Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of family mealtime and family structure on family functioning and early adolescents’ depression. Methods: A survey was conducted with a sample of 275 middle school students in the Gangdong-gu district, Seoul. APGAR scores and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) scale were used to measure family functioning and depression level, respectively, along with six more questions to collect data on family structure, family mealtimes, and adolescents’ reasons for avoiding family meals. Statistical analyses including t-test, one-way ANOVA and twoway ANOVA were employed to examine the influence of family mealtime, family structure and sex on family functioning and depression levels. Results: The analyses revealed that family structure and environmental factors, such as parental presence and educational attainment did not influence family functioning or adolescent depression, while variables related to family mealtime influenced both depression level and family functioning. Results also showed that females were more vulnerable to depression. Conclusion It was concluded that having family time during meals improves family functioning and helps decrease depression levels of adolescent family members. Therefore, parents should take care that they have regular family mealtimes with children, especially female children, during their adolescence.

BACKGROUND: There are no agreement for abnormalities in serum lipid concentrations and lipoprotein(a)(Lp(a)) in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. But there are no reports for consideration of postmenopausal state and hormone replacement therapy(HRT). Therefore, we analized serum Lp(a) and lipid concentrations in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism considering menopause and HRT and the correlation between serum Lp(a) level and thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) concentration. METHODS: We undertook this study in 99 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism(TSH>5uIU/mL) and 297 age and sex matched normal control subjects. They had no abnormalities in liver and renal function, fasting blood glucose and medical and drug histories. We excluded who were recieving HRT. Serum free thyroxine, triiodothyronine , TSH were measured by radioimmune assay using commercial kits, and Lp(a), total cholesterol, TG and HDL by Latex and enzyme method, respectively. RESULTS: There were no significant differences of serum Lp(a), total cholesterol, LDL, TG, HDL concentrations in patients with subclinical hypthyroidism and control subjects, analyzing after dividing into men, premenopausal and postmenopausal women. In patiens with subclinical hypothyroidism, there was no correlation between serum Lp(a) and TSH concentraions(r=0.06, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Considering menopause and HRT, there were no increase in serum Lp(a) and lipid concentrations in subclinical hypothyroidism. There was no correlation between serum Lp(a) and TSH concentration in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.
Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypothyroidism* ; Latex ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Liver ; Male ; Menopause ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the effects of family type and sociodemographic factors on medical treatment, health behavior, and subjective health status in Koreans 60 years and older. METHODS: This study was based on data from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a nationwide health interview survey using a rolling sampling design involving complex, stratified, multistage, probability cluster. Our subjects included those > or =60 years of age (n=1,946) participating in the KNHANES 2010. Family type was categorized into 7 groups according to cohabitation: alone, couple cohabitation (living with a spouse), parent(s) cohabitation (couple living with parent(s)), offspring cohabitation (no spouse, living with offspring), couple offspring cohabitation (couple living with offspring), couple offspring parents cohabitation (couple living with parent(s) and offspring), and others. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association of family type and sociodemographic factors with health care. RESULTS: The most common family type was couple cohabitation (38.26+/-1.8%). In this group, the percentage of non-receipt of needed medical care (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42 to 0.87) and current smoking rate (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.50) were significantly lower than those living alone. Among the sociodemographic charicteristics, male gender, apartment dwelling, high middle household income, 2 member family, education higher than middle school, and possessing own house were associated with good health care behavior. CONCLUSION: This study shows that couples have better health care behavior than other family types, in particular, limited smoking, appropriate medical treatment, and positive subjective health status. Those living alone visit medical clinics less often and have a negative subjective health status.
Delivery of Health Care ; Family Characteristics ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Parents ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spouses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to describe our group counseling methods for medical students with drop-out experiences. METHODS: Group counseling was offered to 11 medical students with drop-out experiences in their previous second semester. All subjects provided written informed consent before participating and completed a 2-day group counseling program using the Gestalt approach. The self-assertiveness training group counseling program consisted of 6 sessions, each of which lasted 90 minutes. Experience reports by participants after the program and data from semi-structured qualitative interviews were qualitatively analyzed. RESULTS: Program participants reported that they were moderately satisfied with the program regarding its usefulness and helpfulness on self-awareness, understanding, and reminding them of attempts to change behavior. Most students showed heightened levels of sincerity perceptions and positive attitudes in every session. The results demonstrated significant changes in experience in self-esteem, self-recognition, and interpersonal relationships. CONCLUSION: A group counseling program using the Gestalt approach could help medical students with drop-out experiences to adjust with 1 year their juniors, enhance their self-esteem, contribute to their psychological well-being, and prevent student re-failure through effective stress management and improved interpersonal relationships.
Counseling ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Students, Medical

We report a case of acute calculous cholecystitis through scrub typhus. A 69-year-old woman presented with a history of general myalgia, fever, and right abdominal pain. She referred to our hospital for surgical treatment of clinically suspected acute cholecystitis. Physicians concluded the cause of cholecystitis as gall bladder (GB) stone and proper antibiotics treatment of scrub typhus was started later. The patient developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi organ failure through scrub typhus. Five days after admission, the patient was treated with proper antibiotics and discharged on the 13th day after starting doxycycline treatment without any sequelae. In areas endemic for tsutsugamushi disease, even though a patient with GB stone presents with symptoms of acute cholecystitis, careful history and physical examination are required to reveal the existence of eschars or skin eruptions.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cholecystitis ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Doxycycline ; Female ; Fever ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Scrub Typhus ; Skin ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: Low body weight was one of the risk factors of osteoporosis. Little is known about the correlation between body weight change and bone mineral density (BMD) in Korean women. Therefore, this study was designed to reveal the impact of body weight change on BMD of the lumbar spine in perimenopausal women. METHODS: 105 healthy perimenopausal women aged between 44 and 50 years old were enrolled from August 2002 to March 2009. BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Partial correlation coefficients between body weight change and BMD change were calculated after the adjustments for several variables. BMD changes among groups based on BMI and the percentage change in body weight during 1-year follow-up period were compared. RESULTS: At both baseline and year 1, BMD of lumbar spine tended to be associated more with body weight. There was a significant association between body weight change and BMD change in lumbar spine during 1-year follow-up period. The weight gain group relatively showed an increase in BMD of lumbar spines than weight loss group. There was no BMD change in BMI less than 23 kg/m2 group, but in case of BMI more than 23 kg/m2 group, BMD in weight gain group increased more than the weight maintaining group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that body weight change is associated with change in BMD of lumbar spine in perimenopausal women especially if they are overweight.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Aged ; Body Weight ; Body Weight Changes ; Bone Density ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Overweight ; Perimenopause ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Spine ; Weight Gain ; Weight Loss

OBJECTIVES: LOINC(R)(Logical Observations Identifiers, Names, Codes) is being used as the global standard for sharing laboratory test information and standardization. However, difficulties have been encountered in transferring local code to LOINC. Use in existing laboratory information systems(LIS) is possible with maximized local codes and LOINC mapping. Since the existing mapping tool has parts that do not match domestic medical environments, it is difficult to use without modification or supplementation. To this end, we have developed algorithms for LOINC mapping and have evaluated their usefulness. METHODS: We used 2,376 M-codes transformed from Pusan National University Hospital's 1,150 local codes, and codes from various laboratory test domains(Diagnostic Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, Seroimmunology, Molecular and Cytogenetics, Microbiology, Transfusion Medicine). In materializing the automatic mapping algorithms, spread sheet programs(Excel, Microsoft) and existing mapping tools(RELMA, Regenstrief) were used. The accuracy of the mapped codes was verified by a specialist of the Laboratory Medicine Department. RESULTS: Of the 2,376 M-codes, mapping on LOINC was found to be possible for 78.7%(1,871) while LOINC corresponding with the local codes could not be found for 21.3%(505). Of the mapped codes, 90.8%(1,699) were mapped accurately automatically, while the rest were mapped manually. CONCLUSIONS: The LOINC mapping algorithm that was developed in this study was useful for mapping various forms of local code with LOINC.
Adoption ; Chemistry, Clinical ; Cytogenetics ; Hematology ; Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes ; Specialization

Background: Sleep duration is associated with hearing loss, especially presbycusis, which is the most common type of hearing loss; however, there is limited evidence regarding this association among the Korean population. We aimed to determine the relationship between sleep duration and high-frequency hearing loss in Korean adults aged ≥40 years. Methods: We examined 5,547 Korean adults aged ≥40 years who completed audiometric tests and questionnaires regarding sleep duration during the 2010–2012 cycle of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mild presbycusis was defined as >25 decibels (dB) and <40 dB, whereas moderate-to-severe presbycusis was defined as >40 dB pure tone averages at high frequencies (3,000, 4,000, and 6,000 Hz) for both ears. Additionally, the sleep duration was divided into quartiles. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting for covariates. Results: The prevalence of presbycusis in South Korean adults was 62.1%, of which 61.4% showed moderate to severe presbycusis. The incidence of moderate-to-severe, but not mild, presbycusis showed a significant positive correlation with sleep duration. Conclusion Our findings suggest that sleep duration is associated with the prevalence of presbycusis.

Background: Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC. Results: The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88). Conclusion Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.

Background: Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC. Results: The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88). Conclusion Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.