PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was 1) to examine levels of awareness on preconception care and pregnancy, and reproductive health promoting behavior among pre-honeymooners; and 2) to explore the relationship between awareness levels of preconception care and pregnancy, and reproductive health promoting behavior. METHODS: This study was a correlation design with a total of 134 participants (67 couples of pre-honeymooners). Data were collected with questionnaire. RESULTS: Mean score of self-perception of awareness of preconception care and pregnancy was 2.82 out of 4. Content awareness level was 6.83 out of 13, and reproductive health promoting behavior score was 3.02 out of 4, indicating low to mid-level. Women reported higher scores in all variables than those in men. Self-perception awareness and content awareness of care and pregnancy had a weak positive correlation (r=.18, p=.038). Reproductive health promoting behavior was positively related to self-perception awareness of care and pregnancy (r=.33, p<.001) and content awareness of care and pregnancy (r=.23, p=.008). CONCLUSION: Based on this results, a variety of nursing intervention strategies may need to promote reproductive health behavior such as raising awareness of the preconception care and pregnancy.
Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing ; Preconception Care* ; Pregnancy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health* ; Self Concept

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a Web-based preconception health promotion program to improve preconception health promotion awareness, perceived benefits, perceived self-efficacy and health behavior, and to reduce perceived barriers in couples about to be married. METHODS: Participants were assigned to the experimental group (n=26 couples) or control group (n=25 couples). This program was comprised of a six hour Web-based lecture series which was given to the experimental group over a four week period. RESULTS: Results for the two groups showed: 1) a significant difference in preconception health promotion awareness in men (self-perception: z=-3.62, p <.001 content: F=18.49, p <.001) and in women (self-perception: z=-2.89, p =.004 content F=36.93, p <.001), 2) a significant difference in perceived benefits in men (z=-3.09, p =.002), and in women (F=6.38, p =.004), 3) a significant difference in perceived barriers in men (F=3.64, p =.030), and in women (F=11.36, p <.001), 4) a significant difference in perceived self-efficacy in men (F=12.16, p <.001), but no significant difference in women (F=1.93, p =.166), 5) a significant difference in health promoting behavior in men (F=16.31, p <.001), and in women (F=10.99, p =.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the program is an effective nursing intervention in couples about to be married. Therefore, this program can be useful in encouraging health-promoting behavior for couples about to be married.
Family Characteristics* ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion* ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing ; Preconception Care

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to construct and test a structural equation modeling on the reproductive health behavior of single women with sexual experiences. This study employed Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). METHODS: The data were collected after receipt of consent from 250 single women with sexual experiences, and analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0. RESULTS: Model fit indices for the hypothetical model were suitable for the recommended level: x²=362.407, RMR=0.065, RMSEA=0.070, GFI=0.867. TLI=0.927, CFI=0.938, IFI=0.939, and x²/dF=2.237. Intention showed direct effect with the biggest effect being on reproductive health behavior. Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were found to have a direct effect on intention. Among them, perceived behavioral control revealed the largest influence. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the TPB is a suitable model in explaining the reproductive health behavior of single women with sexual experience. Strategic plans for educational and intervention programs should be aimed to encourage single women to engage in reproductive health behavior.
Female ; Humans ; Intention ; Reproductive Health* ; Single Person*

PURPOSE: This descriptive study is aimed at identifying how nursing hospital workers' performance of end-of-life care is influenced by their knowledge and awareness of hospice palliative care, attitude towards end-of-life care, performance, importance, awareness of death and the factors. METHODS: A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data from 113 workers at an accredited nursing hospital in K province. Variables were their knowledge and awareness of hospice palliative care, attitude towards end-of-life care, end-of-life care performance and importance and awareness of death. An analysis was performed with the frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression using IBM SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: The factors affecting the nursing hospital workers' end-of-life care performance were the importance of end-of-life care and their marital status, which showed an explanatory power of 38.2%. CONCLUSION: In order to improve the nursing hospital workers' end-of-life care performance, a training on the importance of end-of-life care should be provided. Therefore, we would like to propose establishing administrative measures such as 1) efficient staffing to help the caregivers better perform what they think is important, 2) development of a training program that can improve their performance of end-of-life nursing care and 3) a study to verify the effectiveness of the program.
Caregivers ; Education ; Hospices ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Nursing Care ; Nursing* ; Palliative Care

PURPOSE: This descriptive study was conducted to examine factors that affect hospital workers in their decision to withdraw from life-sustaining treatment, such as knowledge, attitude, and perception of organ donation, transplantation, death and hospice palliative care. METHODS: A questionnaire was completed by 228 workers of a tertiary general hospital, and data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation by using SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: The subjects' knowledge of biomedical ethics awareness differed by age, education level, occupation, affiliated department, and biomedical ethics education. Their knowledge of brain death, organ donation and transplantation was positively correlated with attitudes toward tissue donation and transplantation, knowledge of hospice palliative care, and perception of hospice palliative care. Their attitudes toward tissue donation and transplantation were significantly correlated with knowledge of hospice palliative care, perception of hospice palliative care, and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Their awareness of death was significantly correlated with knowledge of hospice palliative care, perception of hospice palliative care and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. The perception of hospice palliative care was significantly correlated with withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Factors associated with their withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment were work at the hospice ward (32.5%), attitudes toward tissue donation and transplantation and perception of hospice palliative care. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that work at the hospice ward, attitudes toward tissue donation and transplantation and perception of hospice palliative care were related to attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. More research is needed to further develop various curriculums based on biomedical methods.
Bioethics ; Brain Death ; Curriculum ; Education ; Hospice Care ; Hospices* ; Hospitals, General* ; Occupations ; Palliative Care ; Tissue and Organ Procurement* ; Transplantation

Purpose: This study is a pseudo-experimental study of design before and after the non-equivalent control group, which was attempted to verify that the application of the ukulele to the elderly has the effects of reducing depression, improving self-efficacy, strengthening social bonding, and improving cognitive function. Methods: 46 (23 in the experimental group and 23 in the control group) participants were selected. The experimental group was provided with three sessions of a music program using eight Ukuleles for the elderly, while the control group was provided with three sessions for the elderly. IBM SPSS 25.0 was used for data analysis, and the independent t-test, x2 -test, and Fisher's exact probability test were performed to verify the homogeneity of the subject's general characteristics.The effect verification after the experimental treatment was analyzed by Fisher's exact probability test, Friedman test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Depression showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (F=39.88, p<.001), self-efficacy showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (z=-4.96, p<.001), social bonding showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (z=-5.19, p<.001), and cognitive function showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (z=-3.98, p<.001). Conclusion It was found that the ‘Music Program using the Ukulele’ was effective in reducing depression of the elderly, improving self-efficacy, reinforcing social bonding, and improving cognitive function. We hope that the Music Program using the Ukulele can be used in the elderly nursing curriculum in the future, and we suggest it should be applied as a nursing intervention to those who are experiencing cognitive decline.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to examine the factors influencing intention of dementia prevention behavior in adults with hypertension or diabetes. Methods: A total of 113 community-dwelling adults with hypertension or diabetes agreed to participate in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and multiple regression. Results: Self-efficacy and cues to action toward dementia prevention behavior were factors influencing intention of dementia prevention behavior of participations. Self-efficacy toward dementia prevention behavior was the most influential factor. These factors accounted for 22% of intention of dementia prevention behavior. Conclusion These results suggest a need for strengthening self-efficacy to increase intention of dementia preventive behaviors. And dementia prevention programs should be developed in consideration of strategies to reinforce cues to action.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels can be affected by many factors and metabolic syndrome is also a candidate. This study examined the relationship between CEA levels and metabolic syndrome using the data of 32,897 healthy Koreans. Fecal occult blood tests were also performed. Subjects with colorectal carcinoma were excluded. Subjects were classified by their smoking status, metabolic syndrome and its components. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its all components showed a significant increase according to the quartile of serum CEA concentration (P < 0.001). Increased numbers of metabolic syndrome components showed a positive association with CEA levels (P-trend < 0.001). The odds ratios for the highest CEA quartile vs the lowest serum CEA quartile significantly increased in the presence of metabolic syndrome and its components. After adjusting for age, gender and smoking status, metabolic syndrome, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol and elevated blood pressure had higher odds ratios (OR) of the highest CEA quartile compared with the lowest serum CEA quartile (OR = 1.125, 95% CI = 1.030 to 1.222, P = 0.009; OR = 1.296, 95% CI = 1.195 to 1.405, P < 0.001; OR = 1.334, 95% CI = 1.229 to 1.448, P < 0.001, respectively). These results indicate that metabolic syndrome is associated with CEA value, which may lead to a misunderstanding of the CEA levels.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Pressure ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen/*blood ; Child ; Cholesterol, LDL/blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*blood/epidemiology/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Occult Blood ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Smoking

PURPOSE: Changes in human body composition can affect the accuracy of spine bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether fat and water in the soft tissue of the abdomen influence lumbar spine BMD measurements obtained using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Duplicate BMD measurements were carried out on healthy volunteers (10 men and 10 women) and the Hologic anthropomorphic spine phantom had on the same day before and after placement of following 3 materials in the abdominal area: lard 900 g, 1.5 cm thick; oil 1.4 liters in a vinyl bag; and water 1.2 liters in a vinyl bag. RESULTS: In the case of human participants, following the placement of exogenous water to mimic extracellular fluid (ECF), there was a significant decrease in lumbar spine BMD (-0.012 g/cm2, p=0.006), whereas the placement of exogenous lard and oil to mimic abdominal fat produced a slight increase in lumbar spine BMD (0.006 g/cm2, p=0.301; 0.008 g/cm2, p=0.250, respectively). The average percentage of lumbar spine BMD change with and without exogenous lard, oil, and water showed increase of 0.51%, and 0.67%, and decrease of 1.02%, respectively. Using the phantom, BMD decreased with the placement of both lard (-0.002 g/cm2, p=0.699) and water (-0.006 g/cm2, p=0.153); however, there was no difference in BMD after oil placement. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that in cases where changes in fat and ECF volume are similar, ECF exerts a greater influence than fat on DXA lumbar BMD measurements.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult ; Bone Density/*drug effects ; Dietary Fats/pharmacology ; Fats/*pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*drug effects/*metabolism ; Male ; Water/*pharmacology

There are inconsistent findings on the effects of vitamin K on bone mineral density (BMD) and undercarboxylated osteocalcin (UcOC). The present intervention study evaluated the effect in subjects over 60-yr-old. The vitamin K group (vitamin K + vitamin D + calcium supplement; 15 mg of vitamin K2 [menatetrenone] three times daily, 400 IU of vitamin D once a day, and 315 mg of calcium twice daily) and the control group (vitamin D + calcium supplement) were randomly assigned. During the six months of treatment, seventy eight women participated (38 in the vitamin K group and 40 in the control group) and 45 women completed the study. The baseline characteristics of study participants did not differ between the vitamin K and the control groups. In a per protocol analysis after 6 months, L3 bone mineral density has increased statistically significantly in the vitamin K group compared to the control group (0.01 +/- 0.03 g/cm2 vs -0.008 +/- 0.04 g/cm2, P = 0.049). UcOC concentration was also significantly decreased in the vitamin K group (-1.6 +/- 1.6 ng/dL vs -0.4 +/- 1.1 ng/dL, P = 0.008). In conclusion, addition of vitamin K to vitamin D and calcium supplements in the postmenopausal Korean women increase the L3 BMD and reduce the UcOC concentration.
Aged ; Bone Density/*drug effects ; Calcium/*administration & dosage ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Osteocalcin/*blood ; Postmenopause ; Republic of Korea ; Vitamin D/*administration & dosage ; Vitamin K/*administration & dosage