The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise on muscle weight and Type I and II fiber cross-sectional area of affected and unaffected hindlimb muscles in rats with neuropathic pain induced by unilateral peripheral nerve injury.

Neuropathic pain was induced by ligation and cutting of the left L5 spinal nerve. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of two groups: The Pain+Exercise (PE) group (n=21) and the Sham+Exercise (SE) group (n=20). All rats had 28 sessions of treadmill exercise at grade 10 for 30 minutes, twice/day at 10 m/min for 14 days. Body weight, food intake and activity were measured every day. At 15 days all rats were anesthetized and soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles were dissected. Muscle weight and Type I, II fiber cross-sectional area of the dissected muscles were measured.

The PE group showed significant increases (p<.05), as compared to the SE group for body weight and total diet intake, muscle weight of the unaffected soleus and plantaris, and in Type I and II fiber cross-sectional area of unaffected three muscles and affected plantaris.

Exercise for 14 days attenuates unaffected soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius muscle atrophy in neuropathic pain model.

This study was conducted to compare the level of depression, self-esteem and mother-adolescent (M-A) communication perceived by both mothers and adolescents between the early adolescent (E-A) group and the late adolescent (L-A) group; and to examine the actor effect and the partner effect of self-esteem and M-A communication on depression in mothers and adolescents.

Participants were 107 Kirogi families who resided in the Midwest region of the U. S. Data were collected from September, 2008 to March, 2009 using the scales of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D), Self-esteem and Parent-Adolescent Communication Inventory.

Mothers in E-A group reported higher scores on depression than mothers in L-A group. Adolescents in L-A group reported higher scores on depression and lower scores on self-esteem than adolescents in E-A group. In the E-A group, mothers' self-esteem had big actor effect on mothers' depression and partner effect on adolescents' depression. In the L-A group, self-esteem of mothers and adolescents had actor effect on their depression respectively without partner effect. M-A communication of mothers influences mothers' depression negatively and adolescents' depression positively. In both group, M-A communication influences their depression with mediating effect of self-esteem.

To promote Kirogi families' mental health, programs for mothers and adolescents should be developed differently according to adolescents' development stage.

This study was done to develop standards for dementia care as a baseline for professional nurses to provide a framework for dementia care evaluation.

The dementia care standards were developed through a literature review and focus group discussions. According to the Delphi method, the data analysis was conducted using the Content Validity Index (CVI).

The final set of 18 standards on dementia care was developed through one round of CVI. The standards included four structural standards: 'Organization of nursing system', 'Operating system', 'Management of human resources', 'Management of material resources', 13 procedural standards: 'Advanced assessment', 'Nursing diagnosis', 'Nursing plan', 'Advanced nursing implementation', 'Evaluation', 'Education', 'Research', 'Consultation', 'Counseling and cooperation', 'Development of specialty', 'Utilizing resources', 'Nursing quality assurance', 'Ethics', and one standard concerning outcome ('Evaluation of nursing tasks in care of patients with dementia'). The final set of 55 criteria on care of patients with dementia was confirmed through two rounds of CVI. The final 171 indicators were confirmed through four rounds of CVI.

These dementia care standards provides a framework that allows registered nurses to clarify their roles and tasks in the care of patients with dementia and provides evaluation criteria.

This study was done to explore the relationship between aggression and internet over-use, depression-anxiety, self-esteem, all of which are known to be behavior and psychological characteristics linked to "at-risk" children for aggression.

Korean-Child Behavior Check List (K-CBCL), Korean-Internet Addiction Self-Test Scale, and Self-Esteem Scale by Rosenberg (1965) were used as measurement tools with a sample of 743, 5th-6th grade students from 3 elementary schools in Jecheon city. Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/Win 13.0 version were used to analyze the collected data.

Aggression for the elementary school students was positively correlated with internet over-use and depression-anxiety, whereas self-esteem was negatively correlated with aggression. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that 68.4% of the variance for aggression was significantly accounted for by internet over-use, depression-anxiety, and self-esteem. The most significant factor influencing aggression was depression-anxiety.

These results suggest that earlier screening and intervention programs for depression-anxiety and internet over-use for elementary student will be helpful in preventing aggression.

Work-related anxiety and depression are frequent work-related mental health problems. In this study the relationship between workplace violence and work-related anxiety and/or depression among Korean employees was evaluated.

Data were obtained from the Korean Working Condition Survey of 2006. Participants were 9,094 Korean workers aged 15-64 yr. Multiple logistic regression using SAS version 9.1 was used.

The incidence of work-related anxiety, work-related depression and workplace violence were 4.5%, 3.5%, and 1.8% respectively. When personal and occupational risk factors were adjusted, workplace violence was significantly associated with work-related anxiety and depression (OR for anxiety: 4.07, CI: 2.62-6.34; OR for depression: 4.60, CI: 2.92-7.25). Work-related anxiety was significantly related to type of employment, working period at present workplace, work time, shift work, job demand, and social support from superiors. Factors influencing work-related depression were gender, education, alcohol consumption, company size, type of employment, working period at present workplace, work time, shift work, and job demand.

To promote psychological health in workers there is a need to develop work-related anxiety and depression prevention programs and to decrease in workplace violence. In developing these programs, consideration should be given to personal factors, working conditions, and psychosocial working environments.

This ethnography was done to explore the meaning of illness in Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B.

The participants were 6 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 6 general informants who could provide relevant data. Data were collected from iterative fieldwork with ethnographic interviews within Korean communities in two cities in the United States. Data were analyzed using causal chain analysis developed by Wolcott.

The analyses revealed three meanings for the illness: hidden disease, intentionally hidden disease, and inevitably hidden disease. The contexts of meaning of illness included characteristics of the illness, social stigma, structure of health care system and communication patterns and discourse between health care providers and clients.

The meaning of illness was based on folk illness concepts and constructed in the sociocultural context. Folk etiology, pathology and interpretation of one's symptoms were factors influencing illness behavior. These findings could be a cornerstone for culture specific care for Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors affecting eating attitude of female undergraduates according to BMI.

A descriptive survey design with a convenience sampling was used and data collection was done using a self-report questionnaire answered by 406 female undergraduates from four universities located in Seoul, Kangwon, Gyeongsangbuk and Chungcheongnam Provinces. ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchial multiple regression were used the SPSS WIN 17.0 Program to analyze the data.

With respect to BMI, the students were found to be in 3 groups, whose differences in eating attitude were significant. Eating attitude had significant positive correlation with height (r=.118, p=.017), weight (r=.267, p<.000), BMI (r=.239, p<.001), and depression (r=.375, p<.001), and negative correlation with subjective well-being (r=-.153, p=.002) and body esteem (r=-.287, p<.001). In the hierarchial multiple regression analysis, college major, height, weight and religion, were controlled. Depression and body esteem regarding weight significantly predicted 40.7% of eating attitude for the underweight group and normal weight group, body esteem: weight and depression were significant predictors for 27.5% of eating attitude for the normal weight group. Body esteem: weight explained 32.6% of eating attitude for the overweight group.

Findings of this study allow a comprehensive understanding of eating attitudes and related factors among female undergraduates in Korea. Further study with a larger random sample from various universities is necessary.

This study was done to examine the effects of moxibustion on physiological indices, such as 24-hr blood pressure, pulse pressure, and pulse rate, and autonomic nervous symptoms among adults with prehypertension.

Participants were adults whose systolic and diastolic blood pressures were in the prehypertension stage and were not under treatment for the condition. Both experimental and control group consisted of 13 participants who were taking classes on acupuncture and moxibustion at a private institute. The experimental group received moxibustion once a day for 15 min, at least 5 days a week for 8 weeks. The results were analyzed using χ²-test, t-test, Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and repeated measures ANOVA with the SAS program. Bonferroni correction method was adopted for multiple comparisons.

No significant change was observed in the 24-hr systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the two groups. Differences in the 24-hr pulse pressure and pulse rate were also not significant. However, significant decreases in headache, symptoms of flushing and fatigue were observed in the experimental group.

The results suggest that moxibustion contributes to alleviating symptoms such as headache, flushing and fatigue associated with the autonomic nervous system among adults with prehypertension.

This study was done to develop a model which explains factors influencing health promotion behavior in women who immigrate to Korea for marriage, and to verify the appropriateness of the model.

The participants were 300 women who immigrate to Korea for marriage and settled in located in Jeonbuk Province, Korea. The data were collected with self-report questionnaires from October 10, 2007 through November 10, 2007. A total of 271 data sets were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 12.0 and Amos 7.0 version.

Immigrant women's social support, self-efficacy, perceived health status, acculturation, and perceived barrier had an impact on their health promotion behavior. Social support was the most influential factor. All of these variables together explained 49% of the variance in health promotion behavior in immigrant women married to Korean men.

In order to increase the health promotion behavior in immigrant women, intervention strategies to increase social support and self-efficacy for immigrant women should be developed.

To investigate the effectiveness of aromatherapy on blood pressure, heart rate variability, aortic pulse wave velocity and the aortic augmentation index of essential hypertensive patients.

Using a coin toss, 22 participants were assigned to the experimental group and 20 to the control. The experimental group was given a blend of oils of lemon (Citrus limonum), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) which were prepared in the ratio of 2:2:1, respectively. The control group was given an artificial lemon fragrance of Limonene (35 cc) and Citral (15 cc) mixture. The experiment, inhalation, was conducted for 3 weeks (2 min per inhalation, 2 times per day) to both groups.

There was a noticeable difference in systolic blood pressure between the groups (p=.001), however the difference in diastolic blood pressure between the two groups was not significant. There was a notable difference in sympathetic nerve system activity of heart rate variability (p=.047). However, the differences in aortic pulse wave velocity or the aortic augmentation index were not significant.

Aromatherapy is effective in lowering systolic blood pressure and sympathetic nerve system activity.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using gauze frozen with normal saline or ice on thirst-relief and oral condition of laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients.

A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was used. Participants (n=53) received either gauze frozen with normal saline (n=17), ice (n=18) or wet gauze (n=18) for thirst-relief. The subjective thirst level and oral condition of the participants were assessed before the intervention, 15 min after the first intervention and 15 min after the second intervention.

After oral care was provided twice, there were significant differences in thirst level among the groups. When oral care was provided twice, the oral condition of tongue, saliva, mucosal membrane, and gingiva was improved in patients receiving gauze frozen with normal saline or ice.

Gauze frozen with normal saline and ice can be effective for oral care in reducing the thirst level and improving the condition of the oral cavity.

In this study a cognitive enhancement group training program of 10 sessions was provided for community-dwelling elders and the effects on cognitive function, depression and quality of life were tested.

A quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent control group, pre-post design was used. The participants were 87 elders whose cognitive function was within the normal range. Of these elders, 45 were assigned to the experimental group and 42 to the control group. The intervention was conducted once a week for 10 weeks. Chi-square test, t-test, paired t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to analyze the data.

After the program, the cognitive function (t=-2.85, p=.006), depression (z=2.82, p=.005) and quality of life (t=2.79, p=.007) of the experimental group was significantly better than those of the control group. Especially, immediate recall (z=2.45, p=.014) and concentration (z=2.58, p=.010) in the subcategory of cognitive function were significantly better than that of the control group.

The findings indicate that the cognitive enhancement group training program was effective in enhancing the cognitive function, depression and quality of life for elders and could therefore be considered as a positive program for emotional and cognitive support for community-dwelling elders.

This study was done to identify the distribution and related factors for stage of change for wearing hearing protection devices (HPDs) by workers in environments with high noise. Predictors of Use of Hearing Protection Model and Trans-theoretical Model were tested.

The participants were 755 workers from 20 noisy work places in Busan and Gyeongnam. Data were collected from January to April 2008 using self-administered questionnaires, and analyzed using multiple logistic regression.

There were significant differences in social mode (OR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.06-1.73) between precontemplation/contemplation and preparation stage, in males (OR=2.36, 95% CI: 1.24-4.51), workers with high school education or less (OR=1.39, 95% CI: 1.28-2.78), shift workers (OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.02-2.21), workers who previously worked in noisy places (OR=1.39, 95% CI: 1.20-2.34), and workers who had previous hearing examinations (OR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.25-2.85), in the social model (OR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.42-1.78), and self-efficacy (OR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08) between workers in preparation and action stages, in length of time working in noisy work places (OR=2.26, 95% CI: 1.17-4.39), social model (OR=1.66, 95% CI: 1.33-2.08), and perceived benefit (OR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.93-0.97) between action and maintenance stage.

Social model was a common factor showing differences between two adjacent stages for wearing HPDs. The results provide data for developing programs to encourage workers to wear HPDs and application of these programs in work settings.

This study was conducted to investigate the degree of dry mouth and oral health-related quality of life and to identify factors contributing to oral health-related quality of life for community-dwelling elders.

A descriptive correlational study design was used. Participants were 156 older adults from two senior welfare centers. Data were collected on February 21, 22 and 29, 30, 2009 using structured questionnaires. Enter type multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing oral health-related quality of life according to general and oral health characteristics.

There were significant differences in oral health-related quality of life according to living arrangement, insurance, smoking, number of natural teeth, and denture type. The oral health-related quality of life had significant correlations with the number of chronic disease, number of medications, and dry mouth. Factors influencing oral health-related quality of life for community-dwelling older adults were dry mouth, number of chronic disease, and medical aid, which explained about 47.9% of total variance.

These results indicate that in order to promote oral health-related quality of life for older adults, prevention or management of chronic diseases as well as oral health and dry mouth are needed for this population, and especially economically poor elders.