PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate life stress, social support, and antepartum depression among Southeast Asian immigrant women married to Korean men. METHODS: Ninety-three subjects were recruited from local women's clinics and multicultural family support centers in D City. The instruments used were the life stress scale, social support scale, and K-EPDS. All the instruments were translated into their corresponding mother languages (Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Philippine) and notarized. RESULTS: The item mean scores of life stress and social support were 2.65 and 3.17, respectively, on a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score of antepartum depression was 10.16, indicating that they were generally in a depressive state. A positive correlation was observed between life stress and antepartum depression (r=.59, p<.001). Social support was negatively correlated with life stress (r=-.42, p<.001) and antepartum depression (r=-.39, p<.001). The best predictors for antepartum depression were life stress, marital satisfaction, and emotional support, and they explained 43% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Antepartum depression in Southeast Asian immigrant brides was significantly associated with life stress as well as lack of emotional support. Emotional support may reduce their life stress and antepartum depression.
Asia, Southeastern* ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Depression* ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mothers ; Pregnant Women ; Stress, Psychological*

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a positive psychology-based program for depressed pregnant women. Methods: Of the 221 pregnant women who were screened, 24 were recruited from 4 local women’s clinic in Daegu city, South Korea. Subjects were at 6–29 weeks of gestation and scored 9–13 points on the Korean version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Subjects were assigned to experimental (n= 12) and control (n=12) groups. The program consisted of ten 120-minute sessions conducted twice a week. Data were collected during the period between December 21, 2017 and April 12, 2018 and analyzed using IBM SPSS/WIN (ver. 21.0). Homogeneity of the experimental and control groups was evaluated by chi-square test and t-test. Hypotheses were tested by repeated measure analysis of variance. Results: The results revealed that in terms of stress coping styles, the active coping style (group*time= 15.23, p<0.001) increased, while the passive coping style decreased (group*time=15.27, p<0.001). Perceived spouse support (group*time=19.45, p<0.001), self-esteem (group*time=17.39, p<0.001), perinatal depression (group*time=78.77, p<0.001), and flourish (group*time=57.56, p<0.001) have significantly improved in the experimental group compared with the control group. Conclusion These findings indicate that positive psychology-based program can be useful for pregnant women already suffering from depression to prevent perinatal depression.

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a positive psychology-based program for depressed pregnant women. Methods: Of the 221 pregnant women who were screened, 24 were recruited from 4 local women’s clinic in Daegu city, South Korea. Subjects were at 6–29 weeks of gestation and scored 9–13 points on the Korean version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Subjects were assigned to experimental (n= 12) and control (n=12) groups. The program consisted of ten 120-minute sessions conducted twice a week. Data were collected during the period between December 21, 2017 and April 12, 2018 and analyzed using IBM SPSS/WIN (ver. 21.0). Homogeneity of the experimental and control groups was evaluated by chi-square test and t-test. Hypotheses were tested by repeated measure analysis of variance. Results: The results revealed that in terms of stress coping styles, the active coping style (group*time= 15.23, p<0.001) increased, while the passive coping style decreased (group*time=15.27, p<0.001). Perceived spouse support (group*time=19.45, p<0.001), self-esteem (group*time=17.39, p<0.001), perinatal depression (group*time=78.77, p<0.001), and flourish (group*time=57.56, p<0.001) have significantly improved in the experimental group compared with the control group. Conclusion These findings indicate that positive psychology-based program can be useful for pregnant women already suffering from depression to prevent perinatal depression.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Abscess*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Fistula* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery*

Since a nationwide childhood vaccination with tetanus toxoid, tetanus has become a rare disease in Korea. However, we recently experienced 17 cases of adult tetanus in a university hospital during a 21-month period. Seventy percent of the patients were female, and the mean age was 63 yr (range, 29-87). The majority (88.2%) of the patients did not get primary vaccinations for tetanus and decennial tetanus-diph-theria toxoid booster. Most patients (88.2%), who sustained acute injury, did not seek medical care for their wounds or did not receive the prophylaxis for tetanus. Tetanus was found most frequently among farmers. Tetanus was diagnosed initially only in 53% of patients. The case-fatality ratio was 23.5%. These cases show that recently occurring tetanus in Korea is a disease, affecting the elderly and the female who may have a lower immunity against tetanus, and the farmers who are likely to be exposed to Clostridium tetani. In addition, diagnosis of tetanus is often delayed in area where cases are seen infrequently. Therefore, improved education among patients and physicians, emphasis of anti-tetanus immunization and awareness of tetanus respectively, may be essential for the prevention of disease and the reduction of its mortality.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Agricultural Workers' Diseases/epidemiology ; Diagnostic Errors ; Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Health Education ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice* ; Human ; Immunization, Secondary/psychology ; Immunization, Secondary/utilization* ; Korea/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Tetanus/diagnosis ; Tetanus/epidemiology* ; Tetanus/prevention & control ; Tetanus/therapy ; Tetanus Antitoxin/therapeutic use ; Tetanus Toxoid ; Treatment Outcome ; Vaccination/utilization* ; Wounds, Penetrating/complications

No abstract available.
Trichosporon*

The neurocognitive function and quality of life of 58 Korean survivors of childhood medulloblastoma were assessed after surgery, cranial radiation and chemotherapy. All patients were evaluated with a battery of neurocognitive function tests and the Pediatric Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain Tumor Survivors, which consists of self-report questionnaires on quality of life. The mean full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ, and performance IQ scores were 90.2, 97.1, and 84.16, respectively. The mean memory quotient (MQ) score was 86.78, which was within 1 standard deviation of the average score of 100. Processing speed, attention, and executive function showed mild to moderate deficits. Intelligence, memory, executive function, visuospatial function, and simple motor function were significantly lower in the patients diagnosed before 8 years of age compared with those diagnosed after 8. The cognitive deficits in the patients diagnosed at younger ages might be related to earlier exposure to craniospinal irradiation and chemotherapy. The patient and parent proxy evaluations of attention, fine motor function, and quality of life did not differ. We found significant neurocognitive changes in a wide range of neurocognitive functional domains in Korean survivors of childhood medulloblastoma. Long-term follow-up studies of survivors of childhood medulloblastoma beginning at the time of their first diagnosis are required to better understand the deficits exhibited by survivors of childhood medulloblastoma, so that intervention strategies and treatment refinements that reduce the long-term neurocognitive decline can be developed.
Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; Craniospinal Irradiation ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Executive Function ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Korea ; Medulloblastoma* ; Memory ; Parents ; Proxy ; Quality of Life* ; Survivors*