OBJECTIVES: Slip and fall accidents in the workplace are one of the top causes of work related fatalities and injuries. Previous studies have indicated that fall risk was related to postural and dynamic stability. However, the usage of this theoretical relationship was limited by laboratory based measuring instruments. The current study proposed a new method for stability assessment by use of inertial measurement units (IMUs). METHODS: Accelerations at different body parts were recorded by the IMUs. Postural and local dynamic stability was assessed from these measures and compared with that computed from the traditional method. RESULTS: The results demonstrated: 1) significant differences between fall prone and healthy groups in IMU assessed dynamic stability; and 2) better power of discrimination with multi stability index assessed by IMUs. CONCLUSION: The findings can be utilized in the design of a portable screening or monitoring tool for fall risk assessment in various industrial settings.
Acceleration ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Human Body ; Mass Screening ; Risk Assessment

In other to study relationship of anxiety and serum cholesterol in general population, we performed the interview survey and screening test for the Ju-am cohort and residents in controlling area at 1995. Among them, 622 people are selected for this analysis. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Anxiety and total serum cholesterol related each other in the group of anxiety. Correlation coefficient was 0.39(p<0.01). 2. According to the result of multiple regression that the total serum cholesterol regarded as the dependent variable, anxiety and total serum cholesterol were related each other positively in the group of anxiety(p<0.05). 3. As the symptoms of anxiety was dichotomized affective and somatic symptom. There was no relationship of 2 symptoms and total serum cholesterol in all subjects, but there was more relationship on the affective symptom than on the somatic symptom in the group of anxiety(p<0.05). The above results show that anxiety and total serum cholesterol related each other significantly in the anxiety group. And the relationship of psychological factors and serum cholesterol could be applied significantly in general population as well as in the special group.
Affective Symptoms ; Anxiety* ; Cholesterol* ; Cohort Studies ; Mass Screening ; Psychology

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test the construct validity of the Type D personality scale (DS14). METHODS: The DS14 and other personality scales, which have good construct validity (MMPI-2), TCI-RS, MBTI, NEO-PI-R) were administered to 151 college students. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to evaluate the validity of the DS14. RESULTS: There were significant positive correlations between the DS14 total score and scores on the F, D, Pa, Pt, Sc, Si and 'negative emotionality' scales (MMPI-2), the 'harm avoidance' scale (TCI), the 'neuroticism' scale (NEO-PI-R), and the 'introversion' scale (MBIT). Additionally, there were significant negative correlations between the DS14 total score and extroversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, cooperativeness, and reward dependence scales. Stepwise regression analysis also showed coherent RESULTS: negative emotionality, introversion, RCd and RC2 (MMPI-2), harm avoidance (TCI), neuroticism (NEO-PI-R), introversion, thinking (MBIT) scales were selected as significant explanatory variables. CONCLUSION: Individuals with a Type-D personality, as assessed by the DS14, seem to have a tendency to experience negative emotions such as depression and anxiety. As a construct, Type-D personality also seems to be closely related to neuroticism and introversion. These results indicate that the DS14 has sound construct validity as a screening tool for measuring stress-vulnerability traits, that is to say, type-D personality.
Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Depression ; Extraversion (Psychology) ; Humans ; Introversion (Psychology) ; Mass Screening ; Reward ; Thinking ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of the questionnaire. METHODS: Workers'health examination records, work environment record, and questionnaires of selected industries as samples were analysed using logistic regression analysis and discrimination analysis Results'Cases of bearing impairment (Dl+C) as dependent variables, and age, work duration and level of environmental noise as independent variables were selected for multiple unconditional logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio was 4.04 in hearing difficulty, 2.78 in tlnnitus and 1.08 in age. In the second analysis Noise induced hearing loss is selected as dependent variable. The OR in hearing difficulty was 3.67(95 % C.1. : 1.61 8.61), and was 1.09(95 % C.1. : 1.05-1.14) in age. Conditionnal multlple logistic regression analysis was performed. In hearing impairment as dependent variable, the OR of age was 1.02(95 % C.1. : 1.00-1.04) and other variables were not significant. However, NIHL as dependent, the OR of hearing difficulty was 4.57(95 % C.1. : 1.43-14.67). According to multiple logistic regression adopting each items of questionnaire as dependent variable, the only item of hearing difficulty showed significant difference with hearing ability. The discrimination analysis was performed with the class variable of hearing impairment, and discrimination variables of age, work duration, and environment noise level. The sensitivity of 59 %, and specificity of 88 %, and average error count of 23 % were obtained. When the numbers of items answered in questionnaire were assumed as the parameter of judgement for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), the highest sensitivity and specificity were 33.5% and 49.0% in cases of more than two items answered. CONCLUSIONS: The development of items that is simple and discriminative mainly consisted of chronic and specific diseases related items is needed. Computerization for newly developed items might be needed to establish effective surveillance system for NIHL in the future.
Discrimination (Psychology) ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening* ; Noise* ; Odds Ratio ; Questionnaires* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

A total of 75 subjects were examined using Hahn's color vision test and Hahn's Double 15-Hue test. Among the 75 subjects, 62 subjects detected by screening test among 2700 high school students had defective color vision but good visual acuity and no retinal diseases. The other 13 subjects were detected in out-patient ophthalmic clinic. Results of examination in classifying the types and estimating the extent of color defects were obtained. 1. In the total 75 persons examined, extent of the color defects were as follows; mild ............ 6 cases, moderate.........31 cases, strong...........38 cases. 2. The classification of types of congenital color defects were as follows; Protan .........2 cases, Deutan ........25 cases, Unclassified...48 cases. Lack of advanced study on color discrimination for congenital color deficiency resulted in existing job discrimination against a color defective person by restricting his/her job opportunity. Therefore this kind of research has very important meanings and should be continued.
Classification ; Color Vision ; Discrimination (Psychology)* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Outpatients ; Retinal Diseases ; Visual Acuity

Massage therapy is a traditional, alternative and nonphamacological means of promoting rest and relaxation. However, nursing intervention by massage for middle-aged women is rarely practiced by nurses. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of the hand and arm massage as an independent nursing intervention tool for middle- aged women. The data used in this research were collected from forty-nine subjects using a nonequivalent control group non- synchronized design. Twenty-four persons for the experimental group and Twenty-five persons for the control group were selected from D city and C city from July 1997 to September 2000. Subjects' ages were between forty and fifty-six years old with mean the age of 45.6. Hand and arm massage developed by Cayce and Reilly was applied to the experimental group for a session of 15 minutes two or three times a week for four weeks. The instruments used for the measurement of the subjects' stress, anxiety, depression and the middle-life crisis were Langners's 22-item Screening Score, Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory, Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale, and Kim's Middle Life Crisis Scale(1988). These psychological factors were measured before and after the implementation of hand and arm massage. The data were analyzed with mean+/-s.d, percent, t-test, and a paired t-test. The results were summarized as follows; 1. Before the treatment, there were no significant differences between the two groups. 2. After the treatment, there were significant differences in the stress and the occurrence of mid life crisis between the two groups. The findings suggest that the use of the hand and arm massage for middle-aged women made significant changes in the level of stress and middle life crisis. Therefore, it is recommended that hand and arm massage be used as an independent nursing intervention tool for middle-aged women. For further research, is needed replication of this concept of research with different subjects in a larger population. Also, it is recommended to investigate the effects of massage with aroma therapy for the berefit of decreasing womens' stress level further.
Anxiety ; Arm* ; Aromatherapy ; Depression ; Female ; Hand* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Massage* ; Nursing ; Psychology ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND: It is well-known that dyspeptic symptoms in functional dyspepsia are related to psychological factors such as stress and mood disorder. But it is still controversial whether H. pylori infection is a important factor for functional dyspepsia. We conducted this study to investigate whether H. pylori infection or stress are related to dyspeptic symptom severity in functional dyspepsia. METHODS: From Mar. 1 1999 to Apr. 30 1999, attendees to a Health Screening Center and a Family Practice Center were eligible study subjects. The subjects were responded to questionnaire including dyspeptic symptom severity items and BEPSI-K(stress scale). And among eligible subjects, one hundred and thirty two diagnosed with functional dyspepsia by gastrofibroscopy were final study subjects. H. pylori infection was confirmed by antral biopsies & smear (Giemsa stain). RESULTS: In functional dyspepsia, high BEPSI-K score group(upper tertile) complained more severe dyspeptic symptom severity than low BEPSI-K score group(lower tertile) after adjusted for other variables(adjusted OR=8.389, 95% C.I.=2.232-31.231). But the dyspeptic symptom severity was not associated with H. pylori infection status (adjusted OR=1.514, 95% C.I.=0.567-4.046). CONCLUSIONS: The dyspeptic symptom severity in functional dyspepsia was associated with stress but not with H. pylori infection status.
Biopsy ; Dyspepsia* ; Family Practice ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Mass Screening ; Mood Disorders ; Psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: It is now recognized that screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital is an effective infection control measure, and selective media-based methods have been commonly used. MRSASelect (MRSAS; Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) is MRSA selective agar incorporating chromogenic enzymatic substrates, and have been found to be more sensitive and specific than other selective media. The aim of present study was to evaluate MRSAS for discrimination of MRSA from other staphylococci by comparison with mannitol-salt agar with oxacillin (MSO) which is widely used as a MRSA selective medium. METHODS: Ninety-eight staphylococcal strains which were isolated from blood culture specimen, representing 16 MRSA, 6 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, 59 methicillin-resistant coagulase- negative staphylococci (MRCNS), and 17 methicillin-susceptible coagulase-negative staphylococci were tested. The isolated colonies from pure culture were directly inoculated onto MSO and MRSAS respectively. On MRSAS any growth appearing pink after 24 hours incubation, and on MSO any growth appearing yellow after 48 hours incubation was interpreted as positive for the presence of MRSA. RESULTS: Sensitivities of MRSAS and MSO for MRSA detection were equal (93.8%). Specificities for MRSA discrimination from other staphylococci were 98.8% and 89.0%, and especially from MRCNS were 100% and 84.7%, for MRSAS and MSO, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The MRSAS showed equal sensitivity compared with MSO for the detection of MRSA. MRSAS showed higher specificity than MSO in discrimination MRSA from MRCNS. It was suggested that the implementation of MRSAS in MRSA screening could decrease the work needed for MRCNS identification.
Agar ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Infection Control ; Mass Screening ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Oxacillin ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Balloon expulsion test (BET) is regarded as a screening tool of dyssynergic defecation (DD). However, some patients with normal BET results may be treated effectively by biofeedback training. This study aims to validate BET as a single screening test. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-two patients who were diagnosed with functional constipation or irritable bowel syndrome with constipation who underwent anorectal manometry (ARM) and BET at Seoul National University Hospital were enrolled. We evaluated the validity of BET based on ARM and electromyography (EMG) during biofeedback training. RESULTS: If BET ≤ 1 minute was defined as normal, sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) of BET in predicting paradoxical contraction based on ARM findings were 71.4% and 13.9%. If BET ≤ 3 minutes was defined as normal, sensitivity and NPV were 35.2% and 6.6%. Specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of BET ≤ 3 minutes criteria were 84.8% and 93.3%. Same analysis was conducted in 107 patients who underwent EMG during biofeedback training. With 1-minute criteria, sensitivity and NPV of BET were 70.3% and 14.3%. With 3 minutes criteria, sensitivity and NPV of BET was 38.6% and 8.8%. Specificity and positive predictive values were both 100.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on either ARM or EMG during biofeedback training, sensitivity was at most 71.4% and NPV was less than 15.0% irrespective of whether BET was within 1minute or within 3 minutes. BET seems to have a limitation as both a screening test for dyssynergic defecation and a simple assessment to rule out the necessity of biofeedback training.
Arm ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Constipation ; Defecation* ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Manometry ; Mass Screening* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul

OBJECTIVE: Analyses of the 24 items of the Mini-Memory Test (MiMeT) using the item response theory. METHODS: Item difficulty and item discrimination of all items were evaluated with the 2-parametric logistic model in elderly psychiatric patients with memory impairment (n=332, 48.4%) and without (n=354, 51.6%). The BILOG 3 for Windows was employed for the analysis. RESULTS: The mean item difficulty (+/-SD) was -0.878 (+/-1.176), with range of -3.299~0.902. The mean item discrimination (+/-SD) was -1.051(+/-0.392), ranging from 0.346 to 1.848. Discriminations of 19 items were above appropriate level and the delayed recall of short story items of the long-term memory had the highest discrimination. CONCLUSION: All the MiMeT items were thought as having no problems as memory screening test in terms of difficulty and discrimination at the level of p<0.01.
Aged* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Memory ; Memory, Long-Term