Mobile Health for Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of smart health care service in the breast cancer patients through a systematic review. METHODS: For the study, 10 studies were selected by using PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, CINAHL, RISS4U, KISS, DBpia and the National Assembly Library. The Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was used by two reviewers to evaluate independently the quality of the selected articles. RESULTS: 10 studies for the analysis of the effect of smart health care service using mobile applications on breast cancer patients since 2000 were found. The purpose of mobile based intervention was to check whether post-operative outpatient follow up could be substituted with mobile apps to measure and monitor weight loss or weight management, sleep, mood, depression and mental state, exercise, uncertainty management and feedback. CONCLUSION: Although mobile research is still limited, it may be sufficient to monitor the symptoms of breast cancer patients and to provide dietary and exercise interventions. This study suggests that various mobile apps can be used for breast cancer patients in various situations. Future study is recommended for repeated intervention studies on the effect of apps.

The Effect of Diet Intervention in Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of diet intervention in breast cancer patients through meta-analysis. METHODS: For the study purpose, 18 studies were selected using PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest and CINAHL. Meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model, and the effect size on outcome variables in breast cancer were calculated. RESULTS: The effect size for body mass index, body weight, energy intake from fat (%), and energy intake of diet intervention was −0.75 (95% CI:−1.22~−0.27), −0.93 (95% CI:−1.58~−0.28), −0.82 (95% CI:−1.11~−0.52), and −1.10 (95% CI:−1.85~−0.34). For heterogeneity, moderator analysis was performed using intervention type and intervention duration. As a result of the moderator analysis, BMI, body weight, energy intake from fat (%), and energy intake were not statistically significant on intervention type and intervention duration. But, only BMI had a significant difference on intervention duration (p=.013). CONCLUSION: Further research is needed to determine whether exercise intervention will be included in nutritional intervention for breast cancer patients. Also, even if the duration of the intervention is less than six months, a strategy for sustaining long-term intervention effects will be needed.

The Effect of Empowerment on Nursing Performance, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Turnover Intention in Hospital Nurses / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of empowerment on nursing performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intention in hospital nurses. METHODS: The subjects were 345 nurses at a general hospital in D city. Data were collected by structured questionnaire from January 10 to February 15, 2009. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Scheffe's test, and Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression by SPSS win 17.0 program. RESULTS: The mean scores were 3.60(+/-.43) of empowerment, 3.80(+/-.38) of nursing performance, 3.49(+/-.55) of job satisfaction, 4.70(+/-.74) of organizational commitment, and 2.34(+/-.84) of turnover intention. Empowerment was correlated with nursing performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment positively, but correlated with turnover intention negatively. As a result of multiple regression, empowerment has 34.3% of the explanatory power on nursing performance, 24.0% on job satisfaction, 30.7% on organizational commitment, and 15.6% on turnover intention. CONCLUSION: Empowerment was a critical variable affecting nursing job performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover. Also, if various variable - active and adequate child-care support system, provided conditions continue to study, and adequate and appropriate compensation for nursing performance - affecting empowerment are managed, nurses' empowerment level will rise at the same time.

Distress of the Patients with Ostomy / 종양간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the distress of the patients with ostomy. METHODS: A descriptive research design was adopted for data collection and analysis. Six patients with ostomy participated in the study. The consent from the participants was obtained for ethical protection. Data were collected from July 31, 2009 to January 10, 2010 using in-depth interview technique. Krippendorff's content analysis method was utilized for data analysis. RESULTS: Eight categories and 26 themes were extracted from the data which illustrated the lived distress of the patients with ostomy. The categories were "do not have any freedom to eat whatever I wish to eat", "uncontrolled defecation", "have to live through tough situation", "keep stoma in suspense", "disgusting ostomy", "can not live with comfort", "easily take a pessimistic view", and "see how the wind blows in daily family life". CONCLUSION: Ostomates were affected by the distress of having an ostomy in their physical, psychological, social and spiritual life. Individualized and continued nursing education program has to be developed in hospital and community settings in order to improve the quality of life of the ostomates.

Replication of the Association between Copy Number Variation on 8p23.1 and Autism by Using ASD-specific BAC Array

To discover genetic markers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we previously applied genome-wide BAC array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) to 28 autistic patients and 62 normal controls in Korean population, and identified that chromosomal losses on 8p23.1 and on 17p11.2 are significantly associated with autism. In this study, we developed an 8.5K ASD-specific BAC array covering 27 previously reported ASD-associated CNV loci including ours and examined whether the associations would be replicated in 8 ASD patient cell lines of four different ethnic groups and 10 Korean normal controls. As a result, a CNV-loss on 8p23.1 was found to be significantly more frequent in patients regardless of ethnicity (p<0.0001). This CNV region contains two coding genes, DEFA1 and DEFA3, which are members of DEFENSIN gene family. Two other CNVs on 17p11.2 and Xp22.31 were also distributed differently between ASDs and controls, but not significant (p=0.069 and 0.092, respectively). All the other loci did not show significant association. When these evidences are considered, the association between ASD and CNV of DEFENSIN gene seems worthy of further exploration to elucidate the pathogenesis of ASD. Validation studies with a larger sample size will be required to verify its biological implication.

The Clinical Significance of Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identify the clinical characteristics on the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) related to risk factors and to assess the significance of screening test. METHODS: From Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2001, 513 women attending prenatal clinic were screened for GDM. Universal screening with 50 gm GTT were performed during 24-28th gestational weeks period. Women with 1 hour plasma glucose >or=140 mg/dl underwent 100 gm GTT for diagnosis of GDM. The patients were divided into high risk and control group. RESULTS: The overall incidence of GDM was 3.1%. Among high risk group and control group, the prevalence of positive screening tests were 28.9% vs 13.6% (P=0.001), and frequencies of abnormal 100 gm GTTs were 8.8% vs 0.6% (P=0.001), respectively. These rates were statistically significant. The significant risk factors were glucosuria, family history of DM and obesity (BMI >or=25). With increasing BMI, the prevalence of GDM was found to be significantly increased. CONCLUSION: The screening test of GDM would be preferable for all pregnant women rather than risk group only. Intensified management approach is needed for patients with glucosuria, family history of DM or obesity.

The Obstetrical and Statistical Aspects of the Unmarried mother / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: We focused the objective of this study on the obstetrical and statistical aspects of the unmarried mother, especially teenage pregnancy and 20's pregnancy. METHODS: The 112 well-documented records in the 130 unmarried mothers who delivered at Gangnam general hospital public corporation from 1998 to 2000, were enrolled in our study. Unmarried mothers were divided into three age groups; teenage group, 20's group and 30's group, then, each group was analyzed by liable methods, SPSS (Version 10.0.7) and data were processed by Student's t-test and accepted as the significant meaning within p-value less than 0.05, 95% significant level. RESULTS: In this study, teenage mothers were delivered lower birth weight babies than those of other groups (p=0.000001). Sex partners of teenage mothers, most school boy friends, were similar age to those mothers and low economic state. Despite desire of bringing up children (teenage 11% versus 20's 36%), they gave up their babies because of monetary matters and social bias. And teenage mothers felt stronger affection for babies than 20's. Teenagers' and 20's unmarried mothers have poor information about contraception (teenage group 42%, 20's 31%). CONCLUSION: The unmarried mothers have been constituting many social problems. Fortunately, the absolute number of the unmarried mothers have not increased but the teenage pregnancy has the majority of unmarried mothers (> OR =50%). It is necessary for unmarried mothers to take the education of contraceptive measures, the social systems of bringing up the boarder babies and the retraining courses of unmarried mothers.

The Obstetrical and Statistical Aspects of the Unmarried mother / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: We focused the objective of this study on the obstetrical and statistical aspects of the unmarried mother, especially teenage pregnancy and 20's pregnancy. METHODS: The 112 well-documented records in the 130 unmarried mothers who delivered at Gangnam general hospital public corporation from 1998 to 2000, were enrolled in our study. Unmarried mothers were divided into three age groups; teenage group, 20's group and 30's group, then, each group was analyzed by liable methods, SPSS (Version 10.0.7) and data were processed by Student's t-test and accepted as the significant meaning within p-value less than 0.05, 95% significant level. RESULTS: In this study, teenage mothers were delivered lower birth weight babies than those of other groups (p=0.000001). Sex partners of teenage mothers, most school boy friends, were similar age to those mothers and low economic state. Despite desire of bringing up children (teenage 11% versus 20's 36%), they gave up their babies because of monetary matters and social bias. And teenage mothers felt stronger affection for babies than 20's. Teenagers' and 20's unmarried mothers have poor information about contraception (teenage group 42%, 20's 31%). CONCLUSION: The unmarried mothers have been constituting many social problems. Fortunately, the absolute number of the unmarried mothers have not increased but the teenage pregnancy has the majority of unmarried mothers (> OR =50%). It is necessary for unmarried mothers to take the education of contraceptive measures, the social systems of bringing up the boarder babies and the retraining courses of unmarried mothers.