1.Development of the Korean Health Behavior for Dementia Prevention Scale for Older Adults
Hyukjoon KIM ; Moonjoo OH ; Hyangsuk KWON ; Seohee JEONG ; Hyangsoon CHO ; Hye Young KIM
Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamental Nursing 2022;29(3):363-374
This study aimed to develop the Korean Health Behavior for Dementia Prevention Scale (K-HBDP) and test its validity and reliability. Methods: In this methodological study, the K-HBDP scale was administered to 216 community-dwelling older adults (aged 65 or older) in 2020 in seven cities of western Korea using convenience sampling. Item analysis, construct validity, item convergent and discriminant validity, criterion validity, and internal consistency reliability were evaluated using SPSS for Windows 27.0. Results: The scale includes 23 items and five subscales: cognitive social activities, healthcare management, lifestyle, smoking and drinking, and eating habits, and the cumulative variance explained by the factors was 66.8%. Cronbach’s ⍺ for internal consistency of the total scale was .90 and ranged from .65 to .89 for all subscales. Item convergent and discriminant validity of the K-HBDP were confirmed. Criterion validity was demonstrated with the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II. Conclusion: The findings suggest that K-HBDP scale can be used to measure healthy activities to prevent dementia in older adults. The use of this tool is expected to help develop interventions, educational materials, and training programs to improve nursing practice.
2.Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the incidence of other infectious diseases in the hematology hospital in Korea
Seohee OH ; Yu-Sun SUNG ; Mihee JANG ; Yong-Jin KIM ; Hyun-Wook PARK ; Dukhee NHO ; Dong-Gun LEE ; Hyeon Woo YIM ; Sung-Yeon CHO
The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine 2024;39(3):513-523
Background/Aims:
Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, hospitals have implemented infection control measures to minimize the spread of the virus within facilities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and common respiratory virus (cRV) infections in hematology units.
Methods:
This retrospective study included all patients hospitalized in Catholic Hematology Hospital between 2019 and 2020. Patients infected with vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and cRV were analyzed. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) methods and interrupted time series analyses were performed to compare the incidence rates before and after the pandemic.
Results:
The incidence rates of CPE and VRE did not differ between the two periods. However, the incidence of CDI increased significantly (IRR: 1.41 [p = 0.002]) after the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of cRV infection decreased by 76% after the COVID-19 outbreak (IRR: 0.240 [p < 0.001]). The incidence of adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus infection significantly decreased in the COVID-19 period (IRRs: 0.087 [p = 0.003], 0.031 [p < 0.001], and 0.149 [p < 0.001], respectively).
Conclusions
The implementation of COVID-19 infection control measures reduced the incidence of cRV infection. However, CDI increased significantly and incidence rates of CPE and VRE remained unchanged in hematological patients after the pandemic. Infection control measures suitable for each type of HCAI, such as stringent hand washing for CDI and enough isolation capacities, should be implemented and maintained in future pandemics, especially in immunocompromised patients.