Nutrition is an essential component of total adolescent health care. Two important changes occurring during adolescence can cause a crisis in the teenager's nutritional needs. First, growth in height, weight, and body component is greater and more rapid than at any time since infancy. Second, an adolescent's eating habits may change from regular meals prepared at home to irregular meals, skipped meals, and nutrition-poor snacks and fast-food meals. Adolescents have been found to have the highest prevalence of any age group of an unsatisfactory nutritional status. To understand the nutritional requirements of the adolescent, health practitioners should be aware of the intensity and timing of the adolescent growth spurt, the differences in the growth spurt between males and females, and the individual variation in timing of the growth spurt from teenager to teenager.
Adolescent* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meals ; Nutritional Requirements ; Nutritional Status ; Prevalence ; Snacks

Objective Multidector computed tomography (MDCT) is now commonly used for the evaluation of coronary artery disease. Because MDCT images include many non-cardiac organs and the patient population evaluated is highly susceptible to extracardiac diseases, this study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of extracardiac findings in the MDCT evaluation of ischemic heart disease. Methods From March 2007 to March 2008, a total of six-hundred twenty patients, who underwent 64-slice MDCT evaluations for chest pain, or dyspnea, were enrolled in this study. Cardiac and non-cardiac findings were comprehensively evaluated by a radiologist. Results Enrolled patients included 306 men (49.4%), with a mean age of 66 years. Significant coronary artery stenosis was found in 41.6%of the patients. A total of 158 extracardiac findings were observed in 110 (17.7%) patients. Commonly involved extracardiac organs were lung (36.7%), hepatobiliary system (21.5%), thyroid (19.6%), kidney (10.8%), spine (9.7%) and breast (0.6%). Of those 110 patients, 50 (45.5%) patients underwent further diagnostic investigations. Malignant disease was detected in three (2.7%) patients (lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid cancer). Conclusions Extracardiac findings are frequently present and should be a concern in the MDCT evaluation of chest pain syndrome.

Background: Despite the emphasis on the health benefits of a vegetarian diet and growing interest in the contribution of meat consumption to climate change and the resulting health hazards, few studies have been conducted to understand the vegetarian dining experience. The purpose of this study was to analyze characteristics of qualitative research on dining experiences for vegetarians, and to suggest development directions for understanding and coping with it. Methods: An integrative review method was used. Based on Whittemore & Knafl’s approach, five steps were applied. Results: Of the 413 articles initially retrieved from the electronic databases, 12 studies met the selection criteria. Three characteristics related to the dining experiences of vegetarians were derived: (1) feeling healthy, (2) establishing identity, and (3) transition to healthy diet. Results emphasize that many of the difficulties that vegetarians face in maintaining a vegetarian diet are due to relationships with non-vegetarians, and vegetarians use various negotiation strategies to positively interact with non-vegetarians. Conclusions This review found that for vegetarians, a vegetarian diet is a lifestyle that reflects their identity and is an important transition for a healthier life. As a minority in the food culture, there is a need to promote the transition to a healthy dining experience by understanding what the dining experience of vegetarians is like and considering alternatives to the difficulties they face.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of Highly active Antiretroviral therapy (HAART) adherence in Korean patients with HIV. METHODS: A phenomenological methodology was used for the study. Data were collected from March to December, 2013 using open-ended questions during in-depth interviews. Participants were taking HAART for HIV, and were contacted through purposive techniques. RESULTS: Four men and 4 women whose average treatment period was 5.9 years participated in this study. Seven themes emerged from the analysis using Colazzi's method: (a) Seizing life in a deep sense of despair, (b) Struggling with medication, (c) Facing harsh treatment from health care providers, (d) Spoiling healthy pattern, (e) Hungering for communication and emotional support, (f) Turning to accepting HIV, (g) Becoming adherent to HIV treatment. CONCLUSION: Prejudice from health care providers and lack of emotional support were barriers to HAART in Korea. Intervention strategies are needed to decrease prejudices from health care providers and to increase family support.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use ; Attitude to Health ; Communication ; Female ; HIV Infections/*drug therapy/*psychology ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; *Medication Adherence ; Middle Aged ; Prejudice ; Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND: Protein S deficiency is a common cause of thrombophilia. Free protein S has been suggested as one of the best screening tests for this deficiency. We evaluated an immunoturbidimetric free protein S reagent, INNOVANCE Free Protein S Antigen (Free PS Ag; Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Germany), using a CS-5100 coagulation analyzer (Sysmex, Japan). METHODS: The performance of INNOVANCE Free PS Ag was evaluated according to the CLSI guidelines. Precision, linearity, and verification of reference intervals were examined. The INNOVANCE Free PS Ag was also compared by the STA-Liatest Free Protein S immunoturbidimetric assay (Diagnostica Stago, France). RESULTS: The repeatability and within-laboratory imprecision of INNOVANCE Free PS Ag were 0.8% CV and 2.0% CV at the normal level, and 1.3% CV and 2.3% CV at the abnormally low level, respectively. This assay showed linearity from 4.0% to 151.9% (correlation coefficient r=1, P < 0.0001). Reference intervals for males and females were verified as acceptable. INNOVANCE Free PS Ag was comparable with STA-Liatest Free Protein S with a very high correlation (r=0.935, P < 0.0001). The results for the INNOVANCE antigen were higher. CONCLUSIONS: The INNOVANCE Free PS Ag on a Sysmex CS-5100 coagulation analyzer has excellent analytical performance and is comparable with the STA-Liatest Free Protein S assay.
Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Protein S Deficiency ; Protein S* ; Thrombophilia

Purpose: The role of paraaortic lymph node dissection (PALND) in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been less evaluated than surgical treatments for other distant metastases. We evaluated surgical outcomes after PALND and identified prognostic factors. Methods: The medical records of patients who underwent PALND for paraaortic lymph node metastasis (PALNM) were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were categorized into the M1a group (isolated PALNM, n = 27), and the M1bc group (distant metastases other than PALNM, n = 26). Three severity factors (PALNM-SF: number of harvested paraaortic lymph nodes [hLN], ≥14; number of metastatic paraaortic lymph nodes [mLN], ≥5; and lymph nodes ratio [mLN/hLN], ≥0.5) were defined to determine their effects on survival. Results: The 5-year overall survival (OS) of the M1a and M1bc groups were 61.1% and 6.4%, respectively (P = 0.0013). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) of the M1a group was 47.4%, and the 3-year DFS of the M1bc group was 9.1% (P < 0.001).Patients with 2 or more PALNM-SFs showed worse OS than those with 1 PALNM-SF (P = 0.017). In multivariate analysis, M1bc (non-isolated PALNM) was the only significant factor for survival. In the M1a group, patients with 2 or more PALNMSFs showed significantly worse survival than those with a single PALNM-SF. In multivariate analysis, 2 or more PALNM-SF was a significant factor for survival. Conclusion PALND for CRC provided favorable outcomes in the survival of an isolated PALNM, although this was uncertain for non-isolated PALNMs. The PALNM-SFs helped assess the prognosis after PALND.

Purpose: This study compared maternal age at childbirth, the number of live births, and the weight of live births between Korean women and immigrant women using statistical data from the Republic of Korea for 2018. Methods: The analysis was conducted using data from the Microdata Integrated Service of Statistics Korea (https://mdis.kostat.go.kr/index.do). Results: Korean women and immigrant women showed a higher age at childbirth in 2018 than in 2008. The percentage of newborns of Korean women with a birth weight of less than 2.5 kg increased slightly for 3 consecutive years from 2016 to 2018, whereas for immigrant women, this percentage increased in 2017 compared to 2016 and then decreased again in 2018. Very low birth weight (less than 1.5 kg) became more common among immigrant women from 2016 to 2018. Birth at a gestational age of fewer than 37 weeks increased both among Korean and immigrant women from 2016 to 2018. In both groups, the percentage of women who had their first child within their first 2 years of marriage decreased from 2008 to 2018. Conclusion Immigrant women had higher birth rates than Korean women, while both groups showed an increasing trend in premature birth. Greater attention should be paid to the pregnancy and birth needs of immigrant women, and steps are needed to ensure health equity and access in order to prevent premature births. It is also necessary to identify factors that affect preterm birth and birth of very low birth weight infants among immigrant women in the future.

Purpose: This study compared maternal age at childbirth, the number of live births, and the weight of live births between Korean women and immigrant women using statistical data from the Republic of Korea for 2018. Methods: The analysis was conducted using data from the Microdata Integrated Service of Statistics Korea (https://mdis.kostat.go.kr/index.do). Results: Korean women and immigrant women showed a higher age at childbirth in 2018 than in 2008. The percentage of newborns of Korean women with a birth weight of less than 2.5 kg increased slightly for 3 consecutive years from 2016 to 2018, whereas for immigrant women, this percentage increased in 2017 compared to 2016 and then decreased again in 2018. Very low birth weight (less than 1.5 kg) became more common among immigrant women from 2016 to 2018. Birth at a gestational age of fewer than 37 weeks increased both among Korean and immigrant women from 2016 to 2018. In both groups, the percentage of women who had their first child within their first 2 years of marriage decreased from 2008 to 2018. Conclusion Immigrant women had higher birth rates than Korean women, while both groups showed an increasing trend in premature birth. Greater attention should be paid to the pregnancy and birth needs of immigrant women, and steps are needed to ensure health equity and access in order to prevent premature births. It is also necessary to identify factors that affect preterm birth and birth of very low birth weight infants among immigrant women in the future.

Purpose: Korea has implemented an early screening for colorectal cancer since 2004. However, it is not known whether this has translated into improved survival over the years. Methods: We acquired colorectal cancer mortality data from the Cause of Death Statistics in Korea from 2000 to 2020. We characterized the data into year of death, cancer-specific loci, and age group. We analyzed age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) according to year of death, age group, and primary location to find trends in colorectal cancer mortality over a 20-year period. Results: The crude mortality rate of colorectal cancer increased from 8.78 per 100,000 in 2000 to 17.27 per 100,000 in 2020. The second decade was slower in increments compared to the first decade. ASMR showed a decrease over the second decade after an initial increase in the first decade. The decrease was primarily from the lowering of ASMR for rectosigmoid cancers. Age group analysis showed a lowering of ASMR mainly in the 45–59-year, 60–74-year, and ≥ 75-year age groups; however, 0–29-year and 30–44-year age groups showed generally unchanged ASMR over the total period. Conclusion After a brief incline of age-specific mortality of colorectal cancers during the early 2000s, colorectal cancer mortality has gradually been decreasing in the past decade. This was mainly due to decreased mortalities in rectosigmoid colon cancers especially in the age groups that were the target of early screening.

Background and Objectives: Many patients with thyroid cancer are participating in the online community. Thyroid cancer patients write and read a variety of posts in the online community, and there is a great deal of data generated in the digital environment. However, few studies have analyzed the online community of thyroid cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to analyze the online community to understand the interests and information seeking behavior of thyroid cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from August 2017 to September 2019 using statistics from an online community of thyroid cancer patients. The frequency analysis was performed by collecting the members’ gender, age, average usage time, time-of-day views, average monthly visits, device distribution, online community inflow query, query within online community, and content of a post with more than 1000 views per month. Results: Analyzing the online community of thyroid cancer patients, women accounted for 80.4% of the total, and the age group of people in their 30s and 40s accounted for 77.5%. Online community subscribers averaged 0.7 visits a day using mobile, with the most frequent use time between 10pm and 12pm. Frequently used queries are medical staff names, surgery, recurrence and scar. Posts showed informational and emotional exchanges. Conclusion Patients with thyroid cancer have searched for a lot of information about surgery and recurrence. Analyzing the online community will help to understand the experience of thyroid cancer patients and contribute to the development of online community intervention.