No abstract available.
Social Sciences*

INTRODUCTION

Nurses handling the Tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (TB-DOTS) are crucial in implementing the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP), which faced challenges during COVID-19. Hence, this study aimed to explore and to understand the TB DOTS Nurses' lived experiences on implementing NTP amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

A descriptive phenomenology research design was used in this study among purposively selected 15 TB DOTS nurses during the pandemic, using in-depth interviews. Descriptive phenomenology was chosen to focus on capturing and describing the nurses' direct experiences. Data were manually transcribed into EXCEL software, coded, clustered, and thematized. Data were also collected from January to April 2023, following IATF Guidelines. Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenology method was employed for analysis, allowing the study to remain true to the participants' own words and perspectives.

This study revealed three major themes with associated subthemes anchored from the significant statements extracted from the participants' verbatims. The first theme, “Menace of Uncertainties,” echoed nurses’ fears of contracting the disease, struggles with implementing the NTP, and balancing patient care with personal well-being. Despite obstacles, nurses formed support systems and remained determined, leading to the emergence of the second theme, "Seeing Light in the Darkness." The third theme, "Establishing a Strong Foundation," outlined nurses' ideas for managing the NTP during a pandemic.

The study underscored the significant challenges TB DOTS nurses faced during the pandemic, including fear, uncertainty, and difficulty balancing personal well-being with patient care. Despite these obstacles, nurses demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to their work. The findings underscored the importance of support systems, flexibility, and enhanced resources in managing TB cases during crises. These insights had direct implications for nursing practice, education, and research, while having emphasized the need for improved facilities, support mechanisms, and training to better equip nurses for future health emergencies.

Community nutritionists draw upon theories from the social sciences to improve their work in health promotion and disease prevention. Social science theories are sets of concepts that provide systematic explanations that can predict events or situations, and are classified into several paradigms and worldviews. these theories interact with research and practice around the subject matter of community nutrition. Use of these theories provides benefits in community nutrition by helping to organize thinking about nutrition topics in ways that are useful for assessing, understanding, intervening, and evaluation community nutrition issues. Community nutrition researchers and practitioners can be choose from many available social science theories by evaluating assumptions, scope, applicability, complexity, effectiveness, and other aspects of the theories. Awareness and use of social science theories should enhance the development of community nutrition.
Health Promotion ; Nutritionists ; Social Sciences* ; Thinking

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the factors that affect the health promotion behaviors of shift workers.METHODS: Using self-administered questionnaires, data were collected between August 13th and 31st, 2018. Descriptive statistics were computed, and t-test, analysis of variance, and correlational and multiple stepwise regression analyses were conducted using International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.RESULTS: Health promotion behaviors were significantly and positively correlated with psychological well-being (r=.491, p < .001), fatigue (r=.170, p=.030), and self-efficacy (r=.520, p < .001). Psychological well-being (β=.249, p=.014), fatigue (β=.179, p=.007), and self-efficacy (β=.335, p=.001) had significant effects on health promotion behaviors and together explained 31.7% of the variance.CONCLUSION: A systematic educational program that enhances psychological well-being should be developed and implemented to nurture health promotion behaviors among shift workers. Additionally, an intervention program that can enhance health promotion behaviors should be implemented to improve self-efficacy and prevent fatigue among shift workers.
Commerce ; Fatigue ; Health Promotion ; Social Sciences

Development of public health has had great impact on quality of human life since the Renaissance. Earlier, Rudolph Virchow indicated that medicine is social science, and politics are nothing else than medicine at large scale. In order to achieve healthy country, well designed health care policy is essential. Active participation of health care professionals in politics as well as policy planning is needed for the health and well-being of all people in Korea. Active involvement in health care planning can be social responsibility of health care professionals. In terms of methodology of active participation in health care policy, three folds approaches are suggested. First, to learn more in different field such as politics, public administration, and law. Secondly, to become politician and administrator actively as well as to become active voter. Thirdly, to work as a team of integration to maximize team spirit for the common good.
Administrative Personnel ; Ceramics ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Politics ; Public Health ; Social Justice ; Social Responsibility ; Social Sciences

Suicide is a major problem in Korean health care and a serious social problem. In Korea, 12,463 people (24.3 per 100,000) lost their lives due to suicide in 2017. Although the government has established three National Comprehensive Plan of Suicide Prevention (2004, 2009, 2016), and National Action Plan of Suicide Prevention (2018), the suicide rate is still high. The suicide rate of the elderly is especially high. This is due to the economic vulnerability of the elderly in Korea. Therefore, in order to prevent suicide in Korea, mental health care approach and social welfare approach should be integrated. The intervention of preventing suicide of suicide attempters should include social welfare services as well as mental health program and should be based on community. There are many health problems, including prevention of suicide, which can not be solved only by the efforts of health care. Many health problems are social problems and the integrated approach is needed to solve them. In order to solve many health care problems and improve health, integrated approach of health, social science, and humanities is needed.
Aged ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humanities ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Mental Health Services ; Social Problems ; Social Sciences ; Social Welfare ; Suicide

OBJECTIVES: This article seeks to describe the current state of informatics supported collaborative care and to point out areas of future research in this highly interdisciplinary field. METHODS: In this article, person-centered collaborative care is seen as a concept addressing both the provision of care over organizational borders between health and social care, and within care teams as well as the changed patient/client-care provider relationship characterized by increased patient/client involvement. RESULTS: From a health systems perspective, there are several attempts to describe the conceptual and theoretical basis for collaborative care indicating that agreement on core concepts and terminology is difficult. From an informatics perspective, focus is on standardization of clinical content models and terminology to achieve interoperability of information technology systems and to support standardized care pathways. Few examples look into how ad-hoc collaborative care processes can be supported using information technology and informatics standards. Nevertheless, promising examples do exist showing that integrational Information Communication Technology services can be supportive for collaborative care developments. However, the current landscape consists of many fragmented, often technology-driven eHealth solutions targeting specific diagnostic groups in geographically and/or organizationally restricted settings. CONCLUSIONS: A systematic approach incorporating organizational, clinical, informatics and social science knowledge is needed to perform further research in areas such as virtual team partnerships, new paradigms of care delivery, data and knowledge management as well as its secure sharing. Also organizational and legal aspects need to be further researched in order to facilitate the coordinated provision of health and social care to citizens including self-management, utilizing informatics support in a societal context.
Cooperative Behavior ; Health Information Management ; Holistic Health ; Informatics ; Jurisprudence ; Knowledge Management ; Self Care ; Social Sciences ; Social Welfare ; Telemedicine

PURPOSE: The main purpose of this study was to describe the relationship of mothers' parenting attitude as perceived by the child to self-esteem, and school adjustment of school age children with Tetrology of Fallot (TOF). METHODS: In this study a self-administered questionnaire survey was used to collect the data. The participants included 38 children who were registered in a pediatric cardiology clinic in one tertiary medical center. Their ages were between 11 and 15 years. They were diagnosed with TOF, and had no other congenital problems. Data were collected from November 1 to November 30, 2009. After obtaining telephone consent from the mothers and children, questionnaires were mailed to 64 participants and 38 questionnaires were returned. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) WIN 15.0 version. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between perceived parenting attitude, self-esteem, and school adjustment of children with TOF. CONCLUSION: Children who perceive their mothers' parenting attitude to be more positive also report higher self-esteem and better school adjustment. These findings are similar to other studies done with healthy school age children. However, parents of children with TOF may require different parenting approaches to foster positive self-esteem and school adjustment.
Cardiology ; Child ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Mothers ; Parenting ; Parents ; Postal Service ; Social Adjustment ; Social Sciences ; Telephone ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Drunk driving is a serious social problem. We estimated the blood alcohol concentration of a defendant on the request of local prosecutor's office in Korea. Based on the defendant's history, and a previously constructed pharmacokinetic model for alcohol, we estimated the possible alcohol concentration over time during his driving using a Bayesian method implemented in NONMEM®. To ensure generalizability and to take the parameter uncertainty of the alcohol pharmacokinetic models into account, a non-parametric bootstrap with 1,000 replicates was applied to the Bayesian estimations. The current analysis enabled the prediction of the defendant's possible blood alcohol concentrations over time with a 95% prediction interval. The results showed a high probability that the alcohol concentration was ≥ 0.05% during driving. The current estimation of the alcohol concentration during driving by the Bayesian method could be used as scientific evidence during court trials.
Bayes Theorem ; Blood Alcohol Content ; Driving Under the Influence ; Forensic Sciences* ; Korea ; Pharmacology, Clinical* ; Social Problems ; Uncertainty

PURPOSE: We did this study to find out the current teaching status of the medical humanities and social sciences curriculum in Korean medical schools. Further, we discuss the tasks at hand to improve the curriculum in medical education. METHODS: The curricula of 41 medical schools and the syllabi of 10 schools were examined. We analyzed the tables of course organization and contents of integrated medical humanities. After analysis of the contents, they were grouped into 6 categories of medical humanities and social sciences domain. RESULTS: Our results are as follow: 1) there are 3 types of medical humanities and social sciences subject forms: inter-disciplinary (integrated, for example, PDS), multi-disciplinary (separated subject form), and mixed (integrated+separated); 2) most schools offer medical humanities and social sciences in a required class; 3) medical humanities and social sciences are taught through all school years and all 8 graduate medical schools offer a medical humanities and social sciences course from year 1; and 4) the average academic credits for medical humanities are 10 or 11. With respect to the curriculum content, there is some commonality in 10 schools: disease prevention, health improvement, medical ethics, medical regulation, professionalism, and community medicine. Differences were seen in content selection and organization. CONCLUSION: After brief reviews of the medical humanities and social science curriculums, we discovered that all Korean medical schools meet the need of medical humanities and social sciences education. However, curriculum implementation differed in various ways. We suggest the following tasks: 1) clarification of educational goals in order to develop a core curriculum of medical humanities and social sciences in Korea; 2) sharing experiences of developing a well-designed curriculum with other medical schools for effective teaching of this subject area.
Community Medicine ; Curriculum ; Education, Medical ; Ethics, Medical ; Hand ; Humanities ; Humans ; Learning ; Schools, Medical ; Social Sciences