This study was conducted to develop and evaluate a Web-based program for the maternal role of primiparas who use the internet.

The study process was a systems requirements analysis, design and development of a program, program testing by experts, program implementation, and program evaluation by users. A nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design was used. The data was collected from October 5th, 2002 to February 24th, 2003.

1. Based on inquiries into mothers' needs, a Web-based support program was developed. The program was then modified from feedback received from experts. 2. In a sub-scale analysis of mothers' perception of a baby, amenability and persistence was significantly higher in the intervention group. The differences in the mean score of maternal self-confidence and maternal satisfaction were significant. 3. Cyber counseling was done for a total of 73 cases and the most frequent problems for counseling were feeding and nutrition (28.8%), followed by baby care, and health problems.

It was proven that a Web-based support program provided appropriate support to primiparas and was effective in promoting their maternal role. Therefore, this study suggests that a Web-based support program for primiparas can become a powerful nursing intervention on virtually all mother and infant health concerns.

This study was aimed to develop a WBI(Web Based Instruction) program on safety for 3rd grade elementary school students and to test the effects of it.

The WBI program was developed using Macromedia flash MX, Adobe Illustrator 10.0 and Adobe Photoshop 7.0. The web site was http://www.safeschool. co.kr. The effect of it was tested from Mar 24, to Apr 30, 2003. The subjects were 144 students enrolled in the 3rd grade of an elementary school in Gyungju. The experimental group received the WBI program lessons while each control group received textbook-based lessons with visual presenters and maps, 3 times. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, and χ² test, t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA.

First, the WBI group reported a longer effect on knowledge and practice of accident prevention than the textbook-based lessons, indicating that the WBI is more effective. Second, the WBI group was better motivated to learn the accident prevention lessons, showing that the WBI is effective. As a result, the WBI group had total longer effects on knowledge, practice and motivation of accident prevention than the textbook-based instruction.

We recommend that this WBI program be used in each class to provide more effective safety instruction in elementary schools.

The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with initiation and continuation of breastfeeding among Korean women in relation to their employment status.

Data were collected using a web-based self-administered questionnaire from 1,031 Korean mothers living in Seoul with babies younger than 24 months. Demographic characteristics, education on breastfeeding, rooming in, breastfeeding during hospital stay, and breastfeeding knowledge were examined. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with initiation and continuation at 1, 6 and 12 months according to mothers’ employment status.

Breastfeeding initiation rates were similar regardless of mothers’ employment status. Continuation rates decreased for both groups of mothers, but were significantly lower among employed mothers at all duration points. Unemployed mothers who were able to keep their babies in the same room during the hospital stay were more likely to initiate breastfeeding. The factor that was consistently associated with breastfeeding continuation for all duration points among unemployed mothers was whether the mother breastfed during the hospital stay. Higher knowledge scores and having an infant with atopic dermatitis were also associated with breastfeeding continuation at 6 months and 12 months, respectively for unemployed mothers, and receiving education on breastfeeding was associated with 12-month continuation for employed mothers.

These results emphasize the significant roles of hospitals for breastfeeding initiation and continuation, with rooming-in, initial breastfeeding practice and education during hospital stay as important practices. In addition, for working mothers to continue their breastfeeding, significant support from the workplace is crucial.

This study was conducted to examine the changing patterns of knowledge related to disease, medication adherence, and self-management and to determine if outcomes were more favorable in the experimental group than in the comparison group through 6 months after providing a web-based self-management intervention.

A non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used and 65 patients with gout, 34 in experimental group and 31 in comparison group, were selected from the rheumatic clinics of two university hospitals. Data were collected four times, at baseline, at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention.

According to the study results, the changing patterns of knowledge and self-management were more positive in the experimental group than in the control group, whereas difference in the changing pattern of medication adherence between two groups was not significant.

The results indicate that the web-based self-management program has significant effect on improving knowledge and self-management for middle aged male patients with gout. However, in order to enhance medication adherence, the web-based intervention might not be sufficient and other strategies need to be added.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an educational intervention that used both cellular phones and the Internet to provide a short messaging service (SMS) relating to blood glucose, blood pressure, and serum lipid levels in postmenopausal women with impaired fasting glucose (IFG).

Twenty-eight postmenopausal women were assigned to an intervention group and twenty-one postmenopausal women to a control group. The intervention was provided for 12 weeks. Patients in the intervention group were asked to access a web site by using a cellular phone or to use the Internet directly and input their blood glucose and blood pressure levels weekly. Participants were sent the optimal recommendations weekly by both cellular phone and Internet.

The intervention group had a mean decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) level of 8.1 mmHg but changes for the control group were not significant. There was a significant mean change in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) level for the intervention group (-7.7 mmHg). The mean change in the control group was not significant.

This educational intervention using the Internet and a SMS by cellular phone improved levels of SBP and DBP in postmenopausal women with IFG.

To develop a web-based program on blood-borne infection control and to examine the effect of the newly developed program on perceived threat of diseases, knowledge, preventive health behaviors for blood-borne infections, and incidence rates of accidental needle sticks and other sharp object injuries in nurses.

The program was developed through the processes of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The research design involved a nonequivalent control group for pretest and posttest experiments. The setting was a 745-bed general hospital located in Korea.

The program was designed and developed after consulting previous studies. After development of the program was completed, it was evaluated and revised by a panel of experts. The total score for perceived threat of diseases, knowledge, preventive health behaviors in the experimental group was significantly higher compared to the control group (p<.05). The incidence rates for needle sticks and other sharp object injuries in the experimental group were significantly lower compared to the control group (p<.05).

Application of a Web-based, blood-borne infection control program is effective, and can be expanded to other healthcare workers who also have a high risk of blood-borne infections.