Factors Affecting Perceived Stress-Cortisol Responses in Young Adults

Background@#This study examined the distribution of stress-cortisol responses and risk factors affecting perceived stress and cortisol responses among 187 university students in South Korea. @*Methods@#Perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and health-promoting lifestyle were assessed using structured questionnaires. Blood analyses and anthropometrics were used to determine cortisol and cardiometabolic risks. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors affecting stress-cortisol responses. @*Results@#Four groups of stress-cortisol responses were found, including normal (39.0%), high stress (34.8%), high stress-cortisol (13.9%), and high cortisol group (12.3%). Age, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, depressive symptoms, and physical activity were associated with stress-cortisol responses. @*Conclusions@#Multidimensional interventions are needed to reduce stress levels and promote normal stress-cortisol responses.

A Caring Program for Health Promotion among Women Who Have Experienced Trauma: A QuasiExperimental Pilot Study

Purpose@#Women are more vulnerable to post-traumatic stress (PTS) than men, causing several health problems. Nurses should understand and work with women who have experienced trauma and provide interventions to promote their physical, social, and mental health. @*Methods@#This quasi-experimental pilot study used a one-group pre-test/post-test design. Data were collected from 14 women recruited between December 2019 and May 2020 from a self-sufficiency support center in South Korea for sexually-exploited women who had experienced trauma. The program consisted of six one-on-one intervention sessions per week for six weeks. Each session averaged 60~120 minutes. Participants were assessed at pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up. Changes in outcome variables over time were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank and Friedman tests. @*Results@#The caring program for health promotion was divided into six sessions: understanding the self, sharing traumatic events and negative emotions, reframing the meaning of traumatic events, identifying thoughts and physical and emotional responses, developing health promotion activities, and maintaining a positive attitude during the process of change. As a result of the caring program, PTS (F = 36.33, p < .001), depression (F = 24.45, p < .001), health-promoting behaviors (F = 7.06, p = .004), and self-esteem (F = 19.74, p < .001) among the participants differed significantly at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. @*Conclusion@#This study provides foundational information for the implementation of a theory-driven program by nurses in clinical and community settings to provide comprehensive care for women who have experienced trauma.

A Survey on the Educational Needs and Competence of Nurses in Maternal Fetal Intensive Care Unit / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: Maternal Fetal Intensive Care Unit (MFICU), which provides intensive care to high-risk mothers with increasing maternal age and high-risk newborns, has become a new field of nursing work in South Korea. The present study was conducted to identify the educational needs and self-assessing clinical competence of nurses in MFICU. METHODS: The education needs and competencies of MFICU nurses were measured through prepared questionnaires by researchers based on the previous studies on job analysis of nurses in MFICU. Data were collected from January 2019 to March 2019. The study involved 168 nurses working in MFICUs at 12 hospitals nationwide as study subjects. The data were analyzed using the SPSS WIN 23.0 program. RESULTS: The education needs of nurses in MFICU had an average of 4.21 points (±0.50) and their nursing competence was average 3.38 points (±0.60). The items reported as high education needs but low competency by nurses in MFICU were as following: ‘postpartum hemorrhage and shock,’ ‘cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for neonate,’ ‘CPR during pregnancy,’ ‘disseminated intravascular coagulation,’ ‘sepsis,’ and ‘mechanical ventilation during pregnancy.’ CONCLUSION: Based on these results, it is proposed that a comprehensive education program for nurses in MFICU should be developed by considering low capabilities among MFICU nurses as a priority factor.

Mobile Web-based Education: Engagement and Satisfaction with HiChart among Pregnant Women

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine engagement and satisfaction with a mobile web-based education program (HiChart) among pregnant women. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted of 97 pregnant women hospitalized for obstetric care. Data were collected from October 1 to November 30, 2016, and were analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Among participants, 16.5% engaged fully with HiChart, while 43.3% engaged partially. The overall satisfaction with HiChart was high. Some main reasons for not engaging with the education were participants' unawareness of the text messages, lack of time, and poor internet connection. The participants suggested that more educational content needed to be covered, such as coping with infant emergencies and information about the neonatal intensive care unit. CONCLUSION: To increase pregnant women's engagement with mobile web-based education, efforts are needed to strengthen the system of sending text messages as part of mobile web-based education to all patients, to inform pregnant women that an educational web link was sent, and to encourage them to engage with mobile web-based education. Furthermore, it is essential to improve the HiChart service by providing educational content corresponding to users' needs.

A Text Mining Analysis of HPV Vaccination Research Trends

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination research trends by visualizing a keyword network.METHODS: Articles about HPV vaccination were retrieved from the PubMed and Web of Science databases. A total of 1,448 articles published in 2006~2016 were selected. Keywords from the abstracts of these articles were extracted using the text mining program WordStat and standardized for analysis. Sixty-four keywords out of 287 were finally chosen after pruning. Social network analysis using NetMiner was applied to analyze the whole keyword network and the betweenness centrality of the network.RESULTS: According to the results of the social network analysis, the central keywords with high betweenness centrality included “health education”, “health personnel”, “parents”, “uptake”, “knowledge”, and “health promotion”.CONCLUSION: To increase the uptake of HPV vaccination, health personnel should provide health education and vaccine promotion for parents and adolescents. Using social media, governmental organizations can offer accurate information that is easily accessible. School-based education will also be helpful.

Effects of Intervention Using PARO on the Cognition, Emotion, Problem Behavior, and Social Interaction of Elderly People with Dementia

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the effects of intervention using the therapeutic robot, PARO, on the cognition, emotion, problem behavior, and social interaction of elderly people with dementia. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. A total of 33 elderly people with dementia living in a nursing home facility participated in the study, with 17 in the experimental group and 16 in the control group. The intervention program with PARO was administered twice a week for 6 weeks, for a total of 12 sessions. Data were collected before and after intervention, using a questionnaire, direct observation, and video recording. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in positive emotions and problem behaviors between the groups. The experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in social interaction. CONCLUSION: PARO intervention can be utilized as an effective nursing intervention to increase positive emotions and social interaction, as well as decrease problem behaviors, in elderly people with dementia living in nursing home facilities.

Quality Characteristics of Care Food (Jelly) Prepared with Wild Carrot (Daucus carota L.) Juice

This study evaluated the quality characteristics of jelly prepared with different levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) of wild carrot (WC, Daucus carota L.) juice as a care food for the elderly. The lightness, redness, yellowness, and delta (Δ) values of the jelly (Control, WCJ5, WCJ10, WCJ15, WCJ20, and WCJ25) decreased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The mechanical properties, such as hardness, springiness, chewiness, and gumminess, of the jelly were decreased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents of the jelly increased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50) also increased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of wild carrot (WC) and WCJ25 were 71% and 54.4%, respectively, compared to the positive control (acarbose). The lipase inhibitory effects of WC and WCJ25 were 44.2% and 14.4%, respectively, compared to the positive control group (orlistat). On the other hand, the sensory evaluation score was the best at WCJ20, which contained 20% wild carrot juice. In conclusion, WCJ20 or WCJ25 is expected to be a care food for the elderly with respect to texture as well as the antioxidant and enzymatic activity (α-glucosidase inhibitory and lipase inhibitory activities).

Characteristics of Burn Types, Causes, and Treatment in Hospitalized Female Patients with Industrial Injuries / 한국직업건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the burn characteristics of female patients hospitalized in a burn center. METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study. The subjects were 222 female patients aged over 19 years old having burn injuries from work sites between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014. Data were collected using electronic medical records about the burn-related characteristics. The data were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: Many of the subjects were in their forties and fifties. Most subjects showed burns with an area of less than 10% of the body surface with a severity of second degree. Scalding burns were the most frequent. Contact burns were usually of third-degree severity and occurred on hands and wrists. Flame burns affected the largest body surface area and frequently occurred on the face and mainly caused by explosion of a stove or kitchen gas. Chemical burns frequently occurred on the lower limbs. CONCLUSION: Female workers are exposed to the hazards of burn injuries in industrial accidents. Types of burn differ depending on the workplace conditions. Therefore, preventative measures for burn injuries should be established in accordance with the characteristics of each industry to which female workers belong.

Comparison of Motivation for Rehabilitation, Family Support and Adherence to Rehabilitation between Depressive and Non-depressive Stroke Patients / 재활간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare motivation for rehabilitation, family support and adherence to rehabilitation and identify factors predicting adherence to rehabilitation between depressive and non-depressive stroke patients. METHODS: Stroke patients admitted to rehabilitation hospitals (n=159) participated in the study. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires including general characteristics, depression, motivation for rehabilitation, family support and adherence to rehabilitation. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, χ² test, Pearson correlation coefficients and logistic regression using the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: 62.9% of the subjects were identified as depressive patients. Motivation for rehabilitation (F=48.18, p=.020) and adherence to rehabilitation (F=9.68, p=.002) in depressive stroke patients were significantly lower than non-depressive stroke patients. Family support also in depressive group was lower than non-depressive group but there was no statistical significance (F=2.35, p=.127). Motivation for rehabilitation (OR=11.46), family support (OR=1.05) and onset period (less than 2 year)(OR=3.61) predicted the good adherence to rehabilitation in depressive stroke patients. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that health professionals need to identify factors affecting adherence to rehabilitation and provide a nursing intervention considering the depression especially when caring for stroke patients.

Infertile Women's Perception on the National Support Program for Infertile Couples

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of infertile women on the use of the national support program that provides medical expense aid to infertile couples. METHODS: Thirty Korean infertile women participated in five focus groups. Data were collected from January to August 2014. After obtaining permission from the participants, each session of the focus group was audio-taped and transcribed. The responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The main themes identified from the sessions with the participants were "feeling thankful for the reliable support program," "feeling happy or unhappy," "enduring inconveniences," and "hoping for a more comprehensive support service." Although most of the participants perceived the benefits of the national support service positively, they stated that the service was not comprehensive because it did not cover all the medical expenses for tests and other medical treatments. CONCLUSION: The benefits given to infertile couples by the program should be increased by covering all the medical expenses, expanding its criteria to include more eligible candidates, and by including special leave benefits for working women. Furthermore, it is essential to take measures for infertility prevention at the individual and national policy levels.

Factors Influencing Married Immigrant Women's Perceived Health Status: The National Survey of Multicultural Families 2012

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence married female immigrants' perceived health status. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of dataset from the 2012 National Multicultural Family Survey in Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, an analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression with the data of 3,014 married female immigrants. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis showed that demographic factors (age, education level, nationality, period of residency in Korea, and residential area), socio-economical factors (monthly family income, employment, support from the government for basic living, and Medicaid), social support factors (marital conflict, satisfaction with family relationships, some one to talk about self or family matters, meeting with homeland friend, and participation in community meeting), and immigration factors (life satisfaction, experience of social discrimination, and difficulties with living and using medical care) were associated with perceived health status. CONCLUSION: It is important to pay closer attention to immigrant women who have low economic status, less social support, experience difficulties with living in Korea and using medical care. An effective support system for this population should be developed in order to help them successfully transition.

Nursing Need and Satisfaction of Patients in Hospice Ward / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to explore the nursing needs and satisfaction of patients who are hospitalized at hospice palliative care institutions. METHODS: This study included 80 hospice patients who were in-patients of the hospice department of two general hospitals in S city. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficients using the IBM SPSS 20.0 program. RESULTS: The mean score of nursing needs and satisfaction were 3.58 (+/-0.31) and 3.25 (+/-0.20) respectively. Significant differences in hospice nursing needs and satisfaction were observed in terms of general characteristics including gender, education level, occupation, religion, support for medical expense and functional status. Significant positive correlation was found between the overall nursing needs and nursing satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, in order to improve the quality of hospice service, further study is necessary in a comprehensive manner to develop nursing intervention to meet physical, psychological/social, spiritual, and educational/referral nursing needs of hospice in-patients.

Erratum: Correction of Title. Literature Review on Intervention for Breast Cancer Survivors and Their Partners

We found an title error in our published article.

Factors Influencing on Sexual Assertiveness of College Students

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing sexual assertiveness in dating college students. METHODS: With a cross-sectional survey design, 468 college students who have had dating experiences were recruited and answered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA with Scheffe? test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. RESULTS: The sexual assertiveness of college students showed significant results: positive correlations with self-assertiveness and negative correlations with traditional sexual attitude, gender role stereotypes. Significant predictors of sexual assertiveness were traditional sexual attitude, gender role stereotypes, and self-assertiveness. These variables explained 37% of the variance in sexual assertiveness. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that it is important to identify and improve communication patterns in relation to sexual assertiveness. There is a need for sex education programs for college students that are relevant and effective.

Effect of Intervention Programs for Improving Maternal Adaptation in Korea: Systematic Review

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to review the literature on intervention for breast cancer survivors and their partners. METHODS: The literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Pubmed, and Proquest to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding intervention for breast cancer survivors and their partners. Articles published between January 2000 and December 2011 were included. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were identified. Couple-base d intervention was more effective than intervention for survivors alone. Intervention to partners had also effects on their wives. Most studies were conducted in USA with Caucasian women. Sample size of intervention studies was small with most being pilot studies. CONCLUSION: Providing couple-based intervention to breast cancer survivors could have positive impacts on physical, interpersonal, and social aspects in breast cancer survivors. Future studies with large sample and different ethnicity are needed to confirm the effects of couple-based interventions for breast cancer survivors.

Health Care Utilization in Women with Cervical Cancer and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the health care utilization in Korean women with cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). METHODS: This is a retrospective study. Data were collected using the insurance coverage data-base of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2010. Women who were treated for cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial were included in this study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: In 2006, women treated for cervical cancer and CIN were 27,109 and 18,794, respectively. The number constantly increased from 2006 to 2010. In particular, the prevalence among women with cervical cancer aged 80 years or over was found to increase. Claims for health care services increased. CONCLUSION: Even though new cases of cervical cancer in Korea is decreasing, the number of women being treated and the costs are constantly increasing. Cervical cancer patients are at an increased risk of negative health outcomes. Therefore, screening for cervical cancer should be enforced to promptly treat women with abnormal Pap tests and thus minimize the risks. Every effort should be made to increase awareness about the importance of Human Papilloma Vaccination and regular screening on a personal as well as community and governmental levels.

Status of Tuberculosis Infection Control in Hospitals / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the status of tuberculosis (TB) infection control in hospitals. METHOD: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which self-administered questionnaires were used to survey 77 hospitals. Data were collected from August 12 to September 15, 2012. RESULTS: Only 27 institutions (35.1%) were monitoring patients infected with or suspected of having TB. Most hospitals were conducting TB prevention education for patients' family and employees, and TB screening for employees along with follow-up examinations. However, private negative pressure rooms were more often available in wards and intensive care units than in outpatient departments, and in institutions with over 700 beds located in Seoul or GyeongGi Province. Most hospitals ensured that masks were placed on infected patients while transporting them. In addition, efforts to control TB infection such as placing respiratory etiquette posters in outpatient departments and airborne infection signs on the doors in the wards were also well established in most institutions. CONCLUSION: More efforts are needed to improve the status of TB infection control to ensure quality care, especially in terms of monitoring patients with TB infections and making private negative pressure rooms available in outpatient departments.

Violent Experiences and Coping among Home Visiting Health Care Workers in Korea

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore violent experiences of home visiting health care workers in Korea. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 1,640 health care workers. Data collection was done between September 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 70.6% had experienced work-related violence. Shouting (51.9%) was the most common verbal violence, followed by verbalizing sexual remarks to the health care workers (19.0%) and touching the hands (16.5%), the most common acts relating to sexual harassment. Of the respondents who had experienced violence, 50.9% told their peers about the incidents. However, the major reasons why they did not report these incidents was due to the fact that they felt it was useless to file reports and that they expected such incidents to occur as part of their job. The majority of the respondents (86.4%) wanted education on how to deal with such violence at work. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that efforts should be made to increase awareness and to minimize violence in the workplace. Also, educational programs should be designed to improve knowledge and to prevent workplace violence.

Caregivers' Experience of Violence and Coping with It in Nursing Homes

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate verbal, physical and sexual violence to caregivers in nursing home workplaces. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done from October 17 to 31, 2011 at eight randomly selected nursing homes in Seoul and one nursing home in Gyeonggi, South Korea. This study explored their responses to violence and violent situations, and then investigated on how caregivers coped with workplace violence. RESULTS: The results of this study show that most caregivers in nursing homes experience some form of violence. Verbal violence was more frequent than physical or sexual violence. Verbal and physical violence occurred most often while they were changing the clothes of patients and sexual violence occurred most often while they were showering patients. After experiencing violence, caregivers most often dealt with the situation by informing their colleagues of what was happened. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that institutional and administrative measures must be implemented to increase the prevention of violence against caregivers and to improve effective measures to deal with violence once it has occurred. Violence in nursing homes can be reduced through the combination of appropriate responses by caregivers and proper education of both patients and caregivers.

Experiences of the Use of External Breast Prosthesis among Breast Cancer Survivors in Korea / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of the use of external breast prostheses among breast cancer survivors in Korea. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, using focus groups. Data were collected from breast cancer survivors who were patients of C women's hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data were analyzed using content analysis in order to identify significant themes. RESULTS: Participants included forty breast cancer survivors who had mastectomy as a surgical treatment. Four themes emerged from the collected data were: 1) concern over the high price of external breast prosthesis, 2) irregular use of external breast prosthesis, 3) unsatisfied with mastectomy bra, and 4) wanting to hide or not to talk about using breast prosthesis openly. CONCLUSION: Since most participants reported irregular use and negative experiences related to external breast prosthesis or mastectomy bra use, healthcare workers should allow more time for proper fitting and counseling and consulting with breast cancer survivors. In addition, health care providers as well as family and friends should keep in mind that cancer survivors need support that can help them cope by using positive reframing. Furthermore, improvements in the coverage of costs and services are needed for these women. This would be helpful for breast prosthesis users.