PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine levels of stress and professionalism of nurses who provided nursing care during the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak based on their experience, to investigate the nurses' intention to respond to possible future outbreaks in relation to their experience during the outbreak, and to determine the relationship between the outbreak experience and nursing intention considering stress and professionalism. METHODS: A self-administered questionnairewas designed based on modifications of related questionnaires, and used to assess levels of stress, professionalism, and nursing intention according to participants' experiences during the outbreak. Multiple regression analysiswas used to examine the relationship between the outbreak nursing experience and nursing intention considering stress and nursing professionalism. RESULTS: The overall stress, professionalism, and nursing intention scores for the firsthand experience group were 33.72, 103.00, and 16.92, respectively, whereas those of the secondhand experience group were 32.25, 98.99, and 15.60, respectively. There were significant differences in professionalism and nursing intention scores between the groups (p = .001 and p < .001, respectively). The regression analysis revealed that the regression estimate between stress and nursing intention was B(SE) = −0.08(0.02), beta = −0.21, p < .001 and the regression estimate between professionalism in nursing and nursing intention was B(SE) = 0.05(0.01), beta = 0.23, p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: Prior outbreak nursing experience was importantly associated with intention to provide care for patients with a newly emerging infectious disease in the future considering stress and professionalism. Gathering information about nurses' experience of epidemics and regular assessment of job stress and professionalism are required.
Communicable Diseases* ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Coronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections ; Disease Outbreaks ; Emergencies* ; Hospitals, Public* ; Humans ; Intention* ; Korea* ; Nursing Care ; Nursing* ; Professionalism* ; Stress, Psychological

This study was performed to investigate effects of dietary folic acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels and liver SAM/SAH ratio in hyperhomocysteinaemia-induced pregnant rats. Forty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided three groups (C: control diet, HFD: 0.3% homocystine and 0 mg folic acid diet, HFS: 0.3 % homocystine and 8 mg/kg folic acid diet) according to homocystine and folic acid levels in the diet. They were fed experimental diets for 5 weeks prior to the mating and also during the entire period of pregnancy till gestational day 20. Dietary folic acid supplementation caused a significant decrease in plasma homocysteine levels which had been increased by a homocystine-diet, with a concomitant increase in plasma and liver folate levels. Liver TBARS levels in homocysteine-folic acid- deficient group (HFD) were higher than those in control group. Dietary folic acid supplementation increased hepatic SAM/SAH ratio in homocysteine-folic acid- supplemetantion group (HFS) when compared to the HFD (p < 0.05). These data suggest that folate depletion and elevated plasma homocysteine may promote oxidative stress in rat livers and influence the remethylation cycle of the homocysteine metabolism detrimentally. In conclusion, dietary folic acid supplementation was found to be effective for lowering plasma homocysteine levels, relieving oxidative stress, and improving the methylation status in the body.
Animals ; Diet ; Female ; Folic Acid* ; Homocysteine* ; Homocystine ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Liver* ; Metabolism ; Methylation ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma* ; Pregnancy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances*

OBJECTIVES: Being overweight or obese is central to metabolic syndrome, and these characteristics constitute dominant risk factors for chronic diseases. Although behavioral factors, including eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, are considered to be determinants of obesity, the specific childhood factors that contribute to this condition have not been clearly defined. METHODS: The subjects consisted of 261 children aged 7-9 years who were recruited from an elementary school during October 2003. Information was obtained from their parents using a questionnaire focused on eating behaviors and lifestyle factors, additional data were also collected via anthropometric measurements and biochemical examinations, including blood tests. RESULTS: A total of 48 (18.4%) of the 261 children were overweight, and 34 (70.8%) had at least one other component of metabolic syndrome. Eating behaviors emerged as significant lifestyle-related risk factors for being overweight or obese. Those who engaged in overeating more than twice per week had three times the risk of being overweight (odds ratio [OR], 3.10, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39 to 6.92), and those who ate rapidly had three times the risk of being overweight (OR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.68 to 6.41). Those who had fewer family meals (fewer than 2?3/month) had a nine times higher risk of being overweight than those who had family meals more frequently (at least 1/day) (OR, 9.51; 95% CI, 1.21 to 74.82). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that being overweight or obese during preadolescence is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome and is related to unhealthy eating behaviors. Thus, weight-control strategies and healthy eating behaviors should be developed early in life to reduce the risk for metabolic syndrome.
Child ; *Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Humans ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/etiology ; Obesity/*etiology ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight/*etiology ; Parents/psychology ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To assess the maternal circulating levels of homocysteine, the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, and to determine whether or not these markers have any effect on the neonatal birth weight in preeclamptic patients. METHODS: A case control study of 74 normal pregnant women and 47 preeclamptic patients who were hospitalized for delivery and had singleton live births between 2000 and 2002 was conducted. The birth weight, gestational age, and maternal circulating level of homocysteine, the TBARS, the GPX activities, and the antioxidant capacity (GPX/TBARS) were measured. GPX genotyping was done with the maternal DNA samples. The results were analyzed with a Chi-square test, student T-test, and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The homocysteine and TBARS levels were significantly higher in the preeclamptic patients than in the pregnant controls (p=0.0098 for homocysteine, p<0.0001 for TBARS). The antioxidant capacity (GPX/TBARS) was significantly lower in the preeclamptic patients than in the pregnant controls (p<0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences in the homocysteine level, the TBARS levels, the GPX activity, the gestational age, and birth weight between the wild type of GPX polymorphism and the variant type of GPX polymorphism (p>0.05). After controlling for the covariates, homocysteine reduced the gestational age (p=0.0035) and reduced the birth weight by 27 g (p=0.0259). CONCLUSION: The levels of the oxidative stress markers (homocysteine and TBARS) are higher and the antioxidant capacity (GPX/TBARS) is lower in preeclampsia patients. Homocysteine significantly reduces the fetal growth rate.
Birth Weight* ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Gestational Age ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Live Birth ; Logistic Models ; Oxidative Stress* ; Parturition* ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnant Women ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances