Lifestyles and Factors Influencing the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) among Employees in a Community

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate lifestyles and identify factors influencing the bone mineral density (BMD) among employees in a community. METHODS: Data were collected from 199 employees. Their lifestyles and BMIs were measured with a self-report questionnaire. As for their BMDs, their calcanei were measured with Quantitative Ultrasound. RESULTS: Assessing their BMDs with reference to the WHO standards, 52.8% of the subjects' calcaneus BMDs were normal and 44.2% showed osteopenis, 3.0% showed osteoporosis. Age (odds ratio=1.05, p=.029), exercise (odds ratio=.31, p=.006) and the number of eating meals per day (odds ratio=1.97, p=.046) were significant factors influencing the subjects' BMDs. CONCLUSION: Strategies to emphasize exercise and dietary habits in employees are important for improving their bone mineral density. Programs for improving bone mineral density based on life cycle need to be developed.

Factors Associated with Stages of Exercise Behavior Change of Residents in a Community

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the factors associated with stages of exercise behavior change of residents in a community on the basis of the Transtheoretical Model. METHODS: Data were collected from 520 residents of a community using a self-report questionnaire. The survey variables comprised the stages of exercise behavior change, the process of change, decisional balance and self efficacy. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the process of change, decisional balance and self efficacy by the stages of exercise behavior change. The factors associated with transition from pre-contemplation to contemplation were consciousness raising and self efficacy; regarding those from contemplation to preparation, cons of the decisional balance and social liberation; regarding those from preparation to action, dramatic relief and counter conditioning; regarding that from action to maintenance, cons of the decisional balance. CONCLUSION: TTM would be applicable to explain the exercise behavior of some residents in a community, which suggested that the programs for improving exercise behavior of residents in a community need to be developed.

Factors Associated with the Preparation Stage to Quit Smoking among College Smokers

PURPOSE: This study was to compare the Transtheoretical Model components according to the stage of change in smoking cessation behavior and identify factors associated with preparation to quit smoking among college smokers. METHODS: Data were collected from 224 undergraduate students using the self-report questionnaire. The survey variables comprised the stage of change in smoking cessation, self-efficacy, and decisional balance and process of change in smoking cessation. RESULTS: There were significant differences in self-efficacy, cons of smoking, and the process of change according to the stage of change in smoking cessation behavior. Cons of smoking and self liberation were significant factors related to the preparation stage of smoking cessation. CONCLUSION: Strategies to enhance cons of smoking and self liberation in college smokers will be an important intervention component to prepare and plan smoking cessation in future studies.

The Effects of a Smoking Prevention Program on Knowledge and Attitude toward Smoking and Smoking Coping Behavior among Preschool Children

PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the effects of a smoking prevention program among preschool children. METHOD: This study used a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 141 preschool children aged 6 or 7 at two childcare centers in Jecheon City, who were divided into an experimental group (n=66) and a control group (n=75). The smoking prevention program was applied through 9 sessions and 30 minutes per session. Surveys were conducted before and after the smoking prevention program to examine the preschoolers' knowledge and attitude toward smoking and smoking coping behavior. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in smoking knowledge (t=-2.02, p=.044) and smoking coping behavior (t=-2.01, p=.047), but smoking attitude (t=-1.20, p=.230) was not statistically significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: As a result, further research is needed into the long term effects of a smoking prevention program on the future behavior of preschoolers so that the health benefits of early prevention can be quantified. It is necessary for parents to participate actively in influencing preschoolers' attitudes and behaviors with regard to the avoidance of smoking.

The Effects of a Health Education Program on Health Promoting Behavior and Self-efficacy in University Students

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a health education program on the health promoting behavior and self-efficacy in university students and evaluate its effects. METHOD: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects were 148 students [experimental(N=80) and control(N=68) groups] from a university in J City. The experimental group members participated in thirteen sessions of a health education program for fifteen weeks and the degree of their health promoting behavior and self efficacy was evaluated. The instruments for this study were the health promoting lifestyle profile developed by Walker et al.(1987) and self-efficacy scale developed by Sherer & Maddux(1982). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, t-tests, and paired t-test using SPSS 10.0. RESULT: The experimental group had a significantly higher health promoting behavior score(F=10.389, p=.002) than the control group, while no significant difference was found in the self-efficacy score(F=.481, p=.489). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the health education program can be utilized as an effective program to promote health promoting behavior in university students.

Exposure to Internet Pornography and Related Factors in Female High School Students

No abstract available.

The Effect of Smoking Prevention Education on Primary School Students

No abstract available.

The Comparison of Waist Circumference, Waist to Hip Ratio and Body Mass Index in Female College Students

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to validate waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) corresponding to body mass index (BMI) of 25kg/m2 and to survey the prevalence of hypertension according to obesity in female college students. METHOD: Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences and blood pressure were measured for each of 286 female college students in J City, Chungbuk. RESULTS: The subjects' mean BMI was 21.4kg/m2, and the estimated prevalence of obesity was 11.2%. The subjects, the 80th-90th percentile of whom had BMI exceeding 25kg/m2, were found to have WC of 75-78.1 cm and WHR of 0.79-0.80, respectively. Of the subjects with obesity(BMI> or =25kg/m2), 53.1% exhibited abdominal obesity (WC> or =80cm) and 40.6% had WHR over 0.80. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were correlated with BMI, WC, and WHR. The prevalence rate of hypertension in subjects with obesity(BMI> or =25kg/m2) was 25%. Additionally, the prevalence rate of hypertension in subjects with abdominal obesity (WC> or =80cm) was 39.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that WC corresponding to BMI of 25kg/m2 in female subjects in their twenties is different from that of adult women. We also found that the prevalence rate of hypertension in subjects with abdominal obesity was high. Therefore. we suggest further studies to determine the cutoff value of WC for evaluating abdominal obesity and to investigate the long-term effects of obesity on women in their twenties.

The Effects of a Smoking Cessation Program on Nicotine Dependency and Self-Efficacy for Adolescents

PURPOSE: This study was to verify the effects of a smoking cessation program for adolescents. METHOD: This study was designed to use one group with one pre-test and two post-tests. One post-test was done immediately after the completion of the program and the other after eight weeks. The subjects were 21 male high school students who were smokers when this study was carried out. The smoking cessation program consisted of 5 sessions with smoking cessation education and e-mail service after the program. Variables in this research were nicotine dependency (using Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire) and self-efficacy. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Immediately after the program and eight weeks later, nicotine dependency for continuous smokers decreased significantly (after the program: Z=-2.319, p=.020, eight weeks later: Z=-1.999. p=.046) and self-efficacy increased significantly (after program: Z=-3.024. p=.002. eight weeks later: Z=-2.381. p=.017). CONCLUSIONS: The smoking cessation program was effective in decreasing nicotine dependency in the continuous adolescent smokers and in increasing their self-efficacy, Further study needs to be made with a lager number of smoking adolescents using control group design.

Testing the Theory of Planned Behavior in the Prediction of Contraceptive Behavior among Married Women / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to test the Theory of planned Behavior in the prediction of contraceptive behavior among married women. This study used a descriptive correlational design to examine the relationships among the study variables. Eighty married women in Seoul and Kyungki-do participated in this study. Research instruments used were the tool for measuring TPB variables search as attitude toward contraception , subjective norm, perceived behavior control, and intention: and the tool for measuring contraceptive behavior . The former was modified by the researcher according to Ajzen and Fishbein(1980)'s guidelines for tool development and Jee(1993)'s tool. The latter was developed by the research. Data was collected from July 20, 1996 to October 25, 1996. The results are as follows: The three factors, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control of contraception can explain 30% of the variance in contraceptive intention. Inspection of path coefficient for each of the three predictor variables revealed that subjective norm and perceived behavior control were the predictor variables on intention, while attitude was not ; and intention and perceived behavior control factors can explain 42% of the variance in contraceptive behavior. Inspection of path coefficient for each of the two predictor variables revealed that intention and perceived behavior control were the predictor variables on behavior. In conclusion, this study identified that Theory of Planned Behavior was a useful model in the prediction of contraceptive behavior, and the contraceptive service program based on the TPB variables would be an effective nursing intervention for the change in contraceptive behavior.

Sick-role Behavioral Compliance and Influencing Factors in Patients with Diabetes / 성인간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between self-efficacy, self-esteem, health locus of control and sick-role behavioral compliance in diabetic patients and to identify the influencing factors for sick-role behavioral compliance. The subjects for study were 244 NIDDM patients from 2 hospitals, who were visiting the outpatient clinic in Taegu. Data were collected from Sep. 18.th to Oct. 5th 1996. In data analysis, SPSS/PC+ programs were utilized for descriptives, as well as Pearson correlation coefficient, t-test, ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression. The results were as follows : 1. The average score for the sick-role behavioral compliance was 50.38, for the self-efficacy was 1337.17, for the self-esteem was 27.81, for the internal health locus of control was 28.79, for the chance health locus of control was 20.55, for the powerful others health locus of control was 28.70. 2. The relationships between self-efficacy, self-esteem, health locus of control and sick-role behavioral compliance were significant. Sick-role behavioral compliance were significantly related to self-efficacy(r=0.36, 0.000), to self-esteem (r=0.19, p=0.001), to internal health locus of control(r=0.28, p=0.000), to powerful others health locus of control (r=0.28, p=0.000). 3. In the relationship between general characteristics and sick-role behavioral compliance there were significant differences in a job (t=-2.01, p=0.045), experience of diabetic education(t=2.32, p=0.022). 4. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the influencing factors for sick-role behavioral compliance. Self-efficacy, self-esteem, internal health locus of control, having or not having a job and experience of diabetic education accounted for 24% of the variance in sick-role behavioral compliance. The self-efficacy was the most predictive factor (R2=13%) followed by internal health locus of control, job, self-esteem and experience of diabetic education. The results suggest that self-efficacy is an important variable in the compliance of diabetic patients. For improvement in sick-role behavioral compliance nursing intervention needs to be directed at promoting self-efficacy.