PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Sexual Health Care Scale-Practice (SHCS-P) for oncology nurses to use in nursing care. METHODS: Apreliminary version of the SHCS-P of 32 items was developed based on the literature and opinion of experts. A panel of eight experts reviewed the preliminary questionnaire for content validity and consolidated the instrument, which was, then, tested with data from 342 oncology nurses in Korea. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis showed that the SHCS-P explained 70.49% of the total variance. The instrument revealed four factors that were named: (1) Practice for sexual function (8 items), (2) Practice for psychological factors (6 items), (3) Practice for social problems and records (4 items), and (4) Practice for reproductive care (3 items). Internal consistency was good, asassessed by the KR 20 value of 0.91. The coefficients for the sub-factors were between 0.81 and 0.93. CONCLUSION: This scale shows validity and reliability in evaluating the practice of oncology nurses in providing sexual health care and can be used to evaluate the level of practice well as test effects of educational interventions to improve sexual health care competency.
Nursing Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproducibility of Results ; Reproductive Health ; Sexuality ; Social Problems

BACKGROUND: Glycolic acid has become an important and popular agent for chemical peel. Even though many clinicians perform superficial chemical peel to treat facial acne with glycolic acid, as yet there has been no well-controlled clinical trinls for the comparison of this new peeling agent and Jessner's solution. OBJECTIVE: To compare these two chemical peelI agents, our study was focused on three aspects : 1) treatment effects (acne improvement), 2) side effects (erythema, exfoliation), 3) patients preferences of the treatments. METHOD: Sixteen patients with facial acne vulgaris were treated with 70% glycolic acid and Jessner's solution on each side of the face simultaneously. Treatments were repeated biweekly with acne grading. Patient's subjective preferences were asked after the treatment.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Humans

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common etiology of dementia, that has not been previously reported in Korea. We have experienced two cases of Alzheimer's disease, one occurred in a 53-year-old man with dementia and the other occurred in a 36-year-old woman with a family history of early onset dementia. A neocortical biopsy was done to rule out the cause of dementia and showed diffusely scattered numerous senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in cortex of both cases. Interestingly, GFAP, an immunohistochemical stain showed strong positivity in neuritic plaques and the surrounding fibrillary gathering.
Adult ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Biopsy ; Dementia ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibrillary Tangles ; Plaque, Amyloid

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common etiology of dementia, that has not been previously reported in Korea. We have experienced two cases of Alzheimer's disease, one occurred in a 53-year-old man with dementia and the other occurred in a 36-year-old woman with a family history of early onset dementia. A neocortical biopsy was done to rule out the cause of dementia and showed diffusely scattered numerous senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in cortex of both cases. Interestingly, GFAP, an immunohistochemical stain showed strong positivity in neuritic plaques and the surrounding fibrillary gathering.
Adult ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Biopsy ; Dementia ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibrillary Tangles ; Plaque, Amyloid

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of embryos using early cleavage to 2-cell stage has been proposed, but a critical time-point for selecting embryos is unclear. The aim of the present study is to provide a guideline including critical time-point in the selection of early cleaving embryo for the reduction of multiple pregnancies as well as the increase of pregnancy rate in human IVF. METHODS: This prospective study was performed in 116 cycles from 85 patients who underwent conventional IVF or ICSI at the infertility clinic of Good Moonhwa Hospital from January 2002 to December 2003. Early cleavage (EC) of embryos to 2-cell stage was assessed at 25 h and 27 h postinsemination/microinjection. Embryos that had early cleaved at each time point were designated as EC-1 and EC-2, respectively, while others were designated as non-early cleavage (NEC). RESULTS: At least one early cleavage embryo was observed in 54 (46.6%) for the EC-1 and 84 (72.4%) for the EC-2 of the 116 cycles assessed. Clinical pregnancy rates (PR) were significantly higher in the EC-1 group (66.7%) compared to the EC-2 group (53.6%) or the NEC group (31.2%) (p<0.05). Significant improvement of the pregnancy rate was found when at least two or more embryos were early cleaved at 25 h postinsemination or when the proportion of early cleavage embryo at 25 h postinsemination was higher than 20% (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The critical time-point for the selection of early cleavage embryos with high implantation potential is more effective in 25 h postinsemination/microinjection compared to 27 h. The proportion as well as number of early cleavage embryos is also an important factor for the prediction of pregnancy outcome and the chance of multiple pregnancies. These results demonstrated that the evaluation of early cleavage embryos to 2-cell stage is an easy, simple, and objective method for the selection of good quality embryos suitable for embryo transfer.
Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Humans* ; Infertility ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Multiple ; Prospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

Purpose: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are widely prescribed for postmenopausal women with breast cancer and are known to cause musculoskeletal pain. This study aimed to identify factors associated with AI continuation intention among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 123 BCS (stages I–III), who had been taking AIs for at least 6 weeks. Participants were recruited from a cancer center in Goyang, Korea, from September to November 2019. Descriptive statistics, Welch analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and simple linear regression were used for the analysis. Results: Belief in endocrine therapy was a significant predictor of AI continuation intention (β=.66, p<.001). The majority of participants (87.0%) reported experiencing musculoskeletal pain since taking AIs and the score for the worst pain severity within 24 hours was 5.08±2.80 out of 10. Musculoskeletal pain, however, was not associated with AI continuation intention. Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) was clinically significant (≥13) for 74.0% of the respondents (mean, 17.62±7.14). Musculoskeletal pain severity and pain interference were significantly associated with FCR (r=.21, p<.05; r=.35, p<.01, respectively). Pain interference was significantly associated with belief in endocrine therapy (r=–.18, p<.05). Conclusion AI continuation intention can be modified by reinforcing patients’ belief in endocrine therapy. Musculoskeletal pain may have a negative effect on belief in endocrine therapy and increase FCR among BCS. Thus, awareness of musculoskeletal pain during AI therapy should be raised and further research is required to develop multidisciplinary pain management strategies and clinical guidelines to reinforce belief in endocrine therapy.

Purpose: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are widely prescribed for postmenopausal women with breast cancer and are known to cause musculoskeletal pain. This study aimed to identify factors associated with AI continuation intention among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 123 BCS (stages I–III), who had been taking AIs for at least 6 weeks. Participants were recruited from a cancer center in Goyang, Korea, from September to November 2019. Descriptive statistics, Welch analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and simple linear regression were used for the analysis. Results: Belief in endocrine therapy was a significant predictor of AI continuation intention (β=.66, p<.001). The majority of participants (87.0%) reported experiencing musculoskeletal pain since taking AIs and the score for the worst pain severity within 24 hours was 5.08±2.80 out of 10. Musculoskeletal pain, however, was not associated with AI continuation intention. Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) was clinically significant (≥13) for 74.0% of the respondents (mean, 17.62±7.14). Musculoskeletal pain severity and pain interference were significantly associated with FCR (r=.21, p<.05; r=.35, p<.01, respectively). Pain interference was significantly associated with belief in endocrine therapy (r=–.18, p<.05). Conclusion AI continuation intention can be modified by reinforcing patients’ belief in endocrine therapy. Musculoskeletal pain may have a negative effect on belief in endocrine therapy and increase FCR among BCS. Thus, awareness of musculoskeletal pain during AI therapy should be raised and further research is required to develop multidisciplinary pain management strategies and clinical guidelines to reinforce belief in endocrine therapy.

PURPOSE: This study attempted to analyze problems of informed consent in the clinical setting and appraise ethical aspects inherent in such issues in order to boost awareness of informed consent and its implementation among healthcare professionals. METHODS: Study methods included identifying ethical meanings of informed consent in the clinical setting based on the principal ethics, and exploring the process of informed consent utilizing communicative ethics and feminine care ethics RESULTS: The ethical basis of informed consent encompasses not only respect for autonomy but also prohibiting malice, practicing beneficience, and establishing justice. These principles, however, are limited in illustrating the ethical aspects of communicative ethics and care ethics that are entailed in informed consent within clinical settings. The ethical meaning of informed consent involves a communicative and caring process between healthcare professionals, patients, and family built on mutual respect. CONCLUSION: Healthcare professionals must fully understand the ethical meanings of informed consent and in turn respect and protect the clients' right to know and making decisions. Nurses especially, must take on the role of mediator and advocate throughout the process of obtaining informed consent, and practice ethical caring by facilitating communication grounded in mutual understanding among the physician, patient, and family members.
Delivery of Health Care ; Ethics ; Humans ; Informed Consent* ; Social Justice

PURPOSE: This paper presented a descriptive study which aimed to identify the relationship among menstrual attitude, premenstrual distress and premenstrual coping in Korean college women and to propose fundamental data for the development of guidelines for effective management of premenstrual distress. METHODS: The data were collected from 111 college women and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The mean score of premenstrual coping was 3.25±0.60 out of 5 points. The ‘Awareness and Acceptance of Premenstrual Change’ score was highest and the ‘Avoiding Harm’ score was lowest. Menstrual attitude was significantly related to premenstrual distress (r=.37 p<.001) and the awareness and acceptance style of premenstrual coping (r=-.21. p=.021). And premenstrual distress was significantly related to the self-care coping style of premenstrual coping (r=.30, p=.001), the adjusting energy coping style of premenstrual coping (r=.45, p<.001) and the avoiding harm coping style of premenstrual coping (r=.48, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Results of this study support that positive attitude about menstruation is necessary for the effective management of premenstrual distress. Also, premenstrual coping programs that consider the level of premenstrual distress will be needed for college women.
Female ; Humans ; Menstruation ; Self Care

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine differences in mammography screening according to breast cancer and social network characteristic. METHODS: Data were collected from 187 married women 35 years and older who were using public health centers, health promotion centers, cultural centers, obstetrics and gynecology hospitals or other relevant community sites. Data were collected between October 24 and December 4, 2008. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 15.0 program. RESULTS: The participation rate for mammography screening was 35.3%. The following general and breast cancer characteristics showed statistically significant differences: religion, family incomes, regular medical-care, general health examinations during past 2 years, and history of breast disease. The following social network characteristics showed statistically significant differences: social norms and subjective norms. Using logistic regression analysis, regular medical-care, breast cancer risk appraisal, social norm, and subjective norms were highly predictive of subsequent mammography. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that it is important to develop and provide tailored intervention programs through integrated socially mediated programs. By consciously including social network and support systems, breast cancer detection efforts would not end as a one-time event, but naturally build on network structure of adults women, thus facilitating regular mammography screening.
Adult ; Breast ; Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Gynecology ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mammography ; Mass Screening ; Obstetrics ; Public Health