PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of quality of life for elders in Korea. METHODS: The participants were 348 older persons selected by convenience sampling in Y city. Data were collected from September 22 to October 23, 2008 when 348 elders completed a questionnaire which included the Leisure Attitude Scale by Raghep and Beard (1982), Leisure Competence Questionnaire by Witt and Ellis (1987) and the Quality of Life Questionnaire by Mckenna (2001). Cronbach alphas scores for Korean translation of the questionnaires were .85, .90 and .79 respectively. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS Win 14.0 statistics program. RESULTS: The scores for quality of life showed significant positive correlations with the scores for leisure attitude (r=.603, p<.001) and leisure competence (r=.703, p<.001). Leisure competence, leisure attitude, and education were significant predictors and accounted for 54.4% of the variance in quality of life in the elders. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that high leisure competence and positive leisure attitude with learning opportunities will be helpful to promote a better quality of life for elders.
Aged ; Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Leisure Activities ; Mental Competency ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The intradermal (ID) test has been widely used in Korea and several reports about the results of the ID test are known. We examined the egg of Clonorchis sinensis (C.s.) by ID test in 443, stool's egg-counting technique in 79 and direct smear (cellophane thick smear technique) in 1204 subjects. The results are as follows: 1. The positive rate of C.s. was 3.8% out of 1304 persons. 2. The sensitivity of ID test was 82.1% out of 39 persons and the specificity was 64.6% out of 404 persons. 3. The false positive of ID test was 35.4% out of 404 persons and, the false negative was 17.9% out of 39 persons. Intradermal test is a rapid, sensitive and useful supplementary diagnostic tool for the detection of Clonorchiasis infection and must be used as screening test with direct smear of stool but cross reaction with other helminth infections and moderate false reaction are the main disadvantages in its practical application.
Clonorchiasis ; Clonorchis sinensis* ; Cross Reactions ; Helminths ; Humans ; Intradermal Tests* ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Ovum ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: We report a case of unilateral, focal, pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy (PPRCA). CASE SUMMARY: A 46-year-old female visited our clinic in complaint of a vague problem with her right eye identified during a general medical examination. The visual acuity (without correction) of both eyes was 1.0. Slit-lamp examination of both eyes revealed no specific signs. Fundus examination of the right eye revealed focal, bony-spicule-shaped retinochoroidal atrophy with pigmentation along the course of the superior retinal vein. A fundus autofluorescence examination revealed principally hypofluorescence with some hyperfluorescence at the margin of the atrophic retinochoroidal lesion. Optical coherence tomography revealed mixed clumping and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer and thinning of the choriocapillaris layer. Fluorescence angiography revealed a window defect and blockage at the site of the lesion (the fluorescent material did not enter the lesion). The site of the window defect was in correlation with the atrophic RPE region. The site of the blockage at lesion also matched with the site of the regional pigment clumping. No definite leakage was observed. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of unilateral focal PPRCA reported from Korea.
Atrophy ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinal Vein ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Recentry, the prevalence of HBsAg in children has been gradually decreased in Korea may be due to extensive vaccination. The object of this study is to identify the HbsAg positive rate in 6 to 7 year-old school children in Seoul and to outline the surveilance status of the HBsAg positive subjects. METHODS: We analyzed HBV mass screening results of 120,106 6 to 7-year-old school children in Seoul. For 188 HBsAg positive children who complied with the follow up visit, we tested HBeAg, LFT and interviewed their parents. We also compared the questionnaire results of HbsAg positive group with those of 694 random-sampled HBsAg negative controls. RESULTS: The overall HBsAg positive rate was 0.79%(0.81% in boys and 0.76% in girls). Children in poverty area showed significantly higher rate(1.04%) of HBsAg positivity than those in non-poverty area(0.77%). Among HbsAg positive children, 86.7% was also HBeAg positive and had higher ALT levels than those with negative HBeAg. More than 70% of parents of HBsAg positive children was not aware of their children's HBsAg status before the screening and 28.7% of mothers did not know their own HbsAg status. The complete vaccination rate of the HBsAg positive and HBsAg negative group were 75.5% and 77.4% respectively, which shows no significant difference. Having family history of HBV infection was significantly associated with HBsAg positive status(OR=32. 8). CONCLUSIONS: The HBsAg positive rate in 6- to 7-year-old school children has decreased in Korea compared to the data from previous studies. However in the aspects of public awareness and health care compliance, there are much room for quality improvement. Above all, more rigorous and continuous surveilance system is required for antenatal and postpartum care.
Child* ; Compliance ; Delivery of Health Care ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Mothers ; Parents ; Pilot Projects* ; Postnatal Care ; Poverty Areas ; Prevalence ; Quality Improvement ; Seoul* ; Vaccination ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Hidrocystoma* ; Syringoma*

No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Humans ; Marchiafava-Bignami Disease*

No abstract available.

The purpose of this study is to observe the longitudinal changes in BMI (Body Mass Index) of obese and non-obese 3rd. grade high school students in Seoul for 12 years and to see the trends of overt weight gain in obese adolescents. The results are as follows; 1. The average annual increasing rates of body mass indices in male students were 1.14kg/m2 in obese group and 0.59 in non-obese group. In female students, the average annual increasing rates of body mass indices were 0.93kg/m2 in obese group and 0.53kg/m2 in non-obese group. 2. The change rate of BMI for 12 years was significantly higher in obese group than non-obese group. 3. Puberty had less influence on the change rate of BMI in obese group compared to non-obese group. 4. In obese group, 71.8% of the variance in BMI at 17 can be predicted by BMI at 16 years in male students. In female students 44.4% can be predicted by BMI at age 16. 5. Among the 17-year-old obese students, 58.8% of the males and 56.2% of females were found not to have been obese at 7 years of age. 6. Among the 17-year-old obese students, those who were obese at 7 years of age were found to have higher BMI at later ages than those who were in the non-obese group. Obese adolescents were more likely to be obese in their childhood than non-obese group. There was no optimal age for the significant weight gain and the increasing rate of BMI was constantly higher in obese group than in non-obese group. Due to the fact that child obesity in early age contributes to obesity in adolescence, close observation is advised on the other hand, a large proportion of obese adolescents can be preventable by early interventions, because about 50% of obese adolescents were not obese in early elementary school age.
Adolescent* ; Body Mass Index* ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Pediatric Obesity ; Puberty ; Seoul ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Prostate*

BACKGROUND: Because Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most frequent etiological agent in sexually transmitted diseases, accurate diagnostic methods are essential. The enzyme-linked fluorescence assay and Papanicolaou smear were evaluated for detection of C. trachomatis in patients with vaginitis. METHODS: Endocervical swabs from 78 women with symptoms of vaginal discharge, itching or lower abdominal pain in the obstetrics/gynecology department of Gyeongsang National University Hospital were tested by Vidas Chlamydia assay. Slides were stained with Papanicolaou and Giemsa stain to demonstrate inclusion body. RESULTS: Five (6.4%) of 78 endocervical specimens were positive by Vidas Chlamydia assay. Only one case was positve for C. trachomatis with Papanicolaou stain. We could not detect any C. trachomatis by Giemsa stain. CONCLUSION: The Vidas Chlamydia test allows sensitive and high-volume testing for chlamydiae and could be useful for the diagnosis of infection with C. trachomatis in patients with vaginitis and pelvic inflammatory disease.
Abdominal Pain ; Azure Stains ; Chlamydia trachomatis* ; Chlamydia* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Papanicolaou Test ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pruritus ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Vaginal Discharge ; Vaginitis