PURPOSE: This study aimed to comprehend the real context of metabolic syndrome-related factors of Korean male blue-collar workers from small-sized companies based on the health belief model. METHODS: A total of 37 workers from three companies were interviewed, and three series of focus group interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis. RESULTS: Data were classified into four categories: knowledge, perceived susceptibility and severity, perceived barriers, and beliefs. Knowledge referred to low knowledge level; perceived susceptibility and severity referred to unawareness of susceptibility and severity; perceived barriers referred to shift work, overtime work, and a social context including having no choice but to drink; and beliefs referred to believing that health promotion behaviors do not relate to preventing metabolic syndrome, believing that one cannot prevent metabolic syndrome oneself, and believing that professional help is required. CONCLUSION: To prevent and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome among Korean male blue-collar workers, interventions should focus on strategies to increase metabolic syndrome-related knowledge and perceptions, social support, and self-efficacy for practicing health behaviors. In addition, it is necessary to develop policies for establishing a healthy drinking culture in companies.
Drinking ; Focus Groups ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Needs Assessment ; Qualitative Research ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Social Perception

PURPOSE: This study aimed to comprehend the real context of metabolic syndrome-related factors of Korean male blue-collar workers from small-sized companies based on the health belief model. METHODS: A total of 37 workers from three companies were interviewed, and three series of focus group interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis. RESULTS: Data were classified into four categories: knowledge, perceived susceptibility and severity, perceived barriers, and beliefs. Knowledge referred to low knowledge level; perceived susceptibility and severity referred to unawareness of susceptibility and severity; perceived barriers referred to shift work, overtime work, and a social context including having no choice but to drink; and beliefs referred to believing that health promotion behaviors do not relate to preventing metabolic syndrome, believing that one cannot prevent metabolic syndrome oneself, and believing that professional help is required. CONCLUSION To prevent and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome among Korean male blue-collar workers, interventions should focus on strategies to increase metabolic syndrome-related knowledge and perceptions, social support, and self-efficacy for practicing health behaviors. In addition, it is necessary to develop policies for establishing a healthy drinking culture in companies.

Purpose: COVID-19 infections have been erupting in places of worship, long-term care facilities, and call centers in Korea since January 2020. This study aims to diagnose and present an infection control system solution for long-term care facilities where at-risk elderly individuals are actively engaged in communal life. Methods: We conducted comparative analyses of infection control systems between long-term care facilities and medical institutions respective of relevant laws and this study’s evaluation system. Results: To prepare for future infectious diseases, it is necessary to establish a long-term care facility infection control system and strengthen the standards thereof, to strengthen long-term care facility evaluation standards and to newly establish medical charges for infection control. Conclusion Systematic procedure fortification and financial support provisions are necessary for infection control at long-term care facilities.

Purpose: This study aims to conduct an integrated literature review of infection control studies conducted by nursing care workers in long-term care facilities in Korea. Methods Through the domestic search engines RISS and KISS, seven articles were selected by searching for theses and academic journals published in Korea from 2008 to January 2020. Results: In total, six research studies and one intervention study out of seven studies were analyzed. Measurement tools for examining the knowledge and performance of infection-related care workers consisted of skin infection, aspiration pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and hand hygiene. Factors affecting nursing care workers’ infection management performance were infection management knowledge, education level, health status, and importance awareness. Conclusion: This study showed it is necessary to develop a tool that can accurately measure nursing care workers’ infection management knowledge and performance. In addition, it is necessary to develop an intervention program for nursing care workers’ infection control.

The study was carried out to evaluate and compare the immune responses in mice experimentally infected with either wild-type or isogenic mutants of Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis (SE), Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) and Gallinarum (SG). The mutant strains were constructed by allelic replacement of some virulence-associated genes in the wild-type strains. Seven-week-old female BALB/c mice were orally or intraperitoneally inoculated by injecting bacterial suspension. To evaluate the immune responses, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay were conducted with serum and fecal samples. As a result, the mice group infected orally with the SE mutant strain showed the highest level of specific IgA-secreting splenocytes, compared to the other groups. The peritoneally injected groups showed the greater levels of IgG1 than the orally injected groups, which was in a good agreement with the previous studies. In addition, the mutant infected groups had the similar secretion levels of antibodies with the wild-type infected groups. These results demonstrated that the SE mutant strain elicited humoral immune response as much as wild-type, implying that it can be useful as a delivery vehicle as well as a candidate of a live attenuated vaccine.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunity, Humoral ; Immunity, Mucosal ; Immunoglobulin G ; Mice ; Salmonella ; Salmonella enterica ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Sprains and Strains