BACKGROUND: With the rapid growth of the elderly population, osteoporosis has become a major health problem worldwide. Although health knowledge and self-efficacy are important assets to facilitate healthy behaviors and disease prevention, such information as it relates to individuals and their bone health is limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of knowledge, self-efficacy, and health behaviors on promoting bone health in middle-aged Korean women. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey study. A convenience sampling of middle-aged women (> or =40 years) was done at a community health center in Korea. Bone mineral density was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry with the DEXXUM T. The level of knowledge was measured with the Knowledge of Osteoporosis Scale, and self-efficacy with the Osteoporosis Self-efficacy Scale. A questionnaire for bone health behaviors was developed for this study. Collected data were analyzed through descriptive methods, independent t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: A total of 150 middle-aged women whose mean age was 59.8+/-11.5 years participated in the study. Most (74%) were menopausal. Less than one-quarter of participants (22.7%) had osteoporosis and less than half (42%) had osteopenia based on the T-score at the left femur neck site. Level of knowledge (mean score, 10.35) and self-efficacy (mean score, 47.67) ranged from low to moderate. Intake of calcium and vitamin D-rich foods was insufficient in our subjects. Bone health behaviors had significant positive relationships with knowledge (r=0.22, P=0.008) and self-efficacy (r=0.29, P<0.001) on promoting bone health. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that educational interventions are needed to enhance knowledge and confidence and to encourage middle-aged women to engage in bone health behaviors.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Aged ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Calcium ; Community Health Centers ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; Self Efficacy ; Vitamins

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness and safety in the labor induction between the high dose oxytocin method and the new low dose oxytocin method. STUDY DESIGN: Firstly, we selected 125 pregnant women hospitalized, having the indication of labor induction from March, 1995 to August, 1996. Of them, we selected 61 pregnant women tothem the high dose oxytocin method was used, as the control group, and in- creased the quantity of 2.5 mU/min every 20 minutes with the start dose of 2.5 mU/min to them. On the other hand, with the start dose of 1.25 mU/min, we increased the quantity of 1.25 mU/min every 20 minutes to the study group of low dose oxytocin method, 64 pregnant women. RESULTS: No statistical significance was found in the time from the effective uterine contraction to the delivery in the study group, in contrast to that of the control group to them the labor induction was conducted by using the high dose oxytocin. Maximum amount used to the high dose oxytocin was significantly more than that of the low dose oxytacin, but in the total given dose, there was no significant difference between two groups. Maxi- mum uterine contraction of the control group did not show any significant. difference from that of the study group, and there was also no significant difference in the frequency of generating the complications such as fetal distress. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the labor.induction -to delivery time, and the complications of fetus, between the existing high dose oxytocin method and the new low dose oxytocin method. Therefore it is thought the low dose oxytocin method may reduce the possibility of a complieation compared with the high dose oxytocin method. However, it is considered this matter must be investigated further in the futrre.
Female ; Fetal Distress ; Fetus ; Hand ; Humans ; Oxytocin* ; Pregnant Women ; Uterine Contraction

No abstract available.
Pneumonia*

OBJECTIVES: Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are assumed to be stable emotional and cognitive patterns that begin early in our development and are repeated throughout life. The primary aim of this study was to examine the two-year stability of EMS using the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ). In addition, we investigated the relationship between EMS and depressive symptoms over time. METHODS: Seventy-nine medical students completed the YSQ-short form 3, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised during their first and third years of medical school. RESULTS: After controlling for depression severity, YSQ subscales showed significant test-retest correlations for all of the subscales (r between 0.49 and 0.77, ps<0.001). Mean scores for all of the subscales did not differ significantly at retest, with the exception of a significant reduction of vulnerability to harm/illness (t=3.71, p<0.001). Concerning the relationship with depression, some YSQ subscales showed association with the severity of depressive symptoms at each time point, as well as changes between two time points. In particular, the schemas of Defectiveness/Shame and Dependence/Incompetence showed a strong association with changes of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated that EMS measured using the YSQ may show con-siderable temporal stability over time, but, in part, may be affected by an individual's state, such as depression.
Depression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Students, Medical

No abstract available.
Bone Matrix* ; DNA* ; Gelatin* ; Osteoblasts*

BACKGROUND: In this study we estimated the prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors according to waist-to- height ratio (W/Ht ratio) in adult obese women to ensure the importance of abdominal obesity and determined the usefulness of W/Ht ratio as a index of abdominal obesity in adult obese women. METHODS: The study subjects were 190 adult obese women who visited an obesity clinic from August, 2001 to January, 2003. They were divided into 4 groups: Group 1; BMI<30, W/Ht<0.6, Group 2; BMI<30, W/Ht> or =0.6, Group 3; BMI> or =30, W/Ht<0.6, and Group 4; BMI> or =30, W/Ht> or =0.6. In each group, we compared the prevalence and odds ratio for CV risk factors. RESULTS: In obese group, the prevalence of high blood glucose (P<0.01), hypertriglyceridemia (P<0.01) were significantly higher in group 2 than group 1. In high obese group, the prevalence of systolic hypertension (P<0.01), high blood glucose (P<0.01), hypercholesterolemia (P<0.01), hypertriglyceridemia (P<0.05), and high LDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in group 4 than group 3. When odds ratio for each group with reference to group 1 were compared after adjusting for age, high blood glucose (4.48), and hypertriglyceridemia (6.10) in group 2, and systolic hypertension (2.69), high blood glucose (3.02), and hypertriglyceridemia (4.00) in group 4 were significantly higher. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CV risk factors were likely to be increased in higher W/Ht group independently to BMI. W/Ht ratio can be a simple, useful index for abdominal obesity and its related risk factors not only in adult males but also in adult obese women.
Adult ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Male ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors*

We report the case of a 14-year-old girl who visited the emergency room because of suprapubic discomfort and sudden acute urinary retention. She did not have any significant medical and surgical history, and her neurological examinations were all normal. Urinary catheterization led to the passage of 500 mL urine. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a hematocolpos that was compressing the urinary bladder. Gynecologic history taking revealed that the patient has not had menarche yet. Therefore, a cruciate incision was performed and her urination became normal. As the surgical outcome after adequate hymenotomy for imperforate hymen is usually good, the diagnosis of imperforate hymen is important. However, this condition is easily missed in the clinic because the first physician visited by the patient rarely takes a detailed gynecologic history or performs appropriate physical examinations. Although rare, imperforate hymen should be considered as a cause of acute urinary retention in the adolescence period. If an adolescent girl presents with abdominal pain and voiding dysfunction, a detailed gynecologic history and appropriate physical examinations of the genital introitus should be performed.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent* ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hematocolpos* ; Humans ; Hymen* ; Menarche ; Neurologic Examination ; Physical Examination ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Retention* ; Urination

A 43-year-old female patient with a congenital right coronary artery to right atrial fistula presented as congestive heart failure and aortic valve infective endocarditis. The diagnosis was made on the basis of echocardiography, especially TEE and confirmed by tight heart catheterization & aortography. She underwent aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic valve regurgitation with vegetations, fistulectomy and coronary aneurysmorrhaphy. The postoperative course was uneventful. She was treated with antibiotics because of infective endocarditis for 6 weeks. At present she remains well and visits out patient clinic regularly for oral anticoagulation without problem.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aortic Valve* ; Aortography ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Female ; Fistula ; Heart Failure* ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the bacteriological characteristics and antibiotics sensitivity in acute appendicitis. METHODS: The microbiologic culture and antibiotics sensitivity tests were done on 165 patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy under the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The postoperative complications were also checked. The microbiologic and clinical results were compared between perforated and non-perforated groups. RESULTS: The most common organism cultured from the periappendiceal fluid was Escherichia coli (51.2%), followed by Enterobacter (16.2%) and Pseudomonas (8.9%). In the antibiotics sensitivity test, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were highly susceptible. Ceftriaxone and cefotaxime were also highly susceptible. Piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem and meropenem were very highly susceptible. The complication rate of perforated appendicitis group (17.9%) was higher than that of the non-perforated appendicitis group (7.1%) (P<0.001). A surgical drain was used more frequently in perforated group (23% vs 84.6%, P<0.001). The mean in-patient days were longer in the perforated group (5.7 vs 7.2 days, P<0.001). In the patients with infectious wound complication, antibiotic resistance was more prominent in the non-perforated group than in the perforated group. CONCLUSION: In the perforated appendicitis group, more precise and careful procedure was required. In the non-perforated appendicitis group, more prudent use of the available antibiotics to conserve valuable therapeutic resources and improved infection control to limit the spread of resistant organisms was required.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Cefotaxime ; Ceftriaxone ; Ciprofloxacin ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Enterobacter ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Infection Control ; Ofloxacin ; Postoperative Complications ; Pseudomonas ; Thienamycins

Samonella infection is usually a short febrile self-limiting disease localized to the gut, acquired by ingestion of contaminated food or water. The infection is seldom accompanied by extraintestinal complication. If such a complication does occur, the abscess is often located in bone and periost. Isolated suppurative ovarian infections are rare, but have descirbed, particularly in dermoid cysts, cystadenomas or endometrioma. We report a case of a patient with a Salmonella typhi infection in a serous cystadenoma.
Abscess* ; Cystadenoma ; Cystadenoma, Serous ; Dermoid Cyst ; Eating ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Humans ; Salmonella typhi* ; Salmonella* ; Water