PURPOSE: The O'Leary Symptom Index and Problem Index (ICSI/ICPI) have been used widespread in clinical studies and research. This research was aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the ICSI/ICPI-K that was translated into Korean. METHODS: The research design was a methodological study to test the measurements. Subjects were 301 elderly women in Seoul, Chungnam and Gyungbuk. They were recruited through a formal announcement and they responded after informed consent. Data was analyzed with SPSS 15.0. The internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the criterion validity was assessed by Pearson correlation with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and inter-subscales. RESULTS: The elderly women were on average 74.3 years old. As to the reliability of the scale, ICSI/ICPI-K had a Cronbach alpha of .832. In addition, the results showed that ICSI/ICPI-K was valid through the Pearson correlation. That is, the ICSI-K and ICPI-K had a significant relationship with GDS (r=.295; r=.374, respectively) and strong correlations of subscale to subscale (ICSI-K & ICPI-K: r=.676). The most common symptom of the lower urinary tract by the ICSI/ICPI-K was nocturia 249 (83.3%) followed by frequency 187 (62.8%), urgency 148 (49.8%). and pelvic pain 71 (23.9%) in the elderly women. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that the ICSI/ICPI-K is reliable and valid in Korean elderly women. It needs to be evaluated in the clinical area.
Aged ; Cystitis, Interstitial ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Nocturia ; Pelvic Pain ; Reproducibility of Results ; Research Design ; Urinary Tract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to deepen understanding the nature of the care experience by the mothers with adult children in persistent vegetative state. METHODS: Participants were 7 mothers caring for their adult children in persistent vegetative state. Data were collected individually through in-depth interviews on their lived experiences. Also texts were included as data from literary works, novels, movies, essays, and arts containing on patients with persistent vegetative state and their mothers. Data were analyzed by van Manen's phenomenological methodology. RESULTS: The essential themes of caring experiences of the mothers were as follows. The theme in relation to lived time has shown as back to the past and caring experience related lived body has emerged as locked the body in children. The theme related lived space was getting into the swamp and the theme in lived others was derived as lonely struggle into. CONCLUSION: The nature of mothers' caring experiences for adult children in persistent vegetative state is summarized as ‘Do not off hand of hope in a locked state’. This study suggests long-term supports are necessary for mothers to care persistent vegetative state children.
Adult Children* ; Adult* ; Child ; Hand ; Hope ; Humans ; Mothers ; Motion Pictures as Topic ; Persistent Vegetative State* ; Qualitative Research ; Wetlands

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to look at the relationship among sexual consciousness, reproductive health knowledge and sexual experience. METHOD: the subjects were 276 high school students in 4 high schools in Gyonggi Province and Chungnam Province. The data was collected from August 1 to September 10, 2003. RESULT: The average age of the subjects is 16.5 years old, composed of male students, 154 persons (55.8%), and female students, 122 persons (44.2%). The mean scores of sexual consciousness, reproductive health knowledge and the mean level of sexual experience are 28.9, 10.5, and 1.7 respectively. There is a significant difference in sexual consciousness and sexual experience by sex (t=-3.22, p< .001; t=8.17, p< .001), the male students have more sexual experience than the female students, while the girls have a higher sexual consciousness than boys. Sexual consciousness has a negative relationship with reproductive health knowledge and sexual experiences (r=-0.13, p=0.04; r=-0.17, p=0.01). Sexual experience has a positive relationship to reproductive health knowledge (r=0.21, p< .001). CONCLUSION: We can conclude that sexual consciousness and reproductive health knowledge are weakly related to sexual experience. In addition we suggest developing an educational program to enhance sexual consciousness for high school students considering sexual differences.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Consciousness* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reproductive Health*

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to identify gender-based health inequality and explore impacting factors on health inequality in one province in Korea. METHODS: This was an explanatory study using the secondary data on Chungnam province from the Fifth Community Health Survey from August 16 to Oct 31, 2012. Variables included in this analysis were education level, poverty, marital status, and residential community for socio-cultural characteristics and subjective health status as an indicator of health inequality. Data were analyzed by chi2-test, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: There were gender inequalities and disparities in health, and these inequalities were greater in woman than in man (chi2=161.8, p<.001). The impacting factors were education level, poverty, marital status, and residential community, which was accounted for 22.6% of variances of health inequality. Among these variables, gender showed the largest influence in health inequalities. CONCLUSION: To solve health inequalities, it should be considered gender differences based on social determinants of health. It is necessary to develop long term project based on these results and the social determinants model of World Health Organization.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Education ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Poverty ; Social Determinants of Health ; Socioeconomic Factors* ; World Health Organization

PURPOSE: This study was to estimate salt preference and sodium intake of pregnant women, and identify the relationship between salt preference and sodium intake. METHODS: Research design was a cross sectional correlational survey with 197 pregnant women who visited outpatient clinics for antenatal care. The sodium intake levels were estimated by the amounts of sodium intake using the 24-hour recall method and sodium concentration in spot urine. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: Sodium intake using 24-hour recall method was 3,504±1,359 mg. Sodium intake levels had statistically significant differences depending on income. The average amount of sodium in spot urine was 2,882±878mg/day. Sodium excretion levels had statistically significant differences depending on whether participants had preexisting hypertension in their family history and Body Mass Index (BMI) pre-conception. Salt preference was 62.61±20.96 out of 180 points. Salt preference had significant differences depending on income, parity, gestational age, BMI pre-conception and showed negative correlation with sodium quantity in spot urine. CONCLUSION: Sodium intake in pregnant women recommended by World Health Organization recommended is 175%. Salt preference was not significantly different between sodium intake levels, however it was negatively correlated with sodium quantity in spot urine among pregnant women.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Methods ; Parity ; Pregnant Women* ; Research Design ; Sodium* ; World Health Organization

PURPOSE: The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand the meaning of the depression in low income elderly women. METHODS: Participants were 15 elderly women, aged between 60 and 80 who were registered in two senior welfare centers in Seoul. Data were collected from June to December, 2012 after having obtained consent from participants. In-depth interviews were done with open-ended questions about their depression experiences, which were audio-taped and transcribed with verbatim. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to discover the categories considering their relationships and abstractness. RESULTS: Depressions of aged women were a part of the their life throughout their long lived hardship and was implied unhealed wounds within the relationship. Participants did not know how to manage with depression symptoms that they tried to overcome individually but due to decreased activities and interpersonal relationships, their depressions were tended to continue. They have tried to get out from depressive symptoms, but it still remains unseen shadow of mind. CONCLUSION: This results suppose that social support and aged welfare policy included reliving the economical difficulty and improving relationships will be provided to manage the depression for low income elderly women.
Aged* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Poverty ; Qualitative Research ; Seoul ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of various factors on preterm labor symptoms (PLS) and preterm birth (PB). METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 193 women in the second stage of pregnancy. Multiple characteristics including body mass index (BMI), smoking, and pregnancy complications were collected through a self-report questionnaire. Pregnancy stress and PLS were each measured with a related scale. Cervical length and birth outcome were evaluated from medical charts. Multiple regression was used to predict PLS and logistic regression was used to predict PB. RESULTS: Multiple regression showed smoking experience, pregnancy complications and pregnancy specific stress were predictors of PLS and accounted for 19.2% of the total variation. Logistic regression showed predictors of PB to be twins (OR=13.68, CI=3.72~50.33, p<.001), shorter cervix (<25mm) (OR=5.63, CI=1.29~24.54, p<.05), BMI >25 (kg/m²) (OR=3.50, CI=1.35~9.04, p<.01) and a previous PB (OR=4.15, CI=1.07~16.03, p<.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the multiple factors affect stage II pregnant women can result in PLS or PB. And preterm labor may predict PB. These findings highlight differences in predicting variables for pretrm labor and for PB. Future research is needed to develop a screening tool to predict the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women.
Body Mass Index ; Cervical Length Measurement ; Cervix Uteri ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth* ; Prospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Twins

The COVID-19 curve seesawed and reached the fourth pandemic in July 2021. Since the first three waves, the focus has been on achieving herd immunity through vaccination while a lot of manpower is used for quarantine. However, we have not been able to prevent the fourth wave. The causes are thought to be related to people who doubt the safety of the vaccine and refuse it or violate quarantine guidelines such as social distancing. This study examined guidelines for preventing and controlling COVID-19, the accuracy of vaccination-related information, and described quarantine measures including for those who completed vaccination. In conclusion, prevention and vaccination are the most effective countermeasures against COVID-19. We recommend people vaccination with self-quarantine. Also, it is necessary to make large investments to protect and support nurses in future pandemics.

The COVID-19 curve seesawed and reached the fourth pandemic in July 2021. Since the first three waves, the focus has been on achieving herd immunity through vaccination while a lot of manpower is used for quarantine. However, we have not been able to prevent the fourth wave. The causes are thought to be related to people who doubt the safety of the vaccine and refuse it or violate quarantine guidelines such as social distancing. This study examined guidelines for preventing and controlling COVID-19, the accuracy of vaccination-related information, and described quarantine measures including for those who completed vaccination. In conclusion, prevention and vaccination are the most effective countermeasures against COVID-19. We recommend people vaccination with self-quarantine. Also, it is necessary to make large investments to protect and support nurses in future pandemics.