PURPOSE: Obesity is a significant risk factor for pelvic organ prolapse (POP), but the effects of obesity on outcomes of surgery for POP are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between POP symptomatology, subjective outcomes of surgery and body mass index (BMI) in women undergoing vaginal hysterectomy for POP. METHODS: Pre- and postoperative data from a validated pelvic floor questionnaire (electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire-Pelvic Floor) were collected prospectively from 60 women undergoing vaginal hysterectomy for POP. Of these, 20 were normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m²), 20 were overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m²), and 20 were women with obesity (BMI 30–34.9 kg/m²). The relationship between BMI and symptom scores for prolapse, impact on vaginal symptoms on quality of life (VS-QoL) and ‘overall change in condition’ was assessed. Pre- and postoperative symptom scores were compared using repeated mixed analysis of variance test for BMI as a categorical variable (normal, overweight, and obese). Spearman rank order correlation test was carried out to evaluate BMI as a continuous variable. All women underwent vaginal hysterectomy using a standardized technique. RESULTS: Overall, 93% of women reported improvement in their condition. The main finding was that ‘overall change in condition’ was negatively correlated with increasing BMI (r(s)=-0.324, P=0.028). Irrespective of BMI, significant improvements were observed in symptoms of prolapse and VS-QoL at 3-month postoperation. CONCLUSIONS: With increasing BMI, women are likely to report lower levels of satisfaction following prolapse surgery, despite reporting equivalent improvements in symptoms. BMI is known to affect how individuals perceive their general health and well-being with obese individuals reporting poorer levels of subjective health status. Women with obesity may perceive change in their condition after prolapse surgery differently to women of normal weight. Reduction of weight prior to prolapse surgery could be considered in obese women to improve subjective outcomes of surgery.
Body Mass Index ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Patient Outcome Assessment ; Pelvic Floor ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse ; Prolapse ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: We investigated somatization symptoms experienced by dental hygienists due to stress from emotional labor. Our aim was to provide basic research data that could be useful in the development of efficient stress management schemes for this occupational group. METHODS: We analyzed data collected from 208 dental hygienists working in Jeollabuk-do Province, Korea. To measure the level and intensity of emotional labor among research participants, we used the Korean Emotional Labor Questionnaire. We used the Somatization Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) to measure the level of somatization symptoms among participants. RESULTS: On analyzing the level of emotional labor and somatization symptoms according to general characteristics, participants aged 23~25 years showed high scores for stress due to emotional labor (p<0.05). Working 5 days per week, subjective health status, and organizational support and protection systems were found to correlate with the level of stress due to emotional labor (p<0.05). In the analysis of correlations between emotional labor and somatization symptoms, scoring high across all domains of emotional labor was associated with scoring high for somatization symptoms in the subdomains of emotional labor. When emotional labor and demographical variables were used as independent variables, having higher scores for emotional labor and having poor subjective health status were found to be associated with having higher levels of somatization symptoms (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that working at night and organizational support and protection systems were correlated with emotional labor and somatization symptoms. Measures must be taken at the organizational level to reduce emotional labor and somatization symptoms.
Dental Hygienists ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Occupational Groups

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among fatigue, patient safety culture and safety care activities of hospital nurses, and to identify and explain factors influencing safety care activities. METHODS: The research participants were 187 nurses from a urban general hospital located in Korea. Self-evaluation questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data collection was done from January 10 to 31, 2019. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, One-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression with the SPSS 24.0 program. RESULTS: There were significant negative relationships between fatigue and safety care activities (r=−.22, p=.003), and significant positive relationships between patient safety culture and safety care activities (r=.22, p=.003). Factors influencing safety care activities in hospital nurses were identified as type of unit (ICU) (β=.28), patient safety culture (β=.24) and fatigue (β=−.19). The explanation power of this regression model was 16% and it was statistically significant (F=8.29, p<.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest the need to develop further management strategies for enhancement of safety care activities in hospital. To improve the levels of patient safety, education programs on patient safety should be developed and provided to nurses in hospitals.
Data Collection ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Education ; Fatigue ; Hospitals, General ; Korea ; Nursing ; Patient Safety

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a health promotion program utilizing action planning strategy for young adults. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pre-post-test design was used. One hundred three university students participated in the study. Participants in the experimental group (n=51) were provided the health promotion program utilizing action planning strategy for five weeks. The program consisted of weekly sessions that included action planning and group feedback. The control group (n=52) was provided with health information every week for 5 weeks. Program outcomes, including self-efficacy, physical activity health behaviors, total exercise time per week, daily cigarette consumption, frequency of alcohol drinking per month, nutritional health behaviors, and subjective health status, were assessed at baseline and at follow-up after 5 weeks. RESULTS: The participants in the experimental group demonstrated significant increases in self-efficacy, physical activity health behaviors, weekly exercise time, and nutritional health behaviors and significant decreases in daily cigarette consumption than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: The health promotion program utilizing action planning strategy is a brief and effective intervention to promote health behaviors among young adults. Further investigation is warranted to assess the program's effectiveness among other age groups and populations at high risk for chronic illness.
Alcohol Drinking ; Chronic Disease ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Self Efficacy ; Tobacco Products ; Young Adult

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