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Background: University freshmen experience increased stress levels, and women, in particular, experience more stress and anxiety. Maintaining mindfulness through mindfulness programs may contribute to a successful university experience. This study aims to determine the effects of a mindfulness-based education program on mindfulness, emotional regulation, interoceptive awareness, and university-life adjustment among Korean university freshmen. Methods: This study was a single-group pre-test-post-test design and a clinical trial (No. KCT0008309) registered with the clinical research information service of South Korea. This study was conducted with 46 female university freshmen using a volunteer sampling approach in Korea from March 2023 to June 2023. The mindfulness-based education program was conducted in 12 sessions, 1 day per week, for 12 weeks. Standard questionnaires were used, including the Kentucky inventory of mindfulness skills, positive affect, and negative affect schedule, multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, and college life adjustment scale. A paired-sample t-test was used for statistical analysis using IBM SPSS software, version 29. Results: Only attention related to mindfulness had a significant difference before and after the intervention (P=0.013). Interoceptive awareness sub-items, including accept (P=0.022), return to the body (P<0.001), and trusting (P=0.035) showed significant increases following the intervention. The interpersonal relationships required during university-life adjustment also revealed a significant improvement (P=0.025). However, no significant changes were observed in the emotional regulation variables after the intervention. Conclusion: These results suggest that implementing a mindfulness program can effectively improve self-awareness and mutual acceptance skills among female university freshmen. This can help them establish strong social connections with their peers and professors. Therefore, we suggest incorporating a mindfulness program into university curricula to support adjustment to university life among female university freshmen experiencing various forms of stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study presents the development of a group video communication-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program for depressed pregnant women. It also provides the results of a preliminary test of its effects on their depression, automatic thoughts, and dysfunctional attitudes. Methods: In this quasi-experimental single-group pre- and posttest design study, 13 pregnant women participated in a 4-week, eight-session group CBT program, based on Beck's cognitive theory and using video communications from November 2020 to January 2021. Pregnant women between 14 and 32 weeks who were members of an online maternity and parenting community and residing in the cities of Changwon and Gimhae, Korea, were invited to voluntarily participate. Trained nurses led CBT sessions of 3-4 participants per group via video communication. Participants were assessed pre- and postintervention with self-report questionnaires for measurement of depression, automatic thought, and dysfunctional attitude after normality test according to the Shapiro-Wilk test of the variables. The data were analyzed using paired t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: Depression (t=7.90, p<.001), automatic thoughts (t=4.89, p<.001), and dysfunctional attitudes (t=2.42, p=.032) significantly decreased after the 4-week online program. There were statistically significant correlations among the three variables. Conclusion: This program was found to be effective in reducing depression, automatic thoughts, and dysfunctional attitudes. Above findings suggest that a group CBT program using video communication can be an effective therapeutic modality that helps pregnant women at risk for depression alleviate their negative emotions related to depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Menopause is a well-known risk factor for accelerating cognitive aging in women. This study aimed to assess differences in cognitive function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) according to menopausal status to determine whether the menopause significantly affects the relationship between cognitive function and HRQOL. Methods: This was a cross-sectional comparative study with a convenience sample of 178 Korean women including 89 naturally menopausal women (65 ± 10 years) and 89 non-menopausal women (45 ± 8 years) who met the eligibility criteria and completed neuropsychological tests and self-report questionnaires about their HRQOL, cognitive function, depression, and sleep quality. Multiple regression analyses were performed within and between groups according to menopausal status. Results: Menopausal women had significantly worse scores on neuropsychological performance and HRQOL than non-menopausal women. A better neuropsychological performance (β = 0.34) was solely associated with a better HRQOL in menopausal women, whilst socioeconomic variables were associated with HRQOL in non-menopausal women. Conclusion: Menopause is an important risk factor for HRQOL, and the association between cognition and HRQOL may differ according to menopausal status. When developing programs for target groups to improve daily functioning and HRQOL, healthcare professionals need to pay more attention to this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Self-rated health is a comprehensive measure of health. As gender difference in self-rated health is found, identifying gender-specific factors related to self-rated health is important. Poor executive functioning negatively affects an individual's independence and healthy lifestyle, but it is unknown relationships between executive function and self-rated health and gender differences in these relationships. Therefore, gender differences were examined in the relationship between executive function and self-rated health in the community. Methods: Individuals completed questionnaires about their health status and subjective decline in executive function. Neuropsychological tests were also performed to assess objective executive functioning. Two separate multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted by gender. Results: Better objective executive function was related to greater self-rated health scores (better selfrated health) in men alone (βs = 0.341), while better subjective executive function was significantly associated with greater self-rated health scores in both men and women (βs = 0.385 and 0.443, respectively). Conclusion: Gender differences are important when reporting perceived health status, in particular the different effects of subjective and objective executive function on self-rated health across genders. Clinicians need to be aware of the potential value of subjective executive function complaints when evaluating health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to examine the effects of various leisure activities on cognitive impairment in young-old (aged 65-74 years) and old-old (aged ≥ 75 years) adults. Methods: In total, 10,279 elderly Korean individuals from the 2014 Korean National Survey on Older Adults' cohort were enrolled in our study. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the standardized score of the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening, whereas lei- sure activities were recorded via self-reporting of the extent and type of leisure activity the subjects involved in over the past year. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the effect of leisure activities on cognitive impairment, while controlling for potential covariates. Results: The subjects were more likely to participate in cognitive activities than in non-exercise physical activities. After controlling for selected covariates, involvement in cognitive activities was found to be a significant predictor of cognitive impairment in both the groups, whereas involvement in non-exercise physical activities was not a predictor of cognitive impairment in individuals aged ≥ 75 years. Moreover, depressive symptoms, rural residence, and hearing difficulties were common predictors of cognitive impairment among elderly-Korean-individuals. Conclusion: Leisure activity involvement may help delay cognitive impairment, which is often concomitant with aging. Hence, an early intervention service may significantly benefit both young-old and old-old individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile advertising has become a new form of marketing communications in recent years as mobile phones became ubiquitous in many countries. While the consumer aspect of mobile advertising has attracted much attention, few studies have touched on the business aspect of this new advertising medium. The present paper explores the status and trends of mobile advertising through in-depth personal interviews with the advertising practitioners in one of the leading mobile economies in the world, South Korea. Specifically, it addresses the current practices of mobile advertising, the business structure of mobile advertising market, and how mobile advertising is evaluated by practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]