Sungjae Kim

Effects of Forest Therapy on Depressive Symptoms among Adults: A Systematic Review

This study systematically reviewed forest therapy programs designed to decrease the level of depression among adults and assessed the methodological rigor and scientific evidence quality of existing research studies to guide future studies. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The authors independently screened full-text articles from various databases using the following criteria: (1) intervention studies assessing the effects of forest therapy on depressive symptoms in adults aged 18 years and older; (2) studies including at least one control group or condition; (3) peer-reviewed studies; and (4) been published either in English or Korean before July 2016. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network measurement tool was used to assess the risk of bias in each trial. In the final sample, 28 articles (English: 13, Korean: 15) were included in the systematic review. We concluded that forest therapy is an emerging and effective intervention for decreasing adults’ depression levels. However, the included studies lacked methodological rigor. Future studies assessing the long-term effect of forest therapy on depression using rigorous study designs are needed.

Economic Burden of Osteoporotic Fracture of the Elderly in South Korea: A National Survey

BACKGROUND Osteoporotic fractures (OFs) in the elderly are common worldwide, and the predicted number of the aging population is increasing the burden of OF on health care systems. OBJECTIVES To estimate the economic burden of OF in people older than 65 years in South Korea from a societal perspective. METHODS National Health Insurance claim databases were used to analyze health care utilization and medical costs of OF in the Korean population (49 million). We identified medical claims records with a diagnosis of OF and estimated the costs from 2007 to 2011. RESULTS From 2007 to 2011, there were 244,798 patients with at least one medical insurance claim related to OF. Most patients had a single fracture (80%), whereas 20% of all patients had two or more. For fracture sites, vertebral fracture accounted for 75.6% of all fractures, followed by hip and wrist fractures. The societal cost of OF increased annually, from US

The economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from 2004 to 2013.

88.8 million in 2007 to US

The Effects of a Campus Forest-Walking Program on Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Physical and Psychological Health

149.3 million in 2011. Among the entire cost, the direct medical cost was US

Psychometric Properties of the Korean Versions of Three Sleep Evaluation Questionnaires

134.9 million in 2011, which includes the cost of treatment (US

Psychometric Properties of Korean Minimal Insomnia Screening Scale

91.2 million) and long-term care (US

[The Effects of Urban Forest-walking Program on Health Promotion Behavior, Physical Health, Depression, and Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Office-workers].

48.1 million). The direct nonmedical cost was US

Physical Symptoms, Depression, and Related Factors of Late School-age Children in Seoul, Korea: The Mediating Role of Peer Relationships

9.9 million in 2011. Costs associated with morbidity and mortality of OF were excluded. CONCLUSIONS The economic burden associated with OF in elderly is expected to rise with the predicted increase in life expectancy and the number of elderly in South Korea. Therefore, effective management of the disease is necessary to reduce the growth in the economic burden of OF.

Adequacy of Nurse Staffing Level in Integrated Nursing Care

Abstract Objectives: This study examines the epidemiology and economic impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at a nationwide level in South Korea. Methods: This retrospective analysis used the societal cost-of-illness framework, consisting of direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs. In order to analyze the societal costs of patients with COPD, this study used a data mining and a macro-costing method on data from a South Korean national-level health survey and a national health insurance claims database from 2004–2013. Results: The total societal cost of COPD in 2013 was estimated to be

The Effects of a Health Promotion Program Using Urban Forests and Nursing Student Mentors on the Perceived and Psychological Health of Elementary School Children in Vulnerable Populations

439.9 million for 1,419,914 patients. The direct medical cost for COPD was