OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Korean lifestyle characteristics and health status and to identify the variables influencing health in Korea. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used to explore the lifestyle characteristics and health status of 397 Korean adults. Correlational analysis calculated the correlation between lifestyle and health status. To examine the relationship among demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and health status we used the t-test and one-way ANOVA. Stepwise multiple regression was conducted to examine the significant predictors of general health among subjects. RESULTS: Positive correlations were seen between general health (GH) and the overall score and subscales of the Lifestyle. The stepwise regression model showed that vitality (VA), body pain (BP), nutrition, and occupation were significant variables influencing general health (GH). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence regarding the lifestyle patterns and healthstatus among Koreans. When planning intervention strategies for this population, exercise and physical activity should be principal focus areas.
Adult* ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style* ; Motor Activity ; Occupations ; Quality of Life*

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a physical activity promotion program and identify it's effects on physical fitness, fall efficacy, vitality, happiness, and adaptation for older adults hospitalized in long-term care hospital. Methods: The research design was a quasi-experimental, nonequivalence control group design. Older adults in long-term care hospitals were assigned to the experimental (n=28) or control group (n=27). The experimental group received a 12-week program consisting of total of 60 sessions, 5 times a week for 20-40 minutes per day. Results: The homogeneity test for the participant physical performance showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups. There were a statistical significant differences between the two groups in muscular strength (Right t=13.81, p=.001, Left t=48.91, p=.001), muscle endurance (t=99.50, p=.001), cardiopulmonary endurance (t=50.12, p=.001), coordination (t=-7.94, p=.001), balance existed (t=-4.84, p=.001), flexibility (t=20.23, p=.001), fall efficacy (t=6.06, p=001), vitality (t=7.01, p=.001) and happiness (t=3.95, p=.001). There was no significant statistical difference between the experimental group and the control group for adaptation (t=0.74, p=.460). Conclusion The results of this research supports the use of the physical activity promotion program developed in this research as a physical activity and happiness promoting program for older adults in long-term care hospital.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the quality of life of middle-aged women with urinary incontinence by using Wilson and Cleary (1995)'s health-related quality of life model and previous studies. This article was done to construct a model for the collection of data on women with urinary incontinence and verifying the suitability of the model and the hypotheses presented in the model. Methods: A total of 209 valid questionnaires which met the criteria of middle-aged women who experienced urinary incontinence was used for final analysis. The exogenous and endogenous variables of the hypothesis model consisted of age, number of delivery, menstrual status, self-esteem, social support, physical symptoms, depression, anxiety, self-care agency and quality of life. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS/WINdow 25.0 and AMOS 18.0 program. Results: The fitness of the modified model, x2/df=1.675, RMR=0.047, RMAEA=0.057, GFI=0.900, AGFI=0.855, NFI=0.923, TLI=0.957, CFI=0.9674. In the modified model, self-esteem showed the strongest total impact including the direct and indirect impacts on the quality of life of women with incontinence. In the result of verification of the modified model, quality of life explained by 58.8% through self-esteem, social support, self-care agency. Conclusion Efforts are needed to improve self-esteem for middle-aged women with urinary incontinence, alleviate psychological symptoms, and develop self-care agency that they can manage themselves. Various aspects of physical, mental and psychological aspects can be comprehensively assessed and utilized to develop an interactive strategy system through individual programs and social support.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the oncofertility experiences of young women with breast cancer and elucidate their process of coping. Methods: Employing a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 women aged 27~37 with breast cancer who experienced fertility challenges. Data analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method. Results: The core category identified was a journey to restore daily life with inevitable damage to fertility, and young women with breast cancer experienced three stages: the crisis stage, life restructuring stage, and daily life recovery stage. The causal conditions were chemotherapy and pregnancy planning. The contextual conditions were anxiety about embryo or oocyte cryopreservation, the need to make a decision quickly, and expectations for natural pregnancy. The central phenomenon of oncofertility in women with breast cancer was “choices for an uncertain future.” The action/interaction strategies included increasing immunity, weight control, having a strong mind, and finding knowledge related to breast cancer. The intervening conditions were support from health care providers and family support. The consequences were early onset of menopause and “desperate pregnancy.” Conclusion Nurses need to be interested in the decline in fertility of young women with breast cancer and play a role in understanding and actively helping them.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the oncofertility experiences of young women with breast cancer and elucidate their process of coping. Methods: Employing a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 women aged 27~37 with breast cancer who experienced fertility challenges. Data analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method. Results: The core category identified was a journey to restore daily life with inevitable damage to fertility, and young women with breast cancer experienced three stages: the crisis stage, life restructuring stage, and daily life recovery stage. The causal conditions were chemotherapy and pregnancy planning. The contextual conditions were anxiety about embryo or oocyte cryopreservation, the need to make a decision quickly, and expectations for natural pregnancy. The central phenomenon of oncofertility in women with breast cancer was “choices for an uncertain future.” The action/interaction strategies included increasing immunity, weight control, having a strong mind, and finding knowledge related to breast cancer. The intervening conditions were support from health care providers and family support. The consequences were early onset of menopause and “desperate pregnancy.” Conclusion Nurses need to be interested in the decline in fertility of young women with breast cancer and play a role in understanding and actively helping them.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the oncofertility experiences of young women with breast cancer and elucidate their process of coping. Methods: Employing a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 women aged 27~37 with breast cancer who experienced fertility challenges. Data analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method. Results: The core category identified was a journey to restore daily life with inevitable damage to fertility, and young women with breast cancer experienced three stages: the crisis stage, life restructuring stage, and daily life recovery stage. The causal conditions were chemotherapy and pregnancy planning. The contextual conditions were anxiety about embryo or oocyte cryopreservation, the need to make a decision quickly, and expectations for natural pregnancy. The central phenomenon of oncofertility in women with breast cancer was “choices for an uncertain future.” The action/interaction strategies included increasing immunity, weight control, having a strong mind, and finding knowledge related to breast cancer. The intervening conditions were support from health care providers and family support. The consequences were early onset of menopause and “desperate pregnancy.” Conclusion Nurses need to be interested in the decline in fertility of young women with breast cancer and play a role in understanding and actively helping them.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the anger expression types in nurses and to analyze the differences between the anger expression types and interpersonal problems. METHODS: The data were collected from 149 nurses working in general hospitals with 300 beds or more in Seoul or Gyeonggi province, Korea. For anger expression type, the anger expression scale from the Korean State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory was used. For interpersonal problems, the short form of the Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales was used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and Duncan's multiple comparisons test. RESULTS: Three anger expression types in nurses were found: low-anger expression, anger-in, and angerin/ control type. From the results of multivariate analysis of variance, there were significant differences between anger expression types and interpersonal problems (Wilks lambda F = 3.52, p < .001). Additionally, anger-in/control type was found to have the most difficulty with interpersonal problems by Duncan's post hoc test (p < .050). CONCLUSIONS: Based on this research, the development of an anger expression intervention program for nurses is recommended to establish the means of expressing the suppressed emotions, which would help the nurses experience less interpersonal problems.
Adult ; *Anger ; *Expressed Emotion ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; *Interpersonal Relations ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurses/*psychology ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Background: The accuracy of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) mappings is reportedly low, and the LOINC codes used for research purposes in Korea have not been validated for accuracy or usability. Our study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies and similarities in interoperability using existing LOINC mappings in actual patient care settings. Methods: We collected data on local test codes and their corresponding LOINC mappings from seven university hospitals. Our analysis focused on laboratory tests that are frequently requested, excluding clinical microbiology and molecular tests. Codes from nationwide proficiency tests served as intermediary benchmarks for comparison. A research team, comprising clinical pathologists and terminology experts, utilized the LOINC manual to reach a consensus on determining the most suitable LOINC codes. Results: A total of 235 LOINC codes were designated as optimal codes for 162 frequent tests.Among these, 51 test items, including 34 urine tests, required multiple optimal LOINC codes, primarily due to unnoted properties such as whether the test was quantitative or qualitative, or differences in measurement units. We analyzed 962 LOINC codes linked to 162 tests across seven institutions, discovering that 792 (82.3%) of these codes were consistent. Inconsistencies were most common in the analyte component (38 inconsistencies, 33.3%), followed by the method (33 inconsistencies, 28.9%), and properties (13 inconsistencies, 11.4%). Conclusion This study reveals a significant inconsistency rate of over 15% in LOINC mappings utilized for research purposes in university hospitals, underlining the necessity for expert verification to enhance interoperability in real patient care.

Background: The accuracy of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) mappings is reportedly low, and the LOINC codes used for research purposes in Korea have not been validated for accuracy or usability. Our study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies and similarities in interoperability using existing LOINC mappings in actual patient care settings. Methods: We collected data on local test codes and their corresponding LOINC mappings from seven university hospitals. Our analysis focused on laboratory tests that are frequently requested, excluding clinical microbiology and molecular tests. Codes from nationwide proficiency tests served as intermediary benchmarks for comparison. A research team, comprising clinical pathologists and terminology experts, utilized the LOINC manual to reach a consensus on determining the most suitable LOINC codes. Results: A total of 235 LOINC codes were designated as optimal codes for 162 frequent tests.Among these, 51 test items, including 34 urine tests, required multiple optimal LOINC codes, primarily due to unnoted properties such as whether the test was quantitative or qualitative, or differences in measurement units. We analyzed 962 LOINC codes linked to 162 tests across seven institutions, discovering that 792 (82.3%) of these codes were consistent. Inconsistencies were most common in the analyte component (38 inconsistencies, 33.3%), followed by the method (33 inconsistencies, 28.9%), and properties (13 inconsistencies, 11.4%). Conclusion This study reveals a significant inconsistency rate of over 15% in LOINC mappings utilized for research purposes in university hospitals, underlining the necessity for expert verification to enhance interoperability in real patient care.

Background: The accuracy of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) mappings is reportedly low, and the LOINC codes used for research purposes in Korea have not been validated for accuracy or usability. Our study aimed to evaluate the discrepancies and similarities in interoperability using existing LOINC mappings in actual patient care settings. Methods: We collected data on local test codes and their corresponding LOINC mappings from seven university hospitals. Our analysis focused on laboratory tests that are frequently requested, excluding clinical microbiology and molecular tests. Codes from nationwide proficiency tests served as intermediary benchmarks for comparison. A research team, comprising clinical pathologists and terminology experts, utilized the LOINC manual to reach a consensus on determining the most suitable LOINC codes. Results: A total of 235 LOINC codes were designated as optimal codes for 162 frequent tests.Among these, 51 test items, including 34 urine tests, required multiple optimal LOINC codes, primarily due to unnoted properties such as whether the test was quantitative or qualitative, or differences in measurement units. We analyzed 962 LOINC codes linked to 162 tests across seven institutions, discovering that 792 (82.3%) of these codes were consistent. Inconsistencies were most common in the analyte component (38 inconsistencies, 33.3%), followed by the method (33 inconsistencies, 28.9%), and properties (13 inconsistencies, 11.4%). Conclusion This study reveals a significant inconsistency rate of over 15% in LOINC mappings utilized for research purposes in university hospitals, underlining the necessity for expert verification to enhance interoperability in real patient care.