No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to summarize the current conditions and implications of health inequalities in South Korea. METHODS: Through a literature review of empirical studies and supplementary analysis of the data presented in the 1998, 2001, and 2005 KNHANEs, we evaluated the extent and trends of socioeconomic inequalities in both health risk factors, such as smoking, physical activity, and obesity, and outcomes, such as total mortality, subjective poor health status by self-reports and metabolic syndrome. Relative risks and odds ratios were used to measure differences across socioeconomic groups, and the relative index of inequality was used to evaluate the changes in inequalities over time. RESULTS: We found clear inequalities to various degrees in most health indicators. While little change was observed in mortality differences over time, the socioeconomic gaps in risk factors and morbidity have been widening, with much larger differences among the younger population. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic inequalities are pervasive across various health indicators, and some of them are increasing. The trends in socioeconomic inequalities in health should be carefully monitored, and comprehensive measures to alleviate health inequalities are needed, especially for young populations.
Adult ; Female ; *Health Status Disparities ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Risk-Taking ; Social Class

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean Version of the Nurses' Self-Concept Instrument (NSCI) geriatric hospital nurses in Korea. METHODS: Bilingual nursing professionals performed translation and back-translation. Reliability and validity of the content and construction of the instrument were confirmed. Internal consistency reliability was determined. Construction and concurrent validity were verified using factor analysis and correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The total 14 items for the Korean version of the Nurses' Self-Concept Instrument (NSCI) were retained through item analysis. In explanatory factor analysis, four subcategories were proposed with their names of each factor: ‘Leadership’, ‘Staff relation’, ‘Knowledge’, and ‘Care’. The four factors accounted for 78.81% of the variances. The Cronbach's α regarding internal consistency were .77~.91 for the NSCI subscales. Correlation among four subcategories ranged .62~.84. CONCLUSION: The findings show that the Korean version of the Nurses' Self-Concept Instrument is reliable and valid for measuring professional Self-Concept of geriatric hospital nurses in Korea.
Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Humans ; Korea ; Long-Term Care* ; Nurses* ; Nursing ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Self Concept

BACKGROUND: Epidural anesthesia is becoming an increasingly important aspect of anaesthetic practice because it has many advantages. To achieve the appropriate sedation, various methods have been described. The authors applied the ketamine for this purpose in subanesthetic dose and compared with the midazolam that has been most commonly used for intravenous sedation. METHODS: Fifty-seven adult patients undergoing lower abdominal and extremity surgery who were receiving epidural anesthesia were randomely enrolled into this clinical study. They were allocated to three groups to receive only normal saline (group C), midazolam 0.05 mg/kg (group M) and ketamine 0.5 mg/kg midazolam 0.05 mg/kg (group K) in normal saline 10ml, respectively. Hemodynamic and respiratory measurements were recorded at baseline, 1 minute, 3 minute, 5 minute, 10 minute, 20 minute and 30 minute after sedation. The degree of sedation was assessed by a blinded observer using sedation score. RESULTS: There were no significant differences for hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, but decrements of arterial pressure at 1 minute after sedation were most remarkable in the group M. Sedation was satisfactorily achieved by combination of ketamine and midazolam without significant emergence reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of ketamine and midazolam was judged to be suitable alternative for sedation during epidural anesthesia.
Adult ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Arterial Pressure ; Extremities ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Ketamine* ; Midazolam*

No abstract available.
Rheumatic Fever*

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the effects of a smoking prevention program on primary school students. METHOD: The design for this study was a nonequivalent quasi-experimental control group pretest-posttest. The smoking prevention program was provided to grade 5 and 6 students selected from two schools in Jecheon.The experimental group consisted of 72 students and the control group, 73 students. A smoking prevention program composed of smoking prevention education (once a week for 40 minutes over a period of 8 weeks) and supportive environment for smoking prevention was developed by modifying several smoking prevention programs. The research was conducted from May 15 to October 10, 2003. RESULT: 1) After completion of the smoking prevention program, the mean scores for knowledge about smoking, attitude to smoking, and intention toward non-smoking were not significantly different between the experimental group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: To affectively achieve the aims of a smoking prevention program, the effectiveness of the program should not be measured over the short term only. Long-term tracking of students educated in the program, to identify the rate of those who later become smokers needs to be done.
Education ; Humans ; Intention ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Child Health

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are used prophylactically in surgery to prevent postoperative infection. However, antibiotics administered in large doses can cause a bleeding diathesis as a result of platelet dysfunction. We wondered whether these antibiotics might impair platelet function by interfering with the initial step of platelet activation: the binding of agonists to their specific receptors on the platelet surface. METHODS: In 30 patients (male 18, women 12) undergoing primary elective knee arthroscopic surgery, the whole blood coagulation system was prospectively evaluated before, and 10 and 40 minutes after administration of 1 g of augmentin. All patients who had abnormal preoperative coagulation profiles or who received anticoagulant or antiplatelet, antibiotics therapy within 7 days prior to surgery were precluded. RESULTS: At 10 minutes after augmentin administration 25 of 30 patients had a significant impairment in all phases of whole blood coagulation as monitored by thromboelastography. In contrast, three of 30 patients had a significantly decreased coagulation time. Two of 30 patients had no significant changes of TEG variables. TEG variables were restored toward baseline in fourty minutes after augmentin administration. CONCLUSIONS: Augmentin can cause a significant but transient change in the viscoelastic properties of blood. Coagulation parameters of the TEG should be measured prior to augmentin administration to prevent and prospect a bleeding diathesis as a result of platelet dysfunction.
Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthroscopy ; Blood Coagulation ; Blood Platelets ; Disease Susceptibility ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Knee ; Platelet Activation ; Prospective Studies ; Thrombelastography*

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Statistics as Topic*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the levels of bone mineral density (BMD) and to explain the factors influencing BMD among female college students in Korea. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 144 college women. Lifestyle factors were determined by self-report questionnaire. Body composition was measured by body composition analyzer and bone mineral density was measured by ultrasound bone densitometry. Data were analyzed using SPSS for windows, version 19.0. RESULTS: The mean BMD at calcaneus site was 0.56 g/cm2 (mean T-score=-0.22). The incidence of osteopenia was 21.5%. Factors predicting BMD were menarche age (r=-.22, p=.009) and height (r=-.18, p=.030) with 7% of explained variance. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that health care professionals need to provide young women with program that is intended to affect their intention toward osteoporosis preventive behavior change.
Body Composition ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Calcaneus ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Densitometry ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intention ; Life Style ; Menarche ; Osteoporosis ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in professionalism, organizational citizenship behavior and psychological ownership between nurses and nurse officers. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1017 hospital nurses and military nurse officers. The instruments used were the Korean Version of Hall's Professionalism Inventory' modified by Baek (2007), Organizational Citizenship Behavior Qquestionnaire(OCBQ) modified by Lee (2006), and the Psychological Ownership Inventory' developed by Van Dyne and Pierce (2004). RESULTS: The average score for military nurse officers professionalism was 3.15, for organizational citizenship behavior, was 3.43 and for psychological ownership, 3.64. These scores were higher than the scores for hospital nurses. There were significant positive correlations between the variables(r=.47~.581, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate an affirmable outcome and that the significant variables affected levels of Professionalism, Organizational citizenship behavior, and Psychological ownership. So in order to improve the level of variables, there is a need to consider strategies related to organization, work environment and conceptualization as related to the variables.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Military Personnel ; Ownership