Effects of Self-esteem and Academic Stress on Depression in Korean Students in Health Care Professions / 정신간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to identify factors affecting depression in college students and the correlation of depression with self-esteem and academic stress, and to identify differences among student self-esteem, academic stress, and general characteristics and the relationship of these variables to depression. METHODS: The study was done in April 2011 with 852 students in health-related majors (medicine, nursing science, and dental hygiene) of a medical college in Korea. A self-rating survey containing 10 items from the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, 20 items from the Self-rating Depression Scale, and 22 items on academic stress was used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Medical students' scores for self-esteem were significantly higher than dental hygiene students, but for academic stress scores, the result was the opposite. Logistic regression showed that self-esteem, academic stress, academic major and satisfaction with it (positive affect), and home income level (negative affect) significantly affected the level of depression. CONCLUSION: Designing and implementing realistic programs tailored to students' academic majors to enhance their self-esteem and provide practical knowledge in dealing with academic stress will help these students obtain a healthier school life emotionally as well as academically.

Mental Health and Coping Strategies among Medical Students / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: Recently, concern of the college students' mental health has increased due to their continuous psychologic problems such as suicidal attempt. This study aimed to examine the correlation among depression, stress, self-esteem, and coping strategies of the medical students and also according to the academic year. METHODS: The subject was 384 medical students of K medical school in Korea. Self-rating depression scale, stress scale, self-esteem scale was used for the survey, and academic stress and coping strategies of the students were asked. Frequency analysis, one-way ANOVA, t-test, correlation analysis was carried out. RESULTS: Third year students were under most stress (F=5.67, p=0.000) and had the most students who were moderately (22.9%) and mildly depressed (6.3%). Stress form academic studies and grade was also the highest in third year students. For English fluency, freshmen students scored the top. Academic career stress and school culture stress were higher for year 3, 4, 5, 6 than year 1, 2 students. Differences of the coping strategies by academic year was significant in emotional display. Students who showed high level of depression and stress, also students with low self-esteem used emotional display as their major coping strategy. CONCLUSION: Depending on their academic year medical students' level of depression and stress was different, and they did not use a variety of coping strategies. Therefore, a program which can give a diverse access to variety of coping strategies to relieve students' stress should be developed taking their characteristics of academic year into consideration.

Effect of regular oral health care on aggressive periodontitis using Watanabe's tooth brushing method: case report / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of regular oral health care using Watanabe's tooth brushing method on aggressive periodontitis. METHODS: A 14-year-old female visited our clinic with the chief complaint of gingival swelling and teeth mobility in 2008. The present illness on the day of visit was gingivitis with swelling and redness on marginal gingiva, root exposure due to the attachment loss and gingival recession and the degree 3 mobility of #26, 36, 46 with no systemic disease and familial tendency. The panoramic radiograph showed the severe vertical and horizontal alveolar bone loss in the first molars. For the treatment, preventive care including tooth brushing instruction and professional tooth brushing using Watanabe's method and periodontal treatment using scaling and root planing, plaque control and antibiotics prescription were performed from the July, 2008 to September, 2012. RESULTS: The patient could maintain all of her teeth without extraction except for one molar during the treatment period and symptoms of gingivitis decreased all over the oral region. But dental plaque level was not decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The regular oral health care with professional toothbrushing by Watanabe's method was effective in relieving the gingival inflammation of patients with aggressive periodontitis.

Analysis of Medical Students' Enneagram Personality Types, Stress, and Developmental Level / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to examine the medical students' personality with stress and developmental level. The study explored three overarching topics: How are medical students' personality types reflected in an enneagram? Are there any differences between subtypes of stress points? How are the students' developmental levels by gender, academic level, and enneatypes? METHODS: The subjects were 414 medical students in three Korean medical schools. Enneagram Personality Types Inventory (Korean version) was used. These enneatypes were divided into four subtypes: centers of intelligence, hornevian triads, self-consciousness, and harmonic group. Enneatypes and stress points were analyzed statistically by frequency and percentage of enneatypes, chi-square test, and ANOVA. RESULTS: Distribution of enneatypes; type 9 was the most frequent class (n=136, 32.9%). Types 1, 3, 4, and 9 had more disintegrated students than other types (chi2=59.2, p=0.000). Subtype analysis; in body-centered type more students were disintegrated than integrated or mediocre (chi2=25.8, p=0.000). In behavior patterns, aggressive and passive types showed more disintegration (chi2=25.2, p=0.000), and in self-consciousness groups only inner order types showed integration (chi2=19.3, p=0.001). In harmonic group, positive outlook types contained the most disintegrated students (chi2=20.5, p=0.000). Majority of medical students were in disintegrated developmental status. CONCLUSION: A program should be developed for students to know their ego-identity plainly and overcome their disintegration, based on their enneatypes. Such a program will help students improve their ways of thinking or their behavior and become more secure.

The Methicillin - Resistant Rate of Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated from the Nares and Throat of Patients Admitted to Medical Intensive Care Unit / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen in hospital-acquired infection, and is prevalent in intensive care units (ICU). The MRSA colonization rates of the nares and throat were examined in both the ICU and general ward. This study was performed to investigate the MRSA rate and necessity for MRSA screening cultures in patients admitted to ICU. METHODS: Between June and September 2004, those patients admitted to both the medical ICU and general ward participated in this study. Bacterial cultures were performed on swabs of the nares and throat taken within 24 hours of admission. Clinical data were also collected. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty one patients and 84 patients, admitted to the medical ICU and medical general ward, respectively, were investigated. The numbers of nasal MRSA colonization in the ICU and general ward were 3 (2.5%) and 3 (3.6%), respectively. There were 2 (1.7%) cases of throat MRSA colonization in the ICU, but none in the general ward. The MRSA colonization rates of the nares and throat were no different between the ICU and general ward. There were no significant differences in the previous admission, operation history and admission route between the ICU and general ward groups. CONCLUSION: The MRSA colonization rates of the nares and throat were 3.3 and 3.6% in the ICU and the general ward, respectively. The MRSA screening test does not appear to be required in all patients admitted to the ICU, but further studies, including high-risk patients, are recommended.

Relationship between Serum Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Concentration and Insulin Resistance in End-stage Renal Disease Patients / 대한신장학회잡지

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance is a characteristic feature of uremia and recent studies suggested that it might be one of the causes of muscle wasting. Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has been known as one of marker of malnutrition in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. However, there were few studies on the relationship between IGF-1 and insulin resistance. METHODS: We measured serum IGF-1, prealbumin, albumin, plasma insulin and glucose concentration and body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 20 non-diabetic ESRD patients who admitted to start dialysis. Homeostasis model assessment method of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used for insulin resistance. RESULTS: Patients with IGF-1 200 ng/mL (n=14). IGF-1 showed positive correlations with BMI (r=0.45), prealbumin (r=0.6), Fat-limb (r=0.51), and HOMA-IR (r=0.67). On WHO classification for weight status, IGF-1 seemed to be higher when weight status was increased from underweight (151.8+/-41.6 ng/mL) to overweight (371.8+/-109.8 ng/mL) and these trends were similar to those of HOMA-IR. On multivariate analysis, IGF-1 was independent variable for affecting HOMA-IR. CONCLUSION: Serum IGF-1 concentration seems to be associated with insulin resistance in ESRD patients and reflect body composition, especially fat mass.