• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1977-1980
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• 2014

Background: The popularity of the narghile waterpipe, also referred to as hookah, shisha or hubble-bubble has increased tremendously during the past few decades. The aim of this study was to expose perception of narghile among a representative sample of university students in Sakarya University campus. Materials and Methods: Written approval was taken from the local education authority. An anonymous questionnaire which was prepared by the investigators and contained 17 questions was administered. Nine of the questions were related to socio-demographic characteristics and eight were related to the students harm perceptions about waterpipe. A total of 1,320 questionnaries were received and after preliminary evaluation 1,255 (95.7%) were found to be suitable for evaluation. The data was evaluated in SPSS program by using percentages and averages. Results: The $mean{\pm}SD$ age of the students was $20.8{\pm}2.29$ years (min 18, max 32). There were 864 (68.8%) females and 391 (31.2%) males. A total of 6.3 % of the students (n=79) believed that waterpipe is not harmful because its smoke does not burn the lungs. Almost one-third (n=318) think that the carcinogenic chemicals are filtered while waterpipe smoke passes from the water; 12.1 % of the students (n=152) checked "true" for the statement of "waterpipe smoke contains no nicotine". It is seen that 14.0 % of the students (n=176) think waterpipe with fruit/aroma is healthier than plain waterpipe. Conclusions: As a result of this study, it is found out that a substantial number of university students have false beliefs on harmful effects of waterpipe smoking.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2963-2966
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• 2013

Infection with Opisthorchis viverrini (OV) due to eating certain traditional freshwater fish dishes is the principal risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma in Northeast Thailand where the infection is endemic and the incidence of this form of primary liver cancer has been the highest in the world. This paper is the second report of a prospective research project to monitor the impacts of a national liver fluke control programme in a rural community of Northeast Thailand. A sample of 684 villagers aged 20-65 years completed an interview questionnaire and were tested for infection using the Kato thick smear technique. The questionnaire was designed for the exploration of associations between OV infection, previous treatment with praziquantel, and knowledge and beliefs about the drug. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. The overall prevalence of OV infection was 37.2% and was highest in the 20-35 year age group, in those with a university degree and in those employed in the government sector. As many as 91.8% reported eating fish dishes known to place them at risk of infection. In the multiple regression analysis, previous use of praziquantel and lack of knowledge about whether or not the drug has a protective effect against re-infection were the only factors related to OV infection ($OR_{adj}$= 2.31, 95%CI =1.40-3.79 and $OR_{adj}$= 1.95, 95%CI= 1.24-3.05). The findings were discussed in terms of the possibly unwise dependency on praziquantel as a primary element in a control programme.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.19-34
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• 2001

The childbearing process is not only a biological phenomenon of a woman who gives birth to a child but also a sociocultural phenomenon which is reflected on her value, belief in the sociocultural context according to social change and acculturation. The familial relation and sociocultural context in the multigravidas are more complex and intermingled than in the primigravidas. The purpose of this ethnographic research study was to explore the experience of identity from the first trimester of pregnancy to the third trimester of pregnancy in the Korean multigravidas and to understand deeply the perspectives of pregnant women reflected on Korean sociocultural values, beliefs, norms and familial culture. The participants of 10 pregnant women in Seoul, Korea were observed for 10 months from January to October 2000 and interviewed in their homes and comfortable place. Data analysis was accomplished 'line by line method' and significant concepts were classified according to themes, categories, and domains. The results of this study were as follows : The participants experienced 4 categorized subjects : understanding the oneself - mother to be, performing the dual role, drifting the emotion, and living disheartened during pregnancy. The participants were showed universality and diversity pattern in the self understanding process. The universal pattern were 'mother to be' showing maturation, life along family and priority on motherhood between being a mother and a woman. The diverse pattern were taking the dual role in working mothers having the higher self actualized value and personal identity rather than maternal identity, drifting emotion in resigned mothers, and living disheartened in mothers who have two daughters and no son. In conclusion, the Korean multigravidas experienced womanhood as well as motherhood through the self understanding process with familial connections during pregnancy. Therefore it is suggested that if the harmony and the balance between a mother and a woman is accomplished, the woman will lead a healthy and high quality of life. Also, this study sought to confirm the sociocultural factors affecting during pregnancy in the perspectives of the women with children. Therefore, the health care providers have to divert their attention from biomedical perspectives to biocultural perspectives integrating bio-psycho-sociocultural aspects of pregnant women in a clinical setting.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2017

Objectives: Medical students represent a primary target for tobacco cessation training. This study assessed the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes, clinical skills, and tobacco-related curricula in two countries, the US and Italy, with known baseline disparities in hopes of identifying potential corrective interventions. Methods: From September to December 2013, medical students enrolled at the University of Bologna and at Brown University were recruited via email to answer survey questions assessing the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes and clinical skills related to patients' smoking, and elements of medical school curricula related to tobacco use. Results: Of the 449 medical students enrolled at Brown and the 1426 enrolled at Bologna, 174 Brown students (38.7%) and 527 Bologna students (36.9%) participated in this study. Italian students were more likely to smoke (29.5% vs. 6.1%; p<0.001) and less likely to receive smoking cessation training (9.4% vs. 80.3%; p<0.001) than their American counterparts, even though the majority of students in both countries desired smoking cessation training (98.6% at Brown, 85.4% at Bologna; p<0.001). Additionally, negative beliefs regarding tobacco usage, the absence of formal training in smoking cessation counseling, and a negative interest in receiving specific training on smoking cessation were associated with a higher risk of not investigating a patient's smoking status during a routine history and not offering tobacco cessation treatment to patients. Conclusions: Medical curricula on tobacco-related health hazards and on smoking cessation should be mandatory in order to reduce smoking among medical students, physicians, and patients, thereby improving tobacco-related global health.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.5698-5706
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• 2013

This study presents research into the patterns that affect the understanding and acceptance of healthcare management systems as part of a healthcare information technology infrastructure targeted at university students. The participants were 623 university students in D city and K province. This study employed a descriptive and correlational cross-sectional survey and made use of the ubiquitous healthcare management services measurement scale. 48.5% of respondents had accessed healthcare-related information on the Internet. Among the independent variables of general characteristics related to perceived susceptibility was found to have adj $R^2$ of 11% while the other dependent factors reported much lower between 0.5 to 4.7%. Female respondents, medical-related majors, self-efficacy, and intention to use had significant positive effects while health beliefs and concern had a significant negative effect on the intentional acceptance of healthcare information technology systems.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.552-559
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• 2013

This study is conducted in order to investigate the prevalence of vitamin mineral (VM) supplement use and its related factors among Korean adolescents. Using a cross-sectional study design, information was obtained by questionnaires from adolescents selected by stratified sampling in large, small and middle-size cities, as well as rural areas of the whole country, followed by convenience sampling. The total number of participants in this study was 1,407 adolescents ($15.2{\pm}1.6$ years) attending middle or high schools, chosen from various cities and rural areas in Korea. The prevalence of VM supplement use was 65.5%, and there was no significant difference between the genders. City dwellers took VM supplements more frequently than those adolescents from rural areas (p < 0.01). The VM supplement users tended to have higher family income, parents' academic background, and socioeconomic status, respectively (p < 0.001). The greater part of VM supplement users replied that they acquired their nutritional information from their parents, relatives and friends, while many nonusers replied that they did it from school classes (p < 0.05). Compared to nonusers, VM supplement users had greater 'self concern about health' (p < 0.05), 'parents' concern about child's health, growth, and nutritional intake' (p < 0.001), and 'parents' concern about child's grade point' (p < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference between users and nonusers when it came to 'self perception of body shape' or 'BMI'. In addition, users significantly had greater nutritional beliefs concerning VM supplements than nonusers (p < 0.001). These results showed that VM supplement use has been common among adolescents in Korea, and supplement use of subjects has been related with various factors. Among them, it was shown that especially parents great influence the use of VM supplements by adolescents. Thus, not only education for adolescents, but also that for parents is needed to help adolescents take VM supplements properly.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.29-45
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• 2006

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of stages of adoption in stomach cancer screening and elucidate differences among stages. Methods: A randomly selected sample of 712 Korean males and females aged 40 years or over were interviewed. Stomach cancer screening intention and behavior, sociodemographic characteristics, beliefs, self-efficacy and reinforcing characteristics were assessed. Results: The majority of participants were not on-schedule screening(unaware 3.2%, unengaged 20.8%, deciding about acting 24.0%, decided not to act 9.6%, decided to act 14.5%, acting 9.7%, maintenance 18.3%). Perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, other cancer screening experiences were significantly associated with higher compared to lower Precaution Adoption Process Model(PAPM) stages. Conclusions: This study appears to be applicable of the Precaution Adoption Process Model to understanding stomach cancer screening behavior. Our results suggest that it is needed to develop the tailored message for adherence of stomach cancer screening.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 1981

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between family attitude about mental illness and their general characteristics. The subjects for this study were a sample of 120 families selected from psychiatric ward of one university hospital, which is one national hospital in Seoul. Data was collected from July 1th to August 10th in 3980 used by Opinion about Mental Illness Scale (O.M.I.). The materials were analized by S.P.S.S. program. The findings of the study were as follows: A. Families' attitude toward mental illness shown ay this study was more negative compared to those of Korea1 nursing professorss, nurses and nursing students. B. Variables which influence families' attitude about mental illness: 1. There is no significant between general characteristics and authoritarianism. (p＞ 0.05) 2. Benevolence (Factor B) was found to be significantly related to such variables as religion, eucation levels, existence of mental patient in their an intimate friends. (P < 0.01) Families' attitude about benevolence was mere positive in families who have not relegion or having christion beliefs: haying the higher education levels; not having a mental patient in their an intimate friends. 3. Mental health ideology (Factor C) was found to be significantly related to variable experience of mental illness. (P < 0.01). families' attitude about mental health ideology was more positive in families who had experience of mental illness. 4. Social Restrictiveness (Factor D) was found to be significantly related to variable relationship between families and patients(P<0.01). An intimate friend's attitude about mental health Ideology was mon positive than that of parent and couple. 5. Interpersonal Etiology (Factor E) was found to be significantly related to variable religion (P < 0.05). Families' attitude about interpersonal etiology was more positive in families who have relegion.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.121-129
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing on practice of infection control among clinical nurses. Data were collected from 142 nurses in hospitals in D city from December 10 to December 15, 2016. It was confirmed that the perceived barrier of health beliefs and the infection control awareness influenced the infection control performance of the subjects(F=43.61, p<.001). The explaining power of these two factors on infection control performance was 38.0%. In order to improve the nurse's infection control performance, it is necessary to continue education to recognize that infection control activities are important. However, it is necessary to consider institutional complement to prevent nurse's infection control practice from being recognized as work burden or suffering.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2018

Background: Since the Republic of Korea became a labor-force-importing country, the number of foreign workers has increased gradually, especially in the construction industry. The main objective of this study was to examine the differences in safety perception between domestic and foreign workers at Korean construction sites. Methods: A total of 891 Korean and foreign workers were surveyed: 140 foreign and 751 Korean workers. The general characteristics and 25 factors influencing safety perception were considered in the questionnaire. Regression and correlation analyses were conducted to examine the variables of workers' safety perception. Results: Differences of nationality (F = 7.379, p < 0.001) and workplace accidents were statistically significant for both domestic (F = 1.503, p < 0.05) and foreign workers (F = 7.868, p < 0.05). In contrast, age, education, and Korean language level were significant variables only for foreign workers. Correlation coefficients of $0.428^{**}$ for Korean and 0.148 for foreign workers between two items - namely, "management's commitment to safety" and "blaming staff when they make mistakes" - support the conclusion that foreign workers do not trust management's commitment to safety, while Korean workers have confidence in these commitments. Conclusion: Foreign workers' level of safety perception should rise to the same level as Korean workers, especially in terms of obeying safety rules, safety education performance, and safety beliefs. Therefore, an improvement plan for the Korean construction industry is suggested in order to have a better safety level at construction sites with foreign workers.