PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop a teacher-efficacy scale which is adequate for heath education teachers. METHOD: A preliminary questionnaire was made based on the hypothetical factors. A total of 364 health education teachers answered to the preliminary test, and the potential factors of teacher-efficacy were checked out by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In the main test 378 health education teachers answered, the factor structure was drawn by EFA, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test and the fitness of the factor model. RESULTS: Through the preliminary test, 5 potential factors were found, which were instruction, health-service, administrative task, interpersonal relationship, and community connection. Also, 48 items were reduced to 31 items. Through the main test, from the 34 items were extracted 4 factors with 24 items, And then teacher-efficacy scale was developed, which included the subscales of instruction efficacy, health-service efficacy, task-interpersonal efficacy, and community connection efficacy. CONCLUSION: Different from that for other subject teachers, the factor structure for health teachers had 4 factors with 24 items. The scale developed in this study is consistent with health teachers' work areas, and for this reason, has significance as a adequate and valid scale to measure teacher-efficacy of health education teachers.
Education ; Health Education* ; Weights and Measures ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the roles, duties and tasks of elementary health teachers. Required knowledge, skills, and worker behaviors were also examined. METHODS: Elementary health teachers' jobs were analyzed by DACUM workshop. First, the health teachers' roles and related jobs were described, and then the jobs were divided into duties and subordinate tasks. The identified roles, duties and tasks were reviewed and refined, and then were organized in a DACUM chart. DACUM committee members discussed not only general knowledge, skills and work behaviors but also future trends and concerns. RESULTS: The DACUM chart for elementary health teachers consisted of 8 duties and 52 tasks. Required knowledge, skills and worker behaviors were also listed. CONCLUSION: Elementary health teachers play roles as health manager, health care provider, and teacher in school. Their roles, duties and tasks are being changed. Thus, their jobs need to be redefined legally, politically, and institutionally.
Committee Membership ; Education ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Job Description ; School Health Services ; Task Performance and Analysis

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the microscopic findings of characteristic epithelial herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) and the changes of those findings over time. METHODS: Sixteen rabbits were inoculated with the Kos-stain of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 in both eyes. Two rabbits each were enucleated on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th day after viral inoculation and were observed with a scanning electron microscope (S-2380n, Hitachi, Japan). RESULTS: Corneas showed dendritic epithelial desquamation, changes in epithelial microvilli, and changes in intercellular adhesion. With progression, the basement membrane and basal cells were exposed, intercellular spaces were broadened, and the adhesion of basal cells to basement membrane and the intercellular adhesion were loosened. Later, infiltrations of some inflammatory cells were found. Until the last day there was no destruction of basement membrane or an exposure of stroma. CONCLUSIONS: Though it was impossible to follow up a lesion throughout the experiment because of the necessity of enucleation, and in addition, the findings could not be generalized to all the strains, this study provides a better understanding of HSK. Further studies on various manifestations of HSK from other strains of HSV are needed in the future.
Basement Membrane ; Cornea ; Extracellular Space ; Follow-Up Studies ; Keratitis* ; Keratitis, Herpetic ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Microvilli ; Rabbits* ; Simplexvirus

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: (1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; (2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; (3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; (4) pharmacotherapy; and (5) bariatric surgery.
Adolescent ; Bariatric Surgery ; Child ; Diagnosis* ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Gastroenterology* ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Mental Health ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Pediatric Obesity*

The Committee on Pediatric Obesity of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition newly developed the first Korean Guideline on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity in Children and Adolescents to deliver an evidence-based systematic approach to childhood obesity in South Korea. The following areas were systematically reviewed, especially on the basis of all available references published in South Korea and worldwide, and new guidelines were established in each area with the strength of recommendations based on the levels of evidence: 1) definition and diagnosis of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; 2) principles of treatment of pediatric obesity; 3) behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with obesity, including diet, exercise, lifestyle, and mental health; 4) pharmacotherapy; and 5) bariatric surgery.
Adolescent ; Bariatric Surgery ; Child ; Diagnosis* ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Gastroenterology* ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Mental Health ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Pediatric Obesity*

This study examined the prevalence of oral microbes in the saliva of oncological patients and healthy subjects. PCR was used to assess the frequency of oral microbes including 3 cariogenic bacteria, 5 periodontopathic bacteria and 4 Candida species in the saliva of 104 oncological patients and 52 healthy subjects. Among these microorganims, Streptococcus mutans, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Candida albicans were most frequently detected in both groups. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of cariogenic bacteria between the patient and healthy groups, whereas significant differences in the frequency of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia were observed between the two groups (p < 0.05). The prevalence of all five periodontopathogens was higher in the healthy group than in the patient group. The prevalence of C. albicans in patients was significantly higher than that of healthy group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, there were significant differences in the prevalence of P. gingivalis, T. forsythia and C. albicans between the oncological patient group and healthy group.
Bacteria ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Forsythia ; Fusobacterium nucleatum ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; Prevalence ; Saliva ; Streptococcus mutans

The purpose of this study is to evaluate salivary flow rate, salivary pH, and cariogenic activity using unstimulated saliva of the head and neck cancer patients. Twenty three cancer patients (19 males, 4 females) who had undergone chemotherapy and radiation therapy and twenty four healthy volunteers (14 males, 10 females) as a control were included. Salivary flow rate, salivary pH, and cariogenic activity using unstimulated saliva were examined. Compared to saliva of the control group, salivary flow rate (p<0.001) and salivary pH (p<0.001) were significantly lower in head and neck cancer patients. The colony counts of Lactobacilli was higher in head and neck cancer patients (p<0.05) than in control group. These salivary factors and cariogenic activity can increase the prevalence of dental caries in head and neck cancer patients.
Dental Caries ; Drug Therapy ; Head and Neck Neoplasms* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Prevalence ; Saliva*

Hepatitis E is an infectious viral disease with clinical and morphologic features of acute hepatitis. Although HEV infection is endemic in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast and Central Asia, a large outbreak of hepatitis E was identified in China. Smaller outbreaks have been observed in the Middle East, northern and western parts of Africa, and Mexico. Sporadic hepatitis E also has been observed in several countries. In nonendemic regions, the sporadic cases of hepatitis E are almost always associated with travel to HEV-endemic regions. In Korea, there has been no report on hepatitis E. Recently, we experienced a case of acute icteric hepatitis in which serologic study showed seroconversion of IgM anti-HEV. The patient did not have any travel history to an HEV-endemic area. We report this as an initial case of acute hepatitis E in Korea.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; English Abstract ; *Hepatitis E/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male

PURPOSE: It is controversial whether indoor pet exposure is either a risk or protective factor developing sensitization to pet allergens or asthma. Therefore, we investigated whether indoor pet ownership entails a risk for the development of asthma and sensitization in childhood. METHODS: The Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC) is a general-population-based birth cohort study that recruited 2,078 mother-baby dyads in Korea between April and July of 2008. Among 1,577 children who were followed up in 2015, 559 underwent skin prick tests, spirometry and bronchial provocation tests using Provocholine. Having a cat or a dog and the prevalence of asthma were evaluated by using self-reported questionnaires and physicians’ medical records. RESULTS: During infancy, the rate of dog ownership was 4.5% (71 of 1,574) and that of cat ownership was 0.5% (8 of 1,574). Of the subjects, 7.9% (n=109) currently had at least 1 dog and 2.5% (n=34) had at least 1 cat. Pet ownership during infancy was associated with sensitization to cats or dogs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29–13.98), wheezing within 12 months (aOR, 5.56; 95% CI, 1.65–18.75) and current asthma (wheezing episode in the last 12 months+diagnosed asthma by physicians) (aOR, 6.36; 95% CI, 1.54–26.28). In contrast, pet ownership during the last 12 months was not associated with sensitization to cats or dogs or current asthma. CONCLUSION: Indoor pet exposure during infancy can be critical for developing sensitization to cats or dogs and asthma in childhood. Avoidance of pet exposure in early life may reduce sensitization to cats or dogs and development of asthma.
Allergens ; Animals ; Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Cats ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Dogs ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Methacholine Chloride ; Odds Ratio ; Ownership ; Parturition ; Pets ; Prevalence ; Protective Factors ; Respiratory Sounds ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Spirometry

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the nutritional status and prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized children at admission and during hospitalization in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This first cross-sectional nationwide “Pediatric Nutrition Day (pNday)” survey was conducted among 872 hospitalized children (504 boys, 368 girls; 686 medical, 186 surgical) from 23 hospitals in South Korea. Malnutrition risk was screened using the Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) and the Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional status and Growth. Nutritional status was assessed by z-scores of weight-for-age for underweight, weight-for-height for wasting, and height-for-age for stunting as well as laboratory tests. RESULTS: At admission, of the 872 hospitalized children, 17.2% were underweight, and the prevalence of wasting and stunting was 20.2% and 17.3%, respectively. During hospitalization till pNday, 10.8% and 19.6% experienced weight loss and decreased oral intake, respectively.During the aforementioned period, fasting was more prevalent in surgical patients (7.5%) than in medical patients (1.6%) (P < 0.001). According to the PYMS, 34.3% and 30% of the children at admission and on pNday, respectively, had a high-risk of malnutrition, requiring consultation with the nutritional support team (NST). However, only 4% were actually referred to the NST during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Malnutrition was prevalent at admission and during hospitalization in pediatric patients, with many children experiencing weight loss and poor oral intake. To improve the nutritional status of hospitalized children, it is important to screen and identify all children at risk of malnutrition and refer malnourished patients to the multidisciplinary NST for proper nutritional interventions.