This study aimed to develop a physical restraints education program using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skill (IMB) model and examine its effects on physical restraint-related knowledge, attitudes, nursing practices, and person-centered care of nursing care providers in long-term care hospitals. Methods: A nonequivalent control group repeated measures quasi-experimental design was used. The participants were 54 nursing care providers (intervention group=27, control group=27) in long-term care hospitals from B city. The IMB model-based education program was developed and implemented once a week for 3 weeks. The program involved brain writing, lectures, poster or slogan creation, writing diary to reduce the use of restraint, and shouting slogans. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires at pretest, immediately after the program completed (3 weeks after pretest), and 4 weeks after completing the program (7 weeks after pretest). Analysis was conducted using χ²-test, Fisher’s exact test, t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and repeated measures ANCOVA with the SPSS/WIN 28.0 program. Results: The participants consisted of nurses (40.7%), nursing assistants (40.7%), and care workers (18.5%). The education program had statistically significant effects on knowledge (F=46.38, p<.001), attitude (F=42.70, p<.001), nursing practice (F=31.29, p<.001), and person-centered care (F=27.74, p<.001) regarding physical restraints. The intervention’s effects remained for 4 weeks after the completion of the intervention. Conclusion: This education program effectively enhanced nursing care providers’ knowledge, attitude, nursing practice, and person-centered care concerning physical restraints. Future research is warranted to provide a regularly repeated program and evaluate the direct effects on the frequency of physical restraints for nursing care providers in long-term care hospitals.

Antimicrobial resistance and emerging infectious diseases, including avian influenza, Ebola virus disease, and Zika virus disease have significantly affected humankind in recent years. In the premodern era, no distinction was made between animal and human medicine. However, as medical science developed, the gap between human and animal science grew deeper. Cooperation among human, animal, and environmental sciences to combat emerging public health threats has become an important issue under the One Health Initiative. Herein, we presented the history of One Health, reviewed current public health threats, and suggested opportunities for the field of public health through better understanding of the One Health paradigm.
Animals ; Communicable Diseases ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Ecology ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; Humans ; Influenza in Birds ; Korea ; Public Health* ; Zika Virus Infection ; Zoonoses

In epidemiology, the basic reproduction number (R0) is a term that describes the expected number of infections generated by 1 case in a susceptible population. At the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, R0 was frequently referenced by the public health community and the wider public. However, this metric is often misused or misinterpreted. Moreover, the complexity of the process of estimating R0 has caused difficulties for a substantial number of researchers. In this article, in order to increase the accessibility of this concept, we address several misconceptions related to the threshold characteristics of R0 and the effective reproduction number (Rt). Moreover, the appropriate interpretation of the metrics is discussed. R0 should be considered as a population-averaged value that pools the contact structure according to a stochastic transmission process. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand the unavoidable time lag for Rt due to the incubation period of the disease.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.