Background : Family doctor registration program was proposed several years ago and is still in discussion. The success of this program depends on attitude and acceptibility of people. This study was done to describe the attitudes of the people to the family doctor registration program.
Methods : We interviewed 657 adults who lived in Seoul, Bundang, Ilsan and Pyungchon with a preformed questionnaire. The questionnaire was pretested by five family doctor and trainee.
Results : About half of the respondents were favorable for family doctor registration program. The most importantly considered benefits of the program were continuity of care, telephone consultation and management of chronic disease. The most seriously considered drawbacks of the program were only single doctor available cost, and restriction of medical services. Over half of the respondents preferred internists as their treating doctor and family physician, pediatrician followed. About half of the respondents opposed on the fact that the family doctor was restricted to clinic-based practice. Half of the respondents intended to participate in the program and the rate of intention to participate in the family doctor registration program was related to their household income and favorable attitude to wards the program and marginally related to the number in a household, haring a regular doctor, their interest in health. The demographic variables did not influence intention to participate in the program.
Conclusion : Half of the respondents agreed to participate in the family doctor registration program, but others were negative to the principles of the program and cost, sharing.
Background : Among the over-the-counter drugs, non-opioid analgesics are widely used in Korea. Non-opioid analgesics may have potential adverse effects such as side effects, tolerance, and addiction when used inappropriately. Moreover, children have less power to make a rational decisions than adults. Therefore, the role of parents in analgesic use is more and more important in children. This study was designed to investigate the frequency of use of analgesics in children and the behavior of parents administering them.
Methods : From April to May 2000, we collected questionnaires on the use of analgesics for relieving children's pain which were completed by parents from 3 elementary schools in Seoul. Student t-test and linear by linear test were applied to compare the difference between analgesic-administered group and non-administered group.
Results : The subjects were 630 parents among 702 respondents. Common reason for the parents to administer analgesics to their children were common cold, headache, abdominal pain etc. Pain severity were high in earache and fever and lower in abdominal pain and headache. Among the total 457(72.1%) parents were said to have kept analgesics at home. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen were the most common kept analgesics at home. Were more analgesic-keeping house likely to analgesics at home. Younger parents, younger children and mothers. Only 25.4% among those with analgesics at home gave analgesics during the last month. The administration rate was higher in the higher education levels(P<0.05), and increased linear by linear according to the number of house-keeping analgesics(P<0.05).
Conclusion : Seventy two percent of parents kept analgesics at home. But only a quarter of the parents gave analgesics to their children. The administration rate of analgesics in relieving pain in children by their parents was higher in the highly educated parents group and showed linear increase in proportion to the number of house-keeping analgesics.
Background : Individual propensity towards depressive mood has been influenced by various socio-demographic factors. Studies on the relationship between socio-demographic variables and degree of individual depressive mood in korea do not seem sufficient. In order to see the correlation of education level with the degree of depressive mood we surveyed to provide available data which are useful in the treatment of depression.
Methods : We randomly sampled 315 out of 452 patients based on the availability of chart record and questionnaire sheet. They were admitted to the department of family medicine in one university medical center in Seoul between Jan. 3. 1999 and Mar. 31. 2000. Out of 315 patients, we chose 271 patients between 30 and 80 years of age according to socio-demographic variables. Korean Beck Depression Index (BDI) questionnaire sheet method with 21 questions was use to collect the data for the degree of individual depression. The study group was subdivided into three (Group 1: group less educated than high school level, Group 2: group educated in high school, Group 3: group educated in college or above). BDI of each group was compared using ANOVA test.
Results : Age and sex among the three groups showed a significant difference. Other socio-demographic variables were not significantly different. The average of BDI was as follows: Group 1 BDI revealed significant difference among the groups according to education level. When Tukey method was applied to see the inter-group difference, Group 1 BDI was higher than Group 2 and Group 3 BDIs. No significant difference was found between Group 1 BDI was higher than Group 2 and Group 3 BDIs. No significant difference was found between Group 2 and Group 3.
Conclusion : People educated below high school level revealed more propensity towards depressive mood with a statistical significance. Such result implies that education leved be considered in the treatment of depressive patients.
Background : Kinesio taping is a treatment for pain and dysfunction of musculoskeletal system, using tapes which have a similar elasticity to skin. This study was done to find out about th efficacy of kinesio taping on patients with a low back pain.
Methods : This study was performed in patients with a non-specific low back pain who had visited the Inchon International Airport Construction Authority Clinic from January 2000 to April 2000. We performed taping to a randomized case group and a placebo to control group during the first 3 days. After the first 3 days, we assessed the changes of improvement in low back pain with visual-analogue pain scale(VAS). From the second visit on, we also started carrying out kinesio taping in the control group.
Results : The total number of patients participating in this study was 43, but 4 patients did not complete the study stopped. After the first 3 days, control group showed just 0.93 of the VAS score improvement, while randomized case group showed 2.55 (p=0.003). The VAS score of case and control group were 3.18 and 3.03 respectively, which showed improvement at the end point of treatment compared with the first score.
Conclusion : Kinesio taping was more efficacious than placebo in patients with a nonspecific low back pain.
Background : A lot of "Folk Remedies" on rheumatoid arthritis treatment prevail in Korea, but they have never been evaluated or investigated systemically. Therefore we studied folk remedies used in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Methods : We delivered 12 questionnaires to 106 rheumatoid arthritis out-patients of family medicine, internal medicine, and orthopedics, located in Seoul and Kyungki area. These questionnaires addressed to demographic characteristics, duration of rheumatoid arthritis, current treatments, kind of folk remedies experienced, decision to choose folk remedies and its subjective effects, and volition to try new folk remedies.
Results : There were up to 27 kinds of folk remedies used by 77 people (72.8% of total). Lower education level was proved to be correlated with folk remedies experience. Most patients began their remedies introduced by relatives or close friends(83.1%). Many patients on folk remedies were skeptical about its effect, but they were still willing to try new folk medicine(80.6%).
Conclusion : Many rheumatoid arthritis patients experienced folk remedies and were skeptical about its effects, but they were still willing to try new folk medicine. Therefore, education on folk remedies is needed.
Background : Body weight is a well known factor of bone density. However, studies for correlation between body fat, lean body mass and bone density are inconsistent in premenopausal women. We reviewed the relations of body weight, body mass index(BMI), body fat, body fat percent, fat free mass and spinal bone density.
Methods : We collected data of healthy young women of 20-39 years old who visted a health promotion center of a general hospital from March to August, 2000. and examined the correlation of body weight, BMI, body fat, body fat percent, fat free mass and spinal bone density.
Results : The total number of observation was 309, the average age was 34±4 year old, the average body weight was 55.4±7.7 kg, the height was 158±5 cm, the BMI was 22.05±2.80 kg/m², the body fat percent was 25.5±5.3%, and the spinal bone density was 1.007±0.116g/cm² The incidence of normal bone weight group, 72.6%, 26.8%, 0.5%, respectively, in the normal weight group, and 90.9%, 9.1%, 0%, respectively, in the obese group. In linear regression analysis, the spinal bone density correlated with age, height, weight, BMI, body fat, and fat free mass. In stepwise multiple regression analysis, the fat free mass was a significant factor(R2=0.065(p<0.001)) of the spinal bone density.
Conclusion : The spinal bone density was correlated with age, height, body weight, BMI, fat mass, and fat free mass. The multiple regression analysis suggested that only fat ree mass was significantly correlated with spinal bone density.
Background : Estrogen deficiency after menopause is a major reason of bone loss in postmenopausal women. YSM (years since menopause) is negatively related with BMD in postmenopausal women. Bone loss after menopause is accelerated in early stage of menopause, and then decreases. There are some evidence that body weight can prevent bone loss in menopausal women. Therefore, we evaluated associations of the general characteristics and lumbar BMD of postmenopausal Korean women, and determined the rate of bone loss after menopause at 5-year interval.
Methods : BMD was measured by DEXA system, and physical, anthropometric data including body fat were obtained in 1006 peri- and postmenopausal women. Pearsons correlation coefficients were made among physical, anthropometric data and lumbar BMD. To determine the contributable factors for lumbar Bmd, multiple regression analysis was done.
Results : 1) In Pearsons correlation analysis among body composition YSM and spinal BMD, YSM was strongly associated negatively with spinal BMD. 2) On the other hand, weight and BMI was associated positively with psinal BMD. 3) The percent difference in spinal BMD between perimenopause and 5-years after menopause was 15.3%. 4) Years since menopause, body weight was revealed as and important factor that predicted spinal BMD by multiple stepwise regression analysis.
Conclusion : We conclude that YSM and body weight were revealed as important factors that can predict spinal BMD in postmenopausal women.
Background : A variety of techniques for assessing human composition have been developed. However, the vaidity f these methods has not been compared in the same subjects after training program. In this study, the dependent variable used as a criterion of changes in body composition is body weight (BW), which consists of fat-free weight (FFW) and body fat (BF) in the two-compartment model, on the assumption that FFM does not change significantly during the exercise program. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the validity of percentage body fat using indirect methods-bioelectrical impedance (BI) analyzer and skinfold thickness (SFT) and to discuss the accuracy of each method.
Methods : The subjects were 13 obese women, aged 42 to 63 years (52.4±6.4yr). The subjects pariticipated in supervised physical conditioning program 3 days per week, 30 t 60 min each session, for a period of 14 weeks.
Results : Small decrements were observed in BW (0.5±1.9 kg, p>0.05), body mass index (BMI, 0.6±1.8, p>0.05), waist girth (2.1cm, p<0.5), and SFT at the triceps (2.9mm, p<0.05) and subscapular (2.9mm, p<0.05). There were significant changes in BF (p<0.001) and FFM (p<0.001) calculated by the SFT method, while mean FFM computed by BI technique remained essentially unchanged. Correlational analyses indicated that the absolute amount of change in BW (i.e., delta BW) was significantly associated with delta abdominal girth and delta BF estimated by the BI technique. The relationship between delta BW and delta BF estimated by the SFT method technique was not statistically significant, thereby questioning the validity of using individual skinfold measurements solely to estimate alterations in body composition.
Conclusion : From these results, it is concluded that BI technique may provide more accurate estimates of changes in BF than SFT method.
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