great influence on depression were the experience of depression and perceived stress.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.279-282
• /
• 2024

This study aimed to verify the results of emotional analysis with respect to canine behavior as reported in the existing animal behavior field based on the dog vestibular emotional reflex (VER) principle, and to evaluate humans and animals based on empathy gained through true communication rather than human-centered interpretation. A total of 200 canines were divided into non-daily and daily situation groups (n=100 each). To assess the psychological and emotional state of each group, these changes were applied to the principle of VER, and six measurement values were selected: positive emotion (balance and energy), negative emotion (tension/anxiety and stress), and body condition (inhibition and neuroticism). The results showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in positive emotions, negative emotions, and body conditions between the two groups. In addition, balance, energy, tension/anxiety, inhibition, and neuroticism were higher in the non-daily situation group than in the daily situation group, with an exception for stress. Compared with the canine daily situation groups, canine in the non-daily situation groups instinctively observed their surroundings to cope with possible threats, had decreased concentration, and elevated vitals due to high-intensity anxiety. This can be perceived as a state of immediate reaction to possible situations/threats. In conclusion, it was confirmed through Vibra Image technology that canine instability mainly affects three factors: positive emotion, negative emotion, and physical condition.