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Objective: To determine age-related risk factors for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with asthma. Methods: Data were obtained from a national survey of non-hospitalized civilians conducted by the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CRS diagnosis was based on the guidelines of the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2020. Asthma was judged based on whether the patient had been diagnosed with asthma in the past. Of the 45,811 survey participants, 26,335 were included in the cross-sectional study. Participants included in the study were divided into the control, CRS, and CRS with asthma groups. Age-related risk factors were analyzed in patients aged < 60 or > 60 years. Univariate logistic analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between groups. Risk factors included age, sex, household income, residence, education level, occupation, and body mass index (BMI). Results: Education level (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.342, P =.0003), BMI (OR: 1.09, P =.0082), and total IgE (TIgE) levels (OR: 5.582, P =.003) were significantly different between the control and the CRS with asthma group. Education level (OR: 0.478, P =.0016) and TIgE levels (OR: 4, P =.0218) were significantly different between the CRS and CRS with asthma groups under 60 years of age. BMI (OR: 1.087, P =.0443; OR: 1.104, P =.0224) showed a significant difference between all three groups with age > 60 years. Conclusion: Progression to CRS with asthma is influenced by education level, occupation, and TIgE levels in patients under 60 years of age. BMI was the only influencing factor associated with the progression to CRS with asthma in those aged > 60 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the distribution of foot conditions, the risk of foot ulceration and its associated factors in patients with diabetes. Few studies have focused on the risk of foot ulceration in patients with diabetes. Methods: A total of 267 patients with diabetes who attended outpatient clinics in two tertiary referral hospitals were recruited from June to September 2016. The risk of foot ulceration was classified using the American Diabetes Association (ADA), International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) classification systems. The risk categories of each system were reclassified into high‐ (categories of 2 and 3 for the ADA and IWGDF systems and high for the SIGN system) and low‐risk. Results: Foot deformity was the most prevalent condition (38.2%). Among 261 patients without active ulcers, between 17.6% to 35.2% were classified in the high‐risk group and overall agreement among systems ranged from.42 to.56 of the kappa statistic. Insulin treatment was consistently associated with a high‐risk of foot ulceration. Conclusions: As the risk varies between systems, nurses should select a suitable classification system through validation studies and assess the risk in patients with diabetes, particularly, those receiving insulin treatment. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Foot ulceration is a major complication of diabetes and may cause serious health issues, adversely affecting the patient's quality of life.Although risk assessment of foot ulceration in patients with diabetes is regarded as a critical preventive measure, implementation of diabetic foot examinations by health‐care providers varies among countries.Only 6.1% of patients with diabetes have received a foot examination in the last 2 years in South Korea, and there are few studies on the distribution of risk factors for diabetic foot ulceration. What this paper adds? Among participants, 73.4% had at least one foot condition and between 17.6% to 35.2% of patients were classified in the high‐risk group, depending on the system.Overall agreement among systems ranged from.42 to.56 of the kappa statistic.Participants with diabetes on insulin treatment were found to be at a higher risk of foot ulceration. The implications of this paper: As the risk of foot ulceration varies between international systems, nurses need to select the most suitable one through validation studies.Although the prevalence of active foot ulcers is very low, two to four of every 10 patients with type 2 diabetes attending outpatient clinics in tertiary referral hospitals in South Korea are at high‐risk for foot ulceration. Therefore, nurses should regularly assess the risk of foot ulceration, particularly in high‐risk patients, such as those receiving insulin treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the change in body dimensions over time in both Western (US) and Eastern (Korea) populations. In order to analyse the change of body dimension between the past and present and between western and eastern population, 13 body dimensions relating to automobile driver seat design were extracted from the ANSUR and Size Korea datasets at two time points, the past (ANSUR I: 1988, Size Korea: 1992) and the present (ANSUR II: 2012, Size Korea: 2012). Most of the dimensions differed significantly between past and present, as well as between the US and Korea. Overall, the data show an increasing trend of body dimensions over time for both genders. Based on the results, all countries should be encouraged to conduct periodic and national anthropometric research because body dimensions are continuously changing over time worldwide. Practitioner summary: This paper describes a study that investigates the changes in body dimensions over time in Western (US) and Eastern (Korean) populations. Findings indicate increasing trends in most dimensions for both populations, crucial for user-friendly product design and preventing hazards caused by faulty products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Korean is a classifier language in which bare nouns are not obligatorily number-marked. Children learning other classifier languages like Japanese and Mandarin are late in learning the plural morpheme. In this paper, we present two datasets that suggest that Korean plural marker -tul is acquired much earlier, in contrast to what has been previously claimed. In a comprehension study, we find that Korean children begin acquiring this morpheme by age 3, showing adult-like performance by age 4. We suggest that the higher frequency of plural marking on both types and tokens of nouns and the consistent marking of plural in the domain of definite nouns may facilitate Korean plural acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Although previous studies have addressed the association between smoking and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), there are few studies on the association between electronic cigarette use and OSA. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the association between the dual use of electronic and conventional cigarettes and OSA. METHODS Data from 7350 participants of the 2019-2021 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed in this population-based study. The STOP-Bang score was calculated using eight items: snoring, tiredness, observed apnea, high blood pressure, body mass index, age, neck circumference, and sex. The main independent variable was smoking behavior. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Subgroup analysis was conducted to analyze the association between smoking behavior in detail and OSA, and stratified analyses were additionally performed. RESULTS Of the 7350 participants, 417 (5.7%) had a high risk of OSA, according to the STOP-Bang score. Compared to the non-smoker group, the dual user group had a 2.46-fold increase in the odds of OSA (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.04-5.79). Current non-smokers who were dual users in the past had increased odds of having OSA (AOR=3.61; 95% CI: 1.32-9.92). In the stratified analyses, dual cigarette use was significantly associated with OSA in females and those with a low physical activity level. CONCLUSIONS Dual users and cigarette-only users had an increased probability of developing OSA. Even if they are not currently smoking or vaping, individuals who were dual users in the past were associated with a higher risk of OSA. The association between dual cigarette use and OSA was more pronounced in females and those with a low physical activity level. While intervening for obstructive sleep apnea or investigating risk factors, new smoking methods such as vaping and dual use should be considered along with conventional smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION We measured the short-term clinical and economic impacts of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) smoking cessation program, which subsidizes the cost of pharmacotherapy and medical consultations, by comparing the changes in prevalence and healthcare costs of smoking-related diseases among cessation service users, non-users, and never smokers. METHODS Smokers who used the cessation service from 2015 to 2017 were included (n=779315). We used claims data from the NHIS, a mandatory, single-payer insurance covering the entire Korean population, to determine the number of patients with selected diseases, their healthcare utilization, and medical costs, and compared these amounts in the one year before and after enrollment. For further comparison, we also estimated disease prevalence and medical costs in matched controls by age, sex, income, and residential area, including never smokers and smokers who never used the cessation program. RESULTS Across all 15 selected diseases, the number of patients, days spent in the hospital, and medical costs for 1 year were consistently higher after service enrollment than before. This pattern was observed for both men and women. Notably, decreased prevalence and medical costs for pneumonia were observed among individuals aged <50 years. Healthcare utilization for any kind of disease for 1 year was 97.7%, 91.1%, and 88.8% among cessation service users, never smokers, and smokers who did not use the cessation service, respectively. The disease-specific prevalence was also highest and increased more in the cessation service users compared with the control groups. CONCLUSIONS Cessation service users were more likely to seek healthcare. Increased healthcare utilization in the first year after cessation service use may have resulted from smoking-related conditions that led individuals to attempt smoking cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias is increasing; therefore, identifying individuals at risk for dementia is crucial. Traditional neuropsychological assessments are expensive and time-consuming; however, computerized cognitive testing is becoming popular in clinical and research settings, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the computerized cognitive test, Inbrain cognitive screening test (CST), and the traditional neuropsychological battery, the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer’s disease assessment packet (CERAD-K). Methods: We enrolled 166 participants from five districts in Republic of Korea, including cognitively unimpaired individuals and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosed by experienced neurologists. We used the Inbrain CST and CERAD-K to evaluate the cognitive function of the participants, and the scores of each subtest of the Inbrain CST and CERAD-K were compared. Results: A significant correlation was found between the Inbrain CST and CERADK subtests. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between the Inbrain CST and the CERAD-K test pairs after adjusting for age, educational level, and sex. Discussion: In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the Inbrain CST is a reliable tool for detecting cognitive impairment in cognitively unimpaired individuals and patients with MCI, because it has a high correlation and agreement with CERAD-K. Therefore, the Inbrain CST can be a useful, time-efficient, and cost-effective computer-based cognitive test for individuals at risk for cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The vulnerability approach suggests that disasters such as epidemics have different effects according not only to physical vulnerability but also to economic class (status). This paper examines the effect of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome epidemic on the labor market to investigate whether vulnerable groups become more vulnerable due to an interaction between the socio-economic structure and physical risk. Methods: This paper examines the effect of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome epidemic on the labor market by considering unemployment status, job status, working hours, reason for unemployment and underemployment status. In particular, the study investigates whether the U-shaped curve becomes a J-shaped curve due to the interaction between medical vulnerability and labor market vulnerability after an outbreak, assuming that the relative vulnerability in the labor market by age shows a U curve with peaks for the young group and middle aged and old aged groups using the Economically Active Population Survey. We use the difference in difference approach and also conduct a falsification check and robustness check. Results: The results suggest that older workers faced a higher possibility of unemployment after the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak. In particular, they experienced higher involuntary unemployment and underemployment status as well as decreased working hours. It was confirmed that the relative vulnerability of the labor market for older workers was higher than for the other age groups after the epidemic outbreak due to the double whammy of vulnerability in the medical and labor market. The vulnerability in the young group partially increased compared to the 30s and 40s age groups due to their relative vulnerability in the labor market despite being healthy. We find that assuming the relative vulnerability in the existing labor market shows a U shape with age increase, the U-shaped curve became J-shaped after the outbreak. Conclusions: Disasters like epidemics can occur unexpectedly and affect certain groups more than other. Therefore, medical protection should be enhanced for groups vulnerable to disease and economic measures are also required for the protection of their livelihoods in the labor market to prevent unemployment stemming from inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION This study examined the various factors in the selection of JUUL (and/or), a pod-mod type electronic cigarette (EC), and the changes in EC patterns before and after the JUUL debut on 24 May 2019, using follow-up survey data of adult tobacco users in South Korea. METHODS This study examined transition outcomes among tobacco users and factors associated with future JUUL use. Convenience sample data were collected from adult tobacco users in South Korea, from March--April 2019 (baseline, n=2173) to September 2019 (follow-up, n=779). Results were obtained from the 779 respondents in the follow-up survey, and user data of one or more tobacco products were analyzed. The changes in the proportion of EC and JUUL use during this period were calculated, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the selection factors of JUUL. RESULTS Four months after the JUUL launch, the proportion of current EC and JUUL users among the whole sample increased by 10.3% (42.6-52.9%, p<0.001) and 17.7 % (4.0-21.7%, p<0.001), respectively, while the proportion of triple users doubled (18.7% vs 37.5%, p<0.001). Among current EC users, the percentage of quitting EC within one month decreased from 18.7% to 8.7%; this change was more pronounced among concurrent JUUL users than non-JUUL users (p<0.001). In the multivariate logistic analysis with adjustment for possible confounders, JUUL use was significantly associated with male sex, young and middle age, and metropolitan residency status at the baseline survey. CONCLUSIONS After the launch of JUUL in South Korea, EC users, including JUUL and triple users, increased significantly, but the intention to stop EC decreased significantly. Given the serious interests of the tobacco industry in these products, additional regulation is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION This study was conducted to explore factors associated with smoking cessation in male smokers with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer, the two leading causes of death worldwide, and to compare them with quitting factors in smokers without the two diseases. METHODS This is a secondary dataset analysis of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), nationally representative data from 2008-2019 (excluding 2013-2014), and included 12998 men without CVD or cancer (group without CVD or cancer), 1027 men with CVD (CVD group), and 616 men with cancer (cancer group). A Wald test with multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS The quitting success rates in the CVD and cancer groups were consistently higher than those in the group without CVD or cancer. Old age and willpower in the CVD group, and old age and being married in the cancer group were associated with quitting success. Secondhand smoking and methods of quitting other than willpower were related to quitting failure in both groups. When interaction effects between the groups were examined, household income was the only factor associated with successful cessation in the group without CVD or cancer (AOR=1.17, 1.18, and 1.40, among the second, third, and fourth highest income quartiles, respectively; p for interaction=0.023). Higher smoking amounts (AOR=0.85; p<0.001) and poor health perception (AOR=0.64; p=0.035) were associated with quitting failure in the group without CVD or cancer. However, no significant factor was detected related to smoking cessation in both the CVD and cancer groups when the interaction effect was investigated. CONCLUSIONS The quitting success rates in the CVD and cancer groups were higher, but no disease-specific quitting factors were identified. Therefore, being diagnosed with CVD or cancer itself could be inferred as a motive for quitting smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The rising incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) has generated growing concern globally; yet there are no studies examining whether this incidence was followed by a rise in related mortality. We aimed to comprehensively quantify current trends and future projections of TC incidence and mortality, and to explore the association between the TC burden and socioeconomic inequality in different income strata. Methods We obtained incidence and mortality data on TC and population from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and the United Nations' World Population Prospects 2022. We applied an age-period-cohort (APC) model to estimate the overall annual percentage change (net drift) and age, period, and cohort effects from 1990 to 2019, and also constructed a Bayesian APC model to predict the TC burden through 2030. Results Over a third of global TC cases belonged to the high-income group. From 1990 to 2019, net drifts of TC incidence were >0 in all income groups, while a modest reduction (net drift <0) in mortality was observed in most income groups, except for the lower-middle-income group. Unfavourable age, period, and cohort effects were most notable in Vietnam, China, and Korea. The age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) is predicted to increase whereas the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) is expected to decrease globally between 2020 and 2030, with geographic heterogeneity being detected across income groups. We observed a positive correlation between ASIR and universal health coverage index and health worker density, but a negative one between ASMR and the two indicators, primarily in upper-middle-income and high-income countries. Conclusions Opposite patterns in incidence and mortality of TC raise concerns about overdiagnosis, particularly in upper-middle-income and high-income countries. Discrepancies in the distribution of health service accessibility, including diagnostic techniques and therapeutic care, should be addressed by narrowing health inequalities in the TC burden across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergic diseases are common in children and adolescents. It is important to assess the prevalence and risk factors of environmental diseases to implement tailored countermeasures. Methods: This questionnaire study investigated factors associated with environmental diseases in elementary school children with an environmental disease from 150 households in Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Korea in 2021. Results: The participants comprised 55.7% girls and 44.3% boys, and the mean age was 10.1 years with an even age distribution. The typical risk factors observed were the type of roads nearby, the presence of mold or stains within the residence, pet ownership, and frequency of indoor ventilation and cleaning. Notably, 73.2% of the households had an eight-lane road nearby, 40.2% reported leaks, stains, or mold within their homes during the past year, and 37.1% ventilated their homes for less than 30 min. After education on preventing and managing environmental diseases, significant changes were observed in bedding washing frequency, average ventilation duration per session, and duration of humidifier usage (p < 0.05–0.001), with improvements in lifestyle. Conclusions: Our study can be used as a reference for expanding indoor air quality control education for parents with children with an environmental disease and providing tailored environmental consultations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting concern about economic preparation for later life combined with a growing number of grandparents providing grandchild care is fuelling increased interest in these topics in Korea. However, few studies have evaluated the relationship between providing care to grandchildren and economic behaviour. Guided by intergenerational exchange theory, this paper analyses the relationships between providing grandchild care and monetary compensation for care, and economic preparation for later life. Data come from a sub-sample of 2,599 grandmothers in the Korean Retirement and Income Study who have a grandchild under the age of ten, 279 of whom report providing regular care to grandchildren. Controlling for age, education, marital status and household income, the average amount of grandchild care provided per week is a significant negative predictor of economic preparation for later life among grandmothers. However, receiving financial compensation for providing grandchild care is not significantly related to economic preparation and did not mediate or moderate the relationship between amount of care provided and economic preparation. The implications of these findings and limitations of this study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prescription drug misuse has been identified as a global issue of concern. Nurses' prescription drug misuse is linked to personal health problems and impaired nursing care. This study explored the level of South Korean hospital nurses' prescription drug misuse and examined associations with workplace access and burnout. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 1142 nurses working in South Korean hospital settings. Nurses completed the online survey anonymously. Descriptive analysis, logistic regression, and Shapley value assessment were conducted. Results: Pain relievers (44.2%), IV drips (26.8%), and antibiotics (13.5%) were the most commonly misused drugs among hospital nurses. Accessibility in the workplace was high, with nurses reporting frequent administration of IV drips, pain relievers, and antibiotics and perceiving these drugs as easily accessible. Logistic regression demonstrated that perceived availability was significantly related to misuse across all drug types. Burnout was associated with IV drips, sleeping pills, and steroids, increasing the likelihood of misuse. Shapley feature importance analysis highlighted perceived availability as the most influential factor for IV drips, pain relievers, and steroids, while burnout emerged as crucial for antibiotics and sleeping pills. Notably, age played a significant role in appetite suppressant misuse, distinguishing it from other drugs. Conclusion: Our results revealed that workplace access and burnout are associated with nurses' prescription drug misuse. Effective educational strategies are essential for enhancing nurses' willingness to seek help for personal health issues. Hospital organizations play a crucial role in facilitating access to healthcare and fostering a supportive environment for nurses to seek treatment when necessary. Additionally, governmental policies should prioritize the implementation of active surveillance systems to monitor medication usage in healthcare settings, thereby mitigating drug misuse among healthcare professionals. By addressing these issues, we can ensure the well-being of nurses and promote a safer healthcare environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition (BOT-2) is the most common motor assessment in Korea. The BOT-2–Short Form (SF) is preferred over the complete form (CF) in settings with limited time. The present study aimed to assess the validity of the BOT-2 SF in Korean school-age children. First, we verified that the BOT-2 SF reflects developmental changes in motor skills. Second, we compared the BOT-2 SF scores to those of the BOT-2 CF. A total of 283 Korean school-age children performed the BOT-2. The differences in the BOT-2 SF point according to age group (7 years, 8–9 years, and 10–12 years) were analyzed. A correlation analysis of the standard scores between the BOT-2 SF and CF was conducted. The sensitivity and specificity of the BOT-2 SF were calculated in reference to its CF. Overall, the BOT-2 SF point scores increased with age. The correlation between the total scores of the BOT-2 SF and CF was strong. The BOT-2 SF had a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 92%. This study has demonstrated the validity of the BOT-2 SF in Korean school-age children. The BOT2 SF can be useful in screening Korean school-age children with motor skills problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated differences in inner strength, multiple identities, and quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors, considering gender and the presence of an ostomy. It also focused on identifying factors that influenced their quality of life. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 170 colorectal cancer survivors were recruited. Inner strength, multiple identities, and quality of life were assessed through an online survey. Within each subgroup, comparisons were made in two ways: (a) between women and men; and (b) between ostomy and non-ostomy groups. Results: The quality of life for colorectal cancer survivors was higher among men than women. For inner strength, men reported higher levels of anguish and searching, whereas women showed higher levels of connectedness. The quality of life was higher in the non-ostomy group than the ostomy group. However, the non-ostomy group had a higher level of anguish and searching than the ostomy group. Inner strength emerged as the most powerful factor influencing quality of life after adjusting for age and gender. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the significance of inner strength in colorectal cancer survivors. It provides a deeper understanding of quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors by examining factors that influence it and considering how these effects differ based on gender and the presence of an ostomy. To improve the quality of life of colorectal cancer survivors, it is essential to comprehend the roles of factors such as gender and ostomy and develop individualized interventions tailored to their specific characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the increasing proportion of older adults in Korea and growing interest in aging, the concepts of oral aging and oral hypofunction have recently been introduced. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the age-specific oral function levels of Korean older adults and develop expert intervention methods for healthy aging. Methods: Dysphagia, independence of daily living, and oral hypofunction were assessed in 206 older adults living in Wonju, Gangwon State, South Korea. Subjective dysphagia was assessed through self-report questionnaires using the Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI), the Korean version of Eating Assessment Tool-10, and the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index. In addition, the oral hypofunction assessment items included decreased chewing ability, occlusal pressure, tongue pressure, oral dryness, and oral cleanliness. Results: DHI increased significantly with age, with those in their 80 s reporting the most difficulty swallowing. Oral function in terms of chewing ability (maximum occlusal pressure and number of remaining teeth), maximum occlusal pressure, and maximum tongue pressure also declined with increasing age. While there was no significant difference in oral dryness by age, those in their 80 s had dry mouth according to the criteria of the oral moisture checking device. Conclusions: In an assessment of oral function in community-dwelling, independent Korean older adults, the number of items that were assessed as oral hypofunction increased with age. The findings can be used to standardize the oral hypofunction assessment item and develop age-based individualized intervention plans for the early management of oral health and individual oral myofunctional rehabilitation in Korean community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving triage accuracy for accurate patient identification and appropriate resource allocation is essential. Little is known about the trend of triage accuracy, and factors associated with mistriage vary from study to study. Aim: To identify incidence and risk factors of mistriage, such as overtriage and undertriage. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Methods: The data came from the National Emergency Department Information System database in 2016–2020. All patients 15 years and older visiting emergency departments in Korea were assessed for eligibility, and 20,641,411 emergency patients' data were used. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to confirm the associated factors with overtriage and undertriage compared to expected triage. Demographic characteristics, disease-related signs and triage-related factors were independent variables. Results: Expected triage decreased from 96.8% in 2016 to 95.7% in 2020. Overtriage (0.5%–0.7%) and undertriage (2.4%–3.3%) increased. The occupation that performed triage the most (over 85%) was nurses. Associated factors with overtriage were demographic characteristics (40–64 age group, female), disease-related signs (known disease, direct visit) and triage-related factors (regional emergency medical centre). Risk factors to undertriage were disease-related signs (systolic/diastolic blood pressure and pulse rates within normal range). Conclusions: While the acuity degree remained within the recommended range, the accuracy of triage decreased, and there was a gradual increase in mistriaged cases. Nurses have performed most of the triage and played a key role in expected triage. Associated factors with overtriage were demographic characteristics, disease-related signs and triage-related factors and risk factors to undertriage were disease-related signs. Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution. Implications for the profession: Nurses should be aware of what factors are associated with mistriage and why the factors cause mistriage to improve the triage accuracy because they are responsible for the majority of the triage assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Despite the importance of vaccination against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in cancer patients, general vaccine uptake rates among cancer patients are known to be low. Here, we tried to investigate the attitude and acceptance rates for COVID-19 vaccine in cancer patients and identify predictive factors for vaccination that could be modified to promote vaccine uptake rates. Between February and April 2021, a total of 1001 cancer patients from five institutions participated in a paper-based survey, consisting of 58 items over six domains. Among the respondents, 61.8% were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Along with the previously reported predictors for COVID-19 vaccination, including male gender, older age, and influenza vaccination history, we distinctively found that patient's disease status and health status (absence of cancer recurrence, time since cancer diagnosis over 5 years, and higher EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale scores) were associated with higher acceptance rates of vaccination. Furthermore, physician's recommendations effectively reduced patient's vaccine hesitancy. Considering the high morbidity and mortality of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with malignancy, they are regarded as a priority for COVID-19 vaccination. However, general vaccine uptake rates among cancer patients are known to be lower than in their healthy counterparts. Thus, we aimed to investigate the attitude and acceptance rates for the COVID-19 vaccine in cancer patients and identify predictive factors for vaccination that could be modified to increase vaccine uptake rates, via a paper-based survey (58 items over six domains). A total of 1001 cancer patients participated in this nationwide, multicenter survey between February and April 2021. We observed that 61.8% of respondents were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Positive predictive factors found to be independently associated with vaccination were male gender, older age, obesity, previous influenza vaccination history, absence of cancer recurrence, time since cancer diagnosis over 5 years, and higher EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale scores. Along with the well-known factors that are positively correlated with vaccination, here, we report that patients' disease status and current health status were also associated with their acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination. Moreover, 91.2% of cancer patients were willing to be vaccinated if their attending physicians recommend it, indicating that almost 30% could change their decision upon physicians' recommendation. Unlike other factors, which are unmodifiable, physicians' recommendation is the single modifiable factor that could change patients' behavior. In conclusion, we firstly report that Korean cancer patients' acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccination was 61.8% and associated with disease status and current health status. Physicians should play a major role in aiding cancer patients' decision-making concerning COVID-19 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to determinate the factors that affect physical activity of community-dwelling elders. Methods: A cross-sectional approach was used to explore factors promoting physical activity. Participants were 203 individuals aged 65 years and over living in either the C or D cities. Each participant completed a questionnaire which included the Korean Version of Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (K-PASE), geriatric depression, fear of falling and mini mental state examination Data were collected from July, 20 to August, 30, 2015 and statistical analysis was used to examine the participant characteristics, physical activity differences according to characteristics, correlation between physical activity and research variables, and factors affecting the physical activity. Results: The mean score for K-PASE was 106.00±67.49. K-PASE showed significantly negative correlations with depression (r=-.16, p=.026) and fear of falling (r=-.31, p<.001) and a positive correlation with cognitive function (r=.37, p<.001). In regression analysis, factors influencing the physical activity were age, educational level and cognitive function. Explanatory rate of these factors for K-PASE was 21.0%. Conclusion: Findings from the study indicate that the physical activity programs should include intervention strategies to enhance cognitive function while considering age and education level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A steadily increasing pattern of breast cancer mortality has been reported in South Korea since the late 1980s. This paper explored the trends of educational inequalities of female breast cancer mortality between 1983 and 2012 in Korea, and conducted age-period-cohort (APC) analysis by educational level. Methods: Age-standardized mortality rates of breast cancer per 100,000 person-years were calculated. Relative index of inequality (RII) for breast cancer mortality was used as an inequality measure. APC analyses were conducted using the Web tool for APC analysis provided by the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Results: An increasing trend in breast cancer mortality among Korean women between 1983 and 2012 was due to the increased mortality of the lower education groups (i.e., no formal education or primary education and secondary education groups), not the highest education group. The breast cancer mortality was higher in women with a tertiary education than in women with no education or a primary education during 1983-1992, and the reverse was true in 1993-2012. Consequently, RII was changed from positive to negative associations in the early 2000s. The lower education groups had the increased breast cancer mortality and significant cohort and period effects between 1983 and 2012, whereas the highest group did not. Conclusions: APC analysis by socioeconomic position used in this study could provide an important clue for the causes on breast cancer mortality. The long-term monitoring of socioeconomic patterning in breast cancer risk factors is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates workers’ favoured rotation types by their age and compares means between subjective and actual scores on productivity, quality and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The subjects of research were 422 assembly line units in Hyundai Motor Company. The survey of 422 units focused on the workers’ preference for 11 different rotation types and subjective scores for each type’s perceived benefits, both by the workers’ age. Then, actual scores on production-related indices were traced over a five-year period. The results suggest that different rotation types lead to different results in productivity, product quality and MSDs. Workers tend to perceive job rotation as a helpful method to enhance satisfaction, productivity and product quality more so than the actual production data suggests. Job rotation was especially effective in preventing MSDs for workers aged under 45, while its effects were not clear for the workers aged 45 years or older. Practitioner’s Summary:This research presents appropriate rotation type for different age groups. Taking workers’ age into account, administrators can use the paper’s outcomes to select and implement the suitable rotation type to attain specific goals such as enhancing productivity, improving product quality or reducing MSDs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Many complex factors contribute to suicide in older adults. The suicidal ideation that precedes suicide is an especially direct predictor of suicide. This study aimed to identify the effects between variables affecting suicidal ideation among older adults using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model and understand the causal relationships to systematize complex factors. Methods: This study used data from 9920 community-dwelling older adults who completed a national survey in 2020 to classify predictors of suicidal ideation (e.g., depression, subjective health status, sociodemographic factors, health factors, social support, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and social participation) by using the ICF model. To determine the causal relationship between variables, this study examined significance based on the critical ratio (C.R.) and squared multiple correlation (SMC) by using a path model. Results: Gender, education level, economic level, age, IADL, relationship satisfaction with a child, depression, and the number of chronic diseases significantly affected suicidal ideation, while age, employment status, participation in social groups, formal and informal support, satisfaction with a friend/neighbor relationship, and subjective health status did not significantly influence it. Moreover, depression mediated the relationship between each of these variables and suicidal ideation. Conclusions: It was found that depression was the most direct and mediating factor in suicidal ideation among many factors affecting the suicidal ideation of community-dwelling older adults. Additional studies should be conducted to develop community-level strategies based on these factors and understand causal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have suggested that frequent toothbrushing is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events. We sought to investigate further the relationship between toothbrushing, cardiovascular risk factors, and lifestyle behaviours. Methods: We analysed a cross-sectional survey including 13,761 adults aged 30 years or older without a history of cardiovascular diseases from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, lipid profiles, and fasting glucose), and inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP], and white blood cell counts [WBC]) were investigated in relation to the frequency of toothbrushing. Results: The estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, calculated using the pooled cohort equations was 13.7%, 9.1%, and 7.3% for participants who reported toothbrushing 0–1, 2, and ≥ 3 times a day, respectively. Both conventional risk factors and inflammatory markers were significantly associated with frequent toothbrushing. However, after adjusting potential confounding factors such as age, sex, comorbidities, and lifestyle behaviours, only inflammatory markers were remained as significant factors. Conclusions: Oral hygiene behaviours are closely linked to cardiovascular risk factors. This study suggests that reduced systemic inflammatory burden may explain the benefit of improved oral hygiene in terms of cardiovascular risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors influencing nurses' intention to stay after coming back from parental leave. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The participants were 175 female nurses working in hospitals with over 300 beds and returning after three months of parental leave. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: There were significant differences in intention to stay by age (t=2.65, p<.001) and position (t=-2.23, p=.027). Intention to stay was positively correlated with social support (r=.24, p<.001) and self-efficacy (r=.42, p<.001), and negatively correlated with work-family balance conflict (r=-.21, p=.004). Factors influencing intention to stay were self-efficacy (β=.94, p<.001) and work-family balance conflict (β=-.49, p=.005), with an explanatory power of 20%. Conclusion: The findings allow for proposing that increasing nurses' intention to stay may require self-efficacy improvements to enable nurses to adjust to their work environment, and hospitals should provide nurses with institutional support in order to reduce nurses' work-family conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes is a chronic illness and increasing among older populations. Self-care is a critical element in managing diabetes. Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory (SCDNT) has been used and applied in nursing to explain significant self-care concepts. Although older Korean immigrants are marginalized in maintaining optimal health status and accessing adequate health services, related studies are still lacking. Utilization of Orem's SCDNT allows nurses to better understand associated factors in self-care among older Korean immigrants with diabetes. Purpose: The first aim is to explain the significant concepts of SCDNT. The second aim is to examine basic conditioning factors on self-care among older Korean immigrants with diabetes based on Orem's SCDNT. Methods: Each concept and structure of Orem's SCDNT was described with a table and figure. The 10 basic conditioning factors in self-care among older Korean immigrants with diabetes were investigated based on the previous literature and discussed in terms of Orem's SCDNT. Results: By exploring the 10 basic conditioning factors among older Korean immigrants, nurses can identify related factors in the self-care of this minority immigrant group and initiate the development of culturally tailored and age-specific nursing interventions. Implications for Nursing Practice: This study provides an understanding of related self-care factors among older Korean immigrants with diabetes. Additionally, the findings will help nurses to develop customized effective interventions and implement appropriate diabetes care for this minority group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To learn new words, particularly verbs, child learners have been shown to benefit from the linguistic contexts in which the words appear. However, cross-linguistic differences affect how this process unfolds. One previous study found that children's abilities to learn a new verb differed across Korean and English as a function of the sentence in which the verb occurred. The authors hypothesized that the properties of word order and argument drop, which vary systematically in these two languages, were driving the differences. In the current study, we pursued this finding to ask if the difference persists later in development, or if children acquiring different languages come to appear more similar as their linguistic knowledge and learning capacities increase. Preschool-aged monolingual English learners (N = 80) and monolingual Korean learners (N = 64) were presented with novel verbs in contexts that varied in word order and argument drop and accompanying visual stimuli. We assessed their learning by measuring accuracy in a forced-choice pointing task, and we measured eye gaze during the learning phase as an indicator of the processes by which they mapped the novel verbs to meaning. Unlike previous studies which identified differences between English and Korean learning 2-year-olds in a similar task, our results revealed similarities between the two language groups with these older preschoolers. We interpret our results as evidence that over the course of early childhood, children become adept at learning from a large variety of contexts, such that differences between learners of different languages are attenuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Demographic ageing and the shortage of professional care workers will constitute a crucial challenge for future eldercare. The introduction of care robots to support the independent life and care of older people is considered a promising solution. Despite the potential of care robots, their use also raises questions of moral acceptability, for example regarding issues of diversity sensitivity and discrimination (Weßel et al. 2021). Thus, the development and implementation of robotic systems are often based on stereotypical assumptions about the users' age and gender and neglect the diversity of their actual needs and preferences. In this paper, we explore the assumptions of professional stakeholders about the age and gender of potential users and discuss their ethical implications for morally acceptable diversity-sensitive robotics in eldercare. Method We conducted semi-structured interviews (n=16, April-June 2021) with stakeholders from technology development, marketing, and nursing in Germany. We asked to what extent they considered the age and gender of potential users as relevant and what role these categories played in the development and implementation of robots. The interviews were transcribed, coded deductively as well as inductively, and analysed with qualitative content analysis (Kuckartz 2018). Results and discussion Our results show in more detail how stakeholder assumptions regarding the age and gender of users can influence the development and implementation of care robotics. In our analysis, we identified three types of assumptions: 1) assumptions about the age and gender of users that were confirmed in practice, 2) assumptions about the age and gender of users that were not confirmed in practice, and 3) the assumption that age and gender of the users are not relevant. Overall, the stakeholder assumptions show a lack of awareness of user diversity and reveal how the development and implementation of care robots are based on stereotypes and biases regarding the age and gender of users. Based on an expanded principlist approach (Schicktanz & Schweda 2021) as well as feminist care ethics (Raghuram 2019), we argue that the diversity of users is not adequately addressed in the context of technology development and implementation. This might compromise user wellbeing, increase power imbalances in care and lead to discrimination of different users due to stereotypical stakeholder assumptions. We propose a diversity-sensitive framework for participatory technology development that includes a variety of users in the design, development, and implementation of care robots to take into account diverse user perspectives and increase user acceptance. In this context, we suggest that increased diversity on the part of the developers can make a substantial contribution to addressing the needs of more diverse users and gain access to marginalized user groups in eldercare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper sought to examine perceptual and acoustic characteristics in Korean female voices, focusing on the 'breathy' quality as a function of aging. In addition, we aimed to investigate if the three selected measures, H1-H2, H1-A1, and H1-A3, demonstrated any changes along a sustained vowel production. Participants and Methods: A total of 42 participants were assigned to two age groups, young women and elderly women. All participants were asked to sustain /a/ as long and as steadily as possible. Perceptual judgments of breathiness were made on the GRBAS scale and by a direct magnitude estimation technique, while three acoustic parameters, H1-H2, H1-A1, and H1-A3, were measured at five measurement time points during the sustained vowel test. Results: Results indicated that the H1-H2 and H1-A1 values were significantly lower for elderly women compared to young women, although no difference in the perceptual estimation of breathiness was found between the age groups. Among the acoustic measures, only H1-A1 was significantly regressed against the perceptual estimate of breathiness. In addition, no significant acoustic difference in the measures was found across the five measurement points. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the aging voice might not be universally characterized by the breathy quality, which hints at the need for further research on ethnic diversity in vocal quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension is one of the most serious health problems in Korea. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors associated with self-reported nonadherence to an antihypertensive regimen. The data were obtained from the Korean Medical Panel 2008 and 2009 database, which were surveyed by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance. We analyzed 5324 patients using multivariate logistic regression models. Self-reported nonadherence was used as a dependent variable and demographic, socioeconomic, and health status were included as independent variables to investigate the associated factors. Among the patients who were diagnosed with hypertension, 13.2% did not take their medicine as prescribed. Age and education attainment level were statistically significant. Younger and lower educational attainment groups were less likely to adhere to medication regimens and showed a tendency not to take their medicine as prescribed. There were no statistically significant variables in terms of health status. Our findings suggest that nurses in clinical and community settings should pay more attention to hypertensive patients who are young and less educated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) is acknowledged to be prevalent among the Korean public, but few follow-up studies are available to confirm this commonly held belief. Whereas most survey studies have focused on the demographic factors influencing the usage of TKM, only a few studies have conducted a pattern or trend analysis over time. The purpose of this paper is to observe and document recent trends in the usage of TKM in South Korea and to compare overall patterns of TKM use over a period of several years. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2011 to assess TKM usage patterns and public perceptions regarding TKM. An online questionnaire was administered to consenting respondents that focused upon individual preferences between TKM and current Western medicine, respondents' reasons for using TKM, the frequency of respondents' visits to TKM clinics, the reasons respondents visited TKM clinics, and respondents' perceived satisfaction. Results: The results revealed that 66.6% of the respondents showed a positive attitude toward TKM. In addition, 69.3% of the respondents had visited TKM clinics one to four times during the previous year. Patients used TKM with the intentions of receiving acupuncture (95.3%), moxibustion (40.1%), and cupping (36.0%) treatments or to take herbal medicines (35.7%). Most respondents who had visited TKM clinics were largely satisfied with the clinics' effectiveness (56.1%). The factors most commonly associated with TKM usage included sex (female), age (50s), and education (college or higher), but the within-factor differences were not significant. Compared with a previous survey of other groups, TKM usage was found to have increased from 45.8% in 2008 to 69.3% in 2011. With the exception of acupuncture and physical therapy, most usage doubled or more than doubled. Conclusions: The attitudes toward and usage of TKM in South Korea have improved between 2008 and 2011. This result will be used to explain outcomes of certain social phenomena and to argue for national support in the promotion of TKM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Considering that only some and not all smokers develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there may be other factors responsible for the development of COPD among smokers. Previous researchers have reported that ethnicity could be one of factors associated with the development of COPD. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with the development of airflow limitation, suggestive of having COPD, among Korean smokers using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted over the past 3 years. METHODS A total of 2569 current and former smokers ≥40 years of age were included. Most studies exploring risk factors for COPD have compared smokers and non-smokers with smoking as only one of the independent variables. In this study, we took a different approach, studying only smokers and comparing those with or without airflow limitation. RESULTS The prevalence of airflow limitation among the study participants was 19.2% and 22.1% in current and former smokers, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the severity of airflow limitation and total lifetime smoking amount. Among the many variables examined, only age, male gender and total lifetime smoking amount (pack-years) were significant factors associated with the development of cigarette smoke-induced airflow limitation. CONSLUSIONS Older Korean men who are heavy smokers may be at a higher risk of developing COPD. Our findings support the importance of smoking cessation as the best way to prevent the development of COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current measures for monitoring progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) do not adequately account for populations that do not have the same level of access to quality care services and/or financial protection to cover health expenses for when care is accessed. This gap in accounting for unmet health care needs may contribute to underutilization of needed services or widening inequalities. Asking people whether or not their needs for health care have been met, as part of a household survey, is a pragmatic way of capturing this information. This analysis examined responses to self-reported questions about unmet need asked as part of 17 health, social and economic surveys conducted between 2001 and 2019, representing 83 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Noting the large variation in questions and response categories, the results point to low levels (less than 2%) of unmet need reported in adults aged 60+ years in countries like Andorra, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Thailand and Viet Nam to rates of over 50% in Georgia, Haiti, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. While unique, these estimates are likely underestimates, and do not begin to address issues of poor quality of care as a barrier or contributing to unmet need in those who were able to access care. Monitoring progress towards UHC will need to incorporate estimates of unmet need if we are to reach universality and reduce health inequalities in older populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Depression is increasing worldwide. Some previous studies have explored the impact of work–family conflict on depressive symptoms of married working women. However, little is known about the moderating relationship underlying them. Objectives: This study aims to determine the moderating effects of marriage satisfaction and organizational gender discrimination climate in the relationship between work–family conflict and depressive symptoms of married working women in Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the data of the 8th Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF). The data of 1,816 married working women employed and paid by an individual or an enterprise were analyzed. Results: The work–family conflict had a significant effect on depressive symptoms of married working women. In the dynamics between work–family conflict and depressive symptoms, no significant moderating effect of marriage satisfaction was found. On the contrary, the organizational gender discrimination climate displayed a moderating effect on the relationship between work–family conflict and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Nursing strategies in the workplace or community are needed so that married working women can cope positively and actively between work–family conflicts and maintain healthy mental health. To this end, gender role awareness education should be prioritized to improve awareness of gender discrimination in the workplace. In addition, nursing interventions such as linking local or government support and information delivery should be provided so that married working women can be consulted about situations related to work–family conflicts or gender discrimination climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether cumulative exposure to poor housing conditions is negatively associated with psychological well-being, and whether this association varies by age. Using fifteen waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study between 2005 and 2019 (118,500 person-observations), this study employed fixed-effects regression models to account for unobserved individual-level heterogeneity. Exposure to poor housing conditions ranged from 1 to more than 5 annual waves. To formally test for age heterogeneity, interactive models were estimated. The trajectories of change in psychological well-being associated with cumulative exposure to poor housing conditions were different between young and middle-aged adults and older adults. Among young and middle-aged adults, the levels of depressive symptoms increased in the first year of exposure but remained at a similar level since then. In contrast, with the persistence of poor housing conditions, older adults continued to develop greater depressive symptoms over time. Similar age differences were found for life satisfaction. As exposure to poor housing conditions accumulated, life satisfaction persistently declined among older adults, but not young and middle-aged adults. This study suggests that cumulative exposure to poor housing conditions has more adverse psychological consequences for older adults than young and middle-aged adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of obesity and dyslipidemia among young adult men in South Korea. Therefore, we aimed to identify the obesity-related factors of dyslipidemia among young adult men in Korea using 3-year data (2019–2021) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We included 1559 eligible men aged 19–39 years and examined the association between dyslipidemia and participants' general characteristics, health-related characteristics, and food intake according to obesity status. Statistical analysis was performed using complex sample analysis with weighted household and individual data. The affecting factors of dyslipidemia included age, body image perception, stress, and waist circumference (WC) in the body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 group and age and WC in the BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 group. To prevent and manage dyslipidemia in young adult men, interventions should be developed separately for the normal, underweight, and obese groups. Effective intervention requires measuring WC and focusing on body fat control. Moreover, regular screening of this population should be performed to ensure early diagnosis and management of dyslipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes toward the components of active aging and to examine the relationship of attitudes toward active aging with the impressions of older adults across different age groups and across Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. The sample was a total 1,619 individuals comprising of 615 Taiwanese people, 495 Koreans, and 509 Japanese people. Five factors of attitudes toward active aging were extracted by factor analysis: Health, Participation, Connectedness, Work, and Security. Taiwanese people emphasized more importance on health, social participation, and security; while Koreans and Japanese people emphasized more on social connectedness and work. The age group differences were not significant in the attitudes to active aging. Japanese reported more negative impressions to older adults than Taiwanese people, and Koreans were less willing to live with older adults than Taiwanese people. The older group also reported more positive impressions to older adults. Public stigma of aging may exist, implying that intergenerational mutual understanding would reduce ageism or age discrimination. An active aging policy may reduce the public stigma toward older adults and may reduce the burden of intergenerational redistribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To identify specific patterns of lifestyle behaviours among young adults and examine the relationships of the patterns to sociodemographic characteristics and health conditions (hypertension, diabetes and obesity). Design: Descriptive, correlational study. Methods: Data from a nationally representative sample of 4562 young adults aged 19–39, who participated in the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, were analysed. Latent class analysis was used to identify the patterns of lifestyle behaviours, including smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and vaccination. Generalized linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationships among lifestyle behaviour patterns, sociodemographic characteristics and health conditions. Results: Three patterns of lifestyle behaviours were identified: physically active (6.9%), high risk (21.5%) and passive (71.6%). The membership of these three patterns was significantly associated with sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, education level, occupation and living arrangement). Among the three groups, young adults in the high‐risk group were found to be significantly associated with all three health conditions (hypertension, diabetes and obesity) while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusion: These results indicate that young adults are likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours that are related to individual socioeconomic conditions, which could negatively affect their health conditions. Impact This study provides insights into the lifestyle behaviours among young adults who have been recognized to be socially disadvantaged. This could help develop education and prevention programmes tailored to specific patterns of lifestyle behaviours for improving health while considering their socioeconomic contexts. No Patient or Public Contribution: This applies to this research as the focus was on young adults in South Korea only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with diabetes must have self-efficacy to perform necessary self-care tasks. Self-efficacy has been considered as one of the primary motivators on diabetes self-care; therefore, it is essential for health care professionals to assess the self-efficacy of patients with diabetes to provide optimal care. Despite older Korean immigrants having greater difficulty in diabetes management, research on self-efficacy for them is lacking. This study aims to examine the psychometric property of the General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version for older Korean immigrants with diabetes in the United States. In this cross-sectional, methodological study, data were collected using convenience sampling. Cronbach's alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to examine the psychometric properties. Cronbach's alpha for the entire GSE scale Korean version is 0.81. The initial Eigenvalues show two factors, coping and confidence; however, the confirmatory factor analysis showed reasonable goodness of fit to the data (χ2(35) = 86.24, p < 0.01), χ2/df ratio = 2.46, AGFI = 0.87, GFI = 0.91, IFI = 0.90, ECVI = 0.74, CFI = 0.89, and RMSEA = 0.093 in the one-factor model. The General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. It can be used to investigate self-efficacy and to devise culturally tailored diabetes interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors influencing the health-related quality of life of elderly men in partial medically underserved rural areas. Methods: The subjects included 182 elderly men aged 65 or older living in the jurisdictions of the Health Care Centers in Gyeryong-, Iin-, and Jeongan-myeon, which were medically underserved rural areas in Gongju city, South Korea. Data were collected on October 13 to November 1, 2020, and were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and hierarchical linear regression. Results: The subjects’ scored mean 24.20±3.29 points out of 30 in cognitive functions and mean 17.08±9.40 out of 60 in social support. The influential factors included three chronic diseases (β=-.50, p<.001), two chronic diseases (β=-.30, p<.001), one chronic disease (β=-.21, p=.012); fair subjective health status (β=.24, p<.001); good subjective health status (β=.25, p<.001); cognitive functions (β=.17, p=.004); aged 80 or older (β=-.16, p=.006); and brushing teeth three times per day or more (β=.14, p=.009) with an explanatory power of 53.8%. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop chronic disease management and cognitive function enhancement programs to identify factors influencing the health-related quality of life of elderly men in partial medically underserved rural areas and thus improve their health-related quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to compare differences in gait parameters such as gait speed, step length, step length-to-height ratio (SLR), and locomotor rehabilitation index (LRI) between sexes by age groups. In total, 354 subjects (aged 15-86 years) were divided into six groups by their age such as '≤29,' '30–39,' '40–49,' '50–59,' '60–69,' and '≥70' to compare the difference in gait parameters between sexes over the life span. Gait parameters were measured using a Global Positioning System (GPS) based smart shoes system including insole-type pressure sensor. According to the analysis, there were significant interaction effects in gait speed, SLR, and LRI between sexes and the age groups (all p <.05). There were significant differences among the age groups in gait speed (p <.001), step length (p <.001), SLR (p <.01), and LRI (p <.001) in women, and there was a significant difference among the age groups in gait speed (p <.001) and LRI (p <.001) in men. Especially, there was a significant difference in gait speed (p <.01) and LRI (p <.05) between '50–59' and '60–69' age groups in women. Also, body mass index (BMI) was negatively associated with all gait parameters in women, while there were no significant correlations between BMI and gait parameters in men. Taken together, the patterns of change in gait speed may be different between sexes over the life span. In particular, the gait speed may significantly decrease as women get old from middle age to old age, and obesity can be negatively associated with gait parameters in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many adolescents in South Korea experience risk-level depressive symptoms due to stress caused by personal and environmental changes. Prior studies investigated various characteristics of depressive symptoms. However, it is unclear when the mean level of depression changes with the development of children and adolescents and whether it is stable relative to one another over time. Thus, it is necessary to closely understand the continuity and stability of depressive symptoms across developmental stages in children and adolescents. In this study, continuity refers to the consistency in a group's mean level of depressive symptoms over time; however, stability refers to the consistency in the relative placement of the levels of depressive symptoms of individuals within a group over time. To comprehensively understand previous studies, this meta-analysis compiled data from 95 South Korean longitudinal studies (N = 200,338; 49.7% females) published between 2000 and 2021. Data were analyzed using a three-level random effects model with a 1-year interval for each age group to integrate effect sizes, followed by a generalized additive mixed model integrating age as a continuous variable. The results indicate that the mean-level continuity of depressive symptoms was relatively high and the rank-order stability was low for the children in elementary school (including both upper and lower grades). Additionally, as the adolescents aged, the mean-level continuity of depressive symptoms slightly decreased while stability increased. When entering early adulthood, the continuity and stability of depressive symptoms converged without significant change. As a result of moderating effect, the female-only group indicated a high level of continuity and stability than the male-only or mixed group. The findings highlight that South Korean childhood is a period of relatively high continuity and low stability. Moreover, female students' depressive symptoms fluctuate more than those of males, suggesting the need for providing effective and appropriate help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study aimed to assess the specific associations between stroke and all-cause and cause-specific mortality among Korean adults. Methods We used data extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database from 2002 to 2013, including information on individuals with or without stroke aged 20 years and older. Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, ischemic stroke or unspecified stroke were classified as stroke patients, while a reference population matched in terms of sex and age were also selected. The outcomes were all-cause mortality, natural causes of death (i.e. all natural causes, death by stroke and death by other diseases) and suicide. Survival analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results Of the 73 150 eligible participants—including 14 630 stroke patients and 58 520 age- and sex-matched controls—11 121 (15.2%) died during the study period. Of them, 10 513 participants (94.5%) died of natural causes, including 1653 (14.5%) who died due to stroke and 8860 (79.7%) who died due to other diseases. Two hundred and fifty patients (2.2%) died by suicide. Stroke patients showed higher adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause (HR = 6.48, 95% CI, 3.87–10.86), all-natural-cause (HR = 2.68, 95% CI, 2.53–2.84), stroke (HR = 21.16, 95% CI, 17.49–25.61), other disease (HR = 1.69, 95% CI, 1.58–1.81) and suicide mortality (HR = 3.34, 95% CI, 2.24–4.98) than those without stroke. The effect size of stroke for suicide mortality was greater than that for other causes of mortality (except stroke mortality). Conclusions Stroke was associated with a higher risk of all-cause, natural cause and suicide mortality; stroke was more strongly associated with risk of suicide mortality than with any mortality for any other causes. From a policy standpoint, these results suggest the need for greater supportive care to prevent unnatural deaths among stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many factors associated with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have been proposed, including individual, psychosocial, and physical factors. However, these associated factors are still controversial. Purpose: (1) To determine the prevalence of CLBP and (2) to analyze factors associated with CLBP in the general population using a nationally representative sample of South Koreans. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Patient sample: Data from versions IV-1, -2, and -3 of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), which were performed in 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively (n = 24,871). Outcome measures: Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between several factors (age, gender, alcohol consumption, household income, education level, mid-intensity physical activity, depressive symptoms, vitamin D level, and comorbidities [stroke, ischemic heart disease, knee osteoarthritis, asthma, COPD, cancer history]) and CLBP. Methods: CLBP status was surveyed using a self-reported questionnaire. Demographic, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, and other factors were evaluated from health questionnaires, health and physical examinations, and laboratory tests. To analyze the association between these factors and CLBP, we used multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Data from 17,038 participants were included in the final analysis, including 2,693 with CLBP and 14,345 without. The prevalence of CLBP was 15.8% in South Korean subjects, with a prevalence of 11.8% in men and 24.5% in women. After regression analysis, we found advanced age, female gender, mid-intensity physical activity, depressive symptoms, stroke, ischemic heart disease, knee arthritis, asthma, COPD, and cancer history were positively associated with CLBP. In contrast, alcohol consumption ≥ 1 drink per month, increased household income, higher education level, and vitamin D insufficiency were negatively associated with CLBP. Conclusions: Our study showed that CLBP was most common in the elderly and women in the general South Korean population. Several individual, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors were associated with CLBP. These results demonstrate the influence of these factors on CLBP in the general population and suggest that consideration of these factors may improve the management of CLBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The turnover of new nurses is a critical issue that not only causes economic loss to hospitals but also negatively affects the quality of nursing services and patient care. This study examined the impact of workplace bullying, which is an external factor, and resilience, an internal factor, on new nurses' turnover intention. The participants of this study comprised 153 nurses from two tertiary hospitals located in Korea with more than 8 weeks but less than 12 months of work experience. The factors impacting the turnover intention of new nurses in tertiary hospitals were verbal and non‐verbal bullying (β = 0.27), tenacity (β = −0.24), not getting placement in the desired department (β = 0.17), and age group (β = 0.12). The regression model was significant (F = 9.23, p<0.001) based on hierarchical regression analysis, and the explanatory power of the model was 29%. It was concluded that reduction of verbal and non‐verbal bullying in the workplace, and programs that promote the tenacity of resilience, are necessary to reduce the turnover intention of new nurses in tertiary hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to assess the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and to examine the sex-stratified associations between IPV and suicidal ideation in South Korea. This study used nationally representative longitudinal survey data from 2011 to 2020 of the Korean Welfare Panel Study of 9732 married adults at baseline. Participants were annually asked about IPV experiences of verbal abuse, physical threat, or physical assault over the past year in 2011–2019. Suicidal ideation in the past year was assessed in the following year 2012–2020 of IPV experiences. Using multilevel logistic regression models, we examined the associations between IPV and suicidal ideation among married adults. The prevalence of verbal abuse, physical threat, and physical assault was respectively 19.8%, 3.0%, and 1.4% in females (n = 5056); and 18.8%, 2.7%, and 1.0% in males (n = 4676). After adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., lifetime suicidal ideation and random effects of individuals and households) in the same year when participants had IPV experiences, all types of IPV experiences were statistically associated with suicidal ideation in the following year among both females and males, except for physical threat among males. We found a statistically significant association between physical threat and suicidal ideation among females (adjusted odds ratio: 2.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.62, 3.04), whereas no association was observed among males. Our findings suggest that public health interventions related to suicidal behaviors that can be attributable to experiencing IPV are necessary among both females and males in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does attitude to death influence consumption level and profiles and conversely? The database is a representative follow-up of Korean respondents from 2006 to 2016. Satisfaction with quality of life is combined with endogenous consumption level, consumption patterns, deviation from expected mortality—the propensity for dying—, and wealth. Exogenous variables include sex, age, education, children, place of residence, and employment. Satisfaction decreases with age; women are less satisfied and anticipate higher mortality than men. Older people anticipate an age-specific mortality rate that increases only linearly with age, while mortality actually increases exponentially. This cognitive bias, due to the fact that people perceive linear progressions but find it difficult to project themselves over time, leads them to overestimate their satisfaction in terms of quality of life, thus creating a protective effect on well-being, to the detriment of accurate economic visibility of the life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to understand the effects of self-control and social networks of friends on the amount of smoking among out-of-school adolescents. The subjects of this study were 187 out-of-school adolescent smokers from the J-province Youth Counseling Welfare Center as of 2020. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires that contained questions about sociodemographic characteristics, self-control, social networks of friends, and amount of smoking. The dependent variable was smoking amount. Descriptive statistics, χ2 tests, correlation analyses, and regression analysis were performed. The predictors of smoking in OSY (out-of-school youth) were analyzed with respect to self-control and social networks of friends. The significant variables in model 3 were age, living with parents, and average allowance. The smoking rate of friends (β = 0.256) and the degree of penetration of friends smoking (β = 0.341) were significant variables. The higher the percentage of friends smoking and the higher the degree of penetration of smoking among the members of social networks, the higher the amount of smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study is aimed at investigating the pattern of change occurring in respiratory pathogens before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, a type of viral pneumonia for which a pandemic was declared (March 2020). The results were analyzed by gender and age to identify the association between personal hygiene and prevention of infection by respiratory pathogens. Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on 39,814 sputum, bronchial aspirate, and transtracheal aspirate samples obtained from 15,398 patients visiting a university hospital, located in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, between January 2018 and December 2021. From 4,454 patients whose samples were culture positive for bacteria, 6,389 strains were isolated and further cultured. Results. The mean age of the outpatients with respiratory pathogens was 66.2 years, and the comparison of the culture test results by gender showed that 64.9% (2,892/4,454) were male and 35.1% (1,562/4,454) were female. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period, the number of outpatients with a request for respiratory microbial cultures after the onset of the pandemic was reduced by 20.7% and the number of outpatients with a positive culture result was reduced by 23.0%. The number of respiratory samples received was reduced by 6.7% after the pandemic, while the sample positive rate was reduced by 18.3%. Among the isolated microbial strains, there was a significant decrease of 43.1% for the Acinetobacter baumannii complex, 60.5% for Streptococcus pneumoniae, 67.2% for Haemophilus influenzae, and 78.1% for Moraxella catarrhalis when compared with pre-COVID-19 levels. The distribution of respiratory microbial strains by age group showed that the highest percentage of isolated strains was in patients in their 70s. Conclusions. The improvements in personal hygiene due to the COVID-19 pandemic exerted a substantial influence on the pattern of change in other common respiratory microorganisms, which highlights the importance of personal hygiene management in the prevention of respiratory infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the correlates of post-separation abuse among unmarried women in the Republic of Korea (n = 744). The study employs a logistic regression model to consider if prior intimate partner violence victimization, relationship characteristics, and separation characteristics are associated with post-separation abuse. The results showed that experiencing coercive control by the former partner during the relationship, initiating the separation, and having a lower income than her former partner's income increased the odds of post-separation abuse. The findings imply that programs designed to prevent victimization or enhance victims' safety need to consider broader relationship and separation contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]