PURPOSE: This study was aimed to evaluate the methodological issues and comprehensiveness of workplace bullying instruments and to suggest a taxonomy of psychological abuse. METHODS: Nineteen instruments applied in health care organizations and 469 questionnaire items mainly regarding psychological abuse were collected through a literature review. Three researchers classified the questionnaire items according to a “taxonomy of psychological abuse in the workplace.” RESULTS: Many instruments of workplace bullying were developed in the 2000s using a reflective measurement model, but their psychometric property was not sufficient and the measurement model is questioned. Based on the questionnaire items, the “taxonomy of psychological abuse in the workplace” was modified by adding two new subcategories (unachievable work and unfair treatment) and clarifying some operational definitions. According to the modified taxonomy of 11 (sub)categories, the reviewed instruments assessed 6.5 (sub)categories on average. No instrument measured all (sub)categories. Category 4.2 (disrespect, humiliation, and rejection of the person) was measured in all instruments, followed by Categories 5 (professional discredit and denigration) and 1.2 (social isolation) behaviors. CONCLUSION: The current instruments are not comprehensive enough. It is suggested that the modified taxonomy is verified and guide more reliable and inclusive instruments in the future. Furthermore, a formative measurement model, which defines a bullying as an inventory of different types of behaviors, should be used.
Aggression ; Bullying* ; Classification* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Hostility ; Psychometrics ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (K-WLEIS). Methods: Data were collected from 360 nursing students using a self reported questionnaire. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test construct validity. Convergence validity was identified by correlation with communication competency.Item convergent and discriminant validity were also analyzed. Reliability was evaluated internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Results: The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that the eigen values ranged from 1.34 to 5.86 and 73.2% of the total explained variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate model fit indices (χ 2 /df 1.89, RMSEA .07, GFI .89, CFI .95, and TLI .93) and standardized factor loadings (.48 to .87). The average extracted variances (.71 to .79) and composite reliability (.80 to .87) validated convergence and discriminant validity of the items. Test-retest reliability of intra-class correlation coefficient was .90 and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .88. Conclusion: The K-WLEIS is an appropriate scale for measuring the emotional intelligence of Korean nursing students.Therefore, it is expected that the K-WLEIS will be used for nursing education programs to improve nursing students’ emotional intelligence.

PURPOSE: The study was done to investigate male nurses' gender discrimination, person-organization fit, organization leader-member exchange, career plateau and retention intention and to identify factors affecting nurses' retention intention for these nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using self-report questionnaires. The participants were 144 male nurses working in hospitals and other health care facilities in Korea. Data were analyzed using hierarchial regression. RESULTS: The mean score was 5.40±1.61 (out of 8) for retention intention. Factors influencing retention intention were ‘married’ (β=.27, p<.001) and ‘employment career (3~5 yr)’ (β=-.24, p=.003) in model 1, ‘person-organization fit’ (β=.42, p<.001) in model 2, ‘content plateau’ (β=-.19, p=.020) in model 3. Person-organization fit was the most significant factor followed by content plateau, employment career and married state in that order. These factors explained 33.2% of the variance in retention intention (F=17.23, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that it is necessary to confirm that the male nurses are suitable for their organization and improve career development at 3~5 years of work experience as a retention strategy of male nurses.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Employment ; Humans ; Intention* ; Korea* ; Male* ; Nurses, Male*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to describe clonorchis sinensis infection experience in high risk populations living in riverside areas. The research question was "How do local residents perceive Clonorchiasis and how are they infected with the parasite". METHODS: Qualitative data were collected by focus group interviews with 16 participants from January to February, 2009. All the interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by the content analysis method. RESULTS: Five main categories were conceptualized, which were "lacking in understanding of Clonorchiasis," "culture of the rural community," "life style," "recovering experience from infection" and "change of health behavior." CONCLUSION: The result of this study indicates that residents are infected with Clonorchiasis through interaction between individual and group risky factors. Therefore, it is important to develop effective health education programs on both individual and group levels to prevent infection with Clonorchiasis.
Clonorchiasis ; Clonorchis sinensis* ; Focus Groups ; Health Education ; Parasites ; Qualitative Research

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the intake of dietary cholesterol and its major food sources in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: A total of 20,671 nationally representative sample who had 24-hour recall data from the KNHANES VI (2013–2015) was included in this study. Mean cholesterol intake and the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for Koreans were analyzed. Intakes of cholesterol by food groups or each food were calculated to find out the major food sources for cholesterol intake in Koreans. RESULTS: The mean dietary cholesterol intake was 261.3 mg, which was higher in men (303.5 mg) compared to women (219.1 mg). Dietary cholesterol intake and the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of DRIs were the highest in the 19-29 year old group. The eggs was the first major food group source for cholesterol intake in all age groups. Major food sources for cholesterol intake among Korean were egg, chicken, pork, squid and beef, which contributed 66.9% to total cholesterol intake. CONCLUSIONS: Although the mean dietary cholesterol intake was under 300 mg, the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of DRIs was about 30% in adults. Because both the mean intake and the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of DRIs were higher in young adult groups, the dietary cholesterol intake was expected to be increased.
Adult ; Chickens ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, Dietary* ; Decapodiformes ; Eggs ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Red Meat ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Nursing is regarded as a female-dominated profession. However, the number of Korean males entering the field of nursing is increasing. This study examines which of the following factors influence professionalism in male and female student nurses: area of nursing, gender identity, gender stereotypes, satisfaction with the field, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships. METHODS: In total, 133 male and 293 female student nurses were selected from four Korean provinces between July 2013 and February 2014 to participate in this study. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi2-tests of independence, and multiple regression analyses using SPSS/Win 20 software. RESULTS: In males, 47.4% of variance in nursing professionalism was accounted for by grades, interpersonal relationships, gender stereotypes, and satisfaction with the field. In females, 41.9% of variance in nursing professionalism was accounted for by satisfaction with the field, interpersonal relationships, area of nursing, age, emotional intelligence and grades. Common factors that influenced both genders included satisfaction with the field, interpersonal relationships and grades. CONCLUSION: Although males and females revealed no significant differences in overall mean scores of nursing professionalism, several factors influencing nursing professionalism did differ by gender. Therefore, gender-specific nursing educational and training programs may be necessary to promote professionalism among student nurses.
Education ; Emotional Intelligence ; Female ; Gender Identity ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic recurrent gastrointestinal disorder that may deteriorate life quality significantly. There is no specific way of curing IBS but to rely on symptomatic and supportive treatment as well as changes in lifestyle. Previous studies have suggested that physical exercise might be effective for improving IBS symptoms. However, evidence does not exist for Korean population. This study was performed to evaluate the association of physical activity with IBS. METHODS: A total of 706 women nurses with shift work in a university affiliated tertiary hospital were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire asking IBS symptoms (Rome III criteria), depression (Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale), anxiety (Goldberg's Short Screening Scale for Anxiety, GAS), stress (Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument), demographic characteristics, and health behavior. The association between IBS and physical activity was examined using chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Prevalence of IBS was 37.5% and the most common subtype of IBS was mixed constipation and diarrhea (70.6%). Neither physical activity nor regular exercise was not associated with IBS. IBS was independently associated with higher level of anxiety (GAS score > or = 5), tolerable dysmenorrhea, and troublesome dysmenorrhea with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.10 (1.37-3.22), 2.83 (1.39-5.75), and 2.56 (1.21-5.40), respectively. CONCLUSION: In Korean women nurses with shift work, IBS was not associated with physical activity. However, the higher level of anxiety and dysmenorrhea were independently associated with increased risk of IBS.
Anxiety ; Constipation ; Depression ; Diarrhea ; Dysmenorrhea ; Exercise ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Motor Activity ; Odds Ratio ; Physical Exertion ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: We examined the association between the adherence to dietary guidelines for breast cancer survivors and health-related quality of life in a cross-sectional study of Korean breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A total of 157 women aged 21 to 79 years who had been diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancers according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and had breast cancer surgery at least 6 months before the baseline were included. We used a Korean version of the Core 30 (C30) and Breast cancer 23 (BR23) module of the European Organization for Research and Treatment Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ), both of which have been validated for Koreans. Participants were asked about their adherence to dietary guidelines for breast cancer survivors, suggested by the Korean breast cancer society, using a 5-point Likert scale. We summed dietary guideline adherence scores for each participant and calculated the least squares means of health-related quality of life according to dietary guideline adherence scores using the generalized linear model. RESULTS: Breast cancer survivors who had higher adherence to dietary guidelines for breast cancer survivors had lower constipation scores than those with lower adherence (p for trend=0.01). When we stratified by the stage at diagnosis, this association was limited to those who had been diagnosed with stage II or III breast cancers. Also, sexual functioning scores increased significantly with increasing adherence scores of dietary guidelines among those with stage II or III breast cancers (p for trend < 0.001). However, among those who had been diagnosed with stage I, higher scores of dietary guidelines were associated with higher scores of pain (p for trend=0.03) and breast symptoms (p for trend=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that the health-related quality of life levels of breast cancer survivors are associated with the adherence to dietary guidelines and may differ by the stage of the breast cancer.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Constipation ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Policy* ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Survivors*

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate dietary intake among female breast cancer survivors in a cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 127 women who had breast cancer surgery at least 6 months before baseline were included. Dietary intake of female breast cancer survivors was assessed through self-reported 3 day-dietary records. To compare dietary intake between breast cancer survivors and general female population without cancer, we selected the 1:4 age matched women from the 2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). In the KNHANES, participants were asked about their dietary intake using the 24-hour dietary recalls. We also examined whether dietary intake varied by age group, cancer stage, or time since surgery among breast cancer survivors. We used the generalized linear model to compare their dietary intakes. RESULTS: Intakes of total energy, beta-carotene, folate, vitamin C, plant iron and fruits were lower among breast cancer survivors with longer time since surgery compared to those with shorter time (p < 0.05). Breast cancer patients with higher stage at diagnosis tended to consume less legumes (p = 0.01) than those with lower stage. When we compared dietary intake between breast cancer survivors and the general female population without cancer, breast cancer survivors were more likely to consume most of macro- and micro-nutrients in larger quantity (p < 0.05) and adhere to healthier diet characterized by higher intakes of legumes, seed and nuts, vegetables and fishes and shells than the general female population who never had been diagnosed with cancer (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggested that the intakes of nutrients and foods varied by time since surgery and cancer stage among breast cancer survivors and dietary intakes among breast cancer survivors differed from that in the general population. Further prospective studies are warranted to explore the association between dietary intakes of specific food items and survival among Korean breast cancer survivors.
Ascorbic Acid ; beta Carotene ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Diet ; Fabaceae ; Female ; Fishes ; Folic Acid ; Fruit ; Humans ; Iron ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nuts ; Plants ; Survivors* ; Vegetables

Cancer has been the leading cause of death in Korea for the last 30 years. Cancer patients' 5-year survival rate between 2005 and 2009 was 62.0%, representing a highly advanced standard of care, as much as developed countries in the EU and the US. The Korean government formulated its first 10-year plan for cancer control in 1996 and has been carrying out a second 10-year plan for cancer control since 2006. But despite the Korean government's efforts, the cancer burden in Korea continues to increase. Many separate laws have gone into effect concerning the management of carcinogen exposure. However, there are no integrated regulatory laws or management systems against carcinogen exposure in Korea. Dead zones remain where carcinogen exposure cannot be controlled properly in Korea. In this paper, we suggest the need to establish a national carcinogen list based on international harmonization as a prerequisite for a paradigm shift in cancer control policy from treatment to primary prevention.
Cause of Death ; Developed Countries ; Jurisprudence ; Korea* ; Primary Prevention ; Standard of Care ; Survival Rate