PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the risk factors associated with falls among patients with Parkinson's Disease(PD). METHOD: A retrospective study design was used through the collection of physiological and physical health, and psychosocial functions. RESULTS: Of the 100 participants, fifty-nine(59%) reported one or more falls and seventy-one(71%) reported one or more near-falls. Anaverage 34.7 falls and 150.3 near-falls were reported in the previous year per person. Stage of PD, foot problems, balance, fear of falling, and activities of daily living were significantly associated with an increased risk of falls. CONCLUSION: The findings confirm the high risk of falling in PD patients. Also these results have implications for developing fall prevention programs for PD patients.
*Accidental Falls/prevention & control ; Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease/*complications/physiopathology ; Postural Balance ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: To investigate the status of health education courses in elementary schools. METHOD: From September to December in 2003, 607 school nurses were surveyed by questionnaires. RESULTS: 1) Of the schools, 32.1% had health education programs as part of the school health service. A higher proportion was found in schools in suburban and rural areas. Mass media in health education was used by 75% of school nurses. Regular classes were more frequently utilized in schools in rural areas, while the classes in health-related subjects were utilized in urban areas. For 20.6% of school nurses, there was a substitute person to provide health care while the nurse was in health education classed, but 94.2% of school nurses found they had to give up health education due to pressure from other health services. 2) Of the nurses, 97.0% felt the need to provide health education courses, but 60.6% insisted that their work load needed to be modified and supplemental personnel were necessary if health education courses were to be provided. 3) More than 30% school nurses responded that educational materials and media, and concern by teachers and administrators were insufficient. 4) School nurses suggested that the content for health education courses should include healthy life and dental health care for students in lower grades, dental health care, sex education and safety for students in middle grades, and sex education and drug abuse prevention for students in higher grades. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to provide health education courses in elementary schools but conditions in the schools are not satisfactory. For successful school health services, personnel supplement, modified work loads and sufficient educational materials and media should be in place before health education courses are provided.
Administrative Personnel ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Education* ; Health Services ; Humans ; Mass Media ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; School Health Services ; Sex Education ; Substance-Related Disorders

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of tooth-brushing education on the oral health of preschoolers. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was used. Two kindergartens were selected and 39 preschoolers from one kindergarten were assigned to the experimental group with tooth-brushing education and 39 from the other kindergarten to the control group. The tooth-brushing education program included 1 session on oral health education, individual tooth-brushing instruction for 1 week and supervised tooth-brushing after lunch for 4 weeks. Oral health behavior including use of tooth paste, tooth-brushing time and method of tooth-brushing, plague, streptococcus mutans, lactobacillus and dental caries were measured before and after the education. Fisher's exact test, t-test and paired t-test with the Window SAS 9.1 program were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A significant increase in the use of tooth paste, tooth-brushing time and the practice of correct tooth-brushing and a decrease in plague and development of dental caries were observed in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: This tooth-brushing education was partially effective in improving oral health of preschoolers.
Child, Preschool ; DMF Index ; Dental Caries/prevention & control ; Dental Plaque/prevention & control ; Female ; *Health Education, Dental ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; *Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene ; Toothbrushing/*utilization

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop and examine the effects of a self-management program (SMP) on physical, psychological functions, and symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease(PD). METHODS: In a two-group pre-and post-test design, a total of 40 patients were assigned to the experimental group(21) or the control group (19). The experimental group received eight weekly 2-hour sessions for 10-15 literate adults of all ages, while the control group did not receive any intervention. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significant improvements in muscle strength, balance, self-efficacy, depression, quality of life(QL), quality of sleep, and discomfort of constipation. It also reduced the number of participants using assistive walking devices. There were no significant changes in fear of falling and duration of sleep. CONCLUSION: The eight week SMP in patients with PD was found to be significantly effective in enhancing muscle strength, balance, self-efficacy, QL, and quality of sleep. It also decreased depression, discomfort of constipation, and assistive walking devices. These results suggest that a SMP can have effects on physical, psychological functions and symptoms in patients with PD. Further research with a larger sample and for a longer follow up period is needed to expand our understanding of the effects of a SMP for patients with PD.
Aged ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease/psychology/*therapy ; Patient Education as Topic ; Quality of Life ; Self Care/*methods ; Self Efficacy ; Walking

PURPOSE: To provide basic data for developing problematic drinking prevention problem through the investigation of the educational needs on drinking of primary students. METHOD: Subjects were 630 fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in 5 primary schools in Seoul. Data were collected from November to December 2000 by using structured questionnaire. RESULT: 1) Among the students under inquiry, 41.2% answered the had educational need about drinking. Educational need about drinking was significantly higher in the students with higher mothers educational level than those of with lower ones. 2) With regard to the appropriate class in providing education, 37.3% selected normal class education. 47.3% of the respondents said experiments would be the most effective education method. 61.8% of the students picked school nurses as the most appropriate person in carrying out the education. As for the most effective media for education, 40.3% chose video/television. The most concerning topic was academic achievement with 51.9% of the surveyed. As for the rate of preference in methods of drinking prevention education, Significant differences were shown in the class, teaching method, instructor, media, memory of education and concerning topic according to the gender. CONCLUSION: The results of the finding suggest that the various programs of drinking prevention education for the primary students should be developed with consider the difference of preference by the grade and the gender.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Drinking* ; Education ; Humans ; Memory ; Mothers ; Seoul ; Teaching ; Child Health

Community-based centres were surveyed to determine the frequency of and risk factors for falls among elderly Koreans. We examined fall-related risk factors, including physiological and physical health, psychosocial functions, self-reported physical capacity and activity, vision, and the use of medication, among 351 elderly people aged 65 years or older, with ambulatory. Forty-two per cent of elderly Korean subjects reported at least one episode of falling in the previous 12 months, 38% of whom had consequences that required either the attention of a physician or hospitalization. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of falling were a restricted activity during the previous five years (adjusted OR 1.3), use of alternative therapy (adjusted OR 2.7), low knee flexor and extensor-muscle strength (adjusted OR 1.21 and 1.20), and poor balance with closed eyes (adjusted OR 8.32). We conclude that falls among older persons living in the community are common in Korea and that indicator of bad health and frailty or variables directly related to neuromuscular impairment are significant predictors of the risk of falling.
Accidental Falls/prevention & control/*statistics & numerical data ; Accidents, Home/prevention & control/*statistics & numerical data ; Activities of Daily Living ; Aged/physiology/psychology/*statistics & numerical data ; Aged, 80 and over ; Drug Utilization ; Female ; Gait ; Geriatric Assessment ; Health Status ; Housing/statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Mental Health ; Population Surveillance ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Vision Disorders/complications/epidemiology

OBJECTIVE: To study the neonatal outcomes of pregnancies complicated with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) and to assess the prognostic factors for poor neonatal outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of pregnancies registered and managed in Korea from Jan 1st, 2000 to Dec 31st, 2005. The 217 women with preterm premature rupture of membranes in singleton pregnancies from 16 to 36 gestational weeks were enrolled in this study. We investigated respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and neonatal infection for poor neonatal outcomes. Prognostic variables included for analysis were age, BMI, parity, history of PPROM, history of preterm labor, preterm labor, amniotic fluid index, tocolysis, antibiotics, antenatal steroid, hemoglobin, WBC, CRP, gestational age at PPROM, interval from PPROM to delivery, gestational age at delivery, placental findings, and etc. We compared the characteristics of those who developed neonatal morbidity (n=144) with those who did not (n=65) using the Student t test for continuous variables, and the Pearson's chi-square or the Fisher exact test for categorical variables. RESULTS: Total of 217 cases of PPROM were registered and treated expectantly during the study period. The majority of cases were delivered within 48 hours of PPROM. There were 64 cases diagnosed with RDS, 21 with IVH, 3 with NEC, 117 with neonatal infection and 8 neonatal mortalities. The gestational age at PPROM (p<0.000), interval from PPROM to delivery (p<0.036), gestational age at delivery (p<0.000), decreased amniotic fluid index (p<0.048), and high level of WBC, CRP (p<0.010, p<0.049) were significantly correlated with poor neonatal outcomes. Birth weight (p<0.000) and APGAR (p<0.000) score at 5 minute were significantly lower in cases resulting in neonatal morbidity. CONCLUSION: Neonatal outcomes of pregnancies with preterm premature rupture of membranes are related to gestational age at PPROM, interval from PPROM to delivery, and gestational age at delivery. The decreased amniotic fluid index, and high level of WBC, CRP presented before delivery are significantly correlated with poor neonatal outcomes. Birth weight and APGAR scores at 5 minute are significantly lower in cases resulting in neonatal morbidity.
Amniotic Fluid ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Birth Weight ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Mortality ; Korea ; Membranes* ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Parity ; Pregnancy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture* ; Tocolysis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the distress of the patients with ostomy. METHODS: A descriptive research design was adopted for data collection and analysis. Six patients with ostomy participated in the study. The consent from the participants was obtained for ethical protection. Data were collected from July 31, 2009 to January 10, 2010 using in-depth interview technique. Krippendorff's content analysis method was utilized for data analysis. RESULTS: Eight categories and 26 themes were extracted from the data which illustrated the lived distress of the patients with ostomy. The categories were "do not have any freedom to eat whatever I wish to eat", "uncontrolled defecation", "have to live through tough situation", "keep stoma in suspense", "disgusting ostomy", "can not live with comfort", "easily take a pessimistic view", and "see how the wind blows in daily family life". CONCLUSION: Ostomates were affected by the distress of having an ostomy in their physical, psychological, social and spiritual life. Individualized and continued nursing education program has to be developed in hospital and community settings in order to improve the quality of life of the ostomates.
Data Collection ; Education, Nursing ; Freedom ; Humans ; Ostomy ; Quality of Life ; Research Design ; Wind

A randomized comparison of pre-and post-experimental design was used to examine the effects of a fall prevention exercise program (FPEP) on muscle strength, ankle flexibility, balance, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and depression for the community-dwelling elderly in Korea. Twenty-two subjects were assigned to an experimental group and twenty-three to a control group. The experimental group participated in a 4-day-per week FPEP of 8 weeks duration, twice a week by direct instruction and twice a week with videotaped instruction by the program instructor at each senior center. The eight-week FPEP turned out to be significantly effective in enhancing muscle strength, ankle flexibility and balance, and in reducing depression, after intervention among community-dwelling elderly in Korea. IADLs, however, was not changed by the intervention. Further research with a larger sample and longer follow up period is needed to expand our understanding about the effects of FPEP. Future study is also recommended to differentiate between the effects of FPEP by direct instruction and by videotaped.
Accidental Falls/*prevention & control ; Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ankle/physiology ; *Exercise ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/physiology ; Musculoskeletal Equilibrium ; Pliability ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PURPOSE: To develop & to examine the effect of a Tailored Exercise Program (TEP) on physical fitness in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHOD: In a two-group pre-and post-test design, from a total 41 participants. 21 were assigned th the experimental group and the remainder to the control group. The experimental group participated in a 4-day a week, 8 week program in which one session a week was by direct instruction with the self-help group and two sessions a week were by videotaped instruction at home by themselves. The control group did not receive any intervention. RESULTS: The eight week TEP in patients with PD was found to be significantly effective in enhancing muscle strength, ankle flexibility, and balance. However instrumental activities of daily living was not changed by the intervention. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TEP can have an effect on physical fitness in patients with PD. Further research with a larger sample and for a longer follow up period is needed to expand our understanding of the effects of TEP for patients with PD.
Activities of Daily Living ; Ankle ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Muscle Strength ; Parkinson Disease* ; Physical Fitness* ; Pliability ; Self-Help Groups