PURPOSE: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health problem related to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether recommended levels of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) decrease the risk of MetS in a community-based prospective cohort study (Ansung and Ansan cohort).MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 3910 adults (1890 men, 2020 women) without MetS examined in 2001–2002 (baseline) were included in this study and followed up from 2013 to 2014. We measured LTPA energy expenditure using the standard metabolic equivalent value [metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-h/wk]. Individuals were categorized into five groups (physically inactive, 0.1 to <7.5, 7.5 to <15.0, 15.0 to <22.5, 22.5 to <40.0, and ≥40.0 MET-h/wk).RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 11.8 years. Among the cohort, 482 men (25.5%) and 541 women (26.8%) were diagnosed with newly developed MetS. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed a 4.4% lower MetS risk among those performing two to three times the recommended minimum of 7.5 MET-h/wk [multivariate relative risk (RR), 0.956; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.654–1.398] and a 21.9% lower risk among those performing three to four times the physical activity minimum (multivariate RR, 0.781; 95% CI, 0.574–1.063). This association was only significant in females performing three to four times the minimum (crude RR, 0.655; 95% CI, 0.432–0.994).CONCLUSION: We noted that physical activity at more than 2 times the recommended minimum prevents MetS. Healthcare professionals should encourage inactive adults to be physically active during their leisure time to take advantage of its health benefits.
Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cohort Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Insurance Benefits ; Korea ; Leisure Activities ; Male ; Metabolic Equivalent ; Motor Activity ; Prospective Studies ; Public Health

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the nutrition teachers' and parents' recognition of environmentally-friendly agricultural products (EAPs) used in school foodservice. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was given to 128 school foodservice nutrition teachers in Seongnam and 189 parents from Oct. 16 to Oct. 31, 2018 at Seongnam in Gyeonggi province. The survey included information on the recognition, satisfaction, and improvement of EAPs, and the results of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: A comparison of the recognition of EAPs showed that nutrition teachers knew more about the EAPs and local government support in school foodservice than the parents. On the other hand, the parents were more aware than the nutrition teachers in that children have a higher affinity for EAPs than for general agricultural products in the school foodservice. A comparison of the level of satisfaction with the EAPs by nutrition teachers and parents revealed the nutrition teachers to be significantly more satisfied than parents in terms of the color, taste and nutrition of EAPs. Among the items that should be provided with EAPs, more than 50% of each group of nutrition teachers and parents answered that vegetables must be provided first. Some 70.9% of nutrition teachers and 84.5% of parents were aware of the certification standards of EAPs. The nutrition teachers had showed a slightly higher score than the parents in the certification system (3.51 vs. 3.25). In terms of improving the EAPs, 36.2% of nutrition teachers answered a reasonable price preferentially, whereas 56.4% of parents answered maintaining quality. In the expected effects of using EAPs, 57.9% of nutrition teachers answered an improvement of parents' satisfaction on the school foodservice. On the other hand, 38.0% of parents answered an improvement of children' satisfaction on school foodservice. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition teachers and parents need to be educated on the certification systems that would enhance the trust in EAPs.
Certification ; Child ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hand ; Humans ; Local Government ; Parents ; Vegetables

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of the study were to assess wastes generated in school foodservice and to identify factors influencing the generation of plate waste. METHODS: A survey was administered from November 18–30 in 2015 to dietitians and nutrition teachers that were employed in schools located in Gyeonggi province. A questionnaire file and on-line survey site link were sent to the dietitians and nutrition teachers by e-mail. A total of 622 dietitians and nutrition teachers responded and 594 responses were used for data analysis after excluding 28 responses with significant missing data. RESULTS: Plate waste was the major part of food waste generated in school foodservice. Vegetable menus and soup/stews were discarded the most as plate waste. The dietitians and nutrition teachers perceived students' unbalanced diet and lack of appreciation of food as causes of the plate waste. Regarding waste management, they were concerned about environmental contamination by food waste and felt uncomfortable about discarding food. No plate waste day was the most frequently used plate waste reduction activity, followed by newsletters on plate waste reduction. Difficulty in getting teachers' support for dietary education during meal time was rated the greatest barrier to implementing the activities. To reduce plate waste, they perceived that students should understand the importance of environment conservation, teachers should supervise students' eating during meal time, students should be educated about proper portion, and foodservice staff should improve food quality. CONCLUSIONS: To improve students' intake and reduce plate waste in school foodservice, foodservice staff need to involve students in school foodservice and improve the palatability of meals, especially vegetable dishes. School nutrition teachers and dietitians should educate students about healthy eating and environment conservation and the school community needs to understand and support plate waste reduction and healthy eating in schools.
Diet ; Eating ; Education ; Electronic Mail ; Food Quality ; Food Services ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Meals ; Nutritionists ; Periodicals as Topic ; Statistics as Topic ; Vegetables ; Waste Management

OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to examine the dietary behaviors and life stress of middle school students in the Gyeonggi area. METHODS: A total of 580 middle school students (295males, 285 females) in the Gyeonggi area participated in the study between July and August in 2011. The study was a questionnaire-based survey that included dietary habits, dietary behaviors, and life stress. RESULTS: For dietary habits, the score for drinking milk was higher in male students than in female students, whereas the score for eating fruits was higher in female students compared to male students. There were significant differences in foods eaten and preferred under stress between male and female students. Male students showed significantly less changes in the number of meals, amount of meal intake, number of snacks, snack intake, frequency of overeating, and appetite during stress than female students. Life stress score of students largely came from academic factors, and female students showed higher stress levels in personal and surrounding environment factors than male students. Life stress score was significantly lower in students with high and moderate levels of dietary habits than in students with a low level of dietary habits. Total score for dietary habits and scores for eating adequate amounts of foods for each meal, considering a combination of food groups at each meal and eating green and orange vegetables, were significantly negatively correlated with life stress score. Life stress score was significantly negatively correlated with meal regularity and positively with the level of overeating. CONCLUSIONS: This study may provide basic information on dietary habits and life stress according to gender and the relationship between dietary behaviors and life stress of middle school students, and it suggests gender-based nutrition education programs to solve undesirable dietary habits and dietary behaviors in students with higher stress.
Appetite ; Citrus sinensis ; Drinking ; Eating ; Education ; Female ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Male ; Meals ; Milk ; Snacks ; Stress, Psychological ; Vegetables

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the effects of an experiential learning activities-focused smoking prevention (ELSP) program on the basis of the Attitude-Social Influence-Efficacy (ASE) model in elementary school students. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design was conducted with 84 participants who were in the fifth grade of two elementary schools in Seongnam city, South Korea. The two schools were allocated into either the ELSP (n=42) or control (n=42) group. The ELSP group completed five ELSP classes, while the control group completed five traditional lecture-based classes during the 5 weeks. Both groups were examined before and after 5 weeks, using ASE measures of smoking attitude, social influence, self-efficacy for the refusal of smoking temptation, and intention not to smoke. Data were collected from August to September 2017. RESULTS: The ELSP group had significant changes in the scores of smoking attitude (t=4.75, P<0.001) and social influences (t=3.73, P<0.001), compared to those in the control group. However, the ELSP group had non-significant changes in the scores of self-efficacy for the refusal of smoking temptation and intention not to smoke, compared to those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The ELSP program may be effective in improving smoking attitude and perceived social influence of smoking among those in upper grades of elementary schools. However, the duration and intensity of the ELSP program must be revised to effectively enhance smoking refusal self-efficacy and non-smoking intentions.
Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Peer Influence ; Problem-Based Learning ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate vitamin D status at birth in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs: <1,500 g) and to determine the association between vitamin D level and respiratory morbidity. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital between November 2013 and November 2017. We collected blood samples and data on respiratory morbidity from 230 VLBWIs on the first day of life. Patients who were transferred to other hospitals (n=19), died before 36 weeks of gestational age (n=18), or whose blood samples were not collected immediately after birth (n=5) were excluded. Finally, 188 patients were enrolled. VLBWIs with different vitamin D levels were compared with respect to demographic features, maternal diseases, respiratory morbidities, and other neonatal diseases. RESULTS: The mean serum vitamin D level, as measured by 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), was 13.4±9.3 ng/mL. The incidence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was 79.8%, and 44.1% of preterm infants had severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL). Logistic analysis shows that a low serum 25(OH)D level (<20 ng/mL) was a risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio [OR], 4.32; P=0.010) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR, 4.11; P=0.035). CONCLUSION: The results showed that 79.8% of preterm infants in this study had vitamin D deficiency at birth. Low vitamin D status was associated with respiratory morbidity, but the exact mechanism was unknown. Additional studies on the association between vitamin D level and neonatal morbidity are required.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Gestational Age ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of hospital ethical climate and nursing professionalism on patient safety management activity by nurses.METHODS: A cross-sectional correlation study design was used. Participants included 142 nurses from two tertiary hospitals in Seoul and Gyunggi-do, South Korea. Data were collected in April and May 2019 using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple liner regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 21.0.RESULTS: The patient safety management activity correlated positively with hospital ethical climate (r=.32, p < .001) and nursing professionalism (r=.40, p < .001). The patient safety management activity was the factor that most influenced nursing professionalism and position, explaining 21% of the variance (F=12.06, p < .001).CONCLUSION: It is necessary to provide education on professionalism. It is necessary to continuously provide job education and training to nurture competence and quality in professional nurses.
Climate ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Patient Safety ; Professionalism ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effect of spouses participating in health coaching on stage of the change, health behaviors, and physiological indicators among male office workers with cardiocerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and compare the findings with trainers who provided health coaching only to workers.METHODS: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from a manufacturing research and development company in the city of Gyeonggi province. The health coaching program for the experimental group (n=26) included individual counseling sessions according to workers' stage of change, and provision of customized health information materials on CVD prevention to workers and their spouses for 12 weeks through mobile phone and email.RESULTS: After 12 weeks of intervention, the total score for health behavior, and scores on the sub-areas of exercise and health checkups significantly improved in the experimental group, but there were no significant differences in the scores of stage of the change and physical indicators. The results of a paired t-test showed a significant decrease in the body mass index, abdominal circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglyceride values, and a significant increase in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol value in the experimental group after the intervention.CONCLUSION: To improve the health of male workers with CVD risk factors in the workplace, sharing health information with their spouses has proven to be more effective than health coaching for only workers. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies to encourage spousal participation when planning workplace health education for changing health-related behaviors.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cell Phones ; Cholesterol ; Counseling ; Electronic Mail ; Gyeonggi-do ; Health Behavior ; Health Education ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Spouses ; Triglycerides

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the mediating effect of meaning in life on the relationship between social connectedness and depression among middle-aged women.METHODS: A descriptive correlational design was employed. One hundred and forty-two middle-aged women who visited welfare centers or churches in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province participated in the study. The data were collected from May to June, 2019 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analyses based on Baron and Kenny criteria.RESULTS: Social connectedness was significantly positively correlated with meaning in life (r=.52, p < .001) and negatively with depression (r=−.53, p < .001). Meaning in life was also significantly negatively correlated with depression (r=−.50, p < .001). Furthermore, meaning in life had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between social connectedness and depression (β=−.31, p < .001).CONCLUSION: Our study findings suggest that meaning in life plays an important role in maintaining mental health and well-being for middle-aged women. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a nursing intervention program that can enhance the meaning in life to promote mental health and well-being.
Depression ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Mental Health ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify awareness and competency for Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) infection control in nursing students with experience of clinical practice.METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from March 2019 to May 2019 by including 231 nursing students in four nursing schools located in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongnam-do. The data were collected using self-report questionnaires.RESULTS: The awareness and the competency for Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infection control were lower than that of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The agreement between the awareness and the competency of MDRO infection control in participants was low with regard to isolation, contact precautions, and disinfection for MRSA. Also, it was low with respect to disinfection, isolation, contact precautions, and carrier identification for CRE. The awareness and the competency of MDRO infection control exhibited significant positive correlation.CONCLUSION: The infection control competency is required to prevent MDRO infection. In order to enhance the infection control competency, it is important to raise awareness about MDRO infection control by providing education based on the guidelines and the principles of infection control.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Disinfection ; Education ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Nursing ; Schools, Nursing ; Seoul ; Students, Nursing