This study aimed to analyze the impact of increasing the supply of newly licensed nurses on improving the hospital nurse staffing grades for the period of 2009~2014.

Using public administrative data, we analyzed the effect of newly licensed nurses on staffing in 1,594 hospitals using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) ordered logistic regression, and of supply variation on improving staffing grades in 1,042 hospitals using GEE logistic regression.

An increase of one newly licensed nurse per 100 beds in general units had significantly lower odds of improving staffing grades (grades 6~0 vs. 7) (odds ratio=0.95, p=.005). The supply of newly licensed nurses increased by 32% from 2009 to 2014, and proportion of hospitals whose staffing grade had improved, not changed, and worsened was 19.1%, 70.1%, and 10.8% respectively. Compared to 2009, the supply variation of newly licensed nurses in 2014 was not significantly related to the increased odds of improving staffing grades in the region (OR=1.02, p=.870).

To achieve a balance in the regional supply and demand for hospital nurses, compliance with nurse staffing legislation and revisions in the nursing fee differentiation policy are needed. Rather than relying on increasing nurse supply, retention policies for new graduate nurses are required to build and sustain competent nurse workforce in the future.

The aim of the study was to assess and identify gender differences in factors associated with prevalence, awareness, and treatment of osteoporosis.

Data for 3,071 men and 3,635 women (age≥ 50) from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008~2011 were included. Osteoporosis was defined by World Health Organization T-score criteria. Impact factors and odds ratios were analysed by gender using multivariate logistic regression.

Osteoporosis prevalence rates were 7.0% in men and 40.1% in women. Osteopenia rates were 45.5% and 46.0% respectively. Among respondents with osteoporosis, 7.6% men and 37.8% women were aware of their diagnosis. Also 5.7% men with osteoporosis and 22.8% women were treated. Higher prevalence was found among respondents who were older, at lower socioeconomic levels, with lower body mass index and shorter height in both genders, and among women with fracture history, and non-hormonal replacement therapy. Awareness and treatment rates for the risk groups were similar compared to the low risk controls for both genders. Fracture history increased awareness and treatment rates independently for both genders. Women with perceived poor health status and health screening had increased awareness and treatment rates, but not men.

Results indicate that postmenopausal women have a higher prevalence of osteoporosis than men and awareness and treatment rates were higher than for men. Despite gender difference in prevalence, osteoporosis was underdiagnosed and undertreated for both genders. Specialized public education and routine health screenings according to gender could be effective strategies to increase osteoporosis awareness and treatment.

This study was conducted to explore the impact of registered nurse/nurses' aid (RN/NA) staffing and turnover rate on inpatient health outcomes in long term care hospitals.

A secondary analysis was done of national data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services including evaluation of long term care hospitals in October-December 2010 and hospital general characteristics in July-September 2010. Final analysis of data from 610 hospitals included RN/NA staffing, turnover rate of nursing staff and 5 patient health outcome indicators.

Finding showed that, when variables of organization and community level were controlled, patients per RN was a significant indicator of decline in ADL for patients with dementia, and new pressure ulcer development in the high risk group and worsening of pressure ulcers. Patients per NA was a significant indicator for new pressure ulcer development in the low risk group. Turnover rate was not significant for any variable.

To maintain and improve patient health outcomes of ADL and pressure ulcers, policies should be developed to increase the staffing level of RN. Studies are also needed to examine causal relation of NA staffing level, RN staffing level and patient health outcomes with consideration of the details of nursing practice.

This study was done to examine relationships between nurse staffing level and postsurgical patient outcomes using inpatient database from the National Health Insurance.

Records of 111,491 patients who received one of 12 types of surgery between January and December, 2009 were identified and analyzed in this study. Nurse staffing level was measured using adjusted nurse staffing grades from 0 to 7. Patient outcomes were defined as in-hospital mortality, or pneumonia, sepsis, or urinary tract infection after surgery. Logistic regression analyses estimated by Generalized Estimation Model, were used to analyze the association between nurse staffing level and patient outcomes.

An inverse relationship was found between nurse staffing and patient mortality. Compared with patients who were cared for in hospitals with the highest nurse staffing (Grades 0-1), increases in the odds of dying were found in those with Grades 6-7 [OR (odds ratio)= 2.99, 95% CI (confidence interval)= 1.94-4.60], those with Grades 4-5 (OR= 1.78, 95% CI= 1.24-2.57) and those with Grades 2-3 (OR= 1.57, 95% CI= 1.25-1.98). Lower nurse staffing level was also associated with higher number of cases in pneumonia and sepsis.

Policies for providing adequate nurse staffing is required to enhance quality of care and lead to better perioperative patient outcomes.

Purpose: In this study analysis was done of utilization of rooming-in care in South Korean hospitals in order to examine the factors related to mothers and hospitals that affect rooming-in care.

With the involvement of 254,414 mothers who gave birth across 953 hospitals, the analysis used the health insurance qualification data of the National Health Insurance Corporations and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (2006). Factors associated with rooming-in care were analyzed using a GEE logistic regression analysis to consider factors related to both mothers and hospitals.

Only 45.1% of the mothers used rooming-in care. The results of the regression analysis revealed that individual factors of the mothers were not associated with rooming-in care, whereas group factors of the hospitals were. Rooming-in care use was primarily related to small hospital, location of hospital, and higher nurse staffing level.

The findings of this study indicate that the utilization of rooming-in care is not associated with factors an individual mother, but rather with the group factors of the hospitals. Thus, a policy-based approach considering both of these types of factors is required to enhance the utilization of rooming-in care.

The purpose of this study was to develop an antepartum-postpartum breast-feeding program titled "Breast-feeding Empowerment Program" and to measure the effects of this program on breast-feeding empowerment and the rate of exclusive breast-feeding.

The study design was a nonequivalent control group design with repeated measures.

The scores for breast-feeding empowerment of the experimental group (EG) were higher than those of the control group (CG) at week 1, 4, 8, 12. The rates for exclusive breast-feeding of the experimental group were also higher than those of the control group: 86.4% in the EG and 40.9% in the CG at week 1; 100% vs 42.9% at week 4; 86.4% vs 38.1% at week 8; 95.5% vs 38.1% at week 12; 94.7% vs 31.6% at 6 months; 89.5% vs 26.3% at 12 months.

The study provided evidence that raising consciousness and strengthening mother's will and skills for exclusive breast-feeding helps them to achieve successful breast-feeding by themselves. In addition mothers need to be empowered to breast-feed starting before delivery and continuing after delivery. This approach could make long-term exclusive breast-feeding successful.