It is not uncommon for children and adolescents with learning disabilities to have neurologically based disorders and other associated psychosocial problems. Those children have learning disorder need systematic psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluations for proper managements. Moreover many educational test instruments and special educational literatures use an information processing model for understanding learning and learning disabilities. Any learning disorders can involve more than one area in various dysfunctional processes; input disabilities (visual and auditory perceptions, and other sensory integrations), integration disabilities (sequencing, abstraction, and organization), memory disabilities, and output disabilities (language and motor). Individuals with learning disability require appropriate interventions, whether they are clinical or educational. They must be screened primarily by family physicians, pediatricians, and psychiatrists, and have psychosocial supports for themselves and their family, and then be referred to child and adolescent psychiatrists for optimal treatment planning and multimodal managements.
Considering the proportion of the elderly among the total population, prevalence of dementia in the group, and social burden for the management of demented patients, dementia must be a public health problem. Neuroscience, which has made an incredible advance applicable to neuropsychiatry during the last few decades, contributes much to gaining new insight into pathophysiology of dementia as well as to its treatment. The early diagnosis of dementia is increasingly important for these reasons. However, it is controversial which of 1) population screening of the elderly, 2) targeting high risk groups, and 3) identification of the elderly with possible mild cognitive impairment is best one . The screening test on the high risk groups and/or the elderly with possible mild cognitive impairment is recommended for the early identification of dementia, with keeping in mind the dementia prevalence, availability of screening tests, possibility of treatment, and social burden resulting from delayed therapeutic intervention.
Background : Retention of gestational weight can be a significant contributor to obesity related complications. Few studies have assessed the impact of behavioral factors in Korea. This study was performed to identify the impact of factors on weight change at 1 year postpartum.
Methods : A questionnaire was sent twice by mail to 635 women who delivered singleton infant without complications in Seoul Asan Hospital from January 2002 to March 2002 and 97 available responses were received. Parity, pre-pregnancy weight, fullterm weight and postpartum behaviors were collected from routine medical records and questionnaire.
Results : Mean age was 30.5 years and mean pre-pregnancy BMI was 20.9 kg/m2. Mean total weight gain during pregnancy was 13.6±4.3 kg and mean weight change at 1 year postpartum was 1.9±3.8 kg. Nearly 17.5% of women experienced a major weight gain of 4.5 kg at 1 year postpartum. Women who had higher pre-pregnancy BMI (≥23 kg/m2) were at high risk for major weight gained at 1 year postpartum (OR: 4.14). Women who gained 13.6 kg or more during pregnancy and with lower income were at high risk for major weight gain at 1year postpartum (OR: 5.28, 4.13 respectively).
Conclusion : Pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain and household monthly income are significantly associated with weight change at 1year postpartum. These findings support the need of the guidelines for preventing major weight retention associated with pregnancy.
Background : We assessed the suitability of patients' education materials made by KAFM (Korean Academy of Family Medicine) to suggest guidelines for making more efficient education materials.
Methods : The Korean version of SAM (Suitability Assessment of Materials) was used to evaluate patients' education materials of KAFM. The Korean version was modified within the centext of Korean language and culture by 3 family medicine specialists. We evaluated all materials which had been made up to October, 2003. Each item of evaluation criteria was assessed and agreed by 3 family medicine specialists.
Results : The total number of evaluated materials as 51. The average SAM score was 40.2% and its range was 22∼78%. The materials on 'Early detection and self examination of breast cancer', 'Back muscle exercise for back pain patients', and 'Treatment and management of hypertension' received high scores. The materials on 'TIA', 'Alcohol and liver', and 'Children's constipation' received low scores. Two materials (3.9%) were judged excellent, 18 (35.3%) adequate, and 31 (60.8%) not adequate. The criteria for each item such as learning aids via road signs, layout factors, and typography received high scores. The criteria for each item such as summary or review included, 'context is given first', 'cover graphic shows purpose', relevance of illustrations, and 'caption used for graphics' received low scores.
Conclusion : The items such as 'learning aids via road signs', 'layout factors', and 'typography' received high scores in the evaluation of patients' education materials by SAM criteria. There were also weak points noted about unclear purpose, less description about behavior change, irrelevance of illustrations, and lack of learning stimulation and motivation.
Background : Because of a continuous increase in elderly population with functional disabilities and diseases including cancer in Korea, the need for measuring the quality of life in the elderly with cancer is growing. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with the quality of life in the elderly with cancer.
Methods : The instruments of this study were European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC0 QLQ-C30, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). We conducted the stepwise multiple regression to analyze predictors of global QOL in the elderly and the younger cancer patient groups.
Results : The main findings were as follows: The regression analysis of the elderly group revealed some items as significant predictors; sadness, insomnia, fatigability of depression subscales, and work of pain interference item. The regression analysis of the younger group revealed cognitive functioning and activity of pain interference item as significant variables.
Conclusion : The findings support the conclusion that depression items were the most important factors in QOL of elderly patients with cancer. Therefore, we need to take more interest concerning depression in elderly cancer patients.