• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.20
• /
• pp.8765-8774
• /
• 2014

This study aimed at summarizing epidemiological research findings on associations between tobacco, alcohol and tea consumption and risk of gastric cancer (GC) in the Chinese population. The review searched PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases and reference lists of review papers for all studies published in English or Chinese languages. Information extracted, via two independent researchers, from retrieved articles included first author, year of publication, study design, sample size, source of controls and adjusted odds ratio (OR) or relative risk (RR) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each category. Statistical analyses used software STATA version 12.0. The systematic search found 89 articles containing 25,821 GC cases and 135,298 non-cases. The overall random effects in terms of pooled OR and 95%CI for tobacco, alcohol and tea consumption were 1.62 (95%CI: 1.50-1.74), 1.57 (95%CI: 1.41-1.76) and 0.67 (95%CI: 0.59-0.76) respectively; while the heterogeneity among included studies ranged from 80.1% to 87.5%. The majority of subgroup analyses revealed consistent results with the overall analyses. All three behavioral factors showed statistically significant dose-dependent effects on GC (P<0.05). The study revealed that tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking were associated with over 1/2 added risk of GC, while tea drinking conferred about 1/3 lower risk of GC in the Chinese population. However, these results should be interpreted with caution given the fact that most of the included studies were based on a retrospective design and heterogeneity among studies was relatively high.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.207-218
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate parents' perceptions and attitudes regarding a screening test for and subsequent management of students' emotional and behavioral problems. Methods: A descriptive research design was used, and included disproportional stratified and cluster random sampling. The sample comprised 223 parents of elementary, middle, and high school students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, and ANOVA with SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: Overall, parents responded that they knew of the goals, types, and tools of screening tests for students' emotional and behavioral problems. In total, 64.6% of parents reported having information for the screening test in advance. Only 13.5%(n=30) of students had emotional and behavioral problems in the last year. Among these students, 56.7%(n=17) were referred to mental health facilities but only 29.4%(n=5) of them received ongoing management from these facilities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that parents should receive information about the screening test for and subsequent management of students' emotional and behavioral problems. Health professionals need to build strategies to provide ongoing management for students who have emotional and behavioral problems.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
• /
• v.9 no.12
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2018

Purpose - The core objective of the research is to explore the quality of services provided by the Nigerian health care sector that lead to know the satisfaction levels of the consumers. Research design, data, and methodology - After a meticulous literature review, the researchers administered a two part questionnaire to know the service gaps and satisfaction levels of the customers. The research carried out with a sample of 400 respondents but received only 150 responses from the residents around Adamawa state. The collected data was edited, coded, and analyzed with the SPSS latest version with the descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Results - Majority of the respondents expressed their discontentment over the responsiveness of the service providers when compared to tangibility and reliability quality variables. There is no relationship between the quality variable tangibility and overall satisfaction. Related to the overall satisfaction, 42 percent of respondents have neutral perspective indicated that they are either satisfied or dissatisfied as against the 43.3 percent of dissatisfied customers. Conclusions - This research proffers invaluable information to the entire Nigerian health-care sector to review their existing delivery of services to improve patient satisfaction. This research is first of its kind concentrated to know the quality of health-care services and customers overall satisfaction in Nigeria.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.139-149
• /
• 2001

With the increasing number of women involved in social activities, beauty industry has flourished. More women than ever before are concerned about make-up, hair care, skin care, and weight control, etc. With the success and commercialization of beauty industry, unconfirmed beauty care services have been introduced in the market. However, the health hazard from diverse beauty care services has not been systematically addressed. This study has the following two purposes: 1) to examine the utilization pattern of diverse beauty care services; and 2) to examine the health hazard from beauty care services. For this study, two major universities located in Seoul area were selected. While 450 female college students were selected from one women's university, the other 450 were from mixed university. Using survey questionnaire, we interviewed with 900 female college students. The results are as follows: As for the beauty care patterns, makeup accounted for 78.6％, Skin care 49.5％, weight/body control 32.0％, hair care 81.5％, and cosmetic operation 14.9％, indicating significant high rates of makeup(x2=9.215, p=0.002) and hair care(x2=4.435, p=0.035) at both mixed and women's universities. The health hazard was measured using four questions. The past studies have not paid special attention to the methodological issue of how to ask health hazard. Depending on how to ask health hazard, the percentage of respondents reporting health problems varied. When the respondents were asked whether or not they had suffered health problems for a short period, over 60％ of respondents reported health problems; when they were asked in other ways-1) whether or not they had suffered health problems for a long period, 2) whether or not they had suffered whole body problems, 3) whether or not they had permanent traces on skin due to beauty care activities-, the percentage of respondents reporting health problems dropped substantially to less than 10％, This finding indicates the importance of ‘words’ used in questions. The relationships between health problems and utilization of beauty care services were examined, using χ2 test or t test. We found that there was a significant relationship between health problem and beauty care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.100-106
• /
• 2008

Objectives : We measured behavioral factors associated with Koreans receiving gastric cancer screening based on a socio-ecological model, in part to develop strategies to improve cancer screening rates. Methods : A telephone survey was conducted with 2,576 people chosen through stratified random sampling from April 1 - May 31, 2004. Collected information included gastric cancer screening, socio-demographic factors, and socio-ecological factors at intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and public policy levels. Results : Among 985 survey respondents(380 men and 605 women), 402 had received gastric cancer screening. Logistic analysis was performed to compare those screened and unscreened. 'Age' was the only demographic factor that showed a statistically significant association with getting screening. People in their fifties (OR=1.731, 95% CI=1.190-2.520) and sixties (OR=2.098, 95% CI=1.301-3.385) showed a higher likelihood of getting screened, compared to those in the forties. 'Accessibility to a medical institution' was a significant factor related to having gastric cancer screening at the intrapersonal level. At the interpersonal level, recommendations by family members to be screened and a family practice of routine cancer screening were significantly related. People with frequent education about cancer screening or with stronger social feelings that cancer screening is necessary also demonstrated significantly higher tendencies to be screened. Conclusions : In conclusion, a socio-ecological model seems appropriate for explaining gastric cancer screening behavior and associated factors. Health planners should develop integrated strategies to improve cancer screening rates based on socio-ecological factors, especially at the interpersonal and community levels.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.177-192
• /
• 2011

The arguments exist that private health insurance(PHI) policy holders tend to use the health care services more than non-policy holders due to their little out-of-pocket spending, resulting in the adverse effects on the finances of National Health Insurance. This study aims to increase the objective understanding of the issue and to draw a direction of further research, by reviewing the articles, reports and statistics which examined the effects of purchasing PHI policies on health care utilization. Significant differences in healthcare utilization, except for the very partial increase of utilization in outpatient settings, have been not found. The similar trends of the results have existed in a few previous studies which tried to control the endogeneity of medical use and health insurance with latent variables which affect the decision on medical use and health insurance. However, we can not exclude the potential change of healthcare utilization patterns because the portion of the insured of indemnity PHI is becoming rapidly larger in the market. For further research, we should try to obtain the objective information of subjects' past medical history, health status, health related behavior, and income affecting purchase of PHI and utilization of healthcare services. And the efforts of controlling the endogeneity of medical use and health insurance with latent variables which affect the decision on medical use and health insurance, are very considerable.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.795-807
• /
• 2002

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a community-based nursing center model that can provide health promotion for infants and toddlers as well as a research and practice site for nursing faculty and students. Methods: Review of current health care system and health promotion programs, and workshops with brain-storming were carried out to identify needy areas of services to be provided by the nursing center. Finally, the community nursing center model was developed through expert consultation and filed visits. Results: The services and programs were developed for infants and toddlers residing in Seoul area. These services and programs include growth and developmental screening, environment and health problem assessment, infant stimulation and parent education, and self-help group. Full-time and part-time staff nurses and nurse practitioners will provide those services and offer home visiting if needed. Database system, health information system, and trainers' training programs were developed as well. Conclusion: The nursing center model developed in this study will ensure clients direct access to nursing care and increase of autonomy and accountability of nursing practices. The nursing center model focused on disease prevention and health promotion will enhance the quality of life of the infants, toddlers and their families as well as to decrease national health care expenditure.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.19-28
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study was a descriptive research to identify the effects of communication skills, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue on burnout among staff of long term care insurance for the elderly in National Health Insurance Services in Korea. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The participants were 191 staffs of long-term care insurance in National Health Insurance Services. Data were collected via mail from the 24 branch offices which were randomly selected among the total of 226 centers of National Health Insurance Corporation. Stamm's professional quality of life (ProQOL) and Communication Skills Test tool were included in questionnaire to detect. SPSS/WIN 20.0 was used to conduct the descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple regression. Results: Compassion fatigue had a significant positive effect on burnout, while Compassion satisfaction had a negative effect on burnout. The explained variance for burnout was 69% and compassion fatigue was the most significant factor in burnout among staff of long term care insurance services. Conclusion: The results indicate that the factors influencing staffs' burnout are compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and education level. Therefore, strategies to decrease compassion fatigue and improve compassion satisfaction are needed to decrease burnout for staffs of long-term care insurance in National Health Insurance Services.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.110-143
• /
• 1996

The purpose of this study is to assess the extent of inequality in health outcomes and the distribution of health services according to health need under National Health Insurance System in Korea. For the empirical analysis, data were collected through an interview survey during one month of October, 1994. Interview were conducted with a total of 10, 875 of the employees and the self-employed selected through cluster, systematic sampling. The major findings of this research are as follows: 1. The analysis of the differentials in morbidity rates by socio-economic group showed that health inequality in the pro-higher groups existed in all self-reported morbidity indicators. 2. The findings of the conventional use measures showed that the lower socio-economic groups had more ambulatory and inpatient services than the higher groups. In contrast to the level of the medical care utilization, however, the higher socio-economic groups were more likely to use the high-quality source of care in terms of their treatment place compared to the lower groups. 3. By using the need-based use measures, the results were different from each use-disability ration indicator. Using the use-disability ration measured by physician visits per 100 restricted-activity days in the population, it was found that there was no evidence favoring the higher socio-economic groups. In contrast, the use-disability ration based on physician visits per a chronic patient in one year displayed that there was remarkable relative difference by income group as well as the evidence of the pro-higher income groups. 4. The results of logistic regression analysis and two-stage estimation method indicated that although the utilization is significantly affected by type and duration of insurance coverage, the use or nonuse of service and the volume of physician care consumed is determined by health need and demographic characteristics rater than economic status. In sum, these findings suggest that physician service is equitably distributed according to health need under national health insurance system in Korea. As there were some evidences of inequality including the differential in physician visits of chronic patients by income group, however, the government should strengthen the activities to guarantee the equity of health services utilization.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.135-147
• /
• 2016

Background: The voluntary diagnosis-related groups (DRG)-based payment system was introduced in 2002 and the government mandated participation in the DRG for all hospitals from July 2013. The main purpose of this study is to examine the independent effect of mandatory participation in DRG on various outcomes of patients. Methods: This study collected 1,809,948 inpatient DRG data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database which contains medical information for all patients for the period 2007 to 2014 and examined patient outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), total medical cost, spillover, and readmission rate according to hospital size. Results: LOS of patients decreased after DRGs (large hospitals: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.97; small hospitals: aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.91-0.92). The total medical cost of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.30; small hospitals: aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.23). The results reveals that spillover of patients increased after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.70-2.33; small hospitals: aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.16-1.20). Finally, we found that readmission rates of patients decreased significantly after DRGs (large hospitals: aOR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.26-0.29; small hospitals: aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.56-0.63). Conclusion: The DRG payment system compared to fee-for-service payment in South Korea may be an alternative medical price policy which can reduce the LOS. However, government need to monitor inappropriate changes such as spillover increase. Since this study also is the results based on relatively simple surgery, insurer needs to compare or review bundled payment like new DRG for expansion of various inpatient-related diseases including internal medicine.