PURPOSE: This study examined the relationships among menopausal symptom, self-efficacy, health promoting behaviors, and investigated factors affecting health promoting behaviors of teachers with middle-aged women experiencing menopause. METHODS: From September to October 2012, a convenience sample of 252 subjects aged 40 to 60 years was recruited from 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 5 high schools. The data analysis was done by ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Menopausal symptom of subjects was slightly lower than general middle aged women and the average level of health promoting behaviors was similar to general middle aged women. Health promoting behaviors were differentiated by severity of menopausal symptom, not by menstruation state. Menopausal symptom was negatively related to health promoting behaviors. The most significant factor affecting health promoting behaviors was self efficacy (14.3%). The combination of self efficacy, menopausal symptom, and elementary school teachers accounted for 20.1% of health promoting behavior. CONCLUSION: When developing health promotion program for teachers with middle-aged women, such program should consider self-efficacy, menopausal symptom, and school type.
Aged ; Climacteric ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Health Status ; Humans ; Menopause ; Menstruation ; Middle Aged ; Self Efficacy ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of P6 acupressure and guided imagery on nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia of the patient with thyroid cancer who were undergoing high dose radio-active iodine therapy (HD-RAIT). METHODS: Using a randomized control group pretest-posttest study design, the participants were randomly assigned into the control group (C), the experimental group I (E1, P6 acupressure only) and the experimental group II (E2, P6 acupressure and a guided imagery). The patients were recruited from December 2011 to June 2012 in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 82 patients completed the study. The Korean version of the Rhodes INVR and the anorexia scale by Grant (1987) were used. RESULTS: The levels of nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia were significantly different among the groups. The levels of nausea and retching especially showed significant group differences over time. Synergic effects of P6 acupressure with guided imagery had significant effects over separate P6 acupressure intervention. CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological and nurse-provided P6 acupressure and guided imagery appeared to be effective and safe in reducing nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia of the patients with thyroid cancer underwent HD-RAIT.
Acupressure* ; Anorexia* ; Financing, Organized ; Humans ; Imagery (Psychotherapy)* ; Clinical Trial ; Iodine* ; Nausea* ; Nursing ; Republic of Korea ; Seoul ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Vomiting*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to construct and test structural equation modeling on healthy menopausal transition in middle-aged women in order to identify variables affecting healthy menopausal transition. METHODS: Participants, 276 women, 45 to 60 years of age, with menopausal symptom score higher than 5 on the Korean version of Menopause Rating Scale, were recruited in three cities and one county of Gyeongnam Province. Research data were collected via questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 18.0 and AMOS version 20.0. RESULTS: After confirmatory factor analysis, one of the observed variables was excluded due to relatively low factor loading. The model fit indices for the hypothetical model were suitable for the recommended level: GFI=.93, CFI=.92, RMSEA=.05. Self-efficacy, self-differentiation, and menopausal symptoms explained 67.7% of variance in menopausal transition, and self-differentiation was the most influential factor for menopausal transition. Self efficacy and menopausal symptoms explained 9.6% of variance in menopausal management, although "menopausal symptoms" was not significant. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that nursing interventions to improve self-differentiation, self efficacy, menopausal management and decrease menopausal symptoms are critical for healthy menopausal transition in middle-aged women. Continued development of a variety of community-based nursing interventions to facilitate healthy menopausal transition is suggested.
Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause/*physiology ; Middle Aged ; *Models, Theoretical ; Postmenopause ; Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea ; *Self Efficacy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Translating

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of stress, spousal support, and resilience on the types of coping among women with breast cancer. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional survey design, a total of 120 participants, diagnosed with breast cancer, had a mass removal surgery, and were fluent in Korean, were recruited at a cancer center in Seoul, Korea. Self-reported questionnaires of stress, spousal support, resilience, and ways of coping were administered upon the permission from the original developers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 Win program. RESULT: Ways of coping was positively correlated with spousal support, resilience, and stress. Positive correlations were found between problem-focused coping, spousal support, and resilience. Positive correlations were found between emotion-focused coping with stress and resilience. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that spousal support had significant moderating effect on the relationship between stress and emotion-focused coping. CONCLUSION: Women perceived their diagnosis and surgery as more stressful, they more like to use emotion-focused coping. Women with more spousal support and resilience were found to use problem-focused coping more. Based on the findings of this study, a tailored intervention for women with breast cancer for improving their coping is expected in future research.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Seoul

The pyrimidine nucleoside uridine has recently been reported to have a protective effect on cultured human corneal epithelial cells, in an animal model of dry eye and in patients. In this study, we investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of uridine in rabbits, following topical ocular (8 mg/eye), oral (450 mg/kg) and intravenous (100 mg/kg) administration. Blood and urine samples were serially taken, and uridine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. No symptoms were noted in the animals after uridine treatment. Uridine was not detected in either plasma or urine after topical ocular administration, indicating no systemic exposure to uridine with this treatment route. Following a single intravenous dose, the plasma concentration of uridine showed a bi-exponential decay, with a rapid decline over 10 min, followed by a slow decay with a terminal half-life of 0.36 +/- 0.05 h. Clearance and volume of distribution were 1.8 +/- 0.6 L/h/kg and 0.58 +/- 0.32 L/kg, respectively. The area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) was 59.7 +/- 18.2microg.hr/ml, and urinary excretion up to 12 hr was ~7.7% of the dose. Plasma uridine reached a peak of 25.8 +/- 4.1 microg/ml at 2.3 +/- 0.8 hr after oral administration. The AUC was 79.0 +/- 13.9 microg.hr/ml, representing ~29.4% of absolute bioavailability. About 1% of the oral dose was excreted in the urine. These results should prove useful in the design of future clinical and nonclinical studies conducted with uridine.
Administration, Intravenous* ; Administration, Ophthalmic ; Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Biological Availability ; Epithelial Cells ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Models, Animal ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Plasma ; Rabbits* ; Uridine*

Campylobacter fetus may cause infections such as septicemia, peritonitis, meningitis, endocarditis, septic arthritis, and cellulitis, increasing the risk of spontaneous abortion but decreasing the likelihood of gastroenteritis. We identified C. fetus from continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) fluid using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. It is significant that this is the first case report in Korea of CAPD peritonitis caused by C. fetus, which is known to be rare.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Campylobacter fetus* ; Campylobacter* ; Cellulitis ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Fetus ; Gastroenteritis ; Genes, rRNA ; Humans ; Korea* ; Meningitis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis* ; Pregnancy ; Sepsis

Ipsilateral hemiparesis is a rare and challenging sign in clinical neurological practice.Although the etiology of this manifestation is poorly understood, recent studies have attempted to probe the pathomechanism of this sign with advanced radiological techniques.Additional knowledge about the lesion and unraveling the pathomechanisms causing neurological impairments are important to predict the prognosis and clinical course and to aid in rehabilitation. Therefore, we present a case of a patient with a traumatic subdural hematoma on the left hemisphere and left spastic hemiparesis. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we concluded that the right corticospinal tract injury caused by compression of the cerebral peduncle accounted for the ipsilateral hemiparesis, also known as Kernohan's notch phenomenon. Thus, this case report highlights the usefulness of the newer radiological techniques, such as DTI, to identify the pathomechanisms of neurological presentations.

PURPOSE: Options for BRCA mutation carriers include close surveillance, chemoprevention, and risk-reducing surgery (RRS) for breast and ovarian cancer. However, chemoprevention and RRS for cancer prevention are not widely performed in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the usage patterns of surveillance, chemoprevention and RRS of breast and ovary in Korean BRCA mutation carriers. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical record of 67 women who were diagnosed with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation between January 2005 and May 2009 at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. RESULTS: Mean age was 46 years old (range, 27-73 years), and median follow-up period was 10 months. The numbers of affected and unaffected carriers were 50 (74.6%) and 17 (25.4%). In 47 women affected with breast cancer excluding 3 cases of concurrent breast/ovarian cancers, 42 (89.4%) have received intensive surveillance only, 2 (4.3%) have taken tamoxifen for chemoprevention, and 3 (6.4%) have undergone contralateral prophylactic mastectomies to prevent breast cancer. For ovarian cancer prevention, risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy was performed in 11 (24.4%) of 45 affected carriers excluding 5 patients who had bilateral salphingo-oophorectomy previously. In 17 unaffected carriers, chemoprevention and RRS were not performed. Only 4 (23.5%) of these unaffected carriers have chosen surveillance for breast or ovarian cancer. Old age and no family history are related to the poor compliance (no follow-up) of the carriers only in the univariate analysis but not in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Most of the Korean affected BRCA mutation carriers in our study chose intensive surveillance rather than chemoprevention or RRS. We should take special effort to follow and educate unaffected carriers, especially for those with old age or no family history.
Female ; Humans ; Breast Neoplasms ; Ovarian Neoplasms

The vast majority of malignant tumors involving the vagina are secondary spread from primary malignant lesion of the cervix uteri, the sigmoid colon, the bladder and the vulva. Primary invasive carcinoma of the vagina remains among the rare gynecologic malignant tumor. The diagnosis of primary carcinoma of the vagina requires that the cervix and the vulva be intact and no clinical evidence of other primary tumors exist. Greater than 80-90% of all vaginal tumors are squamous cell type. We experienced two cases of primary vaginal cancer of 68 years old woman without any other gynecologic disease and 67 years old woman after hysterectomy for benign desease. We presented these cases with a brief review of related literatures.
Aged ; Cervix Uteri ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Neoplasms, Squamous Cell ; Urinary Bladder ; Vagina ; Vaginal Neoplasms* ; Vulva

Lack of awareness, the stigma of carrying a genetic mutation, and economic factors are barriers to acceptance of BRCA genetic testing or appropriate risk management. We aimed to investigate the influence of Angelina Jolie's announcement of her medical experience and also health insurance reimbursement for BRCA gene testing on practice patterns for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). A survey regarding changes in practice patterns for HBOC before and after the announcement was conducted online. The rate of BRCA gene testing was obtained from the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. From May to August 2016, 70 physicians responded to the survey. Genetic testing recommendations and prophylactic management were increased after the announcement. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy was significantly increased in BRCA carriers with breast cancer. The BRCA testing rate increased annually. Health insurance and a celebrity announcement were associated with increased genetic testing.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Genetic Testing ; Insurance Coverage ; Insurance* ; Insurance, Health ; Insurance, Health, Reimbursement ; Mastectomy ; National Health Programs ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Risk Management