OBJECTIVE: Because endometriosis is difficult to diagnose and has a high recurrence rate after treatment, a reliable serum marker of endometriosis is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this study is to measure the serum levels of CA125 and CA19-9 in patients with endometriosis before and after treatment and during recurrence, and to assess the usefulness of these levels in the diagnosis, clinical follow up and prediction of recurrence in endometriosis. METHODS: Eighty-eight patients who visited the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Ewha Mokdong Hospital from January 1994 to December 1998 and were diagnosed as endometriosis by laparoscopy or explo-laparotomy were enrolled as subjects. A retrospective analysis of serum CA125 and CA19-9 levels at 1 month before and 3 to 6 months after initiation of treatment was done. RESULTS: The serum CA125 and CA19-9 levels of endometriosis group(81.0+/-252.5, 36.6+/-53.4 ; mean+/-2SD, U/ml) before treatment was significantly higher than control group(11.6+/-12.8, 9.4+/-8.6)(p<0.05). Overall sensitivity rate for CA125, CA19-9 levels and both was 53.4%, 42.9% and 64.3% respectively. The sensitivity rate for endometriosis, stage 3 and 4(85.4%, 55.0%) was significantly higher than that, stage 1 and 2(p<0.05). The serum CA125 level in endometriosis group showed a significant increment according to stages(p<0.05) while the serum CA19-9 level showed an increasing trend(p=0.055) and both levels decreased significantly after treatment(p<0.05). The serum CA125 level was also higher at recurrence after treatment(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The serum CA125 and CA19-9 levels are a useful marker for diagnosing severity of disease, monitoring efficacy of treatment and predicting recurrence in endometriosis.
Biomarkers ; Diagnosis ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Obstetrics ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Purpose: This study aims to identify the perceived care needs of nurses as care providers and patients as care recipients for managing adverse effects that result from chemotherapy. Methods: This descriptive study used a mixed-methods design employed with convenience sampling. The instrument was a 25-item, 4-point Likert-scale questionnaire that focused on the care needs of patients with advanced cancer, completed by the patients and the nurses who care for them. The study also included an open-ended question.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, and content analysis. Results: The total mean value of care needs was not significantly different between the patient and nurse groups (t=-1.67, p=.098). The results of one open-ended question analyzed using content analysis were identified in five categories: physical, psychological, spiritual, policy, and other. Conclusion This study suggested the multifaceted care needs for managing the adverse effects of chemotherapy among patients with advanced cancer at a long-term care hospital in Korea.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure the parenting behavior of primary caregivers of children in early childhood. METHODS: An instrument was developed according to Devellis's instrument development process. The participants in this study who completed the main survey were 370 mothers and grandmothers. The survey was conducted from June 1 to July 30, 2014, and collected data were analyzed using item analysis, half-split reliability and Cronbach's alpha coefficient, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity. RESULTS: The factor structure of the instrument showed the cumulative variance as 55.7% in the factor analysis. As a result of a confirmatory factor analysis, a four-factor structure was found to be appropriate, and the construct validity and convergent validity of the instrument were thereby confirmed. The finalized parenting behavior instrument consisted of 26 items and four independent factors: affectionate, laissez-faire, educational and impulsive. A five-point Likert scale was employed, and a higher score in a particular factor showed that most of the behaviors belonged to the factor. CONCLUSION: The instrument developed in this study was found to be reliable and valid, and can be used to develop parent-child relationship building.
Adult ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Child Rearing ; Child, Preschool ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Parenting ; *Program Development ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the awareness of child rearing among parents of children in early childhood and to provide fundamental data for parent education programs according to child rearing type. METHODS: Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing the subjectivity of each item was used. Forty Q items which were derived from a literature review and interviews with nurturing mothers were classified into a normal distribution using a 9-point scale. Collected data were analyzed using the QUANAL PC Program. RESULTS: Four types of parents' child rearing were identified. Type I was named 'affection-respect type', type II, 'concern-rule compliant type', type III, 'solicitude-model type', and type IV, 'geniality-encouragement type'. CONCLUSION: For proper growth and development during early childhood, parents should have rational information and awareness of their child rearing type. Results of this study can be used as essential data to develop child rearing education programs according to parents' child rearing attitude.
Adult ; Attitude ; Awareness ; Behavior ; Child ; *Child Rearing ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Parents/*psychology ; Q-Sort ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to set up a hypothetical model to explain causal relationships among influential variables in the mother-child relationship for Korean infants and toddlers and their mothers. The research was based on Barnard's (1978) mother-child relations model, and goodness-of-fit was examined. METHODS: The participants were 207 mothers with infants or toddlers. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS programs. RESULTS: Regarding the influence of the variables on the mother-child relationship between infants and toddlers and their mothers, social support had a 75% explanation of mother-child relationships, and attachment had a 58% explanation of social support. Attachment had both direct and indirect effects on the mother-child relationships, and social support had direct and total effects on the mother-child relationships. Among child-related variables, child temperament had a moderating effect on the mother-child relationships. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the model has utility in developing effective nursing intervention methods to boost mother-child relationships between infants and toddlers and their mothers.
Child ; Humans ; Infant* ; Mother-Child Relations* ; Mothers* ; Nursing ; Temperament

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the components and content of nursing intervention studies on mother-infant interactions and to present strategies for future studies. METHODS: Four electronic databases in the Korean language were searched to identify studies done between January 1998 and December 2011. The search yielded 145 articles. From these articles, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Mother-infant interactions in these studies were found to include verbal and non-verbal communication basic for optimal growth and development of the child. Six kinds of interventions for mother-infant interactions were identified as follows: sensory stimulation, education program, whole body massage, kangaroo care, visiting support, and music therapy. CONCLUSION: Further studies with well designed clinical trials need to be done in the area of child nursing to provide evidence based data for the development of strategies to promote positive mother-infant interactions.
Child ; Education ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Clinical Trial* ; Macropodidae ; Massage ; Mother-Child Relations* ; Music Therapy ; Nursing* ; Parent-Child Relations

OBJECTIVES: Ginseng has a long history of being used in insomnia treatment and there is some evidence from animal studies of its sleep-enhancing property. From this, it can be assumed that ginseng has sleep-promoting effect in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Korean red ginseng on change of sleep architecture in humans. METHODS: A total of 20 healthy young males with regular sleep and wake habits and without any psychiatric nor cognitive problems were selected based on review of sleep questionnaires and sleep diaries they completed followed by an interview with a board-certified psychiatrist. The subjects were randomly assigned to red ginseng or placebo for 2 weeks of trial. The total daily dose of ginseng was 4,500 mg. The polysomnographic recordings were made at baseline and at 2 weeks after. The effects of red ginseng and placebo on sleep were assessed by comparing the changes in polysomnographic variables between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 15 subjects, 8 from red ginseng group and 7 from placebo group, were included to undergo polysomnographic procedures. The red ginseng group showed tendencies to increase stage 3 sleep (p=0.087) and to decrease stage 2 sleep (p=0.071) from the baseline compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Korean red ginseng tends to increase deep sleep and decrease shallow sleep. Our result is in line, at least in part, with previous findings that Korean red ginseng increased total and NREM sleep in rats. Further studies with higher ginseng dosage, larger sample size and longer trial duration should be conducted to confirm the sleep stabilizing and balancing effects of Korean red ginseng.
Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Panax ; Polysomnography ; Psychiatry ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rats ; Sample Size ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

BACKGROUND: Recent increase in use of the periodic health screening is due to a concern for health. But study of patient's compliance with recommended periodic health screening has not yet been conducted. This study was accomplished to clarify which aspect to be considered in order to increase patient's compliance after health screening. METHODS: This study was done from March 3 to May 15 in 1997 by Hanil health care center, Among 370 workers in a state-run corporation who received health screening tw? years ago, 170 men were advised to receive an additional laboratory test or treatment at the time. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire and were inte?iewed by doctors to evaluate their compliance. 162 of 170 patients(95.3%) were enrolled in the study, except 8 patients who did not answer the questionnaire. RESURTS: The mean age of patients was 54 years. Most of them were technicians and managers, graduated from high school or higher, and had an annual income of at least 35,000,000 won. The disease of requiring an additional test or treatment were in the order of liver disease, hypertension, gastrointestinal disease, urologic disease and abnormal urinalysis. 68 patients(42%) were compliant and 94 patients(58%) were noncompliant. For reasons of noncompliance,27 patients(28.7%) answered "because l had no symptoms", 20 patients(21.2%) answered "because I didn't think I needed the test or the treatment" and 12 patients(12.7%) answered "because I was busy". The factors influencing compliance were analyzed through chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Their compliance was highly related to the patients'insight into the necessity of the test. the existing disease, and the reporting method of the health screening results. It was not associated with the patients'feeling about their health status, the health behaviors such as smoking and drinking, occupational factors, distance from shire homes to the hospital, or the presence of a hospital near home for those who didn't live in Seoul. The independent effect of the factors influencing the compliance was evaluated by means of stratified analysis. The only independent factor associated with the compliance was the patients' insight. The compliance according to diseases was higher than average in hypertension, liver disease, diabetes mellitus and urologic disease, and lower than average in pulmonary disease, gastrointestinal disease, thyroid disease, cardiac disease, opthalmologic disease and abnormal urinalysis. CONCLUSIONS: The most influencing factor related to compliance was the patient's insight into the necessity of the further testing. We should consider a proper way to increase compliance on health screening. Direct counseling, if possible, is recommended following health screening and way to increase patient's compliance utiliging mail report as another.
Compliance* ; Counseling ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Drinking ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Health Behavior ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Liver Diseases ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Postal Service ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thyroid Diseases ; Urinalysis ; Urologic Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Trichoblastic fibroma is a benign trichogenic tumor that has both epithelial and mesenchymal components and exhibits partial follicular induction. We studied 4 cases of trichoblastic fibroma and reviewed their clinical and histologic features. Two tumors were present in the face. The remaining two were in the vulva and perianal area, respectively. The age of the patients ranged from 53 to 68 years, with an average age of 62. All were female. Histologically, the lesions showed a well circumscribed mass, located at dermo-subcutaneous junction in three patients and subcutaneous in one. They demonstrated mesenchymal induction evidenced by hair germ-like structure and perifollicular sheath. There was no connection between the tumor and epidermis. Differentiation toward hair structure led to the formation of the infundibulum through inner root sheath. Trichoblastic fibroma may be confused clinically and/or histologically with basal cell carcinoma. Identification of the mixed epithelial and mesenchymal components, and the absence of epidermal connection and cleft within the stroma are important in differentiating this benign neoplasm from basal cell carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Epidermis ; Female ; Fibroma* ; Hair ; Humans ; Vulva

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to review studies of Meaning-Centered Intervention (MCI) in advanced or terminal cancer patients using Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review method. METHODS: We conducted a literature search using nine English or Korean electronic databases by using the keywords ‘meaning therapy OR meaning-centered intervention OR psychotherapy’. All studies were original articles about MCI in peer-reviewed journals from inception to August 2017. A risk of bias assessment tool for non-randomized studies was used for quality assessment. RESULTS: Seventeen studies matched the criteria. Thirteen studies assessed through RoBANS had a low risk of bias in most areas. The most frequently used tools were 8 group intervention sessions around 90 or 120 minutes in length. The outcome variables used in this study were quality of life, anxiety, depression, meaning of life, and spiritual well-being. The purpose of MCI was to improve the spiritual well-being and quality of life for patients by finding meaning in life even when faced with cancer. CONCLUSION: In this study, spiritual care was identified as an important factor from the MCI applied evidence-based data. The MCI could be effective way to improve spiritual well-being for the patients with advanced or terminal cancer and their families.
Anxiety ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Depression ; Humans ; Methods ; Nursing ; Quality of Life