OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the individual and regional characteristics that influence suicidal ideation among the Korean elderly population.METHODS: Using data collected from the 2013 Korea Community Health Survey, a multilevel analysis was performed to establish an understanding of individual behavioral patterns and regional influences on suicidal ideation.RESULTS: Among the 77,407 individuals sampled, 11,236 (14.5%) elderly people over 60 years of age experienced suicidal ideation. Among individual factors, age, frequency of communication with friends, religious activity, social activity, leisure activity, trust in neighbors, subjective stress level, depressive symptoms, and subjective health status were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. The results showed that the lower the regional deprivation level, the higher the suicidal ideation odds ratio. In terms of regional size, the most significant effects were found in rural areas.CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that suicidal ideation in the elderly is associated with community factors, such as the regional deprivation index, as well as personal factors.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Depression ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Friends ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Leisure Activities ; Multilevel Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Suicidal Ideation

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that marital status is associated with household composition and living arrangements, which partially explain observed differences in health status according to marital status. However, due to the rapid socioeconomic and demographic transformations of the last few decades, the distribution of marital status among middle-aged adults has become more diverse. Therefore, this study aimed to obtain up-to-date information on the associations between marital status and health and to investigate the implications of these findings for conventional explanations of the health effects of marriage.METHODS: The data for this study were obtained from the 2015 Korean Community Health Study. We compared 4 modifiable lifestyle behaviors—smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and self-rated health status—as outcome variables in association with marital status in Korean middle-aged men (age 40-44) living in Seoul and other regions.RESULTS: Married men showed the lowest cigarette smoking prevalence and the highest subjective health status both before and after adjusting for education and income. The odds of engaging in vigorous physical activity did not show a major difference before and after adjustment for income and education.CONCLUSIONS: In married men, the prevalence of cigarette smoking was lowest and subjective health status was highest, similar to previous studies. However, the prevalence of engaging in physical activity was highest in divorced/widowed/separated men. The health behaviors and health status of Korean middle-aged adults should be more closely followed, since they are representative of demographic changes in the Korean population.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Marital Status ; Marriage ; Motor Activity ; Prevalence ; Residence Characteristics ; Seoul ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This study was done to verify relationships among occupational stress, labor intensity, fatigue and musculoskeletal disorder symptoms, and especially to identify factors influencing musculoskeletal disorder symptoms among hemodialysis nurses in tertiary hospitals.METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used, with a convenience sample of 125 hemodialysis nurses from 13 tertiary hospitals. Data were collected through self-evaluation questionnaires during July and August, 2018. Data were analyzed using t-test, χ² test, factor analysis and binary logistic regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 25.0 program.RESULTS: Of the hemodialysis nurses 96 (76.8%) were in the musculoskeletal symptomatic group and 29 (23.2%) in asymptomatic group. Occupational stress (p < .001), labor intensity (p < .001), and fatigue (p=.011) were higher in the symptomatic group compared to the asymptomatic group. Logistic regression analysis showed that occupational stress (OR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.03~1.25), labor intensity (OR=5.60, 95% CI: 1.25~24.97), no leisure life or hobbies (OR=4.67, 95% CI: 1.48~14.80), hemodialysis unit career 2~4 year (OR=4.58, 95% CI: 1.04~20.78), and hemodialysis unit career 8+ year (OR=14.10, 95% CI: 2.53~78.64) were effect factors for the musculoskeletal symptomatic group.CONCLUSION: For effective improvement of musculoskeletal disorder symptoms in hemodialysis nurses, multidimensional intervention programs are needed. Programs should include occupational stress, labor intensity and strategies to reduce symptoms.
Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Fatigue ; Hobbies ; Leisure Activities ; Logistic Models ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Renal Dialysis ; Tertiary Care Centers

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the dietary habit problems related to sleep duration by analyzing health behaviors and dietary habits in Korean adults.METHODS: Adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included in the study. Subjects were classified into the insufficient, appropriate, and excessive sleep groups. Subsequently, patient characteristics, health status, obesity and metabolic syndrome, dietary habits, and nutrient intake were analyzed.RESULTS: The subjective health status was worse in the insufficient and excessive sleep groups than that in the appropriate sleep group. Body mass index and obesity and abdominal obesity rates were higher in the insufficient and excessive sleep groups than in the appropriate sleep group. The insufficient and excessive sleep groups had an irregular diet, and the excessive sleep group had significantly lower vitamin and mineral intake than insufficient and excessive sleep groups.CONCLUSIONS: Subjects in the insufficient and excessive sleep groups were less healthier than those in the appropriate sleep group. Further, subjects in the excessive sleep group had an unbalanced diet and nutritional status.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Diet ; Food Habits ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Miners ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Vitamins

BACKGROUND: The growth of Korean adolescents' average height has slowed over the past 10 years. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between height and mental health in Korean male adolescents.METHODS: This study used data from the 2015 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (34,152 male school students). The male adolescents were divided into the below-average height and above-average height groups according to age. The association between height and mental health was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.RESULTS: The above-average height group had significantly higher subjective health (P=0.003) and significantly lower depression than the belowaverage height group (P=0.031). In multivariate logistic regression, the odds ratio of subjective health wass 1.13 (P=0.043), but no significant difference in subjective happiness, depression, stress and suicidal ideation (P>0.05) at both group.CONCLUSION: It was confirmed that height is associated with subjective health in Korean male adolescents.
Adolescent ; Depression ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Happiness ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Health ; Odds Ratio ; Risk-Taking ; Suicidal Ideation

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze factors related to screening for diabetic retinopathy in elderly diabetic patients.METHODS: This study included 682 elderly diabetic patients aged older than 65 years who answered the question “Have you undergone an eye examination in the last year?” from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013–2015. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression to identify the relationship between screening for diabetic retinopathy in elderly diabetic patients and related factors.RESULTS: Among the study population, 493 patients (73.3%) did not undergo eye examinations in the last year. Age ≥80 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.250; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.014–4.992), current smoking (OR, 2.006; 95% CI, 1.018–3.953), poor subjective health status (OR, 0.457; 95% CI, 0.242–0.863), history of stroke (OR, 0.479; 95% CI, 0.246–0.933), and history of hypertension (OR, 1.674; 95% CI, 1.114–2.516) were significantly associated with not undergoing eye examinations for diabetic retinopathy in elderly diabetic patients aged older than 65 years.CONCLUSION: In elderly diabetic patients aged older than 65 years living in Korea, those aged older than 80 years, who are current smokers, and with a history of hypertension showed low rates of undergoing eye examinations for diabetic retinopathy, while those with poor subjective health status and a history of stroke had high rates of undergoing eye examinations.
Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Nutrition Surveys ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke

PURPOSE: This study explored factors that influence happiness in nursing students.METHODS: The participants were 159 nursing students at a university in Seoul city. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with the SPSS Win 25.0.RESULTS: Happiness positively correlated with nursing professionalism (r=.482, p<.001) and academic self-efficacy (r=.422, p<.001). Significant predictors of happiness included nursing professionalism (β=.298, p<.001), academic self-efficacy (β=.2224 p=.001), subjective health status (β=.214, p=.002), major satisfaction (β=−.268, p=.040). These factors explained 35.5% of the variance in student happiness.CONCLUSION: The study shows nursing professionalism, academic self-efficacy, subjective health status and major satisfaction are important factors for happiness in nursing students. These findings can be utilized to develop strategies for increasing nursing students' happiness.
Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Happiness ; Humans ; Nursing ; Professionalism ; Seoul ; Students, Nursing

PURPOSE: Recently, considering the large number of adolescents suffering from chronic illness, it is important to identify the factors affecting the quality of life (QoL) in order to develop intervention programs. METHODS: Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0. The general characteristics, psychosocial health status, and life satisfaction distributions of the participants were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated to test the reliability of the instrument. The differences in psychosocial health status and life satisfaction according to gender were tested with t-test and Chi-square test. Additionally, multiple regression analysis was used to examine the effect of psychosocial health status on life satisfaction. RESULTS: The multiple regression analysis revealed that depression, ego resilience, and self-esteem were associated with the QoL in both male and female participants. Economic status, subjective health, peer attachment, and smart phone addiction were associated with the QoL in male participants, while exercise time during physical education classes, social withdrawal, and school adaptation were associated with the QoL in female participants. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that a health promotion program should be developed, which reflects gender differences, to improve the QoL of adolescents with chronic illness.
Adolescent ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Ego ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Education and Training ; Quality of Life ; Smartphone ; Social Class

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships among nutritional supplement intake, subjective health status, health control level and health promotion behaviors and to investigate factors affecting health promotion behaviors in pregnant women. METHODS: A total of 153 pregnant women was recruited from a university hospital in J city in Korea. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: Most participants (91.5%) took nutritional supplements. Health promotion behavior had positive correlations with subjective health status (r=0.313, p < 0.001), internal control (r=0.229, p=0.004), powerful others locus of control (r=0.162, p=0.046), and doctors locus of control (r=0.215, p=0.008). There was a negative correlation between health promotion behavior and chance locus of control (r=−0.273, p=0.001). Health status (β=0.25, p=0.001), chance locus of control (β=−0.28, p < 0.001), doctors locus of control (β=0.20, p=0.009), and powerful others locus of control (β=0.16, p=0.033) were significant predictors for health promotion behavior. These variables explained 25.8% of the variance in health promotion behavior. CONCLUSION: The study results indicate that it is necessary to develop a nutrition education program and nursing intervention in order to promote health for pregnant women.
Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Education ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Internal-External Control ; Korea ; Nursing ; Pregnant Women

BACKGROUND: This study used the data of Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) to confirm the relationship between electronic cigarette use for smoking cessation among Korean adolescents and demographic, health behavior, and school-life factors. METHODS: Data were taken from the 13th KYRBS in 2017. In this study on 62,276 adolescents, characteristics of 1,244 electronic cigarette users were compared with those of non-electronic cigarette users. The 1,244 adolescent electronic cigarette users were evaluated for characteristics related to smoking cessation. Among the related characteristics, demographic factors comprised sex, grade, economic status, weekly allowance, and residence type. Health status-related factors comprised physical activity, lifetime drinking experience, smoking amount, subjective health perception, and stress perception. School characteristics included school type, academic performance, and smoking cessation education. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed using complex sample analysis. RESULTS: The proportion of current electronic cigarette users was 2.2% (boys, 3.3%; girls, 0.9%). Of the 41.5% of cigarette users willing to quit smoking, 11% used electronic cigarettes for this purpose. Among the electronic cigarette users, characteristics related to smoking cessation were grade, weekly allowance, and residence type, but logistic regression analysis revealed that increases in grade (odds ratio [OR], 2.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–3.35) and living with family (OR, 4.17; 95% CI, 1.89–9.18) were associated with smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: According to the 13th KYRBS in 2017, adolescents were likely to use electronic cigarette for smoking cessation when they are older and live with their families.
Adolescent ; Demography ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Drinking ; Education ; Electronic Cigarettes ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Motor Activity ; Risk-Taking ; Smoke ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products