Kyongok Oh

Managing cardiovascular risks with Tai Chi in people with coronary artery disease

AIM The paper is a report of the study to determine the effects of the cardiovascular risk management programme with Tai Chi on cardiovascular risks, health behaviours and quality of life in individuals with coronary artery disease. BACKGROUND Many eligible patients with coronary artery disease do not participate in programmes for cardiovascular risk management, mainly because of lack of motivation, high cost or limited accessibility. Tai Chi has been introduced by health professionals to promote cardiovascular functioning and quality of life. METHODS A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was used. Eighty-five people with a mean age of 66 years completed pretest and 6-month follow-up measures in the following three groups: Tai Chi with education (n = 33), Tai Chi only (n = 19) and control (n = 33). Analysis of covariance was used to compare outcome variables with pretest variables as covariates to adjust for baseline differences. The data were collected in 2005-2006. RESULTS In the Tai-Chi-with-education group there were statistically significant reductions in modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (F = 3.49, P = 0.035) and improvements in health behaviours (F = 6.12, P = 0.003), mental scores (F = 3.96, P = 0.023), and in the role-emotional (F = 7.30, P = 0.001) and vitality (F = 3.81, P = 0.026) dimensions of quality of life. CONCLUSION Tai Chi was safely implemented as an alternative form of exercise in a cardiovascular risk management programme. Whether the beneficial effects of Tai Chi in cardiovascular risk management are comparable with those induced by other types of aerobic exercise requires further investigation.

Factors Associated with Mammography Adherence among Married Chinese Women in Yanbian, China

BACKGROUND Despite the efficacy of regular mammograms, the incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer have been increasing in China. Insufficient studies on the factors affecting mammography adherence in Chinese married women have been conducted. The purpose of the present study was to explore the factors associated with adherence to guidelines for regular mammography among Chinese married women. MATERIALS AND METHODS The participants were recruited conveniently and included Chinese and Korean Chinese women who were married, living at Yanbian City in China. Demographic information, status regarding eight risk factors of breast cancer, health responsibility, and perceived benefits/barriers of mammography were obtained. Descriptive analyses, t-test, and multivariate analysis were performed. Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted to explore the factors associated with regular mammography adherence in Chinese and Korean Chinese subgroups. RESULTS About 24% of the sample population was adherent in going for regular mammography. The adherent group was significantly more educated, had more children, and had a lower proportion experiencing early menarche and a greater menopausal proportion than the non-adherent group. The final model using logistic regression analysis showed that being Chinese [OR=2.199 (1.224-3.951)], having no or one child [OR=4.879 (1.835-12.976)], early menarche [OR=3.515 (1.057-11.694)], being menopausal [OR=3.120 (0.965-10.088)], aged 40-49 [OR=2.374 (1.099-5.124)], having low education [OR=0.400 (0.211-0.765)], and perceiving greater benefits in doing mammography [OR=1.080 (1.014-1.151)] were significantly associated with mammography adherence, after controlling for covariates. CONCLUSIONS Sociocultural sensitive intervention for minorities should be emphasized when improving the adherence of regular mammography. Intervention tailored for women with lower education should be delivered and the benefits of mammography should be propagated to women in rural areas of China.

The Effectiveness of the Nanta-Program on Psychiatric Symptoms, Interpersonal Relationships, and Quality of Life in Forensic Inpatients with Schizophrenia

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Nanta‐program on psychiatric symptoms, interpersonal relationships, and quality of life (QoL) in forensic inpatients with schizophrenia (SPR). Methods A quasi‐experimental study employing a nonequivalent control group and pre–posttest design was conducted. Participants were 38 forensic inpatients with SPR from South Korea (experimental group = 18, control group = 20). The intervention was conducted in 12 sessions over 12 weeks, taking 90 min per session. Data were analyzed using χ2‐test and t‐test with SPSS 22.0 program. Results The experimental group showed significant improvements in psychiatric symptoms (t = −2.73, p = .010) and slight improvement in interpersonal relationships (t = 2.23, p = .0.34) after 12 weeks of group music therapy. There was no significant difference in QoL change between the two groups. Conclusion These findings indicate that the Nanta‐program is an effective intervention program for improving psychiatric symptoms and interpersonal relationships of prisoners with schizophrenia.

Nursing Activity, Job Stress, and Job Satisfaction of Nurses in Community Mental Health Facilities

본 연구는 정신요양시설 간호사의 업무활동, 직무스트레스 및 직무만족도 정도를 파악하고 직무만족도에 영향을 미치는 요인을 확인하기 위해 시도되었다. 본 연구의 대상은 2012년 보건복지부에 등록된 전국 59개 정신요양시설에 근무하고 있는 간호사 201명이다. 자료수집기간은 2011년 7월 1일에서 8월 31일까지였으며, 수집된 자료는 서술통계, t-test, x 2-test, multiple regression을 이용하여 분석하였다. 연구결과, 정신요양시설 간호사의 직무만족도에 영향을 미치는 요인은 지각된 건강상태, 직무스트레스, 간호업무활동 중 일생생활관리 정도로 나타났으며 이들 전체 변수의 설명력은 21%였다. 따라서 정신간호사들의 전문성을 높이고 직무스트레스를 효율적으로 관리할 수 있는 역량강화프로그램의 개발과 제공이 요구된다. 【The purpose of this study was to describe and identify factors that affect job satisfaction of nurses in community mental health facilities. The participants were 201 nurses from 59 nationwide community mental health facilities in Korea. The collected data were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, Pearsons correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression with SPSS 20.0 for Windows. The mean scores of nursing activity, job stress, and job satisfaction were 2.0, 2.4, and 3.1, respectively. Nursing activity and job stress were significantly correlated with job satisfaction. According to the multiple regression analysis, perceived health status, nursing activity (management of daily living), and job stress explained 21% of the variance in job satisfaction. This study suggested the necessity of developing and conducting programs for job stress reduction and job competency enhancement to improve job satisfaction of nurses in community mental health facilities.】

Evidence-based Field Research on Health Benefits of Urban Green Area

With increasing interest in health promotion and quality of life, growing attention has been focused on the beneficial effects of urban green area. However, very few evidence-based approaches have been conducted on the health-related benefits of urban greenery. Therefore, this study examined the health-related benefits of green areas using physiological and psychological indices to obtain evidence-based data on these benefits. Twenty male university students were selected as subjects. Data were collected when participants viewed landscapes in a green area or an urban area for fifteen minutes. This research was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of School of Medicine, Chungnam National University. Physiological data in the green area revealed significantly decreased heart rates, significantly increased high-frequency value of heart rate variability, an index of parasympathetic activity, and reduced salivary cortisol concentration, a stress hormone, compared to the urban area. Psychological tests showed the green area significantly reduced the negative mood state and psychological symptoms, and significantly increased the positive mood state. Our data provided evidence for the health-related benefits of green areas, and the findings of this study support that green areas can play a critical role in health promotion for urban residents, by positively affecting autonomic nervous and endocrinal activities.

ADHD Symptoms, Self-Esteem, and Depression of Juvenile Offenders

본 연구는 비행청소년의 우울에 영향을 미치는 요인을 규명하기 위한 서술적 조사 연구이다. 연구대상은 D광역시 소재 의료 소년원에 입소한 비행 청소년 275명이었으며, 자료 수집기간은 2011월 5월에서 8월까지였다. 수집된 자료는 SPSS 20.0 통계프로그램을 이용하여 서술적 통계, t-test, ANOVA, Pearsons correlation coefficient, multiple regression으로 분석하였다. 본 연구결과 대상자의 32.4%와 52.0%는 임상적 수준의 ADHD와 우울로 나타났다. 비행소년의 ADHD 증상 및 자아존중감은 우울과 유의한 상관관계가 있었다. 비행청소년의 우울에 영향을 미치는 요인은 자아존중감, ADHD증상, 지각된 건강상태로 나타났으며 이들 전체 변수의 설명력은 37%였다. 따라서, 비행청소년들의 건상상태를 증진시키고 ADHD증상을 치료하고 자아존중감을 향상시킴으로써 우울을 예방하고 감소시킬 수 있을 것으로 생각한다. 【This study aimed to identify factors that influence depression in juvenile offenders. A cross-sectional study design was used. The participants were 275 juvenile offenders from D city. The collected data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearsons correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. Of the participants, 32.4% and 52.0% were in the clinical group for ADHD and depression, respectively. ADHD symptoms and self-esteem were significantly correlated with depression. The final model showed that depression among juvenile offenders was significantly influenced by perceived health status, ADHD symptoms, and self-esteem. These variables accounted for 37% of the variance of depression.】