The Effects of Communication Ability, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment on Nursing Performance of Intensive Care Unit Nurses / 중환자간호학회지

Purpose@#: This study aimed to provide basic data for developing strategies to improve the nursing performance of nurses working in the intensive care unit by identifying the degree of their communication ability, job satisfaction, organization commitment, and nursing performance, and the relation between each of these variables in the intensive care unit by examining the factors affecting nursing performance. @*Methods@#: The participants comprised of 150 nurses working in the intensive care unit in two advanced general hospitals. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, the Scheffé test, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. @*Results@#: Nursing performance of the participants was positively correlated with communication ability (r=.64, p<.001), job satisfaction (r=.26, p<.001), and organization commitment (r=.29, p<.001). Factors significantly influencing the participants’ nursing performance included academic background (β=.16, p=.032) and communication ability (β=.50, p<.001). The explanatory power of these variables for nursing performance was recorded at 49.9% (F=19.04, p<.001). @*Conclusion@#: The use of various programs in the hospital and the development of effective communication ability with medical staff and other departments among nurses will help improve nursing performance, cooperation with other departments, and patient care.

Screening for Atrial Fibrillation Using a Smartphone-Based Electrocardiogram in Korean Elderly / 전남의대학술지

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is responsible for 10–20% of cerebral infarctions. Several mobile devices have been developed to screen for AF and studies of AF screening have been conducted in several countries to evaluate the applicability of these mobile devices. In this tradition, we conducted a community-based AF screening using an automated single-lead electrocardiogram (SL-ECG). This survey examined 2,422 participants in a community dementia screening program who were aged 60 years or older in the preliminary study, and 5,366 participants at 9 Senior Welfare Centers aged 60 years or older in the expanded study. AF screening was conducted using an automated SL-ECG (Kardia Mobile, AliveCor, Mountain View, CA, USA). AF was confirmed with a 12-lead electrocardiogram in subjects classified as having AF on the SL-ECG. In the preliminary study, of the 2,422 subjects, 124 had AF on the SL-ECG. The prevalence of AF was 3.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4–3.8). The positive predictive value (PPV) of SL-ECG was 58.9% (95% CI: 50.1–67.1). Of the subjects diagnosed with AF, 65.8% (95% CI: 54.3–75.6) were newly diagnosed. In an expanded study, of the 5,366 subjects, 289 had AF on SL-ECG. The prevalence was 2.6% (95% CI: 2.2–3.1) and PPV of SL-ECG was 48.8% (95% CI: 43.1–54.5). In this community-based AF screening, we found that AF is underdiagnosed and undertreated. These results suggest that the early detection of AF using mobile devices is needed in Korea.

Association of Coffee and Tea with Ferritin: Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (IV and V) / 전남의대학술지

There have been few studies that have evaluated the association between coffee intake and iron in Korean population. Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (IV and V; 2007–2012) was used to investigate the association between coffee and green tea intake and serum ferritin levels in Korean adults. Beverage intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression was performed to evaluate the relationship between coffee and tea intake and serum ferritin levels, after adjusting for age, body mass index, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and daily iron intake. Coffee intake was negatively related to serum ferritin levels in both sexes. The multivariate-adjusted geometric mean of serum ferritin level was 100.7 ng/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 98.2–103.4) in men drinking <1 coffee/day, and 92.2 ng/mL (95% CI: 89.7–94.8) in those drinking ≥3 coffees/day. In women, the equivalent serum ferritin levels were 35.6 ng/mL (95% CI: 34.8–36.4) and 28.9 ng/mL (95% CI: 27.8–30.1). However, green tea intake was not related to serum ferritin levels. In conclusion, coffee consumption was associated with lower serum ferritin levels in Korean adults.

Association between Smoking and Unintentional Injuries among Korean Adults / 전남의대학술지

Using a cross-sectional representative national survey, we evaluated the relationship between cigarette smoking and unintentional injuries among Korean adults. We used data from the 2009 Korean Community Health Survey. Smoking status was defined as never smokers, ex-smokers, and current smokers. Current smokers were categorized into light daily smokers (1–10 cigarettes/day), moderate daily smokers (11–20 cigarettes/day), or heavy daily smokers (≥21 cigarettes/day). We used the Poisson regression model with a robust variance estimation to estimate prevalence rate ratios (PRR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic variables, lifestyle variables, and health status variables, former smokers (PRR, 1.19, 95% CI 1.11–1.28), light daily smokers (PRR 1.22, 95% CI 1.13–1.32), moderate daily smokers (PRR 1.33, 95% CI 1.24–1.42), and heavy daily smokers (PRR 1.40, 95% CI 1.25–1.57) had an increased risk for unintentional injuries compared with non-smokers. In conclusion, cigarette smoking is associated with unintentional injuries in a dose-response manner in Korean adults. The findings suggest that community smoking cessation programs may reduce morbidity and mortality from unintentional injuries.

Reconstruction of Postburn Contracture of the Forefoot Using the Anterolateral Thigh Flap

BACKGROUND: Severe forefoot deformities, particularly those involving the dorsum of the foot, cause inconvenience in daily activities of living including moderate pain on the dorsal aspect of the contracted foot while walking and difficulty in wearing nonsupportive shoes due to toe contractures. This paper presents clinical results of reconstruction of severe forefoot deformity using the anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap. METHODS: Severe forefoot deformities were reconstructed using ALT flaps in 7 patients (8 cases) between March 2012 and December 2015. The mean contracture duration was 28.6 years. RESULTS: All the flaps survived completely. The size of the flaps ranged from 8 cm × 5 cm to 19 cm × 8 cm. The mean follow-up period was 10 months (range, 7 to 15 months). There was no specific complication at both the recipient and donor sites. There was one case where the toe contracture could not be completely treated after surgery. All of the patients were able to wear shoes and walk without pain. Also, the patients were highly satisfied with cosmetic results. CONCLUSIONS: The ALT flap may be considered ideal for the treatment of severe forefoot deformity.

Erratum: Correction of Prevalence of Falls by Sex in Article 'Risk Factors for Falls in Older Korean Adults: The 2011 Community Health Survey'

We made a mistake in our recently published article.

Risk Factors for Falls in Older Korean Adults: The 2011 Community Health Survey

Falls are a major health problem for elderly populations worldwide. We analyzed data from the 2011 Korean Community Health Survey to identify potential risk factors for falls in a representative population-based sample of community-dwelling older Korean adults. Risk factors for falls were assessed by multivariate survey logistic regression models. The prevalence of falls was 36.5% in males and 63.5% in females. Age and female sex were associated with a higher risk of falls. Similarly, living alone, living in an urban area, poor self-rated health, and high stress were associated with a high risk of falls. Subjects with diabetes mellitus, stroke, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, cataracts, or depression had a high risk of falls. However, subjects with hypertension were at low risk for falls. In conclusion, age, female sex, marital status, residence location, self-rated health, stress, and several chronic conditions were significantly associated with the risk for falls in the older Korean adults. Our findings suggest that these risk factors should be addressed in public health policies for preventing falls.

Gender Difference in the Level of HDL Cholesterol in Korean Adults / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level varies with ethnicity and gender. In Korea there has not been an agreement on standards for HDL cholesterol level. Therefore, in order to establish a foundation for research on HDL cholesterol, we investigated the gender difference in HDL cholesterol level after adjusting associated factors. METHODS: The study population included 4,465 individuals (1,833 men, 2,632 women) representing 33,502,918 Koreans 20 years of age or older, who participated in the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey. After stratifying by gender, we analyzed the HDL cholesterol level according to the general characteristics of the study population. Then we identified independent factors associated with HDL cholesterol level. After adjusting for covariates, we estimated the gender difference in HDL cholesterol level. RESULTS: We demonstrated that age, current smoking, body mass index, alcohol intake, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol level have significant impact on HDL cholesterol level. In addition, educational status was also an important factor for men, while fat intake was a significant factor for women. After adjusting associated factors, the means (standard errors) of HDL cholesterol level were 43.8 (0.2) mg/dL in men and 46.3 (0.2) mg/dL in women, respectively. CONCLUSION: The mean gender difference in HDL level (2.5 mg/dL) in Korean adults was, therefore, less than those observed in previous western studies.

Lifestyle Habits Related to Abdominal Obesity in Korean Adolescents / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that the abdominal obesity can cause various metabolic abnormalities not only in adults but also in adolescents. This study was conducted to investigate lifestyle habits related to abdominal obesity in Korean adolescents. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study on 561 adolescents (305 boys and 256 girls) aged 12-18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005. The abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference at or above the 90th percentile for each age and gender based on the 2007 growth chart for Korean children. The frequency of physical activity, screen time, and the intake amount of energy and macronutrients were investigated as lifestyle habits. RESULTS: The prevalence of abdominal obesity in Korean adolescents aged 12-18 years was 9.1% (Boys, 9.4%; Girls, 8.7%). The mean of daily screen time was 4.3 +/- 0.1 hours (Boys, 4.4 +/- 0.2 hours; Girls, 4.2 +/- 0.2 hours). The subjects with daily screen time > or = 5 hours had a 3.0 times increased risk of abdominal obesity compared to subjects with daily screen time or = 35% of energy was 2.57 (95% confidence interval, 1.16 to 5.68; P-value = 0.020) with fat intake < 25% of energy as reference. The relationship between long screen time and abdominal obesity was observed in girls and high fat intake was related to abdominal obesity in boys. CONCLUSION: This study shows that abdominal obesity in Korean adolescents is associated to long screen time and high fat intake.