Depression and Gap between Perceived- and Self-Willingness-to-Pay for Labor in Community-Dwelling Full-Time Female Homemakers / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES@#Knowledge of labor and mental health status of full-time homemakers is essential for the health and maintenance of our society. This study investigated the current states of mental health and related factors in full-time female homemakers, and the effect of the gap between socially evaluated (perceived)- and self-evaluated value of labor of full-time female homemakers on depression.@*METHODS@#Participants were sequentially recruited from among community-dwelling full-time female homemakers, and assessed using structured questionnaires composed of general items as well as Korean versions of Beck Depression Inventory-II (K-BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (K-BAI), and Beck Hopelessness Scale (K-BHS). The willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach was used to measure perceived and self-evaluated values of labor of full-time homemakers.@*RESULTS@#A total of 169 participants were enrolled. The analytical results showed that 45.2% of participants were positive when screened by BDI (mild to severe depression), 39.6% positive by K-BAI (anxiety), and 60.9% positive by K-BHS (hopelessness). Multiple regression analysis of significant factors related to depression were burden of nurturing (t=3.99, p<0.001), monthly income (t=−3.24, p<0.01), and relationship with husband (t=−3.03, p<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that the gap between perceived- and self-WTP was a significant negative impact factor for depression level transition (K-BDI-II≥14) (p=0.025, odds ratio=0.995).@*CONCLUSION@#The results showed that full-time female homemakers are under relatively risky conditions and are associated with blind spots in the mental health perspective, suggesting that social support and a political approach are necessary for the maintenance of mental health of full-time female homemakers.

Management of Pediatric Patients Presenting with Acute Abdomen Accompanying Dilatation of the Common Bile Duct / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe our treatment experiences with patients who had acute abdomen (AA) with common bile duct (CBD) dilatation. METHODS: The treatment outcomes in children with AA and CBD dilatation were retrospectively reviewed. According to the shape of the intrahepatic bile ducts on ultrasonography (US), the origin of the pain was estimated as choledochal cyst (CC) complication or choledocholithiasis in normal CBD. Patients with complicated CC underwent surgery, and patients with choledocholithiasis in a normal appearing CBD underwent symptomatic treatment initially. RESULTS: Of the 34 patients, 30 (88.2%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 6.4±4.9 (range, 0.8–17) years. Seventeen (50.0%) patients had CBD stones and 17 (50.0%) did not. Surgical treatment was performed in 20 (58.8%) patients, 2 of whom underwent preoperative stone removal with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and an operation. Conservative treatment was applied in 12 (35.3%) patients (8 with and 4 without stones), 1 of whom developed symptom relapse and underwent an operation. Among the 8 patients with CBD stones, 4 (4/17, 23.5%) had complete resolution of the stones and recovery of the CBD diameter after conservative treatment. US findings of patients with stone showed a fusiform or cylindrical shape of the CBD in 14 (82.4%) patients. CONCLUSION: The presence of stones in the distal CBD and the US features of CBD dilatation may be helpful to diagnose and treat the causes of biliary dilatation. Conservative treatment can be considered as initial therapy in patients with uncomplicated CBD dilatation with stone.

A Rural Dementia-Friendly Village Project and Dementia Awareness, Cognition, and Depressive Symptom : A Preliminary Study

OBJECTIVE: According to the 3rd Korean National Dementia Plan, the dementia-friendly community initiative was launched. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a rural dementia-friendly village project on the participants. METHODS: Jeollabukdo Provincial Dementia Center designated Sosu-maeul, located in Buan-gun Jeollabuk-do, as a rural dementia-friendly village. We conducted dementia partnership education, youth-elder matching activity, and cognitive enhancing program. The efficacy of this project was evaluated by the changes in dementia awareness, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms. We used dementia awareness questionnaire, Mini-Mental Status Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), and Korean version of Short form of Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K). RESULTS: This study was carried out with 24 residents in this community. There was no significant change in dementia awareness score between pre- and post-intervention (p=0.25). MMSE-DS score was significantly increased from 24.5 to 25.5 (p < 0.001) and SGDS-K score was statistically improved from 3.5 to 2.5 (p=0.04) after interventions. CONCLUSION: We Jeollabukdo Provincial Dementia Center carried out a pilot study of a rural dementia-friendly village project. This project led to improvements on cognitive functions and depressive symptoms in the participants. But the improvement of dementia awareness was not achieved. More direct and experiencing interventions for people with dementia are necessary to improve dementia awareness.

A comparison of tooth brushing methods recommended in different countries / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the tooth brushing methods recommended by dental associations and toothbrush manufacturers in various countries including South Korea. METHODS: Eighteen countries-6 Asian, 2 North American, 2 Oceanian, and 8 European-were selected from members of the OECD, EU, and APEC, using information obtained from the primary email address of each dental association and information obtained from the websites of the associations regarding the officially recommended tooth brushing methods. In addition, 12 major toothbrush manufacturers were selected based on their market share, including 4 Asian manufacturers, 2 North American, and 2 European. Information about recommended tooth brushing methods was obtained from their websites. RESULTS: The countries recommending a particular tooth brushing method by name were South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. While South Korea recommended the "rolling" technique, Hong Kong and Taiwan recommended the "bass" technique. Except for these countries, the other countries presented their recommended methods by explaining the initial position or motion of the toothbrush. The most commonly recommended method was tilting the brush head at an angle of 45 degrees to the gingival margin; this was recommended by 8 countries (44%) and 6 toothbrush manufacturers (75%). Brushing with a vibrating motion was also recommended by 9 countries (50%) and 4 manufacturers (50%). CONCLUSIONS: The most recommended brushing method was initially positioning the toothbrush at an angle of 45 degrees to the gingival margin and using a vibrating motion, which is effective against periodontal diseases. However, South Korea recommended the rolling technique, which is effective for controlling dental plaque. Given the high frequency with which periodontal disease occurs in South Korea, vibrating the toothbrush on the gingival margin should be recommended in addition to the rolling technique.