Ghee-Young Noh

Smoking Cessation Apps for Smartphones: Content Analysis With the Self-Determination Theory

Background Smartphones are increasingly receiving attention from public health scholars and practitioners as a means to assist individuals’ health management. A number of smartphone apps for smoking cessation are also available; however, little effort has been made to evaluate the content and functions of these apps employing a theoretical framework. Objective The present study aims to analyze and evaluate the contents of smoking cessation apps available in South Korea employing the self-determination theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework for analysis. This study analyzes the extent to which smoking cessation apps have features that satisfy the basic needs identified in the SDT, which stimulate autonomous motivation. The type of motivational goal content manifested in the apps and how the goal content was framed are also explored. By assessing the features of smoking cessation apps based on the SDT, this study aims to offer direction for improvement for these apps. Methods Out of 309 apps identified from the iTunes store and Google Play (excluding 27 duplications), 175 apps were randomly drawn and analyzed. The coding scheme was drafted by the authors based on the SDT and gain/loss framing theory and was further finely tuned through the process of coder training and by establishing intercoder reliability. Once the intercoder reliability was established, the coders divided up the rest of the sample and coded them independently. Results The analysis revealed that most apps (94.3%, 165/175) had at least one feature that tapped at least 1 of the 3 basic needs. Only 18 of 175 apps (10.3%) addressed all 3 basic needs. For goal content, money (53.7%, 94/175) showed the highest frequency, followed by health (32.0%, 56/175), time (7.4%, 13/175), and appearance (1.1%, 2/175), suggesting that extrinsic goals are more dominantly presented in smoking cessation apps. For the framing of goal content, gain framing appeared more frequently (41.7%, 73/175). Conclusions The results suggest that these smoking cessation apps may not sufficiently stimulate autonomous motivation; a small number of apps addressed all 3 basic needs suggested by the SDT (ie, autonomy, competence, and relatedness). The apps also tended to present extrinsic goal content (primarily in terms of money) over intrinsic ones (ie, health) by primarily adopting gain framing. Implications of these findings for public health practitioners and consumers are discussed.

A Study on Relationships between Health Literacy, Disease-related Knowledge and Compliance to Medical Recommendations in Patients with Hypertension

Purpose: To survey relationships between health literacy, disease-related knowledge and compliance to medical recommendations in patients with hypertension. Methods: The subjects were 315 patients conveniently selected from public health centers in Gangwon province. Data were collected through a questionnaire (from January 10, 2013 to February 10, 2013) and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test and Pearson`s correlation coefficient using the PASW statistics 18.0 program. Results: There were significant differences in health literacy according to age, marital status, monthly family income and education. In regard to disease-related knowledge, there were significant differences according to gender, marital status and monthly family income. There were positive correlations between health literacy and disease-related knowledge (r

The impact of social media on risk perceptions during the MERS outbreak in South Korea

Abstract Analyzing nationally representative online panel survey data during the MERS outbreak in South Korea, this study examined the role of social media exposure in shaping publics risk perceptions of MERS. The present study also investigated the moderating role of heuristic-systematic processing and self-efficacy in the relationship between social media exposure and risk perceptions. The findings of this study showed that social media exposure was positively related to forming risk perceptions. Moreover, heuristic-systematic processing and self-efficacy were found to moderate the impact of social media on risk perceptions. The interaction effects suggested that the role of social media in increasing risk perceptions of MERS was heighted by heuristic-systematic processing and self-efficacy. The results and implications of this study are discussed in greater details.

The Acceptance Model of Telemedicine for Chronic Disease in Rural Community

본 연구는 만성질환 환자들의 건강상태나 건강행위에 영향을 미치는 원격진료의 수용행위를 체계적으로 규명하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 2013년 강원도지역에서 원격진료를 받고 있는 210명의 고령층 만성질환자들 을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하고 구조방정식 모델을 통해서 수용성에 미치는 영향요인을 검증하였다. 연 구결과 첫째, 원격진료에 대한 지각된 유용성은 지속적인 원격진료 이용의도에 유의미한 영향을 미쳤으며, 지각된 사용용이성 역시 원격진료 이용의도에 유의미한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째로 원격진료 에 대해 주변사람들의 주관적 인식이 관대하고 긍정적일수록 원격진료에 대한 사용용이성과 유용성에 더 긍정적인 것으로 나타났다. 셋째로 원격진료에 대한 신뢰 역시 정보수용과정에서 정보의 질적 수준이 정보 의 활용경험과 유용성에 영향을 미친다는 기존의 연구와 일치하는 결과를 보여주었다. 마지막으로 건강에 대한 외적 통제소재는 지각된 유용성에 긍정적으로 영향을 미치는 것으로 확인되었다. 이 연구는 지역사회 원격진료의 수용을 구조적으로 검증함으로써 모델의 정교화에 기여하고 있다.

The Effect of the Telemedicine Service System Application for the Patients with Hypertension at Community Health Practitioner Posts in Gangwon Province

Objectives: This study is to identify the effects of utilizing a telemedicine service system on patients with hypertension at home in rural areas. Methods: The study was designed to be a retrospective case-control study. The subjects of this study were 152 patients with hypertension who were managed by community health practitioner posts; using telemedicine service system group (n=76), usual care group (n=76). The data was collected through EMR (electric medical record) from September to December, 2013, and analyzed by descriptive statistics of x 2 /t-test and ANCOVA. Results: The analysis showed that telemedicine service system was an effective way to deal with body weight (F=4.723, p=.031) and BMI (F=5.225, p=.024). Conclusions: This study provides evidence for utilizing the telemedicine service system based on information technology as intervention method in the hypertension management.

Factors Influencing Health-Related Internet Activities and Their Outcomes

This study explores why people participate in health-related Internet activities and what the potential impacts of such activities are. Specifically, this study examines how trust in health information (i.e., from a physician and from the Internet) determines individuals’ health-related Internet activities and whether this use subsequently improves outcomes such as discussion with doctors about online health information and satisfaction with health care. Findings from a Web-based survey in South Korea indicated that trust in health information from doctors decreased communication activities, whereas trust in online health information increased both communication and information activities. Both communication and information activities increased discussions with doctors about online health information, which subsequently led to satisfaction with health care.

Exploring Factors Influencing Smokers’ Information Seeking for Smoking Cessation

This study addressed the factors influencing smokers’ information seeking pertaining to the health risks of smoking. In particular, this study aimed to extend the risk information seeking and processing model by taking into account the role of autonomous motivations used to stimulate smokers’ information-seeking behavior. The results of a Web-based survey indicated that information insufficiency was positively associated with health information–seeking behavior and that negative affective responses were positively associated with information insufficiency and health information–seeking behavior. In addition, autonomous motivations were positively associated with information insufficiency and information-seeking behavior. The results indicated that risk perception was positively related to autonomous motivations and negative affective response. Finally, informational subjective norm was positively related to autonomous motivations and negative affective responses. The implications of this study for future research are discussed.

Emerging Infectious Disease Content in Newspaper Editorials: Public Health Concern or Leadership Issue?

We conducted a content analysis of newspaper editorials on the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in Korea. Subject matter, social and personal efficacy information, and affective tone were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. An analysis of 241 publications with the acronym “MERS” revealed that public health was the most salient, followed by leadership/governance, coping, medical system, and economic consequences. Societal efficacy information was more frequent than personal efficacy information, and a negative tone was predominant. However, leadership became the most frequent in the later stages. Personal efficacy information decreased over time and across content with a negative tone.

Exploration of the Independent and Joint Influences of Social Norms and Drinking Motives on Korean College Students’ Alcohol Consumption

Understanding what types of social norms are more or less influential and how they operate with respect to other psychological variables can provide valuable insights into the design of effective social norm campaigns. To this end, this study explores the roles of two types of social norms (injunctive norms and descriptive norms) and two types of drinking motives (social motives and conformity motives) in collegiate drinking behavior in South Korea. A survey of Korean college students (N = 569) revealed significant positive effects of injunctive norms, descriptive norms, and social motives on students’ drinking frequency and quantity. Conformity motives were positively related to the frequency of drinking but negatively related to the quantity of drinking. Furthermore, the results revealed significant effects of the interactions between descriptive norms and social motives (on both the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption), such that the positive effect of descriptive norms was more pronounced among individuals with stronger social motives. A similar pattern was observed in the interaction between injunctive norms and conformity motives (on frequency). Theoretical and practical implications of the findings for social norm campaigns seeking to curb drinking among college students are discussed.