PURPOSE: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health problem related to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether recommended levels of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) decrease the risk of MetS in a community-based prospective cohort study (Ansung and Ansan cohort).MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 3910 adults (1890 men, 2020 women) without MetS examined in 2001–2002 (baseline) were included in this study and followed up from 2013 to 2014. We measured LTPA energy expenditure using the standard metabolic equivalent value [metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-h/wk]. Individuals were categorized into five groups (physically inactive, 0.1 to <7.5, 7.5 to <15.0, 15.0 to <22.5, 22.5 to <40.0, and ≥40.0 MET-h/wk).RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 11.8 years. Among the cohort, 482 men (25.5%) and 541 women (26.8%) were diagnosed with newly developed MetS. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed a 4.4% lower MetS risk among those performing two to three times the recommended minimum of 7.5 MET-h/wk [multivariate relative risk (RR), 0.956; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.654–1.398] and a 21.9% lower risk among those performing three to four times the physical activity minimum (multivariate RR, 0.781; 95% CI, 0.574–1.063). This association was only significant in females performing three to four times the minimum (crude RR, 0.655; 95% CI, 0.432–0.994).CONCLUSION: We noted that physical activity at more than 2 times the recommended minimum prevents MetS. Healthcare professionals should encourage inactive adults to be physically active during their leisure time to take advantage of its health benefits.
Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cohort Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Insurance Benefits ; Korea ; Leisure Activities ; Male ; Metabolic Equivalent ; Motor Activity ; Prospective Studies ; Public Health

PURPOSE: This study examined the mediating effects of self-esteem and resilience on the relationship between internalized stigma and quality of life in people with schizophrenia.METHODS: The participants were 123 people with schizophrenia (mean age = 41.87 years; 62.6% men) recruited from Soonchunhyang university hospital, a mental health center, and daytime rehabilitation facilities located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. Using a cross-sectional survey, participants completed structured questionnaires with psychometric adequacy. The regression method of Baron and Kenny was used to test the mediating effects of self-esteem and resilience on the relationship between internalized stigma and quality of life.RESULTS: Self-esteem and resilience were found to be full and partial mediators, respectively, in the relationship between internalized stigma and quality of life.CONCLUSION: The findings of this study imply that effective future intervention strategies should target improvements in self-esteem and resilience to reduce the negative impact of internalized stigma on the quality of life of people with schizophrenia.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Gyeonggi-do ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Methods ; Negotiating ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Rehabilitation ; Resilience, Psychological ; Schizophrenia ; Seoul ; Social Stigma

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the effects of an experiential learning activities-focused smoking prevention (ELSP) program on the basis of the Attitude-Social Influence-Efficacy (ASE) model in elementary school students. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design was conducted with 84 participants who were in the fifth grade of two elementary schools in Seongnam city, South Korea. The two schools were allocated into either the ELSP (n=42) or control (n=42) group. The ELSP group completed five ELSP classes, while the control group completed five traditional lecture-based classes during the 5 weeks. Both groups were examined before and after 5 weeks, using ASE measures of smoking attitude, social influence, self-efficacy for the refusal of smoking temptation, and intention not to smoke. Data were collected from August to September 2017. RESULTS: The ELSP group had significant changes in the scores of smoking attitude (t=4.75, P<0.001) and social influences (t=3.73, P<0.001), compared to those in the control group. However, the ELSP group had non-significant changes in the scores of self-efficacy for the refusal of smoking temptation and intention not to smoke, compared to those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The ELSP program may be effective in improving smoking attitude and perceived social influence of smoking among those in upper grades of elementary schools. However, the duration and intensity of the ELSP program must be revised to effectively enhance smoking refusal self-efficacy and non-smoking intentions.
Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Peer Influence ; Problem-Based Learning ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate vitamin D status at birth in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs: <1,500 g) and to determine the association between vitamin D level and respiratory morbidity. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital between November 2013 and November 2017. We collected blood samples and data on respiratory morbidity from 230 VLBWIs on the first day of life. Patients who were transferred to other hospitals (n=19), died before 36 weeks of gestational age (n=18), or whose blood samples were not collected immediately after birth (n=5) were excluded. Finally, 188 patients were enrolled. VLBWIs with different vitamin D levels were compared with respect to demographic features, maternal diseases, respiratory morbidities, and other neonatal diseases. RESULTS: The mean serum vitamin D level, as measured by 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), was 13.4±9.3 ng/mL. The incidence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was 79.8%, and 44.1% of preterm infants had severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL). Logistic analysis shows that a low serum 25(OH)D level (<20 ng/mL) was a risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio [OR], 4.32; P=0.010) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR, 4.11; P=0.035). CONCLUSION: The results showed that 79.8% of preterm infants in this study had vitamin D deficiency at birth. Low vitamin D status was associated with respiratory morbidity, but the exact mechanism was unknown. Additional studies on the association between vitamin D level and neonatal morbidity are required.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Gestational Age ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

PURPOSE: We aimed to examine the correlations between pregnancy experience and attitude regarding weight change during pregnancy. METHODS: This correlative study was conducted from July 2017 to October 2017 by involving 156 primigravida women who were over pregnancy 20 weeks in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do province. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which included questions on demographic data, experience during pregnancy, and attitude regarding weight change during pregnancy. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Also, independent t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 30.62 years and their score of attitude regarding weight gain during pregnancy was low. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the pregnancy experience and attitude regarding weight gain during pregnancy in primigravida women. CONCLUSION: As a result of analyzing the correlation between pregnancy experience and attitude towards weight gain during pregnancy, it is apparent that attitudes toward weight change are different according to experience during pregnancy in women. Based on these results, it can be concluded that nursing intervention programs are necessitated to enhance the attitude of pregnant primigravida women towards pregnancy and weight gain.
Body Weight Changes ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Nursing ; Pregnancy ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic ; Weight Gain

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the components and nature of happiness in middle-aged women in Korea. METHODS: Thirty middle-aged women living in metropolitan Seoul and Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces agreed to participate in this study. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with the participants in one-on-one settings. The data were analyzed qualitative using Colaizzi's method of phenomenology. RESULTS: The three theme clusters were extracted from the raw data, along with 13 themes and 138 meaningful sentences and phrases. The three happiness theme clusters in middle-aged women were “live healthy for stability,” “rule one's mind for harmony,” and “activate hopes for self-esteem.” The first theme cluster included healthy life, economic stability, physical youth, and positive thought. The second theme cluster included that harmonious family, ruling of mind, my position as invisible person in social relationships, and precious relationships to support. The last theme included the center of one's life is oneself, a sense of accomplishment, self-improvement, recognition of one's worth and rest for one self. The three theme clusters were associated with the existence, relatedness, and growth (ERG) of ERG areas, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the core components of happiness in middle-aged women are to live healthy and mind-ruled and activate hope. The nature of happiness is egocentric stability in middle-aged women. The results suggest that theme clusters might be used to develop a scale for measuring happiness in middle-aged women. This will be helpful to assess the psychosocial status of middle-aged women in Korea.
Adolescent ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Happiness ; Hope ; Humans ; Korea ; Methods ; Middle Aged ; Qualitative Research ; Seoul

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare student consumption of school meals by school level, to identify the influencing factors of school meal consumption, and to assess improvement needs of school food service among students. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 1,441 elementary, middle, and high school students attending 58 schools in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea participated in the survey in 2015. A questionnaire and informed consent forms for students and legal guardians were sent home and completed responses were returned to the researcher. RESULTS: Approximately 58% of the students perceived the portion sizes of school meals as appropriate and 76.1% consumed almost all or all of the meals served. More elementary and middle school students than high school students consumed almost all or all of the meals (P < 0.001). A regression analysis revealed that the students with a higher dietary behavior score (P < 0.001), higher satisfaction with food service (P < 0.001), a higher environmental protection practice score (P < 0.05), and more positive attitudes toward school meals (P < 0.01) consumed significantly more meals. The provision of foods that taste good and reflecting student opinions on menus were the most important factors for increasing school meal consumption. CONCLUSIONS: To increase consumption of school meals, food service staff should provide students with quality meals and engage students in school food service. Nutrition education that emphasizes healthy eating behaviors and cafeteria environment modification that applies strategies based on behavioral economics can encourage students to consume more school meals.
Consent Forms ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Economics, Behavioral ; Education ; Feeding Behavior ; Food Habits ; Food Services ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Legal Guardians ; Meals ; Portion Size

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Proper nutrition intake during pregnancy and lactation is very important to both mothers and babies. Pregnant women should maintain proper nutritional status to restore decreased physical strength due to pregnancy and childbirth and produce breastmilk for the growth and development of the baby. Recently, the number of Chinese people living in Korea has increased as the exchange between Korea and China becomes active. It is important to provide proper nutrition education for pregnant women of both countries considering cultural differences. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The subjects of this study were postpartum women in Gyeonggi, South Korea and Jinhua, China. The subjects were 20–45 years old less than six months after childbirth. A survey, using self-administered questionnaires, was conducted from October 2018 to January 2019. For data analysis, 221 Korean postpartum women (KPW) and 221 Chinese postpartum women (CPW) questionnaires were used. RESULTS: KPW had significantly higher nutritional knowledge score and dietary attitude score than CPW (P < 0.001). However, overall score for dietary habits was significantly higher in CPW compared to KPW (P < 0.001). In KPW, nutritional knowledge (P < 0.01) and dietary attitude (P < 0.001) had significantly positive correlations with dietary habits. The proportions of KPW and CPW who answered that they had experience of nutrition education were 28.5% and 80.1% (P < 0.001). The score for dietary habits was lower as the hours for watching TV and using mobile phone became longer in postpartum women of both countries, with significant differences in KPW (P < 0.001) and CPW (P < 0.05). In KPW, the score for dietary habits in postpartum women with exercise experience was significantly higher than that in postpartum women without exercise experience (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More pregnancy-related nutrition education should be provided and various and effective nutrition education programs, which not only transfer information but can be practiced in the actual life, should be developed.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cell Phones ; China ; Education ; Female ; Food Habits ; Growth and Development ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Lactation ; Mothers ; Nutritional Status ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Statistics as Topic

The Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology International Workshop 2018 on gynecologic oncology was held in the Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea on the 24th to 25th August 2018. The workshop was an opportunity for Asian doctors to discuss the latest findings of gynecologic cancer, including cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, as well as the future of fertility-sparing treatments, minimally invasive/radical/debulking surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Clinical guidelines and position statement of Asian countries were presented by experts. Asian clinical trials for gynecologic cancers were reviewed and experts emphasized the point that original Asian study is beneficial for Asian patients. In Junior session, young gynecologic oncologists presented their latest research on gynecologic cancers.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Drug Therapy ; Education ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Korea ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Radiotherapy ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

A 49-year-old man visited the emergency room of Korea University Ansan Hospital with hematochezia starting the day before the visit. Recently, he was on anti-platelet medication due to hypertension. The patient had no definite symptoms other than hematochezia. Digital rectal exam was positive and laboratory tests showed severe anemia. Sigmoidoscopy was initiated and almost no fecal material was observed in the intestinal tract, allowing insertion into the cecum. Active bleeding from the appendiceal opening was noted. On abdominal CT, contrast enhancement was observed at the tip of the appendix. Under suspicion of acute appendicitis, we consulted with a surgeon. The patient underwent appendectomy with partial cecal resection. Pathologic examination revealed a diagnosis of appendix bleeding due to acute suppurative appendicitis. The patient had no further bleeding after surgery and was discharged in a stable state. Careful observation by the endoscopist is necessary for accurate diagnosis of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Appendiceal hemorrhage is very rarely reported, but it has various pathophysiologies. CT scan is useful when appendiceal hemorrhage is confirmed by endoscopic findings. Surgical treatment was needed in almost all cases reported worldwide. If bleeding from the appendix is confirmed, surgical treatment should be considered for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.
Anemia ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Appendix ; Cecum ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed