PURPOSE: This study was to examine health status, reproductive health problems and the degree of prenatal management in working women. METHOD: The subjects were 902 married working women among 2, 000 women selected by cluster sampling. The work area was classified to product factory, school, office, etc. After an Informed consent was obtained, participants were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire. The instruments included a questionnaire, parity check list, menstrual problems and gynecologic problem check list. RESULT: Many women have experienced menstrual cycle change during the past year. There was a significant difference in general health, menstrual regularity, reproductive health and prenatal management by occupation type. 40.6 percent of the subjects have gynecological problems such as menstrual cycle change, perineal inflammation, irregular vaginal bleeding, amenorrhea, ovarian/uterine disease, infertility, or abortion. Prenatal care was received in only 28.5% of the total subjects. In addition, 16.3% answered they had experienced low birth weight babies. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that working woman have changes in menstruation cycle and in reproductive health status. Therefore, we suggest that some occupational characteristics may affect subject's reproductive health, these should be clear and avoided as much as possible.
Amenorrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infertility ; Inflammation ; Informed Consent ; Menstrual Cycle ; Menstruation ; Occupations ; Parity ; Prenatal Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health* ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Women, Working*

PURPOSE: This study was done to compare prenatal education programs for anxiety and labor efficacy in third trimester women. METHOD: The subjects were 95 primigravida who attended a prenatal education program at H and B hospital in Kyounggi province and a health center in Chungbuk province and in the Incheon metropolitan area. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, and trait and state anxiety, and labor efficacy were measured. The data was analyzed by frequency, mean, and paired t-test. RESULT: In this study, there was a high level of anxiety in the primigravida. After the program, only state anxiety was decreased significantly at the attendants of the health center. Labor efficacy was a little increased, but this was not significant. Anxiety was increased and labor efficacy was decreased in the attendant of a private hospital. CONCLUSION: These education programs were not so effective to decrease anxiety and to increase labor efficacy. For on effective program to increase labor efficacy, it is necessary to standardize prenatal education program content and to revise it to decrease state anxiety closer to delivery. It is necessary to discover why these programs were not effective.
Anxiety* ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Education ; Female ; Hospitals, Private ; Humans ; Incheon ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Prenatal Education* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe bladder dysfunction in elderly women such as frequency, nocturia, and residual urine. METHODS: One hundred elderly women aged 60 and over. The Bristol Female Lower Urinary Symptoms (BFLUT) was used to evaluate the bladder function and to measure the residual urine amount by using a bladder scanner. Data was analyzed with the differences between voiding dysfunction by age group and life habits by t-test, ANOVA and correlation by Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: the mean daytime frequency was 6.8 times and night-time frequency 2.7 times. Sixty three percent of subjects had urgency and 41% had urgent incontinence. Over half of subjects had problem in voiding function. There were significant differences in frequency by age groups and constipation, but not in daytime frequency and residual urine. Lastly, there were significant positive relations between daytime frequency and night-time frequency. Also results indicate that more frequency in daytime equaled to a less residual urine amount. CONCLUSION: We know many elderly women have lower urinary tract symptoms. Specially women over 75 years have more daytime frequency and night-time frequency. This suggests further research needed in order to understand the relation of voiding patterns and life habits and its influence on quality of life.
Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; Constipation ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Nocturia ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: The elderly with UI experienced urine leakage for a long time. The prevalence of UI has increased and it makes costly. Particularly, the elderly were reluctant to visit a hospital or a clinic for the reasons of modesty and poverty. To solve this problem, incontinence intervention programs should be provided at the elderly welfare center. The purpose of this research was to develop Incontinence Intervention Program for the Elderly Women (IIPE) and evaluate in its effect. METHODS: The study design was quasi-experimental with pre and post-test. The study was performed for ten weeks at one elderly welfare center, Seoul, Korea. The subjects were gathered through an official announcement and informed consent was obtained. IIPE, in this study, was consisted of diagnosis, education, exercise and evaluation. The study variables were PFM exercise adherence, pelvic muscle strength, Continence selfefficacy, geriatric depression and incontinence stress. The effects of the IIPE on PFM exercise adherence, pelvic muscle strength, Continence self-efficacy, geriatric depression and incontinence stress were also evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 75.2 years. The average attendance was 6.2 times. The IIPE improved PFM exercise adherence, intra-vaginal contraction power and CSE significantly. But it was not significant in incontinence stress and geriatric depression. Other important results were that the two-finger test and urine stream interruption were more useful for elderly women with rigid vaginas in teaching and evaluating. CONCLUSION: The Findings suggest that IIPE is effective to the community-residing elderly. Further investigation is needed on a long-term basis with control group.
Aged ; Exercise Therapy/*organization & administration ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Geriatric Nursing/*organization & administration ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Nursing Assessment ; Nursing Evaluation Research ; *Nursing Homes ; Parity ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Patient Education as Topic/*organization & administration ; Pelvic Floor ; Prevalence ; Program Development ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Self Efficacy ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Incontinence/diagnosis/epidemiology/psychology/*rehabilitation ; Urodynamics

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers and the enhancing factors and predictors to postpartum care performance. METHODS: The Research design in this study was a cross-sectional correlational survey. Subjects were 145 women at 6 to 10 weeks post delivery at an OB & GY clinic. Data was gathered with postpartum care performance, and other related variables including emotional status during pregnancy, fatigue, health recovery status, maternal role and identity. Data was analyzed using the SPSS WIN(version 11.0) program. RESULTS: The mean score of postpartum care performance was 3.08 of 5, it had significant differences in emotional status during pregnancy, coincidence of expected sex, health recovery status, postpartum fatigue and postpartum depression. The maternal role and health recovery status were enhancing factors of postpartum care performance. Also, the barrier factors were fatigue, depression and coincidence of expected sex. Among these factors, the present health recovery status had an predictability of 11.7%, postpartum fatigue 3.2%, and coincidence of expected sex 2.5%, for a total predictability factor of 17.4% on postpartum care performance. CONCLUSION: Among these related factors to postpartum care performance, present health recovery status was the most predictable factor and then postpartum fatigue, and coincidence of expected sex. We need to establish a strategy to reduce postpartum fatigue and implement nursing interventions for health related consequences in postpartum women.
Depression ; Depression, Postpartum ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Nursing ; Postnatal Care* ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Research Design

Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome: Prevalence Estimates, Quality of Life and Depression among Older Adult Korean Women. What is already known about the topic? 1) Interstitial Cystitis/Painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a chronic, painful, inflammatory condition of the bladder wall. 2) Previous studies examining the prevalence and impact were focused on middle life women and not elderly women. 3) Epidemiologic studies of IC/PBS have been predominantly conducted in Western countries and little research reported in Asian countries.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cystitis ; Depression ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Research Report ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify practical exercise performance and to define the factors related to exercise performance in middle-aged women. METHODS: The researchers collected data from 206 middle-aged women, ages 40 to 59. The measurements used were a scale for degree of exercise performance, and self-efficacy scale, affect, perceived barriers and benefits related exercise, body-shape perception, and the youngest child's education stage. The data were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 17.0 and SAS program using t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Exercise performance showed significant differences according to body-shape perception (F=5.45, p<.01), the youngest child's education stage (F=4.44, p<.05). Exercise performance had a significant strong positive relation with self-efficacy (r=.616), a moderate relation with self-rated health (r=.428) and with affect related exercise (r=.519), a mild relation with perceived benefits (r=.339) and with social support (r=.239), and a negative mild relation with perceived barriers (r=-.330) with 99% significance. Self-efficacy, affect, perceived barriers, and the youngest child's education stage explained 46.4% of a variance in exercise performance in middle-aged women. The factor most influencing was self-efficacy related exercise at 37.9% of the variance. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that self-efficacy, affect, perceived barriers, and the youngest child's education stage should be considered as important factors for developing program of middle-aged women.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Phenothiazines

PURPOSE: The Edinbergh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) has seen widespread use in epidemiological and clinical studies. The objective of this research was to translate and to test the reliability and validity of the 10-item EDPS in Korea. METHODS: Subjects were 145 women who were 6 to 10 weeks post delivery. To test reliability, the internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Validity testing was performed using convergent validity by Pearson's correlation. Data was gathered at 3 hospitals during Oct. 2005 after obtaining an informed consent. RESULT: The mean age of the subjects was 29.9 years. and the mean parity was 1.46 times. The mean EPDS score was 18.4. Reliability analysis showed a satisfactory result (Cronbach's alpha coefficient=.84). There were significant positive correlations between EPDS and Mills postnatal depression and anxiety check list scores as expected(r=.69, p<.001) and thus supported convergent validity. CONCLUSION: The study findings showed that the Korean version of the EPDS-10 is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used for measuring postnatal depression in Korea.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Depression, Postpartum* ; Female ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Korea ; Parity ; Reproducibility of Results

PURPOSE: Dysmenorrhea is a menstrual condition characterized by severe and frequent cramps and pain. Effective treatment methods for dysmenorrhea are not yet fully understood. This research compares the effects of pain killers and heated red bean pillows. METHODS: Data were got on demographic data, menstrual cycle status, and activities of daily living (ADLs) limitations, dysmenorrhea severity and menstrual pain scores. Following a 10% drop-out rate, 44 young women satisfied the inclusion criteria. To prevent any bias, the experimental and control groups were selected from different campuses. We used two sizes of red bean pillows: 15x18 cm, weighing 400g; and 13x11.5 cm, weighing 220g. For analysis, we used IBM SPSS statistics 19.0. RESULTS: Ninety-nine point seven percentage of total subjects reported moderate to severe dysmenorrhea and 63.6% reported as moderate to severe daily activities limitations. The mean pain score with visual analogue scale was 80.2+/-9.42 of 100 and 86.4% used pain killers to alleviate menstrual discomfort in all the subjects. In both groups, all three variables showed significant improvement and the Moos's Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) scores changed significantly between menstrual and post-menstrual time point at within groups and not significantly different at premenstrual and menstrual time point at between groups. However, the MDQ score was significantly higher in experimental group than control group at post-menstruation time point and the degree of satisfaction was higher in the control group. CONCLUSION: This research shows that red-bean pillows on the abdomen are effective in assisting the ADL and diminishing pain severity. With regard to its safety the study indicates it can be a convenient and safe option for female students with menstrual discomfort in schoolas a non-pharmacological self-help.
Abdomen ; Activities of Daily Living ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hyperthermia, Induced ; Menstrual Cycle ; Muscle Cramp ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Cervical Length Measurement ; Female ; Incidence ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Parturition* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, High-Risk ; Reproductive History