Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) is effective in promoting sustained behavioral changes across various fields.However, there is a lack of research on the application of MI in oral health education, targeting elementary school students in South Korea. This study aimed to develop an MI-based oral health education program to positively influence oral health behaviors and improve the oral health of elementary school students. Methods: The program was developed using Sussman’s curriculum development model in four stages: theoretical research and needs assessment; collection of program activity strategies; evaluation and review of activities; and final production of the program. The program was refined based on feedback from four experts to enhance its validity and effectiveness. Results: The final program consisted of five one-hour sessions. Fifteen activity sheets were created to align the contents of eachsession. The sessions incorporated key MI techniques, including open questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries and information provision, with the goals of building rapport, assessing readiness for behavior change, exploring ambivalence, creating discrepancies, motivating change, and planning for action. The oral health education content was tailored to the level of upper elementary students, covering topics such as tooth structure and function, causes and progression of dental caries, Bass method of tooth brushing, use of dental floss and tongue cleaners, and identification of cariogenic foods. Conclusion This study is significant because it developed an MI-based program capable of promoting self-driven behavioralchange that moves beyond traditional lecture-based oral health education. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of the program and exploring its applicability to other age groups.

Background: Elementary school is a critical period for oral health because the incidence of dental caries is high, and early symptoms of gingivitis manifest. While existing oral health education improves knowledge, it has limitations in sustaining oral health behaviors. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral health education program based on motivational interviewing (MI), which enhances intrinsic motivation and promotes behavioral change. Methods: Thirty-five elementary school students (Grades 4∼6) were recruited and assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group (n=16) received an MI-based oral health education program, whereas the control group (n=16) received standard education. The program was conducted once per week for five weeks (1 hour/session) and covered: Session 1: Understanding tooth structure, causes of caries, and setting oral health goals; Session 2: Learning how to perform rotational brushing and exploring ambivalence; Session 3: Learning how to use dental floss and tongue cleaners while reinforcing motivation; Session 4: Identifying cariogenic and protective foods; and Session 5: Developing a change plan and assessing self-confidence. Oral health behaviors, diet-related oral health behaviors, and oral hygiene skills were assessed pre- and post-intervention, and at follow-up. Results: Both groups showed significant post-intervention improvements. However, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant group-time interactions and sustained improvements in all areas except diet-related behaviors. The control group showed a temporary increase followed by a decline. Conclusion The MI-based oral health education program effectively improved and maintained oral health behaviors and oral hygiene skills. It can be applied to elementary school students to promote long-term changes in oral health behaviors.

Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) is effective in promoting sustained behavioral changes across various fields.However, there is a lack of research on the application of MI in oral health education, targeting elementary school students in South Korea. This study aimed to develop an MI-based oral health education program to positively influence oral health behaviors and improve the oral health of elementary school students. Methods: The program was developed using Sussman’s curriculum development model in four stages: theoretical research and needs assessment; collection of program activity strategies; evaluation and review of activities; and final production of the program. The program was refined based on feedback from four experts to enhance its validity and effectiveness. Results: The final program consisted of five one-hour sessions. Fifteen activity sheets were created to align the contents of eachsession. The sessions incorporated key MI techniques, including open questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries and information provision, with the goals of building rapport, assessing readiness for behavior change, exploring ambivalence, creating discrepancies, motivating change, and planning for action. The oral health education content was tailored to the level of upper elementary students, covering topics such as tooth structure and function, causes and progression of dental caries, Bass method of tooth brushing, use of dental floss and tongue cleaners, and identification of cariogenic foods. Conclusion This study is significant because it developed an MI-based program capable of promoting self-driven behavioralchange that moves beyond traditional lecture-based oral health education. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of the program and exploring its applicability to other age groups.

Background: Elementary school is a critical period for oral health because the incidence of dental caries is high, and early symptoms of gingivitis manifest. While existing oral health education improves knowledge, it has limitations in sustaining oral health behaviors. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral health education program based on motivational interviewing (MI), which enhances intrinsic motivation and promotes behavioral change. Methods: Thirty-five elementary school students (Grades 4∼6) were recruited and assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group (n=16) received an MI-based oral health education program, whereas the control group (n=16) received standard education. The program was conducted once per week for five weeks (1 hour/session) and covered: Session 1: Understanding tooth structure, causes of caries, and setting oral health goals; Session 2: Learning how to perform rotational brushing and exploring ambivalence; Session 3: Learning how to use dental floss and tongue cleaners while reinforcing motivation; Session 4: Identifying cariogenic and protective foods; and Session 5: Developing a change plan and assessing self-confidence. Oral health behaviors, diet-related oral health behaviors, and oral hygiene skills were assessed pre- and post-intervention, and at follow-up. Results: Both groups showed significant post-intervention improvements. However, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant group-time interactions and sustained improvements in all areas except diet-related behaviors. The control group showed a temporary increase followed by a decline. Conclusion The MI-based oral health education program effectively improved and maintained oral health behaviors and oral hygiene skills. It can be applied to elementary school students to promote long-term changes in oral health behaviors.

Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) is effective in promoting sustained behavioral changes across various fields.However, there is a lack of research on the application of MI in oral health education, targeting elementary school students in South Korea. This study aimed to develop an MI-based oral health education program to positively influence oral health behaviors and improve the oral health of elementary school students. Methods: The program was developed using Sussman’s curriculum development model in four stages: theoretical research and needs assessment; collection of program activity strategies; evaluation and review of activities; and final production of the program. The program was refined based on feedback from four experts to enhance its validity and effectiveness. Results: The final program consisted of five one-hour sessions. Fifteen activity sheets were created to align the contents of eachsession. The sessions incorporated key MI techniques, including open questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries and information provision, with the goals of building rapport, assessing readiness for behavior change, exploring ambivalence, creating discrepancies, motivating change, and planning for action. The oral health education content was tailored to the level of upper elementary students, covering topics such as tooth structure and function, causes and progression of dental caries, Bass method of tooth brushing, use of dental floss and tongue cleaners, and identification of cariogenic foods. Conclusion This study is significant because it developed an MI-based program capable of promoting self-driven behavioralchange that moves beyond traditional lecture-based oral health education. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of the program and exploring its applicability to other age groups.

Background: Elementary school is a critical period for oral health because the incidence of dental caries is high, and early symptoms of gingivitis manifest. While existing oral health education improves knowledge, it has limitations in sustaining oral health behaviors. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral health education program based on motivational interviewing (MI), which enhances intrinsic motivation and promotes behavioral change. Methods: Thirty-five elementary school students (Grades 4∼6) were recruited and assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group (n=16) received an MI-based oral health education program, whereas the control group (n=16) received standard education. The program was conducted once per week for five weeks (1 hour/session) and covered: Session 1: Understanding tooth structure, causes of caries, and setting oral health goals; Session 2: Learning how to perform rotational brushing and exploring ambivalence; Session 3: Learning how to use dental floss and tongue cleaners while reinforcing motivation; Session 4: Identifying cariogenic and protective foods; and Session 5: Developing a change plan and assessing self-confidence. Oral health behaviors, diet-related oral health behaviors, and oral hygiene skills were assessed pre- and post-intervention, and at follow-up. Results: Both groups showed significant post-intervention improvements. However, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant group-time interactions and sustained improvements in all areas except diet-related behaviors. The control group showed a temporary increase followed by a decline. Conclusion The MI-based oral health education program effectively improved and maintained oral health behaviors and oral hygiene skills. It can be applied to elementary school students to promote long-term changes in oral health behaviors.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported sleep and cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to understand potential implications for Alzheimer’s disease prevention. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 80 patients with MCI and 70 controls. Participants completed standardized questionnaires to assess self-reported sleep quality (Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI-K]), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]), and insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Seoul Neuropsychological Test and the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. The Korea Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale was used to assess instrumental activities of daily living. Correlation analyses examined the relationship between sleep-related parameters and cognitive function. Results: The results indicated no significant differences in PSQI-K and ESS scores between patients with MCI and the control group. Correlation analyses revealed that poorer sleep quality was associated with reduced frontal and executive functions in patients with MCI, particularly in tests such as Controlled Oral Word Association Test (supermarket, -0.311, p<0.001) and Trail Making Test (TMT) B (0.232, p<0.001). Additionally, daytime dysfunction was associated with poorer cognitive performance across language and executive domains (e.g., Korean Boston Naming Test: -0.290, p<0.001; TMTA: 0.248, p<0.001). In both groups, ISI scores were linked to cognitive functions, particularly in attention, phonemic fluency, and executive function (e.g., digit span, backward: -0.225, p<0.01; TMTA: 0.327, p<0.01). Conclusions These findings suggest that sleep disturbances significantly impact cognitive function and daily living abilities in patients with MCI.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported sleep and cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to understand potential implications for Alzheimer’s disease prevention. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 80 patients with MCI and 70 controls. Participants completed standardized questionnaires to assess self-reported sleep quality (Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI-K]), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]), and insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Seoul Neuropsychological Test and the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. The Korea Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale was used to assess instrumental activities of daily living. Correlation analyses examined the relationship between sleep-related parameters and cognitive function. Results: The results indicated no significant differences in PSQI-K and ESS scores between patients with MCI and the control group. Correlation analyses revealed that poorer sleep quality was associated with reduced frontal and executive functions in patients with MCI, particularly in tests such as Controlled Oral Word Association Test (supermarket, -0.311, p<0.001) and Trail Making Test (TMT) B (0.232, p<0.001). Additionally, daytime dysfunction was associated with poorer cognitive performance across language and executive domains (e.g., Korean Boston Naming Test: -0.290, p<0.001; TMTA: 0.248, p<0.001). In both groups, ISI scores were linked to cognitive functions, particularly in attention, phonemic fluency, and executive function (e.g., digit span, backward: -0.225, p<0.01; TMTA: 0.327, p<0.01). Conclusions These findings suggest that sleep disturbances significantly impact cognitive function and daily living abilities in patients with MCI.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported sleep and cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to understand potential implications for Alzheimer’s disease prevention. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 80 patients with MCI and 70 controls. Participants completed standardized questionnaires to assess self-reported sleep quality (Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI-K]), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]), and insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Seoul Neuropsychological Test and the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. The Korea Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale was used to assess instrumental activities of daily living. Correlation analyses examined the relationship between sleep-related parameters and cognitive function. Results: The results indicated no significant differences in PSQI-K and ESS scores between patients with MCI and the control group. Correlation analyses revealed that poorer sleep quality was associated with reduced frontal and executive functions in patients with MCI, particularly in tests such as Controlled Oral Word Association Test (supermarket, -0.311, p<0.001) and Trail Making Test (TMT) B (0.232, p<0.001). Additionally, daytime dysfunction was associated with poorer cognitive performance across language and executive domains (e.g., Korean Boston Naming Test: -0.290, p<0.001; TMTA: 0.248, p<0.001). In both groups, ISI scores were linked to cognitive functions, particularly in attention, phonemic fluency, and executive function (e.g., digit span, backward: -0.225, p<0.01; TMTA: 0.327, p<0.01). Conclusions These findings suggest that sleep disturbances significantly impact cognitive function and daily living abilities in patients with MCI.

PURPOSE: Fever is one of the most common symptoms in children. In previous studies, infectious disease was the most common cause of pediatric fever of unknown origin (FUO). The aim of this study is to investigate the etiology, clinical characteristics and prognosis of pediatric FUO in 21 century with more diagnostics available and to analyze the factors for certain disease categories. METHODS: Among the children under 18 years old who were hospitalized at Samsung Medical Center from January 2000 to December 2014, the patients who met the criteria including fever of ≥38.0℃ for longer than ≥14 days and failure to reach a diagnosis after one week of investigations were included. RESULTS: Total 100 patients were identified. Confirmed diagnosis was achieved in 57 patients (57%). Among them, infectious diseases (n=19, 19%) were most common, followed by connective tissue diseases (n=15, 15%), necrotizing lymphadenitis (n=8, 8%), and malignancies (n=7, 7%). Children with fever duration over 28 days had a trend for higher frequency of connective tissue diseases (28.3%) except undiagnosed etiology. The symptoms such as arthritis, lymph node enlargement and only fever without other symptoms were significantly related with connective tissue diseases, necrotizing lymphadenitis and undiagnosed respectively (P<0.001). Ninety-two patients have become afebrile at discharge and 1 patient died (1%). CONCLUSION: Almost half of our patients were left without diagnosis. Although it has been known that infectious disease was most common cause of pediatric FUO in the past, undiagnosed portion of FUO have now increased due to development of diagnostic techniques for infectious diseases.
Arthritis ; Child* ; Communicable Diseases ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Fever of Unknown Origin* ; Fever* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphadenitis ; Prognosis