Ja Yun Choi

Internet Addiction and Psychiatric Symptoms among Korean Adolescents

BACKGROUND The aims of this study were to identify the independent factors associated with intermittent addiction and addiction to the Internet and to examine the psychiatric symptoms in Korean adolescents when the demographic and Internet-related factors were controlled. METHODS Male and female students (N = 912) in the 7th-12th grades were recruited from 2 junior high schools and 2 academic senior high schools located in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected from November to December 2004 using the Internet-Related Addiction Scale and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision. A total of 851 subjects were analyzed after excluding the subjects who provided incomplete data. RESULTS Approximately 30% (n = 258) and 4.3% (n = 37) of subjects showed intermittent Internet addiction and Internet addiction, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that junior high school students and students having a longer period of Internet use were significantly associated with intermittent addiction. In addition, male gender, chatting, and longer Internet use per day were significantly associated with Internet addiction. When the demographic and Internet-related factors were controlled, obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms were found to be independently associated factors for intermittent addiction and addiction to the Internet, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Staff working in junior or senior high schools should pay closer attention to those students who have the risk factors for intermittent addiction and addiction to the Internet. Early preventive intervention programs are needed that consider the individual severity level of Internet addiction.

Factors Predicting Patient Discomfort after Coronary Angiography

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that predict discomfort after coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among hospitalized patients. METHODS A total of 203 patients who underwent coronary angiography or PCI were recruited from C hospital located in S city, J province, from June through August 2008. The level of discomfort was measured and standardized by two instruments, discomfort questionnaire and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS Stepwise multiple regression showed that the factors predicting the level of discomfort were type of angiography, gender, previous angiography, dysuria, pre-information, and sleep satisfaction, which together explained 30.6% of the total variance of the level of discomfort. CONCLUSION Patients who had previous experience with these procedures, received a pre-information about the upcoming procedure, had no dysuria, and had slept well after the procedure were less likely to complain discomfort. Pre-informed education should be given by nurses to patients who will have an angiography or PCI to reduce their physical and emotional discomforts.

Effects of Dietary Program based on Self-efficacy Theory on Dietary Adherence, Physical Indices and Quality of Life for Hemodialysis Patients

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine effects of a dietary program based on self-efficacy theory on dietary adherence, physical status and quality of life (QoL) in hemodialysis patients. METHODS A non-equivalent control group pre-post test design was used. The intervention group received the dietary program for 8 weeks from August 4 to September 26, 2014. The control group received only usual care. RESULTS ANCOVA showed that dietary adherence (F=64.75, p<.001) was significantly different between the two groups. Serum albumin (F=12.13, p =.001), interdialytic weight gain (F=56.97, p<.001), calories (F=15.80, p<.001) as physical status indices were significantly different, but serum potassium (F=2.69, p=.106) and serum phosphorus (F=1.08, p=.303) showed no significant difference between the two groups. In terms of health-related QoL, the physical component scale (F=10.05, p=.002) and the mental component scale (F=16.66, p<.001) were significantly different between the two groups. In addition, in terms of diet related QoL, diet level (F=35.33, p<.001) and satisfaction level (F=15.57, p<.001) were significantly different between the two groups, but dietary impact level (F=1.23, p =.271) was not significantly different. CONCLUSION Findings show that the dietary program based on self-efficacy theory is an effective nursing intervention program to improve adherence to diet, and to maintain physical status and QoL for hemodialysis patients.

Effects of Education about Action Plans according to Self-Monitoring on Self-Management Adherence, Knowledge, Symptom Control, and Quality of Life among Adult Asthma Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE This study was conducted to identify the effects of education regarding action plans according to a self-monitoring program on self-management adherence, knowledge, symptom control, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adults with asthma. METHODS Thirty-four patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group and thirty-two to the control group in this study. A tailored 50-minute intervention based on the contents of self-monitoring and action plans developed by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute was provided to the intervention group. Structured and well developed questionnaires were used to measure the dependent variables. RESULTS There were no differences in all general and clinical characteristics, and the dependent variables between two groups in the pre-test. In the post-test, there were differences in the level of self-management adherence (t=4.41, p<.001), knowledge (t=2.26, p=.027), symptom control (t=-2.56, p=.013), and total HRQoL (t=2.14, p=.036) between the two groups, although there was a difference only in the sub-domain of emotion (t=2.03, p=.047) in HRQoL. CONCLUSION This study found that action plans according to self-monitoring that enhance a participatory interaction in the treatment and care could help patients with moderate to severe asthma to engagead equately in self-care, to control their symptoms, and to improve their HRQoL. Further studies are still needed to identify longitudinal effects of this program.