No abstract available.
Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Mothers* ; Pregnancy*

The aim of the study was to explore the current status as well as personal views, attitudes, and beliefs regarding daily meal consumption (DM) and food supplement use (FS) in conjunction with the improvement of health condition of the women. Eight focus group interviews were performed and the interview material was condensed systematically with the aim to extract core meanings related to DM, FS, and menopause-associated health. Participants were 40 in number and showed ages ranging from 45 and 60 years with various menopausal status. Current status and beliefs about DM, resources of purchase motivation of FS, types of FS that are currently used, and perceived effects and personal beliefs about FS are discussed. Theme content analysis revealed 3 themes for beliefs about DM, 5 themes for beliefs pertaining FS, and 4 themes for the association between DM and FS. Non-dietary factors such as positive mental attitude and exercise appeared to be also important to maintain good health. The bottom line message from this study may be that proper nutrition through daily meals is essential for good health, while food supplement are used merely to supplement the diet. Findings from this study may deepen our understanding of how women who translate their lifespan through "menopause" perceive the roles and meaning of DM and FS, suggesting health professionals need to monitor and evaluate DM and implement strategies targeting the improvement of daily meal quality of middle and older aged women.
Aged ; Climacteric ; Diet ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Meals ; Motivation ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the effects of mood state, resourcefulness, and health perception on health promoting behavior of hospital nurses. METHODS: Convenience sampling was conducted for nurses working at three University hospital and 336 nurses were selected. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: The results of the analysis showed that the score for nurses' mood state was 41.76+/-18.90; for resourcefulness, 11.30+/-20.63; for health perception, 3.32+/-.77, and for health promoting behavior, 111.55+/-17.76. Mood state, resourcefulness, and health perception were significantly correlated with health promoting behavior. The overall explanatory power of the effects of nurses' mood state, resourcefulness, and health perception on health promoting behavior was 27.8%. CONCLUSION: Study results indicate that better mood state, higher resourcefulness, and higher health perception result in more health promoting behavior.

This study examined burdens of primary family carcgivcrs of paticnto with cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) along with related factors. In addition, their needs for support group intervention were assessed to develop a support group to reduce the burdens of caregiving. Eighty-one primary family caregivers of patients with CVAs at a general hospital in Seoul participated in this study . The patients with CVAs aged from 26 to 83 years with mean age of 63 years. About 90% of the patients had some paralysis and 56.6% suffered speech problems. Fifty-eight percent of the primary family caregivers were spouses of the patients and 80.2% were women. Primary family caregivers' burdens were assessed by the Burden Scale originally devel oped by Zarit (1980) and Novak & Geust(1989) and modified by Jang (1995) for use in Korea. The instrument consists of six subscales time-dependent burden, developmental burden, physical burden, emotional burden, social burden, and financiaI burden. The results were as follows : 1. The average of burden score was 91.7, indicating moderate to severe level of burden. The time-dependent burden was scored highest followed by physical, developmental, social, financial, and emotional burdens. 2. of the characteristics of patients, age, gender, and severity of the disease were found to be associated with the level of burden. Of the characteristics of primary family caregivers, age and educational level were significantly related to the level of burden. Time of care since the CVA and the quality of relationship between a patient and a caregiver prior to the stroke were significant situational factors affecting the level of burden. 3. The need for support group intervention for the caregivero was very high (95.1%). The earcgivcrs of patients who had a CVA for the first time showed higher levels of need compared to those of patients who had a CVA more than once. The caregivers indicated a support group held once a month near home or hospital would be welcomed. In addition, they replied that a group composed of 9 to 10 caregivers and guided by health care professionals (e.g., physicians and nurses) would be most desirable. More than 85% of the earegivers identified the areas that they wanted intervention in as follows : knowledge, skills, and resources to care for a patient with a CVA. the counsel of health care professionals, share of their experiences with those who have similar situations, stress management skills, and methods to overcome emotional isolation due to the great responsibility for a patient. Given the results, support group is expected to be an effective way to reduce the burdens of primary family caregivers of patients with CVAs. As a follow up It is necessary to examine the effect of support group intervention on the patient's recovery and rehabilitation.
Caregivers* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Paralysis ; Rehabilitation ; Self-Help Groups* ; Seoul ; Spouses ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to determine factors influencing quality of caregiving by caregivers for the elderly with dementia. METHODS: Data were collected from 87 caregivers for elders with dementia who had visited in Busan Metropolitan Center for Dementia and D-University hospital outpatient center from July 10 to September 30, 2015. A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess the severity of the elders' dementia and knowledge of dementia, burdens and quality of caregiving by the caregivers. The SPSS 21.0 version program was used for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression. RESULTS: Significant predictors of quality of caregiving by caregivers included caregivers' burdens (explanation power 25%), knowledge of dementia (explanation power 4%) and levels of education (explanation power 3%). These factors explained 32.3% of the variances in quality of caregiving. CONCLUSION: Burdens on caregivers were a major factor that decreased quality of caregiving, and knowledge of dementia was a factor that increased it. These findings show that educational programs and intervention for reducing burdens and improving knowledge of dementia are necessary to improve quality of caregiving by caregivers.
Aged ; Busan ; Caregivers* ; Dementia* ; Education ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Quality of Health Care ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research is to provide basic informations for the encouragements of premature infants' breast feeding. METHOD: From August 10 to October 9, 2002, we have carried out a statical research which surveyed 148 mothers of premature infants registered in NICU. The sample had generated cluster-randomly from 25 General Hospitals, all over the Korea peninsula and being surveyed with 74 questionnaires. RESULT: Mean hospitalized day of premature infants was 27.9 days. The mean total feeding period was 19.1 days and continuous breast feeding period 12.4days. They were interested in breast feeding education-they answered that they would join the breast feeding education if they were given the chance 87.8%. There was significant relation between babies fed only breast milk and the body weight of birth(p < .05). The reasons why mother gave the baby her breast milk include 'for her baby's health' and 'people said breast milk is good for babies' with a portion of 99%. The main reason why mothers could not execute breast feeding was 'the deficit of breast milk volume' 50.0% and other reason were 'because of start to support more nutritions '18.2%, 'difficulty to carry out the breast milk to hospital'13.6%. The reasen why mothers could not try breast feeding at first were 'deficit of breast milk volume'37.0%, 'not to be prepared for breast feeding because of unexpected delivery'32.6%. CONCLUSION: We need a program to inform importance and excellent of the breast feeding and a plan to increase the premature infants' breast feeding through the importation of fortifier.
Body Weight ; Breast Feeding* ; Breast* ; Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Korea ; Milk, Human ; Mothers ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: In order to improve self-management of elderly hypertensives in this study, the researcher examined the effect of blood pressure regulation by an abdominal relaxed breathing training which regulates physical response to stress and lessens the activity of the sympathetic nerve. METHOD: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was used. Thirty elderly hypertensive patient ; Sixteen in the abdominal breathing group and fourteen in the control group participated in this study. The abdominal relaxed breathing training consisted of eight sessions twice a week for four weeks. There was no intervention for the control group. RESULT: 1. There was a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. 2. There was no significant difference in the level of total stress response, physical stress response, behavioral-cognitive stress response between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that this study will contribute to develop nursing strategies for the regulation of blood pressure for the elderly, which is easy for the elderly to learn as a nonpharmacologic approach.
Aged* ; Blood Pressure* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Nursing ; Respiration* ; Self Care

The purpose of this study was to investigate the compliance with low-salt diet in essential hypertension patients, and to identify the related factors of compliance with low-salt diet. The subjects of this study were 177 hypertensive patients who have been followed at Seoul National University Hospital outpatient clinic. The data was collected from August 20, 1998 to September 22, 1998, through survey using a self-report questionnaires and chart review. 24-hour urine sodium excretion was measured for validation of self-reported low-salt diet compliance from 22 patients who agreed for 24-hour urine collection. The questionnaires consist of general characteristics, disease-related characteristics, diet-related characteristics, and 4 scales: (1) Numeric scale (2) Knowledge of low-salt diet (3) Family support for low-salt diet (4) Low-salt diet compliance. The results were as follows: 1) The mean score of low-salt diet compliance was 38.97 +/- 9.26. The mean salt intake converted from 24-hour urine sodium was 16.81g/day, which was much greater than recommendation. The percentage of patients who were taking salt 6-8g/day was only 13.6%, and 8-10g/day was 13.6%. 2) The mean score of knowledge of low-salt diet was 5.12 +/- 1.81. The mean score of family support for low-salt diet was 30.08 +/- 8.81. The patients received emotional, instrumental, evaluative, and informational aspect of family support in sequence of amount. 3) Several factors were found as significant factors which influence low-salt diet compliance. Those were knowledge(p=.015), family support(p=.000), age(p=.039), diastolic pressure(p=.014), previous dietary habit(p= .000), duration of low-salt diet(p=.000), recognition of importance of low-salt diet on hypertension control(p=.000), and recognition of necessity of low-salt diet while antihypertensive drug therapy(p=.030). 4) Four significant predictive factors of low-salt diet compliance were identified: (1) Family support accounted for 24.8% of low-salt diet compliance (2) Previous dietary habit, 14.4% (3) Recognition of importance of low-salt diet on hypertension control, 3.7% (4) Diastolic pressure, 2.1%. Therefore, these factors accounted for 45.0% of low-salt diet compliance. In conclusion, low-salt diet compliance in hypertensive patients was very poor, which call for nursing intervention for enhancing low-salt diet compliance. It is necessary to provide practical knowledge of low-salt diet for hypertensive patients and family members.
Blood Pressure ; Compliance* ; Diet, Sodium-Restricted* ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Nursing ; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital ; Seoul ; Sodium ; Urine Specimen Collection ; Weights and Measures ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of different isolation policies in reducing the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in hospital in-patients. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the effectiveness of an isolation policy on transmission of MRSA in the 745-beds hospital. First period, all patients with MRSA (March - July 2000) were not isolated Second period, strict isolation policies were performed (August 2000 - January 2002). All patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room, hand hygiene using alcohol handrub, gowning and g1oving, apply of MRSA notice sticker, criteria in isolation remove, separated disinfection and wastement. Third period, semi strict isolation policies were performed (February 2002 - August 2005). Some patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room and others were admitted in general ward for bed shortage. Only some practices were performed in hand washing and separated disinfection in general ward. RESULTS: The rates of MRSA nosocomial infection per patients during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.56, 0.23, and 0.42 (P<0.05). Patient-days rate of MRSA nosocomial infection during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.62, 0.27, and 0.38 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: With many different isolation policies, it was possible to reduce nosocomial infection of MRSA. In this study, strict isolation policies (2nd period) were the most effective practices in reducing MRSA infection.
Cross Infection ; Disinfection ; Hand Disinfection ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Patients' Rooms ; Prospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of preclinical clinical performance examination (CPX) on nursing students' confidence in their nursing skills and critical thinking competence. METHODS: The design of this research was one-group pretest-posttest, and the participants were 112 nursing students. The preclinical CPX consisted of a clinical examination, patient-nurse relationship, oral test of related knowledge, written test of the nursing process, and debriefing using comprehensive scenarios based on real patient cases. The confidence of nursing skills consisted of an 8-item NRS and the critical thinking competence consisted of a 12-item 4-point scale developed by researchers and measured in both the pretest and posttest. The collected data were analyzed using paired t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The score for confidence in nursing skills (t=10.60, p<.001) and that for critical thinking competence (t=7.03, p<.001) increased significantly after preclinical CPX. CONCLUSION: This study showed that preclinical CPX was effective in improving nursing students' confidence in their nursing skills and critical thinking competence. Therefore, preclinical CPX is expected to be utilized in nursing practice education. Additional studies including those on control groups are recommended to compare differences between the preclinical CPX group and control group.
Education ; Humans ; Mental Competency* ; Nursing Process ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing ; Thinking*