• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.136-144
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• 2009

Purpose: Natural menopause resulting in the decline in endogenous estrogen concentrations is responsible for an increased risk of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a 6-month Tai Chi exercise program on cardiovascular risk factors and quality of life in post-menopausal women. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with pretest and posttest measures was used. The participants in the study, 29 women in the Tai Chi group and 31 in the control group, were enrolled for 6 months. Results: After 6 months of Tai Chi exercise, total cholesterol (M=213 to 185), LDL-cholesterol (M=135 to 128), and their 10 yr cardiovascular disease risk (M=2.62 to 2.27) had improved significantly for the Tai Chi participants compared to the control group. Total scores for quality of life along with the sub-dimensions of health perception and mental functioning were also significantly higher in the Tai Chi participants. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise favorably affected cardiovascular health and quality of life in post-menopausal women after 6 months. Additional rigorous studies are needed to examine long term effects on the prevention of cardiovascular disease in this population.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of light therapy on sleep disturbance and depression in climacteric women with menopausal symptoms. Methods: The research design was a nonequivalent control group pre test-post test design. Data were collected from September 29, 2013 to November 11, 2013. Participants included 17 climacteric women in an artificial light therapy group, 17 climacteric women in a sun light therapy group and 16 climacteric women in a control group. Measures consisted of the sleep disturbance, depression, melatonin, and serotonin. Results: There was a statistically significant difference of Korean Sleep Scale A (F=53.87, p<.001), and melatonin (F=31.19, p<.001) among three groups. There was a statistically significant difference of Self-Rating Depression Scale (F=121.86, p<.001), and serotonin (F=102.37, p<.001) among three groups. Conclusion: Artificial and sun light therapy can be applied as a supportive nursing intervention to subjects with sleep disturbance and depression in climacteric women with menopausal symptoms. Artificial and sun light therapy is expected to be a complementary alternative intervention for health management of the subjects with sleep disturbance and depression in climacteric women with menopausal symptoms.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.184-193
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• 2023

Purpose: The present study was designed to compare the incidence of periodontitis according to menopausal status and to investigate the possible effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on periodontitis in postmenopausal women using a common data model (CDM) at a single institution. Methods: This study involved retrospective cohort data of 950,751 patients from a 20-year database (2001 to 2020) of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital converted to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership CDM. One-way analysis of variance models and the χ² test were used to analyze the statistical differences in patient characteristics among groups. A time-dependent Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals, and P values less than 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Results: Of the 29,729 patients, 1,307 patients were diagnosed with periodontitis and 28,422 patients were not. Periodontitis was significantly more common among postmenopausal patients regardless of HRT status than among the non-menopausal group (P<0.05). Time-dependent Cox regression analysis showed that the postmenopausal patients had a significantly higher chance of having periodontitis than non-menopausal patients (P<0.05), but after adjustment for age, body mass index, and smoking status, the difference between the non-menopausal and post-menopausal HRT-treated groups was insignificant (P=0.140). Conclusions: Postmenopausal women had a significantly greater risk of periodontitis than non-menopausal women. Additionally, the use of HRT in postmenopausal women could reduce the incidence of periodontitis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.471-477
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• 2003

Purpose. This cross-sectional survey research was undertaken to examine the degree of depression in post-menopausal women and to analyze the factors affecting that depression. Method. 325 people from public health center in Inchon were surveyed as the subject of this study. Data collection was conducted through the use of questionnaires. Results. The above half of these sampled people were in depressed state (64.0%) and the mean score of depression was 12.71. There were significant differences in the depression state according to presence of spouse, economic level, exercise, and smoking. A positive correlation was found between depression and climacteric symptoms. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor was climacteric symptom. Climacteric symptom, presence of spouse, smoking, and exercise accounted for 45 % of the variance in postmenopausal women's depression. Conclusion. Nurses are able to use these results to plan and implement nursing interventions for decreasing depression and consequent the improved quality of life in Korean postmenopausal women. Also, the nurses have to be more aware of the following groups; solitary women, low-income group and smokers, that they have higher mean score of depression.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2014

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of menopausal adaptation and Sanhujori (Korean traditional postnatal care) on the Health-related quality of life in middle-aged women. Methods: Women aged from 45 to 60 completed questionnaires consisting of SF-36 ver. 2 and menopausal adaptation scale between July to Aug, 2013. Two hundred and eighteen participants' data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Results: Physical health ($69.5{\pm}15.1$) was better than mental health ($68.8{\pm}17.1$), and bodily pain and social functioning were the same results as 2009 general U.S. population, with the sub-variables of quality of life being lower. Menopausal adaptation was at moderate level, and correlation of its sub-variables with quality of life were significant: fatigue (r=.60, p<.001), accomplishing feeling (r=.55, p<.001), confidence (r=.54, p<.001), dryness (r=.51, p<.001), flush (r=.38, p<.001), dominance (r=-.36, p<.001), stability (r=.26, p<.001). Fatigue, confidence, stability, period of sanhujori, and dryness revealed as influencing quality of life, while the total variation explained by these components was at 52%. Conclusion: To improve quality of life of middle aged women, health care providers need to provide nursing intervention to relieve fatigue and dryness; and address psychosocial concerns with developing nursing strategies to improve stability and confidence. For post-partum women, enough periods of sanhujori needs to be recommended.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.133.2-134
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• 2001

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.216-224
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• 2015

Objectives: Decreased fertility and impaired health owing to early menopause are significant health issues. Smoking is a modifiable health-related behavior that influences menopausal age. We investigated the effects of smoking-associated characteristics on menopausal age in Korean women. Methods: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2012. Menopausal age in relation to smoking was analyzed as a Kaplan-Meier survival curve for 11 510 women (aged 30 to 65 years). The risk of entering menopause and experiencing early menopause (before age 48) related to smoking were assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The menopausal age among smokers was 0.75 years lower than that among non-smokers (p<0.001). The results of the Cox proportional hazards model showed pre-correction and post-correction risk ratios for entering menopause related to smoking of 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 1.46) and 1.27 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.47), respectively, and pre-correction and post-correction risk ratios for experiencing early menopause related to smoking of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.80) and 1.40 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.85), respectively. Conclusions: Smokers reached menopause earlier than non-smokers, and their risk for experiencing early menopause was higher.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.224-237
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• 2011

For establishing the efficacy against breast cancer occurrence, women's mammographic breast density and hot flush remission related to pre and post-menopausal symptoms were selected as biomarkers. Meta analysis applied the final selection of 40 papers from Medline to assess the efficacy of isoflavone-rich soy or supplements versus placebo under randomized controlled trials. Interestingly, the exposure to the purified isoflavones was more effective than the exposure to the crude extract of soy isoflavones for hot flush suppression. The length and the amount of dosage dependency is the most appropriately suggested to be one year long with 50~100 mg/day of isoflavone-rich soy or supplements. Funnel plots was used to interpret the results, overall effect of isoflavones on breast density in post-menopausal women was revealed to be less effect [effect size: 0.062, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.005 to 0.12], than that of pre-menopausal women (effect size: 0.101, CI: -0.003 to 0.205). The reason why breast density was found higher among the pre-menopausal than the post-menopausal women is that the phytoestrogens of dietary isoflavones were antagonized against estrogen by the basis of estrogen receptor binding affinity. Overall, the Meta analysis reported that isoflavone had limited influence on breast density by suppressing the expansion by only 2%, while it was more effective to suppressing the hot flush, showing a dramatic decrease of 23%.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.1336-1354
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• 1999

Researchers have rarely explored menopausal experience in the context of the totality of women's lives, subsequently making the picture of menopause incomplete, discrete and fragmented. Respecting the totality of women's lives, this study addressed how a vulnerable group of women-low income Korean immigrant women-experience menopause within a context of multiple transitions. This is a cross-sectional study using methodological triangulation. A sample of 119 first-generation Korean immigrant women aged 40 to 60 years, who were in low-income jobs, was recruited using convenience sampling methods. From the total sample, 21 peri-or post-menopausal women were recruited for in-depth interviews following the collection of the survey data. Questionnaires, short interviews, and in- depth interviews were used to collect data. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Thematic analysis was used to interpret interview data. The findings indicate that menopause was given the lowest priority amidst women's multiple and demanding roles within a gendered multiple transitional (immigration, work and menopause) context. The lack of language clarity to describe women's experience, cultural background, inadequate knowledge, and lack of social supports made menopause hidden, invisible, and inaudible. Conclusions and implications for nursing practice are guided by the goal of understanding women's experiences and meanings of menopause and supporting women through reflecting these experiences into their health care.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.483-489
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate dietary habits, and to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and certain blood parameters in premenopausal and postmenopausal women living in Daejeon. Adult Korean females(n=110) that had visited the Health Promotion Center of Eulji University Hospital were analyzed. We examined blood parameters, body composition, and life style factors such as food habits and physical activity in pre- and post-menopausal women. The collected data were then analyzed to evaluate the various items. Overall, there were no differences between the pre- and post-menopausal women for food habit score, or for intakes of energy, protein, Int, iron, vitamin A, vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$, niacin, vitamin C, and calcium. However, carbohydrate intake was significantly higher in the postmenopausal women than in the premenopausal women. The Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans(KDRIs), in terms of energy, fat, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin $B_1$, were less than 100% in both the premenopausal women and postmenopausal women. All intakes of protein, iron, vitamin $B_2$, niacin, and vitamin C satisfied the KDRIs in both groups. Finally, the postmenopausal women had higher serum fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase levels than the premenopausal women.