Reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire: Korea Nurses' Health Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES@#This study aimed to examine the reproducibility of food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) designed for young female nurses in the Korea Nurses' Health Study. @*SUBJECTS/METHODS@#The reproducibility of web-based, self-administered FFQs was evaluated among 243 Korean female nurses. The first FFQ (FFQ1) was administered from March 2014 to February 2019 and the second FFQ (FFQ2) from November 2019, with a mean interval of 2.8 years between the FFQs (range, 9 months–5.6 years). Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients (r values) and quartile agreements between FFQ1 and FFQ2 were calculated for intakes of energy, nutrients, and foods. @*RESULTS@#Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0.41 to 0.55 (median r = 0.51) for energy and raw nutrients and from 0.16 to 0.46 (median r = 0.36) for energy-adjusted nutrients. Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.25 to 0.72 (median r = 0.41) for food items. The percentages of women who were classified into the same or adjacent quartile were 77% to 84% (median = 82%) for raw nutrients and 69% to 86% (median = 78%) for foods. @*CONCLUSIONS@#The results indicated that the web-based FFQ used in the Korea Nurses' Health Study has acceptable reproducibility.

A Prediction Model for Health Promoting Behavior in Obese Middle-Aged Women / 기본간호학회지

Purpose@#This study was conducted to identify influencing factors in a health promotion model that explains and predicts health promoting behavior in obese middle-aged women. @*Methods@#Based on Pender’s health promotion model, a hypothetical model was constructed with nine factors (emotional eating, obesity stress, perceived benefits of action, perceived barriers to action, perceived self-efficacy, activity-related affect, social support, commitment to a plan of action, and health promoting behavior). The participants were 215 obese middle-aged women who visited one of three health check-up centers in Seoul, Incheon, or Gyeonggi Province to receive health check-ups through the National Health Insurance Corporation. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. @*Results@#In the final research model, the factors that had a direct impact on health promoting behavior of obese middle-aged women were obesity stress (β=-.17, p=.001), perceived self-efficacy (β=.34, p<.001), activity-related affect (β=.22, p<.001), commitment to a plan of action (β=.34, p<.001). The explanatory power was 51.3%. @*Conclusion@#This study found that a higher level of engagement in health promoting behavior was associated with lower obesity stress, higher perceived self-efficacy, better activity-related affect, and a higher commitment to a plan of action. These results may be used as a basis for the development of a nursing intervention program to improve health promoting behavior in obese middle-aged women.

Use of Menstrual Sanitary Products in Women of Reproductive Age: Korea Nurses’ Health Study

Objectives@#The use of menstrual hygiene products and its effect on women’s health remains under studied. Patterns of menstrual hygiene product use and the rationale behind choices among Korean women aged 18-45 years were examined. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional study was a part of the Korea Nurses’ Health Study. A total of 20,613 nurses participated, and 8,658 nurses participated in Module 7 which included a menstrual hygiene productsrelated survey. The data were collected through the mobile survey using a self-reported questionnaire.Participants’ use of menstrual hygiene products and related characteristics were analyzed using frequency (percentage) or mean (SD). @*Results@#The most common types of menstrual hygiene products across all age groups were disposable menstrual pads (89.0%), followed by cloth menstrual pads (4.5%), tampons (4.2%), and only 1.6% used a menstrual cup. Disposable menstrual pads were the most common across all age groups, but in those aged under 30 years this was followed by tampon use (6%). The most important criteria when choosing a menstrual hygiene product was comfort for disposable menstrual pads (31.3%) and tampons (41.5%), natural ingredients or organic products for cloth menstrual pads (51.4%), and custom fit for the menstrual cup (50.7%). However, for all menstrual hygiene products (except cloth menstrual pads), there was a higher proportion of anxiety than perception of safety, and low awareness of toxic shock syndrome. @*Conclusion@#It is important for women to use menstrual hygiene products with confidence. More research is needed to better understand potential health effects of menstrual hygiene products.

The Disease Management Experience of Patients with Asthma: Grounded Theory Approach

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to develop a situation-specific theory to explain the disease management experience of patients with asthma. @*Methods@#Twenty participants with asthma were selected using the theoretical sampling method. The data were acquired through in-depth interviews conducted from June to October 2018 and analyzed using the grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin. @*Results@#In total, 69 concepts, 30 subcategories, and 13 categories were generated to explain the disease management experience of patients with asthma. The core category of the disease management experience of patients with asthma was ‘management of the disease to prevent aggravation of symptoms over the lifetime’. The disease management process of asthma patients included three steps: the ‘cognition phase’, the ‘adjustment phase’, and the ‘maintenance phase’. However, some patients remained in the ‘stagnation phase’ of disease management, which represents the result of the continual pursuit of risky health behavior. There were three types of disease management experiences among patients with asthma: ‘self-managing’, ‘partially self-managing’, and ‘avoidant’. @*Conclusion@#This study shows that patients with asthma must lead their disease management process to prevent exacerbation of their symptoms. It is imperative to develop nursing strategies and establish policies for effective disease management of patients with asthma based on their individual disease management processes and types.

Anger Expression Types and Interpersonal Problems in Nurses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the anger expression types in nurses and to analyze the differences between the anger expression types and interpersonal problems. METHODS: The data were collected from 149 nurses working in general hospitals with 300 beds or more in Seoul or Gyeonggi province, Korea. For anger expression type, the anger expression scale from the Korean State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory was used. For interpersonal problems, the short form of the Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales was used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and Duncan's multiple comparisons test. RESULTS: Three anger expression types in nurses were found: low-anger expression, anger-in, and angerin/ control type. From the results of multivariate analysis of variance, there were significant differences between anger expression types and interpersonal problems (Wilks lambda F = 3.52, p < .001). Additionally, anger-in/control type was found to have the most difficulty with interpersonal problems by Duncan's post hoc test (p < .050). CONCLUSIONS: Based on this research, the development of an anger expression intervention program for nurses is recommended to establish the means of expressing the suppressed emotions, which would help the nurses experience less interpersonal problems.

Knowledge and Beliefs about Hand Hygiene among Hospital Nurses / 한국직업건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe hospital nurses' knowledge and beliefs about hand hygiene and to identify the relationships between knowledge and beliefs. METHODS: Data were collected from 232 nurses working in four university hospitals and were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. RESULTS: The mean score of knowledge of hand hygiene was 8.1. The mean scores of behavioral, normative, and control belief about hand hygiene were 2.3, 2.5, and -0.7, respectively. Knowledge was correlated with educational level (p=.013) and experience of hand hygiene campaign (p=.018). The behavioral belief was correlated with age (p<.001) and career (p=.002). The normative belief was correlated with work department (p=.007). The control belief was correlated with educational level (p=.043) and experience of being monitored on hand hygiene (p=.010). The subjects who believed that head nurses, charge nurses, and colleagues practiced better hand hygiene had higher behavioral and normative belief scores than those who did not. There were no significant relationships between knowledge and beliefs. CONCLUSION: There is a need to improve knowledge of hand hygiene in hospital nurses. This study provides information for developing strategies to strengthen beliefs about hand hygiene.

The Lifestyle Modification Coaching Program for Secondary Stroke Prevention

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the lifestyle modification coaching program on self efficacy, lifestyle and physiologic indexes related to the recurrence of stroke in patients with stroke. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with stroke registered with a stroke center participated in this study. Of the participants, 32 were assigned to the experimental group and 29 to the control group. Self efficacy, alcohol drinking, smoking, physical activity, BMI (body mass index), WHR (waist-hip ratio), blood lipid level, and blood pressure were measured both for the baseline, as well as after intervention. The lifestyle modification coaching program consisted of an 8-week telecoaching session following face-to-face education. The control group received only the face-to-face education. RESULTS: There were significant differences in physical activities, WHR, blood pressure within and between groups after intervention. The lifestyle modification coaching program had significant influences on blood pressure even after gender, age, and physical activity had been adjusted. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that lifestyle modification coaching program is effective for physical activity, abdominal obesity and blood pressure. Therefore it can be used by nurses in hospitals and communities as one of the secondary stroke prevention programs for patients with stroke.

Analysis of Trends and Contents of Nursing Doctoral Dissertations in Korea

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify contents and trends of Korean nursing doctoral dissertations in terms of research methodology and theoretical characteristics. METHODS: The design of the study was descriptive study and a total of 1,089 quantitative studies completed between 1982 and 2010 were reviewed using the analytical framework developed by the researchers. RESULTS: The majority of studies utilized the experimental design (51.5%) and the others were survey design (38.8%) and methodological design (5.0%). Study subjects were shown as patients (45%), care givers (11.2%), ordinary persons (40.6%) and others (3.2%). There were growing trends in experimental design and patients as subjects. The prevailing data collection settings were hospitals (45.8%) and community (27.8%). The theoretical frameworks that studies were based on were the existing theories (37%) and a newly developed theoretical framework by a researcher (25.2%). a framework derived from other studies by the researcher (25.2%). Majority of studies (78.5%) employed a single theory as a theoretical framework. However, 31.8% of studies had no theoretical framework based on. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study provided the opportunities to shed new light on the current status of Korean doctoral dissertation and to deliberate on the future direction of nursing studies in Korea.

Balance Confidence and Balance Ability among Community-residing Stroke Patients / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the balance confidence and balance ability among community-residing stroke patients. METHODS: The sample for this study was a convenience sample obtained from patients who visited welfare centers for the disabled in three cities from October to December in 2009. The Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale and Berg Balance Scale were used to measure confidence in task performance and balance ability. RESULTS: The level of balance confidence and balance ability were low in these subjects. There was a significant relationship between balance confidence and balance ability (r=.424, p=.000). Subjects with less balance ability felt less balance confidence. CONCLUSION: Among community-residing stroke patients, falls are common. Falls prevention which may contribute to the incidence of fall and fall related injury should be part of stroke rehabilitation plan. Also, it is necessary that an intervention for falls prevention after stroke should take into account factors such as the balance confidence and balance ability.

Risk Factors of Prehypertension in Korean Adults: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005 / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors related to prehypertension in Korean adults. METHODS: The data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005. The ubjects of this study were 3,981 adults aged over 20 years of age. Demographic characteristics, alcohol drinking, smoking, physical activity, stress, BMI, serum lipid profiles and blood pressure were analyzed in this study. RESULTS: Prevalence of prehypertension was 38.9% in this study. As the result of multiple logistic regression, the risk of prehypertension in male, elderly and low income persons was increased. And the risk of prehypertension was increased in the case of problem drinking, alcohol abuse, formal smoker, overweight, obesity and hyperlipidemia in triglyceride. CONCLUSION: To decrease prehypertension prevalence, it is necessary to detect and manage the influencing risk factors of prehypertension such as alcohol drinking, smoking, obesity, physical activity, stress and serum lipid profiles.

Fatigue, Depression and Sleep in Young adult and Middle-Aged / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate fatigue, depression and sleep in young adult and middle-aged. METHOD: The convenient sample consisted of 415 subjects from 20 to 59 years old. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire from July to October, 2001. The VAS-F and CES-D were utilized to measure the level of fatigue and depression. Sleep duration and sleep satisfaction were measured based on the subject's self-report. RESULT: The result of the study revealed that the level of fatigue and depression was higher among young adult than middle-aged. Considering age and gender, the level of fatigue and depression was higher among young adult women and middle-aged men. Depression and sleep satisfaction influenced on the fatigue. CONCLUSION: Health care providers need to concern about fatigue and depression in young adult women and middle-aged men. Especially, more concern and intervention programs are needed for young adult women and middle-aged men.