No abstract available.
Humans ; Male* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*

BACKGROUND: Although adults in 30s and 40s are at risk for hypertension management due to low rates of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, there has been a lack of study on hypertension management for this population. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine blood pressure screening and other associated factors with hypertension management in terms of awareness, control, and treatment. METHODS: Secondary data analysis was performed on the data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2007-2009. To examine whether blood pressure screening affects hypertension management in 929 subjects aged 30s and 40s with hypertension. Other factors, such as socio-demographics, health status, and health behaviors, were also included for data analysis. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were carried out using SAS 9.1. RESULTS: Hypertension awareness rates were high in those who had diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27-3.90), self-rated their health status as poor (OR 2.89; 95% CI 1.82-4.58), and received a blood pressure check up (OR 5.96; 95% CI 2.90-12.25). Hypertension treatment rates were high in women (OR 2.50; 95% CI 1.47-4.27), and high in those who had diabetes mellitus (OR 2.59; 95% CI 1.49-4.47), self-rated their health status as poor (OR 2.53; 95% CI 1.54-4.14), self-reported as past smoker (OR 2.01; 95% CI 1.22-3.29), and received a blood pressure check up (OR 12.64; 95% CI 4.87-32.77). Hypertension control rates were high in women (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.29-4.72), and high in those who self-reported as past smoker (OR 2.46; 95% CI 1.35-4.50), and received a blood pressure check up (OR 9.24; 95% CI 3.15-27.15). CONCLUSIONS: For effective hypertension management in 30s and 40s, we should encourage this population to have a regular blood pressure screening.
Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Nutrition Surveys ; Phenothiazines ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine physical, psycho-social, and individual factors influencing musculoskeletal symptoms among Korean military trainees. METHODS: Using a correlation study design, military trainees who had completed almost of all the basic combat training (BCT) days were recruited from two military training units selected by convenience sampling. Data from 415 participants were analyzed. RESULTS: Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms was 29.6% defined as a participant having pain or discomfort in one or more body parts during training hours for more than seven consecutive days. Back/pelvic (10.8%), knees (10.1%), shoulders (7.7%), feet/toes (5.6%), ankles (4.8%) were prone to musculoskeletal symptoms. Musculoskeletal symptoms appeared to be related to physical exertion during BCT, stress during BCT, social support from fellow trainees, or previous musculoskeletal injuries. In the logistic regression model, physical exertion during BCT (OR=2.27, 95% CI: 1.42~3.65), stress during BCT (OR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.15~2.78), and previous musculoskeletal injuries (OR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.01~2.47) were the significant factors affecting prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that physical exertion and psycho-social stress should be managed to prevent musculoskeletal symptoms in military trainees with more attention being given to trainees having a history of musculoskeletal injuries.
Ankle ; Human Body ; Humans ; Knee ; Logistic Models ; Military Personnel* ; Musculoskeletal System ; Physical Exertion ; Prevalence ; Shoulder ; Statistics as Topic ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: (a) To examine geographical distribution of childhood allergic diseases in Korea and (b) to identify geographical and sociodemographic risk factors for allergic diseases. METHODS: Data on doctor-diagnosed asthma during lifetime and allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis during the past 12 months of 8,631 children (< or = 18 years) were obtained from the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, along with information on housing type and presence of an indoor smoker. The SaTScan program identified geographical case clusters of allergic diseases, and multiple logistic regression determined risk factors, including geographical case clusters, for each allergic disease. RESULTS: Prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis was 3.2%, 13.2%, and 15.5%, respectively. Older children (10-18 years) were more likely to have allergic rhinitis whereas younger children were more likely to have atopic dermatitis. It is noteworthy that children living in areas of geographical risk for asthma and atopic dermatitis were more likely to develop the respective allergic disease than children living in other areas (odds ratio [OR] = 3.47 for asthma, and OR = 9.74 for atopic dermatitis). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the areas in which children live may influence the development of certain allergic diseases. Implications include the need to assess geographical location of children with allergic diseases and to develop community-based preventive programs for children with allergic diseases.
Asthma ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Geography ; Housing ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: This study was to identify factors explaining health empowerment of older adults with high-risk of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. METHODS: Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 148 older adults residing in two areas who have one or more of the following diseases; hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Health empowerment had a positive correlation with health literacy and social support. Perceived health status and social activity participation showed significant contribution in explaining health empowerment. CONCLUSION: This study showed that enhancing perceived health status and social activity participation are vital in an effort to improve health empowerment of the population. Main findings of this study can contribute to developing health empowerment interventions to improve health behavior practices of the older adults.
Adult* ; Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Health Behavior ; Health Literacy ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Power (Psychology)*

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the current situation of community health nursing practicum in bachelor programs. METHOD: Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of questions on education goals, teaching items, teaching methods, and evaluation methods and items. Forty five nursing departments/colleges or 84.9% of four-year nursing schools in Korea responded to the survey. RESULT: Nursing process application and understanding about the role and function of community health nurses were major goals of practice education. Community health centers were the most significant practice fields because all nursing schools mentioned them as places for practice. All nursing schools used a specific evaluation tool to measure students outcomes and utilized guidebooks to help students. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the goals of practice education should be standardized to improve the quality of education. Besides, evaluation tools that can be used commonly at all nursing schools should be developed to measure the effectiveness of practice education of community health nursing.
Community Health Centers ; Community Health Nursing* ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Nurses, Community Health ; Nursing ; Nursing Process ; Schools, Nursing ; Teaching ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Tibia*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to define and clarify the concept of political competence for nurses. METHODS: A hybrid model method was used to investigate the dimensions, attributes, and definitions of the concept. In the theoretical stage of the study, literature on nursing, politics, and other discipline were reviewed. In the fieldwork stage, individual in-depth interviews and focus groups interviews were conducted with politically seasoned experts or activists who had an understanding of the concept of political competence for extensive descriptions in nursing and field of health care. RESULTS: The concept of political competence was represented in four dimensions as political knowledge, political efficacy, political interaction, and political activity. In the political knowledge dimension, there were three attributes, namely, political knowledge, political information and systematic analysis ability. The political efficacy dimension had three attributes of internal political efficacy, external political efficacy, and self-pride of nursing profession. The political interaction dimension had three attributes of organizations and community service, networking, and persuasive power. The political activity dimension had six attributes of political leadership, political expression, assertive behavior, political advocacy, political participation, and policy intervention. CONCLUSION This concept development might provide a basic understanding of developing a measurement tool and for constructing a theory promoting nurses' political competence.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate health behavior related to particulate matter (PM) in older adults and examine the factors affectingit. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected from 150 voluntary older adult participants from Songpa-gu inSeoul. The survey questions measured service perception and experience related to PM, risk perception related to PM, attitude toward riskof PM, and health behavior related to PM. Results: The average score for health behavior related to PM was 79.37, ranging from 51 to 115.There was a significant positive correlation between health behavior related to PM and risk perception related to PM (r=.58, p <.001) as wellas between health behavior related to PM and attitude toward risk of PM (r=.70, p<.001). Multiple linear regression revealed that healthbehavior related to PM was predicted by levels of the existence of disease related to PM (β=.14, p=.019), service experience related to PM(b=.20, p=.021), risk perception related to PM (b=.20, p=.019), and attitude toward risk of PM (b=.44, p<.001). The model including thesevariables accounted for 47.0% of health behavior related to PM. Conclusion Korean older adults have the low level of health behaviorrelated to PM. The findings of this study emphasize that risk perception and attitude toward risk of PM should be evaluated, and theunderlying diseases related to PM and their service experience should be considered in developing intervention to improve health behaviorrelated to PM.

Purpose: The aim of this study was threefold, to longitudinally examine the risk of habitual smoking onset in adolescents, to delineate the effects of neighborhood characteristics and friends’ smoking status on the habitual smoking onset, and to investigate whether the association between friends’ smoking status and habitual smoking onset was moderated by neighborhood characteristics. Methods: This study conducted multilevel discrete-time survival analysis, using cohort data from the 3rd to 6th waves of the Korean Child and Youth Panel Survey, which excluded habitual smokers, matched with 2010 census data on respondents’ residence. Results: Habitual smoking onset risk increased from the 8th to the 11th grade, and then slightly decreased from the 11th to the 12th grade. Friends’ smoking status (B = 0.60, p < .001), smoking rate (B = 0.06, p = .038), and the number of tobacco outlets in the respondents’ neighborhood (B = 0.51, p = .003) were positively associated with habitual smoking onset risk. Furthermore, the association between friends’ smoking status and habitual smoking onset risk was moderated by the number of tobacco outlets in the neighborhood. Specifically, the association was stronger in neighborhoods with more tobacco outlets (B = 0.58, p = .048). Conclusion Friends’ smoking status and living in neighborhoods that are more susceptible to smoking increase the risk of habitual smoking. The number of tobacco outlets in the neighborhood enhances the peer effect of adolescent’s smoking behavior. Therefore, policies or interventions designed to reduce youth’s tobacco use should focus on not only on reducing peer smoking, but also restricting smoking by adults and the number of neighborhood tobacco outlets.