PURPOSE: The study was done to explore growth variation in head circumference (HC) in extremely premature infants (EPI) with brain injury. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 79 cohort samples from the archives of the catch-up growth project. Mean age of the infants was 29.2 weeks of gestation and mean HC, 27.1 cm at birth. Their HC measurements were retrieved from the archives up to 6 month of corrected age (CA) and analyzed against history of brain injury during hospitalization. RESULTS: Overall growth retardation in HC was observed in the cohort sample compared to longer gestation premature infants. EPI with brain injury showed decreased HC compared to infants without brain injury, and resulting growth variation across 6 month of CA. Highest retardation in HC growth was observed in male infants with brain injury. CONCLUSION: Extreme preterm birth itself may function as a major obstacle against HC growth toward term age in EPI. Sustainability of brain injury could be observed with higher HC growth retardation after term. Evolutionary favor to female infants may exist in HC growth of EPI. Intensive education on HC monitoring is highly suggested for parents of EPI, particularly with children with brain injury.
Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Head ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Male ; Parents ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; Retrospective Studies ; Child Health

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to survey knowledge, compliance, and quality of life of mothers who have children with atopic dermatitis, and to determine whether above mentioned factors influence each other. METHODS: The participants in this study were 165 mothers of children with atopic dermatitis recruited from one out-patient clinic in a hospital in Seoul. The data were collected between March 8, and April 16, 2010 using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean score for participants' knowledge was 4.17/5, for compliance, 4.27/5 and for quality of life, 3.42/5. Among the five domains of quality of life, emotional status had the lowest score (3.20/5). Knowledge was significantly correlated with compliance (r=.215, p<.005). However, quality of life was not correlated with knowledge (r=-.069) and compliance (r=-.077). CONCLUSION: Accurate knowledge affects compliance of mothers of children with atopic dermatitis. Therefore, to increase the level of compliance, it is necessary to enhance the knowledge of the mothers. Results also suggest that interventions are needed to improve poor quality of life, particularly the emotional condition of mothers of children with atopic dermatitis.
Child ; Compliance ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Humans ; Mothers ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare self-esteem, perceived life satisfaction, depression and aggression according to the experience of suicidal impulse in adolescents. METHODS: Data were collected from 249 middle and high school students in J city. The constructed questionnaires included items on self-esteem, perceived life satisfaction, depression and aggression. RESULTS: Self-esteem, perceive life satisfaction, depression, and aggression differed significantly between the suicidal impulse group and non-suicidal impulse group. The suicidal impulse group experienced lower self-esteem (OR=3.27), higher depression (OR=12.38) and higher aggression (OR=5.72) than the non-suicidal impulse group. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that integrated and effective interventions are needed to prevent suicidal attempts by adolescents who had experiences of suicidal impulse. Information on the cognitive, psychological and social characteristics of adolescents must be considered when developing the interventions.
Adolescent ; Aggression ; Depression ; Humans ; Sociology ; Suicide ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the physical and psychological health status of North Korean defector children and identify associated factors. METHODS: The participants in the study were 103 children ranging in age from 7 to 14 years old. Physical health status was evaluated through height and weight measurements as well as clinical laboratory results. Psychological health status was assessed using structured survey interviews. Data were analyzed utilizing Pearson correlation coefficients, t-test, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics. RESULTS: On arrival in South Korea, 19% of the children did not meet the child growth standards of South Koreans for height and 15% for weight. However, twelve weeks after, these percentages had decreased significantly. It found that 38.5% of children presented mild posttraumatic reaction and 40.4% presented moderate reaction. Scores for externalizing and internalizing behavior problems were 0.38+/-0.30 and 0.59+/-0.36 respectively. Posttraumatic reaction was higher in girls (t=0.41, p=.03), and boys showed higher externalizing problems (t=2.04, p=.04). Externalizing problems were correlated with gender and internalizing problems were associated with posttraumatic reactions and externalizing problems. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that North Korean defector children need timely developmental assessments and tailored intervention programs to meet child growth standards need to be developed.
Child ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Refugees ; Republic of Korea ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge related to child obesity of child daycare center workers. METHODS: The participants in this study were 360 child daycare center workers in 2 cities in South Gyeongsang Province. Data were collected from February to June, 2011, using self-report questionnaires including questions about the general characteristics of the daycare center workers and their knowledge related to child obesity. Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the data with the SPSS WIN 16.0 program. RESULTS: The knowledge scores of child daycare center workers about child obesity averaged 74.8. The domains of diet (0.87 points) and prevention (0.86 points) had high scores, while, the domains of general characteristics (0.64 points) and diagnosis (0.59 points) had low scores. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that obese education programs for child daycare center workers should be developed in order to identify and teach children with obesity appropriately.
Child ; Child Day Care Centers ; Diet ; Humans ; Obesity ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify pediatric nurses' attitudes to, and compliance with, standard precautions in the prevention of hospital infections by enhancing their practice of standard precautions. METHODS: The participants were 206 nurses who worked in pediatric nursing departments of a general medical institution in Seoul. The questionnaire was a modification of Kim (2008) and consisted of 18 questions about hand washing, personal protective equipment, sharps, linen and patient care equipment. Collected data were processed using SPSS 15.0 WIN. RESULTS: Mean scores for attitudes to standard precautions and for compliance with standard precautions were 4.43 (+/-0.83) and 4.22 (+/-0.44) respectively. This difference was statistically significant (t=3.368, p=.001). The nurses' compliance with standard precautions differed significantly according to the general characteristics of age (F=8.705, p<.001), total clinical experience (F=9.426, p<.001), current department experience (F=6.555, p<.001), and education experience (t=0.616, p<.043). There was a positive correlation between attitudes to, and compliance with, standard precautions (r=.156, p=.025). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that educational programs and policy on infection control and standard precautions for pediatric nurses are needed. Also these results should contribute to baseline data for establishing appropriate clinical policy on infection control.
Bedding and Linens ; Compliance ; Cross Infection ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Patient Care ; Pediatric Nursing ; Universal Precautions ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To identify the perception and practices of kangaroo care in nurses and doctors working in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Korea. METHODS: One hundred forty-nine nurses and nineteen doctors working in the NICU from six university hospitals completed a survey questionnaire. RESULTS: Most agreed that Kangaroo care promoted attachment and parental confidence as well as physical health of the infant. However, nurses and doctors showed a negative perception in providing kangaroo care for premature infants under 1,000 grams or within several hours after birth. Major barriers for kangaroo care were worrying about extubation and safety problems of premature infants. Married or senior nurses showed a more positive perception than others. Also nurses who worked in hospitals where kangaroo care was provided had a lower barrier perception than other nurses. CONCLUSION: Nurses and doctors working in NICU worried about adverse effects of kangaroo care even though they perceived positive effects. Standard education programs and manuals should be developed before dissemination of kangaroo care in Korea.
Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Care ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Macropodidae ; Parents ; Parturition ; Child Health

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the predictors of cultural sensitivity for nursing students in Korea. METHODS: The participants in this study were 332 nursing students. Data collection was conducted through the use of questionnaires which were constructed to include a Cultural Sensitivity Scale, Knowledge of Culture, Interpersonal Reaction Index, and Self-efficacy Scale. RESULTS: Results showed that cultural sensitivity of nursing students was middle range. Knowledge level of culture was very low. There was a significant positive correlation between cultural sensitivity and knowledge of culture, empathy, and self-efficacy. The significant factors influencing cultural sensitivity of nursing students were empathy, self-efficacy, experience of an overseas trip and awareness of cultural education. These four factors explained 23.8% of the variance in cultural sensitivity of nursing students. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that cultural sensitivity is an important link with empathy and self-efficacy in nursing students. For nursing students to enhance cultural sensitivity, a transcultural nursing curriculum needs to develop for appropriate and effective services in cross-cultural situations of the multicultural families in Korea.
Aluminum Hydroxide ; Carbonates ; Cultural Competency ; Curriculum ; Data Collection ; Empathy ; Humans ; Korea ; Self Efficacy ; Students, Nursing ; Transcultural Nursing ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Newborns routinely experience pain associated with invasive procedures such as blood sampling, venipuncture, heelstick, or venous cannulation. This study was done to provide data for a nursing intervention to alleviate newborn pain clinically by investigating the effect of local anesthetic cream during venipuncture. METHODS: Participants were 70 newborns hospitalized in the nursery. Informed Consent was obtained from parents of the newborns. Venipuncture for regular blood sampling was carried out for a test on 2 groups; the experimental, placebo group. The neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS), and duration of crying were measured to assess pain reaction. All neonatal behaviors were recorded on videotape. RESULTS: There were significant differences in pain behavior during venipuncture (t=-4.752, p<.001), immediately after sampling (t=-5.591, p<.001), 3 minutes after puncture (t=-2.469, p=.017), and in duration of crying (t=-3.005, p=.004). CONCLUSION: Results show that local administration of EMLA cream before venipuncture causes a reduction in neonatal pain response, indicating that the EMLA cream has the effect of pain relief.
Catheterization ; Crying ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Informed Consent ; Lidocaine ; Nurseries ; Parents ; Phlebotomy ; Prilocaine ; Punctures ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to identify differences in physiological.psychological.environmental.behavioral characteristics between obese and control children participating in a health camp and to identify the factors related to childhood obesity. METHODS: Two hundred eighty seven children aged 6 to 12 years were recruited from a health camp for elementary students in D city, Korea. Data collection was done on November 28 and 29, 2009. Anthropometric measurements, blood tests, and self-report surveys were conducted. Chi-square test, independent t-test, ANCOVA, and multiple logistic regression were performed using PASW statistics 18.0. RESULTS: Obese children had adverse conditions for both physiological and psychological characteristics. In terms of environmental and behavioral characteristics, high maternal BMI and more than two hours of TV watching were significantly associated with high risk of childhood obesity (OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.02-1.21; OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.23-3.41). CONCLUSION: Through a multi-factorial approach, the current study identified the differences between obese and control children participating in a health camp and risk factors of childhood obesity. These findings provide preliminary data and perspectives on intervention research for prevention and management of childhood obesity.
Aged ; Child ; Community Health Nursing ; Data Collection ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Obesity ; Risk Factors ; Child Health