Comparative analysis of food intake according to the family type of elderly women in Seoul area / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: As the rate of senior citizens living alone increases in the current aging society, there is much concern regarding the health and nutritional intake of solitary senior citizens. Therefore, this study compared the nutritional intake of senior citizens according to their family type. METHODS: In July and August of 2011, two senior citizen welfare centers in Seoul were visited to survey 267 elderly women. Excluding 54 subjects for which the data were incomplete, information from 213 subjects was analyzed. The subjects were divided into three family types, living alone (LA, n = 74), living with spouse (LS, n = 78), and living with children (LC, n = 61). RESULTS: The mean age of the LA group was the highest, while the mean age of the LS group was the lowest (p < 0.001) , and WHR of the LC group was the highest (p = 0.049). Income was the highest in the LS group (p < 0.001). Frequency of eating out was the lowest in the LA group (p = 0.031). By Duncan's multiple analysis, the amounts of energy intake, vegetable protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, Vit D, Vit E, Vit B2, niacin, Vit B6, Vit B12, and cholesterol were significantly higher in the LS group compared with the LA or LC group (p < 0.05). The intakes of calcium, Vit D, Vit B12, and cholesterol were still significantly different among the three groups, even after adjustment for age and monthly income. The LA group ate less fruit and fish than the LS or LC group (p < 0.05). The LA group showed the lowest dietary diversity and the LS group showed the highest diversity (p = 0.014), however, the significance of dietary diversity score among the three groups disappeared after adjustment for age and monthly income. CONCLUSION: Elderly women living with spouse were receiving better nutrition than elderly women living alone or living with children. Therefore, solitary elderly women who do not live with their spouse or children should be offered greater opportunities to receive a balanced meal at a congregational kitchen or welfare center. To ensure their healthy diet, it is essential to provide continuous nutrition education with these groups in mind.

Development of a New Index for Mortality Prediction Due to Hemorrhagic Shock using Lactate Concentration and Perfusion in S-D Rats

PURPOSE: We proposed a new index for predicting death resulting from hemorrhagic shock, which was calculated by dividing measured lactate concentration by perfusion. METHODS: Using 24 Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats, we induced uncontrolled hemorrhage and then measured blood lactate concentration and perfusion in addition to vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate and temperature. Perfusion and lactate concentration were measured by laser Doppler flowmetry and a lactate concentration meter, respectively. We collected the data for 15 min, which consisted of 3 intervals after homeostasis, and thus obtained a new index. RESULTS: The proposed index revealed an earlier death prediction than lactate concentration alone with the same timing as perfusion. The new index showed generally better sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than lactate concentration and perfusion. Using a receiver operating characteristic curve method, the mortality prediction with the proposed index resulted in a sensitivity of 98.0%, specificity of 90.0%, and accuracy of 93.7%. The mortality prediction with the proposed index resulted in a sensitivity of 98.0%, specificity of 90.0% and accuracy of 93.7%. CONCLUSION: This index could provide physicians, in emergency situations, with early and accurate mortality predictions for cases of human hemorrhagic shock.

Development of a New Index for Mortality Prediction Due to Hemorrhagic Shock using Lactate Concentration and Perfusion in S-D Rats

PURPOSE: We proposed a new index for predicting death resulting from hemorrhagic shock, which was calculated by dividing measured lactate concentration by perfusion. METHODS: Using 24 Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats, we induced uncontrolled hemorrhage and then measured blood lactate concentration and perfusion in addition to vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate and temperature. Perfusion and lactate concentration were measured by laser Doppler flowmetry and a lactate concentration meter, respectively. We collected the data for 15 min, which consisted of 3 intervals after homeostasis, and thus obtained a new index. RESULTS: The proposed index revealed an earlier death prediction than lactate concentration alone with the same timing as perfusion. The new index showed generally better sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than lactate concentration and perfusion. Using a receiver operating characteristic curve method, the mortality prediction with the proposed index resulted in a sensitivity of 98.0%, specificity of 90.0%, and accuracy of 93.7%. The mortality prediction with the proposed index resulted in a sensitivity of 98.0%, specificity of 90.0% and accuracy of 93.7%. CONCLUSION: This index could provide physicians, in emergency situations, with early and accurate mortality predictions for cases of human hemorrhagic shock.

A Survey on Ubiquitous Healthcare Service Demand among Diabetic Patients

BACKGROUND: Advanced information technology can be used when developing diagnostic and treatment strategies to provide better care for diabetic patients. However, the levels of need and demand for the use of technological advances have not been investigated in diabetic patients. We proposed and developed an individualized, ubiquitous (U)-healthcare service using advanced information technology for more effective glucose control. Prior to our service initiation, we surveyed patient needs and other pertinent information. METHODS: During August 2009, we conducted a 34-item questionnaire survey among patients with diabetes who were older than 40 years in two certain hospitals in Korea. RESULTS: The mean age of the 228 participants was 61.2+/-9 years, and males made up 49.1% of the sample. Seventy-one percent replied that they wanted individualized healthcare service, and they also wanted their health information to be delivered through mobile devices such as a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant (40.4%). Most patients had never heard of U-healthcare services (81.1%); however, after explaining the concept, 71.1% of participants responded that they would use the service if it was provided. Despite their willingness, participants were concerned about technical difficulty in using the service (26.3%) as well as the cost of the service (29.8%). CONCLUSION: The current study suggests that more than 70% of diabetic patients are interested in using U-healthcare services. To encourage widespread use, the application program or device of U-healthcare services should be simple, easy to use and affordable while also including a policy for the protection of private information.

Effects of Posture and Acute Sleep Deprivation on Heart Rate Variability

PURPOSE: In our previous study to investigate autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity due to radio frequency (RF) radiation using heart rate variability (HRV), drowsiness was observed in approximately half of all subjects. Therefore, the usage of HRV with unwanted drowsiness could falsely indicate the effects of RF radiation by mobile phones on the ANS. The objective of this study was to determine which posture is appropriate for accurate HRV analysis for provocation study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 52 healthy subjects (25 males and 27 females) participated in this experiment. We measured the number of times a subject showed drowsiness or sleep deprivation due to awakening, and analyzed HRV six times over 30 minutes in sitting and recumbent postures, using power spectrum. RESULTS: We employed the ratio of low frequency power to high frequency power (LFP/HFP) to analyze the changes in the ANS. The number of sleep deprivation occurrences in the sitting posture was significantly less than that in the recumbent posture (p<0.01), resulting in smaller increase of LFP/HFP. Although LFP/HFP of the two postures varied with time without any provocation, it was more stable in sitting than in recumbent postures. CONCLUSION: A sitting posture is preferable to a recumbent posture for analyzing HRV, because of decreased drowsiness and sleep deprivation, thereby decreasing variation of LFP/HFP during experiment. Considering the drowsiness, it is also recommended that any experiment should be completed within 15 minutes, if possible.

A stydy on Nutritional Status and Eating Behaviors of Underweight Adolescent Boys Using 2001 NHANS of Korea / 대한지역사회영양학회지

This study was performed to identify nutritional status and eating behaviors of underweight male adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. The subjects selected by using the data of KNHANS-2001 were 32 underweight boys and 135 normalweight ones. We found that weight, waist and hip circumference of the underweight group were significantly different to normal-weight group, but height and waist-hip ratio were not. Their serum indices belonged within normal ranges and showed no difference between the two groups. Their energy and nutrient intakes were mostly poor. The level and proportion of the subjects below EAR, NAR and INQ of each nutrient were not significantly different between the two groups. There were no difference of frequencies of skipping meals, snacking and eating-out between the two groups, either. When comparing frequencies of food intakes, the underweight group consumed significantly more of fermented fishes and less milk than the normal-weight group. And the former had significantly more rest/sleep, nodoes and supplementation and less regular excercise than the latter. The underweight group perceived more correct self-images than the normal-weight group and they tried more to increase their body weight during weight control practice (p < 0.001). It was concluded that the underweight group showed no different biochemical indices, nutrient intakes, and dietary behaviors to the normal-weight group, but they revealed significantly higher non-active activities like rest and supplementations.