BACKGROUND: It is reported that approximately 10.7% of Korean reproductive women use rhythm method to avoid pregnancy, which is higher in comparison to other countries. However, few surveys on practicing natural family planning methods have been done and awareness of it is also very(low). Our study examined women's interest and related factors in using natural family planning either to become pregnant or to avoid it. METHODS: A questionnaire was given to 1,700 women, ages 18 to 50, who visited general hospitals in Seoul and Kyounggido for health examination from the months beginning July and ending September in 1998. RESULTS: Of the 604 answered questionnaires, 361 were from women who were potentially fertile. Of these women 45.4% indicated that they would likely use natural family planning in the future to avoid pregnancy, and 30.5% indicated that they would likely use natural family planning in the future to become pregnant. Past use of any method of natural family planning to avoid pregnancy was associated with interest in future use of modern methods of natural family planning to avoid pregnancy. Age under 30, past use of natural family planning to become pregnant and the possible desire for future pregnancy were associated with interest in future use of natural family planning to conceive. CONCLUSION: Interest in future use of natural family planning is associated with past use of natural family planning including other factors. Many women who have not used natural family planning showed interest in using natural family planning, either to avoid pregnancy or to conceive. Therefore, clinicians should include modern natural family planning method in all of their discussions with women about family planning options.
Family Planning Services ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Natural Family Planning Methods* ; Pregnancy ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate RN-BSN students' clinical nursing competency in order to establish baseline data for developing nursing competency based clinical education for RN-BSN students. METHOD: A survey of 1,453 RN-BSN students from 21 nursing schools was conducted using a self administered questionnaire. RESULT: The mean score of the clinical nursing competency was 2.93. The scores for competency were shown as 2.91 for nursing management, 2.94 for developing professionalism & legal implementation, 2.95 for critical thinking, 2.96 for teaching & leadership, and data collection, basic nursing care, and communication were above 3.00. The items perceived as insufficient competency were physical examination and observation & monitoring in data collection, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, psycho-social care, spiritual care, hospice in basic nursing care, application of knowledge and theory, formulating nursing diagnosis, nursing care planning in critical thinking, education material development, leadership, delegation in teaching and leadership, analysis of organization, planning, infection control, role & job description, evaluation of nursing activities in nursing management, quality improvement, and research in developing professionalism and legal implementation. CONCLUSION: This study will contribute to developing a nursing competency based on clinical education for RN-BSN students who have various education needs and clinical backgrounds.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; *Clinical Competence ; Curriculum ; Data Collection ; Education, Nursing, Associate/*standards ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/*standards ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing Education Research ; Questionnaires ; *Students, Nursing

No abstract available.
Keratosis*

Double aortic arch is the most common type of symptomatic vascular ring. In most patients, the symptoms are manifested at birth or in early infancy. Double aortic arch usually has more severe symptoms than other types of complete vascular rings. We experienced one case of complete duplicated double aortic arch with left descending aorta and left patent ductus arteriosus. A one-day-old female neonate was transferred to our hospital because of mild dyspnea and stridor. She showed intractable CO2 retention and respiratory difficulty with time in spite of ventilator therapy. She died of respiratory failure 23 hours after birth. On autopsy, we found that the diameter of the vascular ring was 0.7cm in maximum extent. It was ovoid and contained trachea and esophagus. The trachea was flattened due to allowing 0.1x0.2cm. The compression level of the trachea was approximately 1cm from the tracheal bifurcation.
Aorta, Thoracic* ; Autopsy* ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Dyspnea ; Esophagus ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Parturition ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Respiratory Sounds ; Trachea ; Ventilators, Mechanical

PURPOSE: Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a polymorphic supergene family of detoxification enzymes that are involved in the metabolism of numerous diseases. Several allelic variants of GSTs show impaired enzyme activity and are suspected to increase the susceptibility to diseases. Bilirubin is bound efficiently by GST members. The most commonly expressed gene in the liver is GSTM1, and GSTT1 is expressed predominantly in the liver and kidneys. To ascertain the relationship between GST and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, the distribution of the polymorphisms of GSTT1 and GSTM1 were investigated in this study. METHODS: Genomic DNA was isolated from 88 patients and 186 healthy controls. The genotypes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The overall frequency of the GSTM1 null was lower in patients compared to controls (P=0.0187, Odds ratio (OR) =0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.31-0.88). Also, the GSTT1 null was lower in patients compared to controls (P=0.0014, OR=0.41, 95% CI=0.24-0.70). Moreover, the frequency of the null type of both, in the combination of GSTM1 and GSTT1, was significantly reduced in jaundiced patients (P=0.0008, OR=0.31, 95% CI=0.17-0.61). CONCLUSION: We hypothesized that GSTM1 and GSTT1 might be associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. However, the GSTT1 and GSTM1 null type was reduced in patients. Therefore the null GSTT1, null GSTM1, and null type of both in the combination of GSTM1 and GSTT1 may be not a risk factor of neonatal jaundice.
Bilirubin ; Chondroitin Sulfates ; Disaccharides ; DNA ; Genotype ; Glutathione ; Glutathione Transferase ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice, Neonatal ; Kidney ; Liver ; Odds Ratio ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: There is a lack of data on the energy cost of children's everyday activities, adult values are often used as surrogates. In addition, the influence of body weight on the energy cost of activity when expressed as metabolic equivalents (METs) has not been vigorously explored. METHODS: In this study 20 elementary school students 9~12 years of age completed 18 various physical activities while energy expenditure was measured continuously using a portable telemetry gas exchange system (K4b2, Cosmed, Rome, Italy). RESULTS: The average age was 10.4 years and the average height and weight was 145.1 cm and 43.6 kg, respectively. Oxygen consumption (VO2), energy expenditure and METs at the time of resting of the subjects were 5.41 mL/kg/min, 1.44 kcal/kg/h, and 1.5 METs, respectively. METs values by 18 physical activities were as follows: Homework and reading books (1.6 METs), playing game with a mobile phone or video while sitting (1.6 METs), watching TV while sitting on a comfortable chair (1.7 METs), playing video game or mobile phone game while standing (1.9 METs), sweeping a room with a broom (2.7 METs) and playing a board game (2.8 METs) belong to light intensity physical activities. By contrary, speedy walking and running were 6.6 and 6.7 METs, respectively, which belong to high intensity physical activities over 6.0 METs. When the effect of body weight on physical activity energy expenditure was determined, R2 values increased with 0.116 (playing a game at sitting), 0.176 (climbing up and down stairs), 0.246 (slow walking), and 0.455 (running), which showed that higher activity intensity increased explanation power of body weight on METs value. CONCLUSION: This study is important for direct evaluation of energy expenditure by physical activities of children, and it could be used directly for revising and complementing the existing activity classification table to fit for children.
Adult ; Body Weight* ; Cellular Phone ; Child* ; Classification ; Complement System Proteins ; Cytisus ; Energy Metabolism* ; Humans ; Metabolic Equivalent ; Motor Activity* ; Oxygen Consumption ; Running ; Telemetry ; Video Games ; Walking

PURPOSE: It has been known that breast milk cause prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. UGT1A1 is a important gene of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) which has a major role of bilirubin metabolism. These findings suggest that there is a relationship between UGT1A1 gene mutation and prolonged jaundice of breast feeding infant. The aim of study was to investigate whether a polymorphism of the UGT1A1 gene exist in prolonged hyperbilirubinemia of breast milk feeding Korean infant. METHODS: The genomic DNA was isolated from 50 full term Korean neonates, who had greater than a 10 mg/dL of serem bilirubin after 2 weeks of birth with no significant cause, and the other genomic DNA was isolated from 162 full term Korean neonates of the control population. Both group fed breast milk. We performed direct sequencing of TATA box and Gly71Arg polymorphism of the UGT1A1 gene. RESULTS: Two of the 50 neonates with hyperbilirubinemia had AA polymorphism, and 40 had GA polymorphism. Five of the 129 neonates of the control group had AA polymorphism, and 4 had GA polymorphism. The allele frequency of G>A polymorphism in the hyperbilirubinemia group was 44.0%; it was significantly higher than 5.4% of the control group. TATA box polymorpism was not different both group significantly. CONCLUSION: Our result indicated that Gly71Arg polymorphism is associated with the prolonged hyperbilirubinemia of breast milk-feeding infant in Korean, while TATA box polymorphism is not associated with the prolonged hyperbilirubinemia of breast milk-feeding infant in Korean.
Benzeneacetamides ; Bilirubin ; Breast ; Breast Feeding ; DNA ; Gene Frequency ; Glucuronosyltransferase ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Milk, Human ; Parturition ; Piperidones ; TATA Box ; Uridine Diphosphate

No abstract available.
Lasers, Gas* ; Microsurgery*

The purpose of this study was to assess the physical activity level of Korean farmers to establish estimated energy requirements during the off-season. Subjects were 90 healthy males (n = 25) and females (n = 65). Body weight, height and body fat and muscles of subjects were measured. The prevalence of obesity among farmers was 56.7% according to the BMI. The farmers spent about 18 hours 7 minutes (75.5%) in sleeping and resting. The farmers spent about 19 hours 56 minutes (83.1%) out of 24 hours (one day) in "sedentary activities" and spent about 3 hours 56 minutes (16.4%) in "light activities". Physical activity level (PAL, activity coefficient) of female farmers was 1.42 which was not significantly higher than that (1.37) of male farmers. Estimated energy requirements (EER) for farmers who were different in age groups and gender were calculated. For example, the EERs for male and female farmers were 2190 kcal/day and 1712 kcal/day, respectively. The daily energy intakes of male and female farmers were 1803 kcal/day and 1610 kcal/day, respectively. The EER of male farmers was 2190 kcal/day which was significantly higher than that (1803 kcal/day) of the recommended daily energy intake of male farmers. The results of this study suggest that estimated EER of farmers should be modified according to seasonal workload and energy balance of farmers should be evaluated to prevent obesity.
Adipose Tissue ; Body Weight ; Energy Intake ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Muscles ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Seasons

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure the resting metabolic rate (RMR) and to assess the accuracy of RMR predictive equations for Korean farmers. METHODS: Subjects were 161 healthy Korean farmers (50 males, 111 females) in Gangwon-area. The RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry for 20 minutes following a 12-hour overnight fasting. Selected predictive equations were Harris-Benedict, Mifflin, Liu, KDRI, Cunningham (1980, 1991), Owen-W, F, FAO/WHO/UNU-W, WH, Schofield-W, WH, Henry-W, WH. The accuracy of the equations was evaluated on the basis of bias, RMSPE, accurate prediction and Bland-Altman plot. Further, new RMR predictive equations for the subjects were developed by multiple regression analysis using the variables highly related to RMR. RESULTS: The mean of the measured RMR was 1703 kcal/day in males and 1343 kcal/day in females. The Cunningham (1980) equation was the closest to measured RMR than others in males and in females (males Bias -0.47%, RMSPE 110 kcal/day, accurate prediction 80%, females Bias 1.4%, RMSPE 63 kcal/day, accurate prediction 81%). Body weight, BMI, circumferences of waist and hip, fat mass and FFM were significantly correlated with measured RMR. Thus, derived prediction equation as follow: males RMR = 447.5 + 17.4.Wt, females RMR = 684.5 - 3.5.Ht + 11.8.Wt + 12.4.FFM. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that Cunningham (1980) equation was the most accurate to predict RMR of the subjects. Thus, Cunningham (1980) equation could be used to predict RMR of Korean farmers studied in this study. Future studies including larger subjects should be carried out to develop RMR predictive equations for Korean farmers.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Body Weight ; Calorimetry, Indirect ; Fasting ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Male