• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.64 no.1
• /
• pp.12-20
• /
• 2021

The mean age at menarche (AAM) of Korean females has been rapidly decreasing over the last 50 years; currently, the prevalence of early menarche (<12 years) is 22.3%. Female adolescents who experience early menarche are known to be at greater risk of psychosocial and behavioral problems along with several physical health problems such as menstrual problems. They also tend to achieve a shorter final height and develop obesity. Population-based Korean studies have shown a strong association between early menarche and the risk of obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Although the exact mechanism of how early menarche causes cardiometabolic derangement in later adulthood is unknown, childhood obesity and insulin resistance might be major contributors. Recent studies demonstrated that an excessive consumption of fructose might underlie the development of obesity and insulin resistance along with an earlier AAM. A positive association was observed between sugar-sweetened beverages (a major source of fructose) intake and obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic risk in Korean females. In pediatrics, establishing risk factors is important in preventing disease in later life. In this regard, early menarche is a simple and good marker for the management of cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. Decreasing one's fructose intake might prevent early menarche as well as the development of obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic diseases.

• Mood & Emotion
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.158-162
• /
• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial factors related to burnout of social welfare officers working in Jeonnam Province. Methods : A total of 395 social welfare officers (male 99, female 296) working in 22 areas of Jeollanam-do province, were subjects of this study. We examined socio-demographic factors, using a self-reporting questionnaire. Subjects were asked to complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSS), to assess psychosocial factors affecting to burnout of social welfare officers. Results : Among 395 subjects, 221 (55.9%) reported recent experiences of burnout. There was no significant difference in age between two groups, divided by burnout. Sex (p<0.001), rank (p=0.003), working period (p=0.034), depression (p<0.001) revealed differences between the burnout group and control group. Scores of PSS (p<0.001) were higher, while the scores of GSS (p<0.001) were lower in the burnout group, than control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female (OR 2.840, 95%CI 1.466-5.504, p=0.002), depressive high-risk group (OR 6.824, 95%CI 2.893-16.096, p<0.001) PSS (OR 1.247, 95%CI 1.153-1.349, p<0.001) and GSS (OR 0.950, 95%CI 0.930-0.971, p<0.001), were significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion : We found that some factors, were associated with experienced burnout in social welfare officers. Depressive symptoms were the strongest associative factor, for burnout in public servants in charge of social welfare. Sex, stress and self-efficacy also correlated with burnout, and especially self-efficacy was a protecting factor.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.341-358
• /
• 2015

This study aims to identify predictors of driving cessation among Korean elderly. Data from 2011 Elderly Survey conducted by Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs were used for the analysis. Based on Webber, Porter, Menec(2010)'s comprehensive theoretical framework for mobility, the model of this study tests five major determinants of driving cessation including financial, psychosocial, environmental, physical and cognitive factors. Results of logistic regression analysis showed that economic status, marital status, contacts with relatives and friends, residential location, taking medication, muscle strength, age, gender, and job were significant predictors of driving cessation of older drivers. Specifically, lower economic status, unmarried status, less contacts with relatives and friends, living in the city, taking medication, weaker muscle strength, older age, female, non-working status were significant risk factors for driving cessation. Practical implications in light of study findings were discussed.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.398-404
• /
• 2006

Purpose: To investigate the rate of questionable development in infants born prematurely and explore factors affecting developmental delays. Method: The participants were 46 infants born prematurely being seen in one of two urban health centers. A questionnaire and the HOME checklist were used to collect data, and the Korean Denver II developmental screening test was administered. Results: Of the participants 21.7% were classified as having questionable development. The only variable with a significant difference between the two groups was acceptance　in the HOME checklist. Psychosocial factors such as mothers' burden, depression, family functioning, and social support were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: An early developmental screening test for prematurely born infants is needed. Also, the childrearing environment was identified as a significant factor in infants' development. These findings suggest that HOME score might be useful for identifying infants at risk for developmental delays and interventions for these infants will probably be more effective if their mothers can provide a more appropriate social environment. Further studies are suggested with larger samples.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.35-38
• /
• 2015

Background: Organizational changes that involve healthcare hospital departments and care services of health districts, and ongoing technological innovations and developments in society increasingly expose healthcare workers (HCWs) to work-related stress (WRS). Minimizing occupational exposure to stress requires effective risk stress assessment and management programs. Methods: The authors conducted an integrated analysis of stress sentinel indicators, an integrated analysis of objective stress factors of occupational context and content areas, and an integrated analysis between nurses and physicians of hospital departments and care services of health districts in accordance with a multidimensional validated tool developed in Italy by the National Network for the Prevention of Work-Related Psychosocial Disorders. The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to detect and analyze in different work settings the level of WRS resulting from organizational changes implemented by hospital healthcare departments and care services of health districts in a sample of their employees. Results: The findings of the study showed that hospital HCWs seemed to incur a medium level risk of WRS that was principally the result of work context factors. The implementation of improvement interventions focused on team development, safety training programs, and adopting an ethics code for HCWs, and it effectively and significantly reduced the level of WRS risk in the workplace. Conclusion: In this study HCW resulted to be exposed to occupational stress factors susceptible to reduction. Stress management programs aimed to improve work context factors associated with occupational stress are required to minimize the impact of WRS on workers.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.92-102
• /
• 2019

Purpose: To investigate the masticatory function of patients with different temporomandibular disorders (TMD) phenotypes, and to explore the risk factors for the masticatory function of TMD patients among multiple biopsychosocial variables using patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Methods: Clinical features and TMD diagnoses of 250 cases were investigated by reviewing medical records. Psychosocial factors were evaluated using four questionnaires representing pain severity and pain interference (Brief Pain Inventory), pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale, PCS), psychological distress (Symptom Check List-90-Revised, SCL-90R) and kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia for Temporomandibular Disorders, TSK-TMD). Masticatory function, as a dependent variable, was determined using the Jaw Functional Limitation Scale (JFLS). Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's rank correlation were used for analyses. Results: A total of 145 cases were included and classified into four subgroups including group 1: TMD with internal derangement without pain (n=14), group 2: TMD with muscle pain (n=32), group 3: TMD with joint pain (n=60) and group 4: TMD with muscle-joint combined pain (n=39). Pain severity (p=0.001) and interference (p=0.022) were the highest in group 2, but the mean global score of JFLS was the highest in group 3, followed by group 4, group 2, and group 1 (p=0.013). Pain severity, pain interference, the mean global score of PCS and the mean global score of TSK-TMD showed significant and moderate correlation with the mean global score of JFLS. All subdimensions and the global severity index of SCL-90R had significant, but weak correlations with all scores of JFLS. Conclusions: The results suggest that masticatory functional limitation depends on the TMD phenotypes. Among the various PROs, pain perception, pain catastrophizing and kinesiophobia seem to be more influential risk factors on jaw function than psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.1919-1924
• /
• 2014

Background: In India, breast cancer is the leading malignancy among women in a majority of the cancer registries. Therefore it is important to understand screening practices and its predictors, including in rural areas with high female literacy and good health indices. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study with multistage sampling was conducted in Vypin Block, Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Four Panchayats (self administration units) were randomly chosen and a woman in every second household was invited to participate from the tenth ward of each. Thus a total of 809 women were interviewed. Results: The majority of the repondents (82.1%) were not aware of risk factors and about a third (37.9%) were not aware of symptoms of breast cancer. About half of the population studied (46.6%) had undergone screening. Age (35-50 years), being married, health professionals as source of information and working were significant predictors of screening. Logistic regression showed that older women (35-50 yrs) were more likely to practice screening. Out of the never screened, about a third (35%) were desirous of doing it, but had not for various reasons and 53.5% were not willing to screen. The reasons identified for not screening among those desirous of doing it were grouped into knowledge 66 (43.4%), resources 23 (15.1%) and psychosocial 32(21.1%) factors. Unmarried women were significantly more likely to express factors related to all the three domains. Conclusions: This study showed that in spite of the absence of a population-based screening program, about half of the study population had undergone some type of screening. The older women (35-50 years) in particular were significantly more likely to practice screening. At this critical juncture, a high quality breast cancer awareness and screening initiative can help to consolidate the gains and tackle knowledge, resource and psychosocial barriers.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
• /
• v.9 no.spc
• /
• pp.107-122
• /
• 2003

The object of this study is to evaluate the prevailing physical and psychosocial conditions regarding occupational low back injury. This study consists of two parts. In the first part of the study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines are applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers are analysed. There are 20 jobs having greater back compressive forces than 300kg at L5/S1. Also, there are 44 jobs over Action Limit with respect to 1981 NIOSH guidelines. The relationship between psychosocial factors and low back injury was examined in the second part of the study. A battery of questionnaires concerning the psychosocial stress based on PWI (Psychosocial Well-being Index) and musculoskeletal pain symptoms at low back was completed by 246 workers at the same plant. Results showed that 207 out 246 workers experienced the symptoms and 27 workers were diagnosed as patients. Two groups(low stressed, high stressed) based on PWI score had no significant relationships with both symptoms and results of diagnosis. The relationships between physical work load and psychosocial stress were also analysed. Specifically, some postural factors(vertical deviation angle of forearm, horizontal deviation angle of upperarm, vertical deviation angle of thigh, etc) were highly correlated with psychosocial stress. The results illustrated that PWI scores were associated with some physical workloads. However, psychosocial stress levels couldn't be well related with the pain symptom as well as the actual incidence of low back injury since pain or discomfort regarding low back injury were more complex than that of other musculoskeletal disorders.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.37-40
• /
• 2016

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a major public health problem. It is estimated that about 30% of patients with major depressive disorder do not show substantial clinical improvement to somatic or psychosocial treatment. Most of studies for TRD have focused on the subjects already known as TRD. Patients with unipolar depressive episodes that do not respond satisfactorily to numerous sequential treatment regimens were included in the TRD studies. Such post hoc experimental design can be regarded only as consequences of having TRD, rather than as causal risk factors for it. Although informative, data derived from such studies often do not allow a distinction to be made between cause and effect. So, we should shift paradigm toward examining the risk for developing TRD in untreated depressed patients. To deal with this problem, untreated depressed patients should be enrolled in the study to identify biological markers for treatment resistance. The peripheral or central biological markers should be explored before starting treatment. Subsequent systematic administration of treatments with appropriate monitoring in the subjects can determine the risk for developing treatment resistance in untreated individuals. Such information could give a cue to improve the initial diagnosis and provide more effective treatment for TRD.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.314-318
• /
• 2018

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the health industry are quite common, however, there have only been a few studies regarding physiotherapists, while in Greece, there is an apparent lack of research and data. The aim of this study is to investigate MSDs experienced by physiotherapists in Greece, their causes and specific measures, and good practices followed. Additional emerging risk factors will be examined. Methods: A questionnaire of MSDs followed by individual and workplace characteristics was completed by 252 physiotherapists. It covered the major workplace categories such as public hospitals, private rehabilitation centers, and private practices. Results: Analysis indicated that 89% of the respondents had experienced a work-related MSD; 32.2% of those injuries occurred within the first 5 years of working. The most lumbered physiotherapists were those working as private practitioners and almost half of the injured respondents chose to work while injured. The most common measure taken to tackle work related MSDs was found to be physical therapy sessions. Job satisfaction and psychosocial issues were also identified as side-effects of the economic slowdown. Conclusion: Physiotherapists in Greece were found to suffer from MSDs; workplace musculoskeletal injuries were quite common but under-reported. The body parts most affected were the lower back, the upper back, the shoulders, and the neck. There was a strong correlation between the workplace setting and the number of MSDs. A well-defined occupational safety and health management system and strict administration steering were found to reduce MSDs. The economic slowdown experienced in Greece during the execution of this study placed additional pressure on physiotherapists.