PURPOSE: Instead of a chaotic non circadian environmental approach, continuing regular day-night rhythm in neonatal nurseries may benefit the development of preterm infants. The purpose of this study was to define the effects of cycled lighting on circadian rhythms of premature infants. METHODS: The experimental group included 15 preterm infants, and the control group, 15 premature infants in the NICU of a general hospital in Seoul. All infants were between 32 and 37 weeks' postconceptional age. The experimental group infants were provided with cycled lighting before discharge. The incubator or bassinet cover of the experimental group was off between 7 AM and 7 PM, and was covered between 7 PM and 7 AM. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the NNNS score (p=.039), and some significant differences in the sleep-activity pattern between the experimental group and the control group, but distinct differences in sleep-activity patterns between the two groups could not be defined. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that cycled lighting can be helpful in the neurobehavioral development of preterm infants. By modifying the NICU environment to provide a more developmentally supportive milieu, nursing professionals can better meet the infants' physiologic and neurobehavioral needs.
Circadian Rhythm ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incubators ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Light ; Lighting ; Nurseries ; Child Health

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a cell phone addiction scale for Korean children. METHODS: The process included construction of a conceptual framework, generation of initial items, verification of content validity, selection of secondary items, preliminary study, and extraction of final items. The participants were 268 children from grades 4 to 6 in two urban elementary schools. Construct validity, internal consistence reliability, and split-half reliability were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Nine items were categorized into 2 factors explaining 61.29% of total variance. The factors were labeled as obsessive compulsion (6 items) and dependency (3 items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 9 items was .87, and Spearman-Brown coefficient was .83. Scale scores identified children as high risk users, at risk users, or average users by standard scores. CONCLUSION: The above findings indicate that the cell phone addiction scale for children has good validity and reliability when used with Korean children.
Behavior, Addictive ; Cellular Phone ; Child ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure (the degree of) injury risk perception in preschool children. METHODS: The data were collected from child day care centers and kindergartens located in Seoul, and Gyeonggi and Kwangwon Province. A questionnaire consisted of 28 pictures was administered to 186 preschool children. RESULTS: The mean score for the injury risk perception was 21.83 (+/-3.89), and 77.98 converted into a 100-point scale. According to sub-categories, 'burn prevention' (.96+/-.13) was the highest, 'interpersonal safety' (.44+/-.31) was the lowest. There were significant differences in injury risk perception according to gender (t=-2.358, p=.019), age (t=-2.101, p=.037), experience of safety education (t=-3.719, p<.001), area of residence (t=-3.445, p=.001), injury experience (t=3.212, p=.002), and mother's occupation (t=-4.858, p<.001). The highest item in the percentage of correct answer item was 'making jump on the desk', the lowest item in the percentage of correct answer item was 'not wearing safety equipment when rollerblading'. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, studies should be continued to standardize the instrument. In addition, it is recommended that an injury prevention education program should be developed based on the results of this study to stimulate demand and interest.
Child ; Child Day Care Centers ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Occupations ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the importance of health promotion behavior for infants and toddlers as perceived by mothers of children in early childhood, and graduate students in nursing and to provide information for health promotion in early childhood. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey research study. The participants were 91 mothers of children in early childhood, and 115 graduate students in nursing. RESULTS: The comparisons showed that graduate students in nursing reported higher perception of the importance health promotion behavior for infants and toddlers than did the mothers. In health promotion behavior, the highest score was in the category of safety. CONCLUSION: Providing information by nurses is necessary to promote health promotion behavior for mothers of children in early childhood. Therefore, it is important for healthcare professionals to develop effective programs for these mothers who want to promote good health promotion behavior in their children.
Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Infant ; Mothers ; Child Health

PURPOSE: This study was done to verify the reliability and validity of the Korean version of DMCI in Korean adolescents. METHODS: A methodological study design was used with Cronbach's alpha for reliability, and an exploratory factor analysis and contrasted groups approach for construct validity. DMCI was translated into Korean and tested with a sample of 406 adolescents in Korea. The data were analyzed using Cronbach's alpha, item correlation with total, principal component factor analysis, and t-test. RESULTS: The translated content of the DMCI was validated by nursing faculty members and translation equivalency was obtained. The Cronbach's alpha of the DMCI simplified with 18 items was .78. The factor analysis revealed three factors explaining 41.5% of total variance and the corresponding factors were self-observation (21.6%), self-judgement (11.4%), and self-confidence (8.6%). The mean score for the DMCI in the aggression group was significantly lower than the non-aggression group. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that the Korean version of DMCI can used as a reliable and valid measure to assess decision making competency in Korean adolescents.
Adolescent ; Aggression ; Decision Making ; Faculty, Nursing ; Humans ; Korea ; Reproducibility of Results ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for suitable neonate blood glucose maintenance by investigating and analyzing the blood glucose level of post cardiovascular surgery neonates in the ICU for the effect of blood glucose levels on the following outcomes; ICU stay, hospital stay, mechanical ventilation time, morbidity, and mortality. METHODS: The participants were 143 neonates in the ICU after having had cardiovascular surgery. The design for this study was an investigation of the blood glucose levels of the neonates and retrospective analysis of patient outcomes according to blood glucose level. RESULTS: The results for the neonate groups showed that the factors of hospital stay, ICU stay, mechanical ventilation time and mortality, for the group with a blood glucose level over 140 mg/dL were longer and higher than for the group with blood glucose of less than 100 mg/dL or the group between 100-139 mg/dL. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that when caring for neonates after cardiovascular surgery, it is important to recognize the influence of blood glucose levels on patient outcomes like hospital days, ICU stay, length of time on mechanical ventilation and mortality. Further, care guidelines for neonates' glucose level management need to be developed.
Blood Glucose ; Glucose ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Length of Stay ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore recognition of mother-child interaction by preschoolers' mothers. METHODS: Data were collected through in-depth interviews with mothers of 12 preschoolers. The data were analyzed following Downe-Wamboldt's content analysis methodology. RESULTS: From the data, 170 significant statements were selected and were classified into 7 categories and three domains (maternal, child, dyadic). First, the maternal domain consisted of maternal sensitivity, acceptable responsiveness, and child developmental encouragement. Second, the child domain consisted of child's sensitivity, responsiveness, and initiative. Third, the dyadic domain consisted of mutuality. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that preschoolers' mothers recognize the significant qualitative aspects of interaction with their children. Based on these results, instruments for preschooler-mother interaction need to be developed.
Child ; Child Development ; Humans ; Mothers ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of allergic disease among elementary school students in rural and urban areas. METHODS: In this study, 1,513 elementary students (1,163 in urban areas, 350 in rural areas) were surveyed. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage of allergic symptoms and chi2 test was used to identify differences in the prevalence of allergic symptoms between urban and rural area students. The SAS program was used in the data analysis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the prevalence of allergic disease according to whether there was a family member with a prior history of allergy symptoms. 48.7% of surveyed students (49.4% in urban, 46.3% in rural) had allergic symptoms. Allergic rhinitis was the most frequent allergic symptom in both urban and rural students. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there is a need to prevent and manage allergies among elementary students. The family history should be considered an important factor when a program for allergy prevention and management is developed. Interventions are needed in both areas, especially for students with allergic rhinitis.
Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Phenothiazines ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The study aimed to identity specific needs for services and programs to help childhood cancer survivors adjust and adapt to life after treatment. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 31 childhood cancer survivors, diagnosed with cancer before the age of 18 and currently between 15 and 39 years of age. Each survivor had completed his/her cancer treatment. RESULTS: The participating cancer survivors reported needs for services related to psychological counseling, schooling and learning, social skills, mentorship, integrated health management, self support activities, families of survivors, and public recognition and awareness. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate a need to better understand childhood cancer survivors, provides a basis for developing various services and programs to improve the quality of life among childhood cancer patients, survivors, and their families, and supports the importance of psychosocial adjustment.
Counseling ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Learning ; Mentors ; Qualitative Research ; Quality of Life ; Social Welfare ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Child Health

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analyze factors affecting readmission of children with home ventilator care. METHODS: To collect patient data, a retrospective chart review was done of medical records of children admitted between June 1, 2007 and May 31, 2010 at one children's hospital located in Seoul. During that period 30 children were discharged with a home ventilator. RESULTS: Twenty-one of these children had a total of 63 readmissions during the study period, averaging 2.1 readmissions per child with a mean duration of hospitalization of 7.4 days. Children with nasogastric tubes were more frequently readmitted (t=7.232, p=.012) and duration of hospitalization was significantly longer (t=4.761, p=.038). Children who had cardio-pulmonary comorbidity were more frequently readmitted and had longer hospitalization than children without comorbidity (t=5.444, p=.027). When home ventilator assisted children were admitted via emergency room, they were hospitalized longer (t=14.686, p<.001). Cardio-pulmonary morbidity and readmission via ER explained 38.1% of variation for readmission. Feeding method explained 15.0% of variation in length of hospitalization. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that health care providers must give individualized education on home ventilator care to parents with children who are at risk for readmission due to cardio-pulmonary comorbidities, nasogastric tube, or readmission via ER.
Child ; Comorbidity ; Emergencies ; Feeding Methods ; Health Personnel ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Parents ; Patient Readmission ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Child Health