The purpose of this study was to survey basic data for management of elderly day care centers. In this study. occupation. leisure life. and food. clothing and habituation. as well as social relationship. health state and behavior. and general characteristics of subjects were examined to identify the factors affecting their cognition. need and preference of the day care centers. The subjects of this study were 392 elderly. aged 60 years or over. living in Gangnung and neighboring districts. Data were collected by educated interviewers from November 4 through Novemver 22, 2002. The subjects were interviewed face to face. one for one after the interviewee's agreements on the survey. The collected data were analysed with logistic regression analysis by SAS (statistical analysis system). Logistic regression analysis was done to identify affecting factors for cognition. need and preference of the elderly day care centers. The major findings are as follows: 1. The factors affecting cognition for care centers were analysed. The the day subjects with an occupation and a lower satisfaction level of living environment and friendship. who were economically secure enough to manage a sudden accident. showed a higher level of cognition of the day care centers. The subjects with a higher level of mental health state and a lower level of IADL also showed a higher level of cognition. On the general characteristics younger female subjects showed a higher level of cognition. 2. The subjects with a lower level of perceived economic condition who did not own their housing and were not economically safe enough to manage a sudden accident. had showed a higher level of need for the day care centers. It showed that the subjects with a high level of mental health state. a bad eye sight and dental condition. a good perceived health condition. and a lower level of IADL. needed the centers. 3. The subjects who had an occupation, however, not capable of making their own daily expenses. and a low occupation satisfaction level. and who did not own their housing. and were economically poor not enough to manage a sudden accident. showed a higher preference for the day care centers. The subjects with higher levels of friendship satisfaction and perceived health condition. not living with their spouse. and a higher education level, showed a higher preference for the centers. In conclusion. the common factors affecting their cognition. need and preference of the day care centers were occupation, economic security enough to manage accidents. and friendship satisfaction level. Especially, the subjects who had an occupation, however. not economically secure enough to manage accidents. and who did not live in their own housing with a good perceived health condition, showed high levels of need and preference for the day care centers. These results can be used as basic data to develop the efficient elderly day care centers, thus contribute to the elderly welfare in a local community.
Aged* ; Clothing ; Cognition ; Day Care, Medical* ; Education ; Female ; Friends ; Gangwon-do ; Housing ; Humans ; Leisure Activities ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Occupations ; Spouses

The objective of this study was to apply a dementia prevention program to the subjects who were suspected of dementia and test its effect. This study was one group pretest-posttest design. The dementia prevention program was applied for 20 weeks to the 19 subjects who were suspected of dementia after a screen test among 638 subjects enrolled in 10 senior citizen's centers in G city. The scores of measured before and after the program. The data collected were analyzed using a SPSS (statistical analysis system) program, and frequencies, averages and standard deviations were obtained. The differences of the scores of the pretest and posttest were analyzed with Mann-Whitney test and sign test. The results were as follows: 1. After the program, the average score of self-efficacy was increased from 75.31 (standard deviation 11.99) to 84.26 (standard deviation 13.92). 2. There are no differences between the average scores of physical and psychological quality of life, however, the average score of social quality of life was slightly increased from 2.25 (standard deviation 0.40) to 2.53 (standard deviation 0.43), and the overall score of social quality of life was low. 3. The average score of cognition was significantly increased from 21.00 (standard deviation 2.60) to 24.58 (standard deviation 3.37), thus, it was found that the program was effective to improve the cognition level. 4. The score differences of self-efficacy, quality of life, cognition between the pretest and posttest were statistically significant. 5. The score differences of quality of life between the pretest and posttest were found to be dependent on marital status, exercise and regular chechup yes or no. In conclusion, the program was effective to prevent the subjects suspected of dementia from dementia.
Cognition ; Dementia* ; Marital Status ; Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: This study was to evaluate a nationwide nosocomial infection rate and antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units(ICUs) in Korea. METHODS: The study was carried out at 16 university-affiliated teaching hospitals from July through October 2004. We performed a prospective multicenter study to investigate nosocomial infection rates, device-associated infection rated, and causative pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance. RESULTS: The urinary tract was the most commonly involved site. Nosocomial infection rate was 12.48 in medical. ICU (MICU), 9.59 in medical surgical ICU (MSICU), 14.76 in surgical ICU (MSICU), and 11.60 in other lCU. Device-associated infection rates were as follow: 1) rates of urinary catheter-associated urinary tract infection were 4.26 in MICU, 3.17 in SICU, 4.88 in MSICU, and 5.87 in other ICU; 2) rates of central line-associated bloodstream infection were 3.24 in MICU, 1.56 in SlCU, 2.36 in MSICU, and 1.78 in other ICU; 3) rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia were 3.61 in MlCU, 13.05 in SICU, 1.68 in MSICU, and 4.84 in other lCU. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently identified microorganism in this study; 93% of S. aurues were resistant to methicillin; 17% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated were resistant to imipenem; 11% of Enterococcus faecium and 18% of Enterococcus faecalis showed resistance to vancomycin. Over a half of Acinetobacter spp, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli showed resistant to fluoroquinolone. Conclusion: This study shows the seriousness of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of infection control in the lCU in Korea. This study should provide a theoretical strategy to enforce the infection control.
Acinetobacter ; Cross Infection* ; Enterococcus faecalis ; Enterococcus faecium ; Escherichia coli ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Hospitals, University* ; Imipenem ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Korea* ; Methicillin ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; Prospective Studies ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vancomycin

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the nutritional status and prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized children at admission and during hospitalization in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This first cross-sectional nationwide “Pediatric Nutrition Day (pNday)” survey was conducted among 872 hospitalized children (504 boys, 368 girls; 686 medical, 186 surgical) from 23 hospitals in South Korea. Malnutrition risk was screened using the Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) and the Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional status and Growth. Nutritional status was assessed by z-scores of weight-for-age for underweight, weight-for-height for wasting, and height-for-age for stunting as well as laboratory tests. RESULTS: At admission, of the 872 hospitalized children, 17.2% were underweight, and the prevalence of wasting and stunting was 20.2% and 17.3%, respectively. During hospitalization till pNday, 10.8% and 19.6% experienced weight loss and decreased oral intake, respectively.During the aforementioned period, fasting was more prevalent in surgical patients (7.5%) than in medical patients (1.6%) (P < 0.001). According to the PYMS, 34.3% and 30% of the children at admission and on pNday, respectively, had a high-risk of malnutrition, requiring consultation with the nutritional support team (NST). However, only 4% were actually referred to the NST during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Malnutrition was prevalent at admission and during hospitalization in pediatric patients, with many children experiencing weight loss and poor oral intake. To improve the nutritional status of hospitalized children, it is important to screen and identify all children at risk of malnutrition and refer malnourished patients to the multidisciplinary NST for proper nutritional interventions.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the nutritional status and prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized children at admission and during hospitalization in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This first cross-sectional nationwide “Pediatric Nutrition Day (pNday)” survey was conducted among 872 hospitalized children (504 boys, 368 girls; 686 medical, 186 surgical) from 23 hospitals in South Korea. Malnutrition risk was screened using the Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) and the Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional status and Growth. Nutritional status was assessed by z-scores of weight-for-age for underweight, weight-for-height for wasting, and height-for-age for stunting as well as laboratory tests. RESULTS: At admission, of the 872 hospitalized children, 17.2% were underweight, and the prevalence of wasting and stunting was 20.2% and 17.3%, respectively. During hospitalization till pNday, 10.8% and 19.6% experienced weight loss and decreased oral intake, respectively.During the aforementioned period, fasting was more prevalent in surgical patients (7.5%) than in medical patients (1.6%) (P < 0.001). According to the PYMS, 34.3% and 30% of the children at admission and on pNday, respectively, had a high-risk of malnutrition, requiring consultation with the nutritional support team (NST). However, only 4% were actually referred to the NST during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS Malnutrition was prevalent at admission and during hospitalization in pediatric patients, with many children experiencing weight loss and poor oral intake. To improve the nutritional status of hospitalized children, it is important to screen and identify all children at risk of malnutrition and refer malnourished patients to the multidisciplinary NST for proper nutritional interventions.