OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to assess marital and sexual satisfaction among patients with schizophrenia compared to the general population and to evaluate the factors that may affect these levels. METHODS: Marital and sexual satisfaction of 66 married schizophrenic patients and 162 married normal controls were assessed with Enriching and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness and Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory. We compared the differences in marital and sexual satisfaction and influential variables between these two groups through analysis of covariance with adjustment for age and the duration of marriage. Factors associated with marital and sexual satisfaction were identified with multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia showed lower satisfaction with their marriage (p=0.018) and sexual lives (p<0.001) compared to the controls. Marital satisfaction of schizophrenics was influenced by violence from spouse, whereas their sexual satisfaction was affected by age, violence from spouse, conversation frequency after sexual relations, and revealing psychiatric history to spouse before marriage. There was a significant relationship between marital and sexual satisfaction in both groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia may have marital and sexual problems which can be caused directly or indirectly by symptoms and course of the disease. These results suggest that evaluation and appropriate intervention in the marriage and sexual lives of schizophrenics is necessary and important.
Happiness ; Humans ; Marriage ; Schizophrenia ; Spouses ; Violence

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Purpose: This study evaluated the -202 A/C insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) promoter polymorphism as a predictor of serum IGFBP-3 concentration and growth velocity after recombinant growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in patients with idiopathic short stature (ISS). Methods: Genotyping and serial measurement of clinical parameters were performed in 69 children with a confirmed diagnosis of ISS. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed to determine the genotype at the -202 IGFBP-3 locus. Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and IGFBP-3 levels were measured at baseline and after 1 year of rhGH treatment, as were height standard deviation score and growth velocity. Results: The -202 A/C IGFBP-3 genotype comprised 69.6% AA, 24.6% AC, and 5.8% CC. One year of treatment did not produce a meaningful difference in IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 levels between children in the AA group and those with at least one copy of the C allele (AC/CC group). Comparing the 2 groups after one year also revealed no significant difference in growth velocity (ΔHeight: 9.061±1.612 cm/yr in the AA group, 9.421±1.864 in the AC/CC group, P=0.419). Conclusion rhGH treatment was effective and there were no significant differences in IGF-1, IGFBP-3, or growth velocity according to genotype. Thus, -202 IGFBP-3 genotype may not be a major factor affecting individual growth responses in Korean children with ISS.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Somatoform Disorders*

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

BACKGROUND: Although childhood obesity is an increasing public health problem in our society and a number of regimens have been developed and distributed for the treatment of adult obesity, few studies have focused on therapeutic programs for obese children. The objective of this study was to deveIop and measure the effects of an OPD-based childhood obesity control program. METHOD: 'The OPD-based childhood obesity control program was developed by reviewing the preexisting literature and consulting specialists. It was applied to the 4-6th grade obese(obesity index >or=30% ) children. The effects of intervention were assessed by the changes in obesity-related behavior, caloric and nutrient intake and exercise amount. The effects in the OPD-based group (group I) were also compared with the school-based group (group II) and the no intervention group (group III). RESULTS: The OPD-based program was developed based on behavioral modification principles such as self monitoring, stimulus control, positive reinforcement, social support, cognitive change and behavioral contracts and contained diet and exercise therapy. The developed program was applied to 34 pairs(child and mother) in the treatment group of which 21 pairs completed the basic session and 17 pairs completed the additional follow up session. Significant changes, decreases, in obesity index were observed In the OPD-based group. No significant changes were found in the school-based group whereas increased degrees of obesity were found in the no intervention group. Obesity related behavior scores were significantly increased in both the OPD- and school-based groups. The children in both the OPD-based group showed significant decrease in dietary intake and increase in exercise amount. CONCLUSION: Although it was a short-term treatment result, the OPD-based program was more effective than the school-based program in childhood obesity control. We suggest that a control program of comparable intensity and individualization as ours is required, for effective childhood obesity control.
Adult ; Child ; Diet ; Exercise Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Obesity ; Pediatric Obesity* ; Public Health ; Reinforcement (Psychology) ; Specialization

PURPOSE: Human adenovirus infection mimics Kawasaki disease (KD) but can be detected in KD patients. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical differences between KD with adenovirus infection and only adenoviral infection and to identify biomarkers for prediction of adenovirus-positive KD from isolated adenoviral infection. METHODS: A total of 147 patients with isolated adenovirus were identified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, 11 patients having KD with adenovirus, who were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy during the acute phase of KD were also evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with the adenoviral infection group, the KD with adenovirus group was significantly associated with frequent lip and tongue changes, skin rash and changes in the extremities. In the laboratory parameters, higher C-reactive protein (CRP) level and presence of hypoalbuminemia and sterile pyuria were significantly associated with the KD group. In the multivariate analysis, lip and tongue changes (odds ratio [OR], 1.416; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.151–1.741; P=0.001), high CRP level (OR, 1.039; 95% CI 1.743–1.454; P= 0.021) and sterile pyuria (OR 1.052; 95% CI 0.861–1.286; P=0.041) were the significant predictive factors of KD. In addition, the cutoff CRP level related to KD with adenoviral detection was 56 mg/L, with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 75.9%. CONCLUSION: Lip and tongue changes, higher serum CRP level and sterile pyuria were significantly correlated with adenovirus-positive KD.
Adenoviridae ; Adenoviridae Infections ; Adenovirus Infections, Human ; Biomarkers ; C-Reactive Protein ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Exanthema ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Immunization, Passive ; Lip ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Multivariate Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyuria ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tongue

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to figure out the prevalence of smoking, alcohol and other drug abuse and the relationships among them. METHODS: In July 1996, a total of 4,438 school adolescents randomly sampled from 6 schools(2 middle schools, 2 general high schools, 2 vocational high schools) in Seoul were assessed with a self-completing questionnaire pertaining to smoking, alcohol and other drug (sedatives, stimulants, inhalants) use. RESULTS: The current smoking rate of the study subjects in the study was 17.1%(male : 27.5%, female : 8.3%) and the current alcohol drinking rate was 29.4%(male: 34.0%, female : 25.4%). The experience rate of sedatives and stimulants was 4.0%(male : 4.7%, female 4.4%) and 12.1%(male : 7.0%, female : 16.6%), respectively. The experience rate of glue, butane gas and other volatile solvents was 1.3%(male : 2.5%, female : 0.4%), 0.8%(male : 2.0%, female : 0.2%) and 1.0%(male : 1.4%, female 0.6%), respectively. Current alcohol drinking as we71 as smoking was increased with age, higher in males than females, higher in vocational high school students than general high school students. The experience rate of stimulants was higher in females than males but the experience rate of inhalants(glue, butane gas, organic solvents) was higher in males than females. The younger the age of the study subject, the earlier the starting age of smoking and alcohol drinking. Smoking, alcohol and other drug use status was highly associated with one another. CONCLUSIONS: The most commonly used drugs by the study subjects were alcohol, cigarettes, stimulants, sedatives and inhalants in this order. Higher experience rate was seen in vocational high school students than general high school students.
Adhesives ; Adolescent* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Female ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Solvents ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Tobacco Products ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Recently Live blood analysis was populated in korean society. so we evaluated clinical utility of Live blood analysis, as compared the Live blood analysis result of patients who have confirmed diagnosis of disease with that of controls who have no known health problems. METHODS: We carried out Live blood analysis to patients(n=30) who was entered to an admission in Yongdong severance hospital from February 2000 to March 2000 and to controls(n=30) who worked in that hospital at same time. We examined 3 abnormal finding; rouleau formation, spicule, protoplast, which were often observed in Live blood analysis. RESULTS: At comparison of patient group and control group, rouleau formation was observed in 27 patients except 3 patients and it was observed in all 30 controls. Spicule was observed 2in 9 patients except 1 patients and it was observed in all 30 controls. Protoplast was observed in 16 patients and 13 controls. There was no difference between patients and controls in observing 3 abnormal finding. CONCLUSION: We conclude that Live blood analysis may have no clinical significance.
Complementary Therapies ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Protoplasts