• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.337-347
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Despite the health impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) beginning in the early stages of life, there is little research on the perception of EDCs among Korean mothers, who are primarily responsible for protecting children. This study aimed to explore how mothers with young children perceived EDCs for their concerns, the issues they faced, and the way they dealt with them. Methods: An exploratory qualitative design was utilized. Twelve mothers who were recruited from snowball sampling participated in voluntary interviews. Individual in-depth interviews lasting approximately 47 to 60 minutes were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis as suggested by Graneheim and Lundman. Results: Four categories, 10 subcategories, and 25 condensed meaning units were identified by interpreting mothers' underlying meanings. The four categories were 'Knowledgeable yet contrasting ideas regarding EDCs,' 'Negative health impact, but more so for children,' 'Inaction or trying to minimize exposure,' and 'Need for early, reliable resources and social change.' Mothers were knowledgeable about EDCs and actively needed further education and support. While they tended to focus more on the health impact of EDCs on their children and were optimistic about their health risks, paying less attention to their preventive behaviors. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals must consider mothers' perceptions of EDCs in future education and interventions regarding EDCs impact on women's life stages such as puberty, pregnancy, and childrearing. Also preventive strategies that can be applied to their daily lives are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.18-22
• /
• 2016

Ethical considerations are essential in planning for and responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases. During the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Republic of Korea in 2015, serious challenges emerged regarding important ethical issues, such as transparency and the protection of privacy. The development of bioethics in Korea has been influenced by individualistic perspectives applied in clinical contexts, leading to a paucity of ethical perspectives relevant to population-level phenomena such as outbreaks. Alternative theories of public health ethics include the perspectives of relational autonomy and the patient as victim and vector. Public health actions need to incorporate clear and systematic procedures founded upon ethical principles. The MERS-CoV epidemic in Korea created significant public support for more aggressive early interventions in future outbreaks. This trend makes it all the more imperative for ethical principles and procedures to be implemented in future planning and responses to outbreaks in order to promote perceptions of legitimacy and civic participation.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.259-267
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study was done to identify contraceptive practices in adolescent girls in South Korea and predictors of contraceptive practices. Methods: The study sample included 743 girls who had experienced sexual activity. Using statistics from the 12th (2016) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results: The contraceptive practice rate for adolescent girls was 34%. Contraceptive practice was associated with 'age at first intercourse' and 'sexual intercourse after drinking'. For adolescent girls who had early sexual initiation and drank alcohol before sexual intercourse there was a tendency to reduce the practice of contraception. Conclusion: It is necessary to provide practical sex education to improve the practice of contraception in these adolescents. In addition, adolescent girls should be encourage to delay their first intercourse. The results of this study can also be used to develop education interventions regarding healthy sexuality behaviour including the practice of contraception.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.28 no.7
• /
• pp.636-643
• /
• 1995

This study was conducted to find some differences in infant feeding pattems between well educated Koreans and local populations living in Texas, USA. Initiation rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the hospital was 35.9% in Koreans and 60.4% in Americans. At 2, 4 and 6 months, exclusive breastfeeding rates were 34.0%, 20.8% and 13.2% for Koreans and 47.2%, 34.0% and 27.2% for Americans respectively. There was a significant difference in age of weaning from breast between these two groups(p<0.01). In Koreans the most common reason for the early termination before 4 months was maternal report of milk insufficiency. 55.6% of Koreans and 42.3% of Americans fed infants on scheduled rather on demand feeding. Primary sources of advice about feeding were medical professionals in Americans while baby's grandmother was the main source in Koreans. In Americans, choice of breastfeeding was not associated with ethnicity, maternal education, and family income in the study. Interventions to promote and support participants of Women Infants and Children(WIC) may play a role in Americans. It might be suggested that effective nutrition education programs targeting for Korean mothers to promote breastfeeding should be needed urgently and systematically.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.165-176
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to analyze the factors that influence alcohol use disorder in elders in KyongBuk province. The results of the study will provide basic information for the development of nursing interventions to promote proper alcohol use in elders. Methods: The subjects were 626 elderly individuals. Alcohol use disorder was defined as a score of more than 15 point on the AUDIT-K(Korean version of Alcohol Use Identification Test). Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, ANOVA and logistic regression were utilized to analyze the data. Results: Overall incidence of alcohol use disorder level; normal 73.2%, problem drinking 7.5% and alcohol use disorder 19.3%. Significant factors affecting alcohol use disorder were sex (OR=6.897), religious belief (OR=1.836), smoking (OR=2.948), liver disease (OR=4.753) and depression (OR=1.779). Conclusion: Community health care nurses perform a crucial function in the screening of elderly alcoholics. Early detection and treatment of depression in elders may help to prevent alcoholism.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.183-200
• /
• 2014

Cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world, including the countries of North-East and South-East Asia. Assessment of burden through cancer registration, determination of risk and protective factors, early detection and screening, clinical practice, interventions for example in vaccination, tobacco cessation efforts and palliative care all should be included in comprehensive cancer control programs. The degree to which this is possible naturally depends on the resources available at local, national and international levels. The present review concerns elements of cancer control programs established in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in North-East Asia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia as representative larger countries of South-East Asia for comparison, using the published literature as a guide. While major advances have been made, there are still areas which need more attention, especially in South-East Asia, and international cooperation is essential if standard guidelines are to be generated to allow effective cancer control efforts throughout the Far East.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.12
• /
• pp.7707-7711
• /
• 2013

Aims: To evaluate breast self examination (BSE) practice and the effect of a training program conducted by healthcare professionals on BSE. Materials and Methods: Women were randomized into control and test groups with both groups completing a questionnaire and three independent interviews where their BSE practices were evaluated. Results: In all, 39.5% of the participants were previously provided information on BSE by healthcare professionals while 25.8% had no knowledge of BSE prior to enrollment. Compared to those informed about BSE through other means such as television, radio, and the internet, the scores of the first, second, and third visits were higher (p<0.05) in individuals who received BSE education from healthcare professionals and hospitals. Conclusions: BSE training provided by healthcare professionals may increase early breast cancer diagnosis and treatment rates by improving BSE awareness and practice.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.49 no.10
• /
• pp.1026-1030
• /
• 2006

Mental retardation(MR) is one of the most common developmental disabilities, which is characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functions. Most children with MR have cognitive limitation in the mild range. With respect to the etiology, it is believed that genetic and environmental factors are interrelated and show variable pictures. Most children with MR present with speech and language delay during the early years. The diagnosis can be made by clinical features and neuropsychological tests of intelligence and adaptive functioning. The treatment is limited, but many associated problems are amenable to multidisciplinary interventions. The article will review the recent advances in the management of MR and other neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.193-204
• /
• 2007

This study investigated the effect of educational intervention utilizing fairy tales on young children's creativity and pro-social behaviors. Participants were 40 five-year-old young children. Fairy tale books were read to the experimental group and were adapted for various educational intervention activities but the control group participated only in standard child care center themes without educational interventions. Results showed significant differences between experimental and control groups in creativity and pro-social behavior. Findings confirmed that educational intervention utilizing fairy tales is an effective means for enhancing creativity and pro-social behavior in young children.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.53 no.5
• /
• pp.316-319
• /
• 2013

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is considered to be a rarer autoimmune disease than multiple sclerosis. It is very difficult to make a diagnosis of MNO for doctors who are not familiar with its clinical features and diagnostic criteria. We report a case of a young female patient who had been suffering motor weakness and radiating pain in both upper extremities. Cervical MRI showed tumorous lesion in spinal cord and performed surgery to remove lesion. We could not find a tumor mass in operation field and final diagnosis was NMO. NMO must be included in the differential diagnosis of lesions to rescue the patient from invasive surgical interventions. More specific diagnostic tools may be necessary for early diagnosis and proper treatment.