PURPOSE: This study was to identify the correlations among climacteric symptoms, knowledge of menopause and health promoting behavior in middle-aged women. METHOD: 1,360 women between 40-60 years of age living in Incheon, were asked to complete a questionnaire on their health. The data was collected between October 10th and October 30th, 2002. The data was analyzed using T-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficients with SPSS/pc program. RESULT: The variables significantly affecting climacteric symptoms, knowledge of menopause and health promoting behavior were education, perceived health status and family health problems. The relationship between knowledge of menopause and health promoting behavior was statistically significant with a positive correlation. CONCLUSION: The knowledge of menopause by middle aged women was in positively correlated with health promoting behavior. Therefore, based on this study, we plan to develop a health education program to promote knowledge of menopause and health promoting behavior.
Climacteric* ; Education ; Family Health ; Female ; Health Education ; Humans ; Incheon ; Menopause* ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the casual relationship between the factors in the Pender's model and to explain health promoting behaviors among middle-aged women in order to facilitate nursing interventions for this population group. METHOD: 116 women between 40~60 years old living in Incheon were asked to complete a questionnaire about their health. The data was collected between March and November, 2003. The data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and the correctional analysis SPSSWIN 11.5 program. The LISREL 8.12 program was used to find the best fit model which explained a causal relationship of the variables. RESULTS: The climacteric symptoms of middle-aged women negatively correlated with health promoting behaviors. However, marital satisfaction positively correlated with health promoting behaviors. CONCLUSION: Marital satisfaction and climacteric symptoms had an effect on health promoting behaviors. Therefore, based on this study, we plan to develop a health education program to decrease climacteric symptoms and to promote marital satisfaction for health promotion.
Socioeconomic Factors ; Middle Aged ; Korea ; Humans ; *Health Behavior ; Female ; Climacteric ; Body Mass Index ; Attitude to Health ; Adult

PURPOSE: To examine the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the adapted Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale (a-IIRS). The a-IIRS is a modified version of the original IIRS that measures illness-disruptions to daily life in patients with diverse diagnoses. While the psychometric properties of the original IIRS have been validated, no study has been conducted to validate the Korean version of a-IIRS. METHODS: After translation and back-translation processes, the Korean version of a-IIRS was developed. A pilot test was conducted with 10 patients with chronic diseases. A convenience sample of 380 patients with diabetes, hypertension, and/or arthritis was used. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, known-group technique, hypothesized relationships, internal consistency, and item analysis were tested. RESULTS: Three factors were extracted from principal components analysis with varimax rotation: Relationships and Personal Development, Instrumental Life, and Intimacy. Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the good fit of the three-factor model. Illness intrusiveness was significantly different among the study subjects categorized into three groups according to different health status: poor, fair and good. The instrument was positively correlated with the scales of fatigue and depression. The tool demonstrated high internal consistency with adequate item-total correlations. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with previous study results on IIRS and support the reliability and validity of the Korean version of a-IIRS. The instrument is culturally relevant for Korean patients with chronic diseases. Health care professionals need to consider illness intrusiveness when caring for patients with chronic diseases and promote their quality of life.
Arthritis ; Chronic Disease ; Delivery of Health Care ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Weights and Measures ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: It has been well known that patients with diabetes mellitus are prone to cutaneous infections, but whether superficial mycoses are truly more prevalent in diabetic patients is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the true prevalence of superficial mycoses in diabetic patients as comparing with non-diabetic, non-immunocompromised individuals. METHODS: We examined for evidence of superficial fungal disease in 137 diabetic patients and compared it with 146 non-diabetic non-immunocompromised ones. Potassium hydroxide preparations and fungus cultures were performed from all suspected lesions. RESULTS: Superficial mycoses were more common in diabetic patients(50%) than controls(31%) (p=0.0004), especially in the age group of 4th and 5th decades9p=0.011). The duration of diabetes mallitus or blood sugar levels were not significantly correlated with the prevalence of superficial mycoses.The organism most commonly isolated was Trichophyton rubrum in both groups(53% vs 79%) and Candida albicans was more prevalent in diabetic patients(34% vs 7%). More than 2 kinds of superficial mycoses were mose common in diabetic patients than controls(38% vs 16%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the prevalence rate of superficial mycoses in diabetic patients is higher than that in controls and the in controls and the duration of diabetes mellitus or blood sugar levels were not significantly correlated with it.
Blood Glucose ; Candida albicans ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fungi ; Humans ; Mycoses* ; Potassium ; Prevalence ; Trichophyton

This study was conducted to identify the effects of a planned exercise program based on Bandura's self efficacy model on metabolism, and the exercise compliance in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The study design was a nonequivalent pre-test post-test control design. Thirty four type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, who received follow-up care regularly through the diabetic out-patient clinic, were randomly sampled for this study. Twenty patients were assigned to the experimental group and fourteen patients were assigned to the control group. In the experimental group, a planned exercise program is composed of an individualized exercise prescription for 12 weeks, an individual education, and even a telephone coach program. In the case of the control group, they were instructed to continue with their usual schedules. The data collection period was from March 1999 to February 2000 Data were analyzed using SPSS/WINDOW 10.0program. The results were as follows. 1. In the experimental group, the level of fasting blood sugar has significantly decreased from 188.20 mg/dl to 155.55 mg/dl after planned exercise program (F= 16.86, p=.000). For lipid metabolism, body fat per cutaneous decreased from 27.16% to 26.57% after planned exercise program. The score of self efficacy has increased from 64.20 to 66.65 after planned exercise program and it was statistically significant (F=4.850, p=.040) The functional vital capacity has increased from 3.28 liter to 3.37 liter and it was statistically significant(F=7.300, p=.020). 2. In an after effect of a planned exercise program, 35 percent of the subjects who participated in a planned exercise program continued to exercise for another six months. In conclusion, the planned exercise program can improve cardiopulmonary function, glucose, and lipid metabolism. This program was show a positive effect on the self efficacy and exercise compliance.
Adipose Tissue ; Appointments and Schedules ; Blood Glucose ; Compliance* ; Data Collection ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Education ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Metabolism* ; Outpatients ; Prescriptions ; Self Efficacy ; Telephone ; Vital Capacity

PURPOSE: This study was to examine the effects of an exercise program on physical fitness, cardiopulmonary function and life satisfaction for adult women. METHOD: The exercise program combined dance and resistance training. The subject group consisted of 114 women aged between 33 and 60. Three 8-week sessions consisted of 55-80% HR max for 60-90 minutes a day and 3 times a week from March to November, 2004. Data were collected through pre- and post-exercise tests before and after each session. Data were collected with dynamometer, sphygmomamometer, spirometer and structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed employing descriptive statistics and paired t-test with SPSS/PC(10.0version) program. RESULTS: There were significantly positive changes in muscle strength, flexibility, balance quality, forced vital capacity and life satisfaction, but no significantly positive changes in agility and blood pressure. CONCLUSION: This study showed that an exercise program has partially positive effects for adult women. The results of this study suggest that there should be programs of continuous exercise at community health centers for adult women's health.
Adult* ; Blood Pressure ; Community Health Centers ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle Strength ; Physical Fitness* ; Pliability ; Resistance Training ; Vital Capacity ; Women's Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The estrogen receptor (ER) is present in a wide variety of mammalian tissues and is required for the physiological responses of estrogen, including estrogen-induced tissue-specific changes in gene expression. But most of our knowledge on the regulation of ER mRNA levels comes from in vivo steroid replacement experiments or cancer cell lines that express the ER. Thus the present study was attempted to determine 1) the anterior pituitary ER mRNA levels during rat estrous cycle 2) if estradiol itself directly modulates the ER mRNA levels in cultured rat anterior pituitary using RT-PCR method. In rats with 4 day estrous cycle, the ER mRNA levels in anterior pituitary gland reached to maximum at proestrus 11:00h just before serum estradiol concentration showed the highest. From then, the ER mRNA levels gradually declined during the rest of the proestrus. On the other hands, in cultured rat anterior pituitary cells, the ER mRNA levels were significantly decreased by the treatment of estradiol. These results indicate that the surge of estradiol was proceeded by the increase in pituitary ER mRNA levels during the proestrus and in cultured anterior pituitary cells, estrogen might be involved in the down-regulation of the ER mRNA levels.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Down-Regulation ; Estradiol ; Estrogens* ; Estrous Cycle ; Gene Expression ; Hand ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Proestrus ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships among critical thinking disposition, general self-efficacy, leadership and clinical competence, and identify the factors influencing clinical competence in nursing students. METHODS: In this descriptive study, 153 nursing students (from 2nd to 4th school year) of a university in South Korea were enrolled in December 2010. The instruments for this study were the Korean versions of the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Leadership Inventory, and Clinical Competence Scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, MANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression with PASW 18.0 software. RESULTS: The mean scores (ranging from 1 to 5) in nursing students for critical thinking disposition, general self-efficacy, leadership, and clinical competence were 3.44, 3.51, 3.55, and 3.42, respectively. Positive correlations were found for clinical competence with critical thinking disposition, general self-efficacy, and leadership. The strongest predictor of clinical competence was leadership. In addition, leadership, nursing school year, and subjective academic achievement accounted for 34.5% of variance in clinical competence. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that developing leadership, critical thinking disposition, and self-efficacy in undergraduate nursing education is important to improve clinical competence of nursing students.
Achievement ; Clinical Competence ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Leadership ; Linear Models ; Republic of Korea ; Schools, Nursing ; Students, Nursing ; Thinking

The reaction of neuroactive substances to ischemic conditions in the rat retina evoked by different methods was immunochemically evaluated in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Ocular ischemic conditions were unilaterally produced by elevating intraocular pressure (EIOP) or by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Two EF-hand calcium binding proteins, calbindin D28K (CB) and calretinin (CR), in the normal retina showed similar immunolocalization, such as the amacrine and displaced amacrine cells, the ganglion cells, and their processes, particularly CB in horizontal cells. CB immunoreactive neurons in the ganglion cell layer in both types of ischemic retinas were more reduced in number than CR neurons compared to those in a normal retina. The CB protein level in both ischemic retinas was reduced to 60-80% of normal. The CR protein level in MCAO retinas was reduced to about 80% of normal but increased gradually to the normal value, whereas that in the EIOP showed a gradual reduction and a slight recovery. SMI32 immunoreactivity, which detects a dephosphorylated epitope of neurofilaments-M and -H, appeared in the axon bundles of ganglion cells in the innermost nerve fiber layer of normal retinas. The reactivity in the nerve fiber bundles appeared to only increase slightly in EIOP retinas, whereas a moderate increase occurred in MCAO retinas. The SMI32 protein level in MCAO retinas showed a gradual increasing tendency, whereas that in the EIOP showed a slight fluctuation. Interestingly, the MCAO retinas showed additional SMI32 immunoreactivity in the cell soma of presumed ganglion cells, whereas that of EIOP appeared in the Muller proximal radial fibers. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity appeared in the astrocytes located in the nerve fiber layer of normal retinas. Additional GFAP immunoreactivity appeared in the Muller glial fibers deep in EIOP retinas and at the proximal end in MCAO retinas. These findings suggest that the neurons in the ganglion cell layer undergo degenerative changes in response to ischemia, although EIOP retinas represented a remarkable Muller glial reaction, whereas MCAO retinas had only a small-scaled axonal transport disturbance.
Adult ; Amacrine Cells ; Animals ; Astrocytes ; Axonal Transport ; Axons ; Calcium-Binding Protein, Vitamin D-Dependent ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Carisoprodol ; Ganglion Cysts ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Intraocular Pressure ; Ischemia ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Nerve Fibers ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reference Values ; Retina

PURPOSE: To predict pulmonary arterial hypertension by comparing the extent of honeycombing lesion with the diameter of main pulmonary artery (MPA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 21 patients (20 men, one woman) who showed honeycombing lesion on HRCT, and also analysized a control group of 30 (29men, one woman) who had no cardiopulmonary symptom and no abnormality on chest CT. On Chest HRCT, we scanned at four levels [1)aortic arch, 2) bifurcation of bronchus, 3) mid-portion of left ventricle, 4) dome of right diaphragm], and two radiologists then evaluated the proportion of honeycombing lesion within the entire lung field. According to the extent of this, we divided the patients into five groups [<20% (I), 20-39% (II), 40-59% (III), 60-79% (IV), > or = 80% (V)], and then divided Group I into two subgroups [<10 % (I|1), 10-19% (I-2)]. Using contrast-enhanced routine CT, the main pulmonary artery (MPA) was measured at its the widest diameter perpendicular to the long axisat the level of its bifurcation. RESULT: In group I (n=11) MPA was 28.4+/-2.6mm ; in group II (n=6), it was31.7+/-2.0mm ; in group III (n=2), 33.5mm ; in group IV (n=1), 33mm ; and in group V (n = 1), 39mm. In subgroup I-1MPA was 26.1+/-1.9mm, and in subgroup I-2, it was 29.8+/-1.6mm. In the control group, MPA was 25.1+/- 2.0mm. CONCLUSION: The extent of honeycombing lesion is closely related to the change in diameter of the MPA. Honeycombing lesion extending over more than 10% of the lung field may lead to pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Bronchi ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Lung ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed