• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.6694-6701
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to identify the correlation between low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the pulmonary function. This study enrolled premenopausal women in their aged 40s, who visited the health promotion center of a general hospital more than two times. A total of 384 subjects were classified into four groups based on their LDL-cholesterol levels; A, LDL(mg/dL)<100 at both initial and follow-up; B, LDL<100 at initial but ${\geq}100$ at follow-up; C, $LDL{\geq}100$ at initial but <100 on follow-up; and D, $LDL{\geq}100$ at both the initial and follow-up test. The result showed no significant differences in the pulmonary function between the four groups. Multiple linear regression analysis, which was adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, exercise, and follow-up duration, showed a significant negative relationship between the changes in the LDL and the changes in the $FEV_1/FVC$ (${\beta}=-0.109$, S.E.=0.029, P<0.001), but not in the $FEV_1$ and FVC. In conclusion, there was a significant but weak relationship between the LDL and pulmonary function. Further larger studies will be needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2597-2606
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• 2014

Background: There is a scarcity of information about the proportion of the adult Saudi population that meet the recommended guidelines of physical activity (PA) to reduce cancer risk. Moreover, their awareness about the role of PA in cancer prevention is unclear. Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed at estimating the proportion of adult Saudis meeting the PA guidelines, specifically those recommended by American Cancer Society (ACS) for cancer prevention, and to assess the public awareness about the role of PA in cancer prevention. Materials and Methods: Using a multistage sampling method, 2,127 adult Saudis of both genders were recruited from 6 urban and 4 rural primary health care centers in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Participants were personally interviewed to gather information about their sociodemographic characteristics, searching activity about PA and cancer, and the time spent in leisure time PA (moderate and vigorous)/week using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire with show cards. Finally, items about the role of PA in cancer risk reduction were inquired. Results: Of the included participants, 11.6% met the recommendations for cancer prevention (${\geq}45$ minutes of moderate-vigorous PA activity/${\geq}5$ days/week or 225 minutes/week). Multivariate regression showed that being male (AOR=1.49, CI=1.09-2.06), <20 years of age (AOR=3.11, CI=2.03-4.76), and unemployed (AOR=2.22, CI=1.57-3.18) were significant predictors for meeting PA recommendations for cancer prevention. Only 11.4% of the sample indicated correctly the frequency and duration of PA required for an average adult to be physically active and while >70% of them indicated the role of PA in prevention of hypertension, coronary heart disease and lowering elevated blood cholesterol, only 18.6% and 21.7% correctly mentioned the role of PA in reducing colon and breast cancer risk, respectively. Poor knowledge was found among those with less than college education and aged ${\geq}50$ years. The level of knowledge was significantly positively correlated with total leisure time PA of the participants. Conclusions: A minority of adult Saudis in Al Hassa was aware about the role of PA in cancer prevention and engaged in sufficient LTPA for cancer risk reduction benefits, highlighting the need for public health actions to include policies and programs that address factors deterring their participation in LTPA and increasing their awareness with remedies to manage the prevalent misconceptions.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.226-233
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe and understand self-care status of the aged diabetic patients with noncompliance after hospital discharge. Methods: A qualitative research method was used for the study design. The participants were 15 diabetic patients aged 65 or older who had been admitted more than two times for hyperglycemia in the past 1 year in a general hospital in Daegu. Data were collected from November 1 2015 to March 1 2016 through in-depth personal interview. Results: Patients' knowledge level on causes and symptoms of diabetes was low. Most participants rarely and irregularly checked blood sugar at home. They were under a lot of stress from their family. Due to old age and illness they did not have sufficient physical activity and they have had rarely regular meals. They considered the self-care education program unnecessary and there was limitations of accessibility for education. Conclusions: The aged diabetic patients who had the repeat admission did not perform self-care activities properly and had problems especially in blood glucose check, support from their family, and health education after returning home. More personalized and community-based self-management education programs will be necessary.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.57-68
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was performed to build the predictive model of suicidal ideation of elderly men living alone. Methods: As for the subject, 251 subjects suitable for the selection criteria were selected among elderly men living alone above 65 years old in one region in Gyeongnam and three regions in Gyeongbuk. The data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 and Amos version 18.0. Results: The goodness-of-fit test result of hypothetical model were suitable for recommended level: ${\chi}^2/df=1.47$, RMR=.04, GFI=.92, AGFI=.90, CFI=.95, IFI=.95, RMSEA=.04. Self-esteem, individual coping, family cohesion, social support, social activity, and depression explained 55% of the model of suicidal ideation. The most influential direct factor of suicidal ideation was self-esteem, and social isolation was the most influential indirect influence on suicidal ideation. Conclusion: To sum up the above results, if we promote the researched variables of self-esteem, family cohesion, social activity, individual coping and social support in addition to developing and utilizing an efficient customized suicidal prevention nursing intervention program thereby reducing depression and social isolation, suicidal ideation of elderly men living alone would be prevented.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.484-498
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• 1994

The purpose of this study was to investigate the home care needs in a rural county as a basic study to develop a Korean home care model. A stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 1, 352 household which accounted for 8.8% of Youn Cheon County population. A Standard criterias for home care subject were delineated by five nursing professors representing five different areas of nursing specialty. The developed criteria for home care subjects were as below, 1) Patients who had been discharged from hospital during the previous week. 2) Patients with special medical devices 3) Newborns and the mothers. 4) The chronically ill with poor recovery or control of disease. 5) Subjects with poor health care behavior or ability 6) Subjects with poor social support and / or family resources. 7) Subjects with health related educational needs. Three types of questionnaires were developed to screen home care subjects, one for adults, one for infants and one for the elderly. Also different questionnaire items were developed to evaluate the control and self care ability of chronically ill subjects. After training in interview methods for 2 days, 39 interviewers visited individual households for interviews. As the results of the study showed that 14.1％ of adult subjects and 76.5% of infants and child were judged as having at least one criterion related to home care need, 15.69% of adults and 53% of elderly had at least one chronic illness. The most prevalent chronic illnesses were hypertension, skeletal-neurological disease and diabetes. The prevalence of subjects with home care needs were, those with poor health care behavior(8.89%), with health-re-lated educational needs(8.71%), with poor recovery or control of disease (3.52%), and with poor social support and inadequate family resources(3.19%). There were only 0.3%, 0.37%, 0.11% who were discharged patients, patients with medical devices, or newborns respectively. Thus, the largest home care client group were those who need direct health care and health education. Seventy five percent of the subjects responded that they were willing to use and pay for home care service if it is offered in the future. It is suggested that recently discharged patients and patients with special medical devices can be cared for by hospital based home care nurses, but other home care clients can be cared for by com-munity based home care nurses.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3981-3990
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• 2015

Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Jordan. Current efforts are focused on annual campaigns aimed at increasing awareness about breast cancer and encouraging women to conduct mammogram screening. In the absence of regular systematic screening for breast cancer in Jordan, there is a need to evaluate current mammography screening uptake and its predictors, assess women's knowledge and attitudes towards breast cancer and screening mammograms and to identify barriers to this preventive service. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in six governorates in Jordan through face-to-face interviews on a random sample of women aged 40 to 69 years. Results: A total of 507 participants with mean age of $46.8{\pm}7.8$ years were interviewed. There was low participation rate in early detection of breast cancer practices. Breast self-examination, doctor examination and periodic mammography screening were reported by 34.9%, 16.8% and 8.6% of study participants, respectively. Additionally 3.8% underwent breast cancer screening at least once but not periodically, while 87.6% had never undergone mammography screening. Reported reasons for conducting the screening were: perceived benefit (50%); family history of breast cancer (23.1%); perceived severity (21.2%); and advice from friend or family member (5.8%). City residents have shown higher probability of undergoing mammogram than those who live in towns or villages. Results revealed negative perceptions and limited knowledge of study participants on breast cancer and breast cancer screening. The most commonly reported barriers for women who never underwent screening were: fear of results (63.8%); no support from surrounding environment (59.7); cost of the test (53.4%); and religious belief, i.e. Qadaa Wa Qadar (51.1%). Conclusions: In the absence of regular systematic screening for breast cancer in Jordan, the uptake of this preventive service is very low. It is essential for the country of Jordan to work on applying regular systematic mammography screening for breast cancer. Additionally, there is a need for improvement in the current health promotion programmes targeting breast cancer screening. Other areas that could be targeted in future initiatives in this field include access to screening in rural areas and removal of current barriers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1111-1114
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• 2016

Opisthorchiasis is a major problem in Thailand particularly in northeast region which also has a high incidence of cholangiocarcinomas. Since health modification is needed, this quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a health education program based on self-efficacy and social support in Tha Tum district, Surin province, Thailand. A total of 70 participants were purposive selected with a history of opisthorchiasis. Participants were divided into experimental and control groups, each with 35 subjects. The experimental group received a health education program composed of: (1) knowledge improvement, lectured with multimedia, demonstration, brochure, and handbook; (2) group discussion about their health beliefs, sharing their ideas and experience; and (3) social support from village health volunteers (VHV), heads of villages (HV), friends, and members of families, and public health officer (PHO). Follow-up was by PHO/VHV/HV, with provision of certificates and flasg for household that did not eat raw fish. Data were collected by predesigned questionnaires after implementation of the program for 3 months. Comparative data was analyzed by paired simple t-test and independent t-test. The results revealed that the experimental group had mean score of knowledge higher more than before the experiment (mean difference=3.1, t=3.915, 95%CI-3.3, -1.8 p-value=0.001), and the control group (mean difference=2.5, t=4.196, 95%CI=1.4, 3.6, p-value=0.001) with statistical significance. The mean scores of practice were higher than before the experiment (mean difference=4.6, t=4.331, 95%CI-5.3, -3.1, p-value=0.001), and control group (mean difference=4.4, t=6.142, 95%CI=4.2, 7.9, p-value=0.001). The mean scores of perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of opisthorchiasis, al well as perceived benefits and perceived barriers to prevention of opisthorchiasis, were also higher than before the experiment and in the control group (p-value <0.001). In conclusion, this was a successful health education program for liver fluke avoidance. Therefore, it may useful for further behavior modification in the other epidemic areas.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.3-15
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• 1977

In order to find out health problems among inhabitants in slum areas in Kwanak-Ku, Seoul, a series of health survey was conducted upon 510 households by interview from March to December, 1976. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Employments of householders were unstable; Out of 508 householders, 164(32.3%) were unemployed and 184 (36.2%) were daily or temporary employees. 2. Average number of households per house was 2.0 and average area of residential room per person was $4.0m^2$. 3. 476(93.3%) out of 510 households were supplied with tap water and rest of them made use of ground water as a source of drinking water. 4. Only 279(18.3%) out of 1527 live births were delivered at medical facilities, 496(32.7%) were at home attended by doctors or midwives and 358(25.1%) took prenatal care. The above findings were worse in urban slum area than in other urban area of relatively high economic level, but were better than in rural area of less medical facilities. 5. Initiation of treatment were delayed until their illnesses were advanced in most of the households, 472(92.5%) out 510. In the early stage of the illness, 131(25.6%) of the house-holds sought physicians in their clinics or general hospitals and 250 (40.9%) visited chemists, to toy drugs at first hand. Frequency of visits to physician increased to 52.8% as the disease aggravated in later stages. 6. Cost of medical expenditure per household amounted to 815 won, and was paid to, in the order of chemists, physicians, chinese herb stores, chinese herb doctors. 7. Concerning the health knowledge of the inhabitants, 273(53.9%) out of 506 respondents were aware of the infectivity of pulmonary tuberculosis, and 68(13.4%) of them checked regularly their chest findings by X-ray at least once every two years. 8. As for the family planning, although 448(87.3%) out of 510 respondents were in favor of it, 215 (41.8%) of them were actually practicing contraception. 9. About 40.6% (125 respondents) of them obtained information and knowledge concerning contraception through personal contact with family planning workers. 10. Nutritional status of housewives was generally poor: 49(38.3%) out of 128 housewives were found to be anemic and average serum protein level was $7.5{\pm}0.82g/dl$.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.330-341
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• 2004

Parental smoking status and smoking environment do not only affect children's health through exposure to nicotine, but are also related to children's smoking attitude, intention and knowledge of smoking. Since this study was conducted to examine a relationship between family members smoking and smoking attitude, intention and knowledge of their children, little is known about psychosocial factors influencing smoking among Korean preschool children. This study aimed to determine the psychosocial factors (sociodemographic factors, education for smoking cigarette, knowledge about smoke cigarette) influencing smoking attitude and smoking intention, with a purpose of providing directions for future education programs for Korean preschool children. A cross sectional sample of 840 children, ages 4-7 years, living in a rural district were interviewed during August 6 - November 14, 2003. Among them, 834 children whose missing data were less than $10\%$ were included the analysis. The independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics and education for smoking cigarette, while the dependent variables were knowledge about smoking, the children's smoking attitude and their intention of smoking. The data on sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The correlations between the independent variables and attitude and intention of smoking were analyzed using chi-square test, t-test, and logistic regression. The results of this study were s follows. The factors that were found to be significantly correlated to smoking attitude include mother's smoking $(x^2=4.86,\;p=.03)$, grandmother's smoking $(x^2=5.56,\;p=.02)$, and knowledge of smoking cigarette $(x^2=-5.13 p<.01)$. The factors that were significantly correlated to the intention of smoking include gender $(x^2=.08,\; p=.02)$, education for smoking$(x^2=17.65,\;p<.01)$, mother's smoking $(x^2=19.05,\; p<.01)$, grandmother's smoking $(x^2=17.67,\; p<.01)$, and knowledge$(x^2=-2.17,\;p=.03)$. The children who had non smoking mother were more likely to have negative attitude (OR=2.29). The children who had a higher knowledge about smoking were more likely to have negative attitude (OR=1.58). The findings suggest that a smoking prevention program specific for preschool children is necessary to prevent early onset of smoking. The findings also suggest that the program should involve children's family members who influence their smoking attitude and intention.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.228-249
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• 2018

In 2015, the population of elderly people in Thailand was 16% of the total population and is predicted to be over 20% by 2021 and nearly 28% by 2031. The increase of the elderly population in Thailand has also increased the proportion of dependent elderly people, and caring for them poses many challenges for both families and the government. This descriptive method research aimed to survey the health status of dependent older people in the rural community of Lampang province in northern Thailand. The participants consisted of 62 older people and 62 primary family caregivers from Hong Ha Health Promoting Hospital, Lampang, Thailand (totaling 124 people). The researchers assessed the health status of older people and their activities of daily living (ADL). In addition, researchers assessed the health status and stress of caregivers. All the participants were interviewed about their experiences with caregiving. The results showed that most of the older respondents were female with an average age of 78.15 years. Based on the ADL assessment, 50 of the 62 older persons were homebound while the rest were bedridden. The majority of older people had chronic or long-term conditions that required hospitalization from time to time. Their frequent health problems included oral disorders such as tooth decay or caries/gum disease/no teeth, reduced sight, psychological disorders, knee pain and risk of falling, low BMI, risk of malnutrition, and urinary leakage and incontinence (58.06%, 66.13%, 62.90%, 70.97%, 38.71%, 66.13%, and 37.10%, respectively). Usual care provided by the family members included personal hygiene care, food preparation and feeding, medication management, housekeeping and organizing necessary equipment, supply of needed equipment, prevention of falls, helping with travel for medical checkups and treatment, and providing companionship. Families experienced shortages of medical supplies, daily use equipment, lack of employment, inadequate income, and difficulty accessing health care services due to lack of transportation. Some caregivers experienced caregiving stress related to a lack of social interactions as well as routine caregiving activities. Families need different types of support in order to promote the well-being of older people and caregivers. This highlights the need for a community participation model for the care of older people in order to reflect sustainable long-term outcomes.