• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2023

Purpose: Uncertainty and restrictions on daily life have increased fear, stress, and depression during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Depression is the most common mental health problem in pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of fear and stress related to COVID-19 experienced by pregnant women, as well as their levels of depression, and to examine the factors associated with depression during pregnancy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, correlational study conducted among 153 pregnant women who visited a maternity hospital in Busan, South Korea. A self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection from December 18, 2021 to March 8, 2022. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results: Pregnant women experienced a moderate level of fear related to COVID-19, with an average score of 21.55±4.90. The average score for depression during pregnancy was 14.86±11.10, with 50.3% of the participants experiencing depression (≥13). The factors associated with depression during pregnancy were fear of COVID-19, contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, being in the third trimester of pregnancy, high stress levels due to difficulties experienced from social distancing measures, and unintended pregnancy. These five statistically significant factors explained 35.0% of variance in depression during pregnancy. Conclusion: Considering the prevalence of depression in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to develop interventions to reduce anxiety by providing correct information and alleviating the stress of social distancing.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.128-134
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• 2015

Objectives To examine the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and body mass index (BMI) of obese children. Methods This cross-sectional study included 387 children. HRQoL was measured with the PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scale. BMI was classified according to the World Health Organization Asia-Pacific obesity guidelines. Psychosocial factors (body image, self-esteem, and depression/anxiety) were also measured. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation and Path analysis. Results Obese participants reported lower score for physical evaluation, self-esteem, appearance evaluation component of body image, total HRQoL score, and physical/emotional/social function components of HRQoL ; they reported higher score for depression/anxiety. In addition, results indicated that as BMI increased, appearance evaluation, total HRQoL score, and social function component of HRQoL dropped. Path analysis revealed that BMI did not directly affect HRQoL ; however, BMI directly affects body image and self-esteem, indirectly mediates depression/anxiety, and thereby impacts on an individual's HRQoL. Conclusions Body image and self-esteem, rather than BMI itself, have more influence on HRQoL. This reinforces the importance of therapeutic intervention to enhance body image and self-esteem among obese children.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.365-378
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• 2019

Purpose: The awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and BRCA testing is increasing in Korea. Compared to the sizable research on HBOC knowledge among breast cancer women, studies in the ovarian cancer population are limited. This paper aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of hereditary ovarian cancer and anxiety in women diagnosed with serous ovarian cancer in Korea and determine differences in the knowledge and anxiety according to whether genetic testing was undertaken and whether BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations were present. Methods: Using a descriptive research design, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on 100 women diagnosed with serous ovarian cancer at N hospital in Gyeonggi-do, Korea, from July to November 2018. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation coefficient using the SPSS 21.0 program. Results: The hereditary ovarian cancer-related knowledge score was mid-level (mean score 8.90±3.29 out of a total of 17), as was the state anxiety level was mid-level (mean score 47.96±3.26 out of possible score range of 20-80). Genetic knowledge of hereditary ovarian cancer was associated with age, education, occupation, genetic counseling, and BRCA mutations. There were no statistically significant factors related to anxiety and there were no statistically significant correlations between knowledge level and anxiety. Conclusion: More comprehensive education on gene-related cancer is needed for ovarian cancer patients, especially for items with low knowledge scores. A genetic counseling protocol should be developed to allow more patients to alleviate their anxiety through genetic counseling.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.215-223
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• 2024

Purpose: Patients who receive frequent blood transfusions are at an elevated risk of developing hepatic fibrosis due to iron overload in the liver. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of transient elastography (TE) (FibroScan^®) for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with pediatric cancer. Methods: We enrolled 106 consecutive cases of acute leukemia in individuals under 21 years of age. The participants were followed for 2 years. Based on their serum ferritin (SF) levels, the patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (SF≥300 ng/mL) and group 2 (SF<300 ng/mL). A liver FibroScan^® was performed, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the various parameters in the liver function test (LFT), alkaline phosphatase was significantly higher in a subgroup of patients aged 5-8 years in group 2 compared to those in group 1. The indices of liver fibrosis determined by TE, including the FibroScan score, controlled attenuation parameter score, steatosis percentage, and meta-analysis of histological data in viral hepatitis score, as well as indirect serum markers of liver fibrosis such as the aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, Fibrosis 4 score, and AST to platelet ratio index, did not differ significantly between the two groups. The association between the TE results and LFT parameters was only significant for ALT. Conclusion: Transfusion-associated iron overload does not have a significant correlation with severe liver fibrosis. FibroScan^® is not a sensitive tool for detecting early stages of fibrosis in survivors of pediatric leukemia.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current level of sleep quality among Korean middle-school students using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and to analyze the factors influencing sleep quality. Methods: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design and a self-report questionnaire. The participants were 744 middle-school students. The questionnaire included the PSQI and health-related questions, such as the types of diseases they had been diagnosed with and the frequency of hospital admissions. The data were analyzed using the independent t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and linear multiple regression. Results: The global PSQI score was 4.21, which indicated good sleep quality. The major factors that were associated with the sleep quality of middle-school students were the number of diseases they had been diagnosed with (β=.54, p=.001) and atopic dermatitis (β=.32, p=.001). In addition, asthma and the frequency of hospital admissions were significant factors influencing each component of the PSQI. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that sleep quality was associated with several health-related factors. Thus, nurses, school nurses, and nursing researchers may need to assess the health-related factors associated with adolescents' sleep quality as part of efforts to improve their sleep quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1621-1627
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• 2001

Steers and heifers (N=490) were produced between 1991 and 1996 by reciprocal fiillsib backcross and $F_1$ crosses from Angus and Brahman to compare characteristics of carcass and palatability traits between Bos indicus and Bos taurus inheritance. Carcasses of 3/4Angus were heavier, fatter (p<0.05), more tender and higher in other palatability attributes (p<0.01) than those of 3/4Brahman. Reciprocal effects of parental cross breeds were found on some traits. Within 3/4Brahman inheritance group, Brahman sired progeny produced heavier and fatter carcasses with better palatability (p<0.05) than progeny with Brahman as a dam breed. Estimates of heritability were intermediate to high in most carcass and palatability traits. Genetic correlations of tenderness with marbling score (MARB), sarcomere length (SARC), fragmentation index (FRAG) and calpastatin activity (CALP) were moderate to high, suggesting potential use of the tenderness-influencing factors as indirect selection criteria to improve palatability attributes. MARB and SARC that were best predictors of tenderness explained 3.07 to 5.85% and 4.32 to 8.24% of variation in tenderness, respectively. However, there was no tenderness-influencing factor to dominantly explain large portion of variation in tenderness.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.157-163
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the effects of life stress and depression in undergraduates on suicidal ideation. Methods: The participants in this study were 306 nursing students from three different cities. Collected data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The mean score for life stress was 48.48, for depression, 28.59, and for suicidal ideation, 5.90. There were positive relationships between depression and life stress, suicidal ideation and life stress, and suicidal ideation and depression. The four factors of life stress, depression, school life, and gender were identified as factors influencing on suicidal ideation in undergraduates. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the establishment of mental health care centers in universities, and development and implementation of nursing intervention programs for suicide prevention would be helpful.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.67-72
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• 2022

Objectives: This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Level 2 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Depression and the Irritability for parents of children aged 6-17 years. Methods: Participants were 190 children diagnosed with depressive disorder (n=14), anxiety disorder (n=21), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n=111), ADHD with anxious depression (n=13), and tic disorder with somatic symptoms (n=31). Patients were 8-15 years of age. The participants' mothers completed the Korean versions of the DSM-5 Level 2 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-PROMIS Depression and Irritability (Affective Reactivity Index, ARI), and the Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL). Using these data, we calculated the reliability coefficient and examined the concurrent and discriminant validity of the PROMIS Depression and the Irritability (ARI) scales for assessing depression and irritability in children. Results: The reliability coefficient of the PROMIS Depression scale (Cronbach's α) was 0.93. The correlation coefficient with the K-CBCL DSM emotional problem score was 0.71. The PROMIS Depression scale significantly discriminated children with depressive disorders from those with other conditions. The reliability coefficient of the Irritability (ARI) scale was 0.91, suggesting its high reliability. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the Korean version of the DSM-5 Level 2 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure for Depression and Irritability Scales for parents of children aged 6-17 years is reliable and valid and may be an efficient alternative to the K-CBCL.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6425-6428
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• 2014

Background: Prostatic adenocarcinoma is one of the main causes of cancer death, and its timely diagnosis and preventing its progression dramatically helps improve life indexes. Given the high disease recurrence rate, today, research is more inclined toward exploring causes of recurrence and development, and innovation of modern treatment methods. Several studies have explored over-expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2/neu) in prostatic cancer so far, with different results. Thus, it was decided to investigate HER-2/neu overexpression in patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma in Iran. Materials and Methods: A sample size of 40 patients with prostate cancer entered the study, using a cross-sectional, non-randomized sampling method. Parameters studied included patient age at surgery, Gleason score, serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) before surgery, and positive sample rate after immunohistochemical staining to investigate HER-2/neu overexpression. Results: In terms of HER-2/neu receptor staining rate, of 40 slides, 16 (40%) scored 0, 13 (32.5%) 1+, 7 (17.5%) 2+, and 4 (10%) 3+. In total 27.5% of slides showed HER-2/neu overexpression. In terms of age, an inverse correlation was found (-0.181), but without significance (p=0.263). In terms of serum PSA, the correlation coefficient was 0.449 (p=0.004). With respect to Gleason score, the coefficient was 0.190 (p=0.240). Conclusions: In this study, HER-2/neu overexpression occurred in 27.5% of prostate cancer cases, which is a relatively high figure, compared to similar studies elsewhere. While, we failed to reveal any relationship between HER-2/neu expression status with progression and prognosis of disease, it was demonstrated that the serum PSA level was significantly higher in cases with increased receptor expression.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.169-179
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to understand the factors related to depression according to gender in vulnerable elderly. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1,709 elderly beneficiaries of the visiting health care program in Seoul. Depression was measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form Korea Version(GDSSF-K) questionnaire. Depression score was mild level in vulnerable elderly. There was no gender difference in depression level. Factors related to depression differ by gender. In the elderly men, higher depression showed significant correlation with a lower level of health-related quality of life(HRQOL) and self-rated health(SRH). In addition, higher depression was observed for elderly men living alone than for those living with family. These factors explained depression by 23.1%. In the elderly women, higher depression showed significant correlation with a lower level of HRQOL, SRH and a higher dependence of instrumental activities of daily living. In addition, higher depression was observed for elderly women who has fall experience. These factors explained depression by 22.8%. Gender-specific nursing strategies may be required for prevention of depression in vulnerable elderly.