Residents In South Korea Research Articles

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Its Associated Factors among Emergency Medicine Residents in South Korea: A Nationwide Survey.

Objective Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in emergency medicine (EM) residents is associated with patient safety. However, studies regarding EDS in EM residents are limited. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of EDS and its associated factors among EM residents. Methods Epworth sleepiness scale scores, working hours per week (WHW), night working days per month, working environment, and depression were analyzed using data from the 2019 Korean Emergency Medicine Resident Survey. Results The survey response rate was 63.8% (384/601). Among 241 respondents, the prevalence rate of EDS was 32.4%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that WHW (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–1.06) and depression (OR = 3.64, 95% CI = 1.91–6.96) had increased ORs for EDS. Conclusions Approximately one-third of EM residents had EDS. Depression and WHW were the associated factors.

Neutralizing Antibodies to Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Among Survivors, Non-Survivors and Healthy Residents in South Korea.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a newly emerging tick-borne viral disease, has been detected in Asia since 2009, and person-to-person transmission is possible. SFTS is characterized by atypical signs, including mild to severe febrile illness similar to that associated with hemorrhagic fever, with 16.2 to 30% mortality. We found that the titers of neutralizing antibodies, play an important role in protective immunity, to SFTS virus (SFTSV) in survivors and healthy residents who lived in endemic areas and who were positive for SFTSV IgG, were higher than those in non-survivor patients. Moreover, the titers were maintained in surviving patients and healthy residents but not in non-surviving patients in South Korea.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on orthopaedic resident education: a nationwide survey study in South Korea.

PurposeThere have not been well-designed survey studies investigating the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on orthopaedic resident education.MethodsA 58-question, web-based survey was administered to orthopaedic residents in South Korea. A total of 229 orthopaedic residents from 43 hospitals completed the survey questionnaire.ResultsThe average working time of 72.7 hours/week before the pandemic was decreased to 65.6 hours/week during the pandemic (p < 0.001). The time working in the operating room was significantly decreased during the pandemic, but not in the emergency centre and outpatient clinic. The education times for lecture and clinical case discussion were decreased during the pandemic (both, p < 0.001), respectively. While the use of traditional teaching methods was decreased, the use of online-based teaching methods was increased (p < 0.001). However, satisfaction level with online-based teaching methods was significantly lower compared with that of traditional teaching methods. The average working time exposed to the patients with COVID-19 was 9.7 hours/week. About 47.6% of orthopaedic residents experienced isolation or quarantine. The average score for quality of life, which was 68.9 out of 100 scores before the pandemic, decreased to 61.7 during the pandemic (p < 0.001). The most stressful factor for orthopaedic residents during the pandemic was family/relative health, followed by their own health and residency program.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on orthopaedic resident education in South Korea. Therefore, flexible and sustainable strategies are necessary to prepare for the future as well as the current pandemic situation.

Developing and Evaluating an Educational Program for Respiratory Infection Prevention among Rural Elderly Residents in South Korea.

Based on social cognitive theory (SCT), an educational program was developed to prevent rural elderly residents from respiratory infections in South Korea. The effectiveness of the program was investigated in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and practices about respiratory infection prevention, as well as social capital. A pretest–posttest nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used to test the short-term effect of this program. In addition, 1- and 6-month follow-up surveys were administered to evaluate the long-term effects. A total of 69 subjects (37 in the experimental group and 32 in the control group) participated in the experiment. The results showed that knowledge about respiratory infection prevention, respiratory infection prevention practices, and social capital were enhanced among the elderly residents who participated in the educational program. The educational effects differed significantly across time periods (pretest, posttest, 1- and 6-month follow up) in all the above variables. In particular, the program remained effective 1 month after the intervention, but a reinforcement session extended the program’s effects up to 6 months later. This educational program would be used as an effective intervention to help rural elderly residents prevent respiratory infections.

Who should be admitted? Conjoint analysis of South Korean attitudes toward immigrants

South Korea is slowly but steadily becoming a country of immigrants. In 1998, there were barely 300,000 foreign residents in South Korea. As of 2018, there were more than 2.3 million. The immigrant population has yet to reach 5% of the total population, but it is predicted to rise significantly in the years to come. Despite the increase in newcomers, it is not well understood who native South Koreans prefer as immigrants and why. Are immigrant attitudes motivated by co-ethnic solidarity, or are they primarily based on economic and sociotropic concerns? To isolate attitudes on these crucial questions, this research uses a conjoint experiment that simultaneously tests the influence of seven immigrant attributes in generating support for admission. Our results show that broad sociotropic concerns largely drive attitudes towards immigrants in South Korea, but an immigrant’s origin also matters. Prospective newcomers from culturally similar and higher-status countries who can speak Korean and have clear plans to work are most preferred. The research findings will be relevant to the comparative study of immigration attitudes, as well as to researchers interested in the specifics of the South Korean case.

Association between extremely long working hours and musculoskeletal symptoms: A nationwide survey of medical residents in South Korea.

ObjectivesIt has been reported that South Korea ranked as one of the longest‐working nations among OECD countries. This study sought to examine the association between long working hours and musculoskeletal pain among Korean medical residents.MethodsWe analyzed a cross‐sectional survey of 1,077 medical residents in South Korea. Working hours per week were categorized as follows: <60, 60‐79, 80‐99, and ≥100. Musculoskeletal pains (ie, upper limb, lower limb, and low back pain) over the past 3 months were categorized into three groups: no pain, pain without interfering with work, and pain interfering with work. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between long working hours and musculoskeletal pains after adjusting for covariates.ResultsWe found that the average working hours of medical resident was 85.6 hours per week in South Korea. Compared to the medical residents working <60 hours, those working ≥100 hours per week were more likely to have upper limb pain (PR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.30) interfering with work or low back pain (PR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.51, 3.06) interfering with work, whereas no statistically significant association was observed in the analysis of lower limb pain.ConclusionsThis study suggests that extremely long working hours are associated with upper limb and low back pain interfering with their work among Korean medical residents.

Improvement Plans for Deportation of Illegal Stay Alien Workers

국내 체류 외국인의 수는 2019년 9월 말 기준 245만 명을 넘어섰으며 그중 전체 외국인 체류자의 약 15.5%인 38만여 명이 불법체류자이다. 국내 불법체류 외국인 수는 매년 증가하고 있으며 그에 따라 강제퇴거외국인의 단속도 강화될 수밖에 없다. 하지만 그로 인하여 불법체류외국인의 강제퇴거절차에 있어서 크고 작은 문제들이 발생하고 있다. 이에 본 논문에서는 출입국관리법상의 강제퇴거절차를 검토하고, 대한민국에 거주하고 있는 외국인의 법적지위를 살펴본 후 불법체류외국인 강제퇴거 절차의 문제점들에 대한 개선방안을 제시한다. 첫째, 법적 전문자격을 갖춘 독립된 보호명령서 발급기관을 창설하여야 한다. 둘째, 현재 무기한 보호제도에서 보호기간을 30일로 한정하여야 한다. 셋째, 장기 보호되는 강제퇴거 대상자에 대한 송환비용 마련 방안으로 “귀국보장 수수료”제도를 도입하여야 한다. 넷째, 외국인의 인권보호를 위해 출입국관리공무원에게 정기적인 인권교육을 실시하여야 한다.The number of foreign residents in Korea had exceeded 2.45 million by the end of September 2019, while about 15.5% of the residents, 380,000 people, are counted as illegal aliens. The number of foreigners staying illegally in Korea is increasing every year, and accordingly, the crackdown on the illegal aliens is bound to intensify. At the same time, however, the current situation causes various problems in the execution of the deportation process. In this paper, the current deportation procedure under the Immigration Control Law and the legal status of foreign residents in South Korea were examined. Based on these findings, this study suggested four following improvement plans for deportation of illegal stay alien workers in South Korea. First of all, an independent protection order issuing agency with legal qualifications needed to be established. Secondly, the current indefinite protection system needed to be modified into 30 days. Thirdly, the Return Guarantee Fee System is suggested to finance the cost for long-term protected deportees. Lastly, regular human right education of public officials is needed to ensure the human rights of foreigners.

Impact of experience of psychiatrists and psychiatry residents regarding electronic communication and social networking on internet use patterns: a questionnaire survey for developing e-professionalism in South Korea

BackgroundThe development of technology, novel communication, and social networking can positively or negatively affect the therapeutic alliance between patients and psychiatrists. We conducted this study to identify Internet use patterns of psychiatrists and psychiatry residents in South Korea and to provide basic data for developing e-professionalism.MethodsIn this questionnaire survey included a total of 250 participants, of which 195 (78%) completed the questionnaire. Questions included demographics, use of email, web searches, personal and professional use of websites and social networking, and negative and positive experiences of electronic communication and social networking. We confirmed the correlation between experience and use patterns of psychiatrists’ electronic communication and social networking.ResultsA total of 129 participants (66.2%) reported that they posted their personal or professional content online, 112 (57.9%) had received patients’ requests through electronic communication or social networking, and 120 (61.4%) had communicated with patients via electronic communication or social networking. In total, 170 participants (87.2%) reported that they were worried about the negative consequences of using electronic communication and social networking, and 180 (92.3%) indicated they were not educated about electronic communication or social networking.ConclusionIn order to reduce the negative effects of electronic communication and social networking, we need guidelines that are appropriate for the situation in South Korea. Furthermore, future research will need to identify and suggest solutions for negative experiences of electronic communication and social networking that may affect the relationship between patients and physicians.

Analysis of the Influence of Social Relations on Migration Intention: Focusing on Local Social Capital and Subjective Socioeconomic Status

Migration intention of residents has become an important issue for the local governments as they have been experiencing an exodus of the residents to other regions topped with the country’s low birthrate that naturally results in the population decrease. Hence, this study explores the determinants of migration intention of residents in South Korea (hereafter Korea), with special focus on the social relationship within the community. In detail, this study attempts to prove if the two aspects of the social relations within the community - local social capital and individual subjective socioeconomic status - have an effect on the migration intention. Furthermore, the study has been conducted by separating urban and rural areas. The results of the analysis reveal that individual subjective SES had a greater influence in rural areas, whereas, it was the local social capital in urban areas. This result can be explained by the difference of the ‘individual anonymity’ between urban and rural areas. In rural areas, where the anonymity of individuals is relatively low due to the active interactions between neighbors, the influence of individual subjective socioeconomic status can have a great effect. On the other hand, in urban areas, where the anonymity of individual is relatively high, the influence of local social capital may have a greater effect on migration intention.

A Critical Multicultural Approach to Korean English Education for Socially Just Diversity

This paper is an attempt to theorize a conceptual framework for Korean English education in response to the contextual need that South Koreans are facing in the age of neoliberal globalization. As an impact of globalization, the influx of foreign people and cultures has made South Korea a growing multicultural society. However, Korea’s response to globalization does not reflect the multicultural aspect of its local context, considering the nationality and ethnicity of foreign residents in South Korea. By critically examining multicultural practices in Korean society portrayed in the media and in English pedagogy, which emphasizes linguistic competence and Western superiority in the name of achieving global leadership, this paper provides a critical multicultural insight that can help reshape educational goals for Korean English education. This paper highlights the importance of raising a socially just global consciousness for Koreans by incorporating critical multiculturalism into English education. Practical pedagogical implications for English teachers will also be drawn.

Current Training Status of Neurosurgical Residents in South Korea: A Nationwide Multicenter Survey

In South Korea, special legislation was introduced in December 2016 to limit residents' training time to a maximum of 80 hours per week. The aim of this study was to survey the current training system and environment of neurosurgical residents and to find ways to improve the quality of neurosurgical training. The questionnaire survey included 373 neurosurgical residents at 66 training hospitals nationwide, who were members of the Korean Neurosurgical Society. The survey method included a questionnaire link through a text message and was carried out anonymously. The survey was conducted for 7 days and targeted a total of 106 residents (28.4%). Most respondents selected "excessive training time" as a reason for dissatisfaction with the training environment (n= 61, 57.5%), followed by "limited number of opportunities for surgery" (n= 50, 47.2%), and "little experience for research" (n= 42, 39.6%). Respondents still believe that they have to work excessively longer, even after 80 hours of training per week. The major reason that neurosurgical residents are dissatisfied with the current training system and environment is the excessive time spent on it. These survey results are expected to be used as the basis for improvement of the residents' training system and work environment in South Korea.

Outcome of out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest in nursing home residents in South Korea

Background: Survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is continuously increasing but survival rate of OHCA in nursing home residents are still low. We aimed to investigate the outcome of OHCA in nursing home residents.

한국화교의 인터-아시아 정체성에 대한 고찰 : 중국, 대만, 그리고 한국에 대한 인식을 중심으로

한국화교의 인터-아시아 정체성에 대한 고찰 : 중국, 대만, 그리고 한국에 대한 인식을 중심으로

Associations between Subjective Oral Health Status and OHIP-14 among Chinese Residents in South Korea

Associations between Subjective Oral Health Status and OHIP-14 among Chinese Residents in South Korea

An Increasing Trend of Incidence, Prevalence and Mortality, and Occurrence of Second Primary Malignancies Among Patients with B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A 10-Year Longitudinal Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study in South Korea

Background: Information about the epidemiology, treatment and clinical outcome of patients with B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (BNHL) are limited and fragmented across Asia. Disparities in economy, health-care infrastructure, and access/reimbursement to novel drugs mean that treatment options and outcomes vary across the region. There is a need for improved understanding of real world treatment practices and outcomes in BNHL in Asian countries.Purpose: To describe incidence, clinical and treatment patterns and survival of patients with BNHL in South Korea.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using claims data from the National Health Insurance Service that covers 98% of all residents in South Korea. Newly diagnosed patients aged ≥18 years with a confirmed diagnosis of BNHL during the period 01 January 2006 to 31 December 2015 were enrolled. All eligible patients were followed up until death, dis-enrolment or the end of the observational period (December 31, 2015), whichever occurred first. Patients with pre-existing primary cancers were excluded. Standardized annual incidence, prevalence and morality rates were estimated. Overall survival and occurrence of second primary malignancies were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods.Results: A total of 19,500 patients with newly diagnosed BNHL were included in the cohort analysis. At diagnosis, the mean age of patients was 59.5 years, 60.0% were 19-64 years of age and 54.0% were male. Diffuse large cell B-cell lymphoma (DLCBCL) was the most common diagnosis in each study year (53.1% to 58.7% of patients annually). The most commonly used first-line treatment regimens included rituximab-based combinations for the majority of patients with DLCBL, Follicular Lymphoma (FL), Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), or Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/ Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL), radiation for patients with Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL), and chlorambucil or cyclophosphamide for patients with Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (WM).The overall incidence of BNHL increased over time, from 5.96 per 100,000 in 2011 to 6.99 per 100,000 population in (Table). BNHL prevalence increased steadily each year, and was 2.5-fold higher in 2015 than in 2011. The mortality rate increased by 50% over the same period, from 1.38 per 100,000 to 2.09 per 100,000 population. There was a trend of increasing incidence of some BNHL sub-types, mainly DLBCL, Follicular Lymphoma (FL), and Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL), over time (Fig. 1).There were 4009 patients between 2006-2015 (20.6%) who were diagnosed with at least one second primary malignancy more than 180 days after their BNHL diagnosis. The majority (96%) had a solid tumor; incidence rate of 5.93 per 100 person-years versus 0.24 per 100 person-years for hematological malignancies. By year 5, the cumulative hazard for developing a second primary malignancy was highest for CLL/SLL (25%) and lowest (18%) for FL. By year 8-9, the cumulative risk of developing a second primary malignancy was similar among the BHNL sub-types (Fig. 2).Five-year survival was 88% (95% Confidence interval [CI] 86-90) for MZL, 79% (95% CI 76-81) for FL, 62% (95% CI 59-66) for CLL/SLL, 60% (95% CI 59-61) for DLBCL, 54% (95% CI 47-63) for WM and 53% (95% CI 46-60) for MCL. Overall survival by year 9 was highest in patients with CLL/SLL and FL, lowest for WM (Fig. 3).Conclusion: The incidence, prevalence and mortality of BNHL appears to be increasing in Korea, and the occurrence of second primary malignancies is high. BNHL remains an important unmet medical need in South Korea. [Display omitted] DisclosuresLiu:Janssen Research & Development, LLC: Employment, Equity Ownership. Qiu:Janssen Research & Development, LLC: Employment, Equity Ownership. Rothwell:Janssen Research & Development, LLC: Employment, Equity Ownership.

Workplace Discrimination and Its Association with Psychological Distress, Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation among Medical Residents in South Korea

Workplace Discrimination and Its Association with Psychological Distress, Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation among Medical Residents in South Korea

Low Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Is Prevalent among North Korean Refugees in South Korea.

BackgroundThe number of North Korean refugees entering South Korea is rising. Few studies have investigated the risk of non-communicable disease in North Korean refugees. Moreover, kidney insufficiency, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, has not been studied in this population. We compared the prevalence of non-communicable disease and kidney function in North Korean refugees and South Koreans.MethodsOur study was conducted using a case-control design. We enrolled 118 North Korean refugees from the Hana Center and selected 472 randomly sampled South Korean individuals as controls, who were age- and sex-matched with the North Korean refugees in a ratio of 1:4, from the 2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database.ResultsThe prevalence of non-communicable disease did not differ significantly between the groups; however, a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; <90 mL/min per 1.73 m2) was more prevalent in the North Korean refugees than in the South Korean population (52.1% vs. 29.9%, P<0.001). After adjusting for covariates and weight gain after escape, the prevalence of a low eGFR was associated with the length of residence in South Korea (odds ratio, 2.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–7.89).ConclusionThe prevalence of non-communicable disease did not differ between North Korean refugees and the South Korean population, while a low eGFR was more prevalent in North Korean refugees than in South Koreans. Moreover, after adjusting for other covariates, the prevalence of a low eGFR in North Korean refugees was associated with the length of residence in South Korea.

Influence of Trauma Experiences and Social Adjustment on Health-related Quality of Life in North Korean Defectors

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the influence of trauma experiences and social adjustment on health-related quality of life in North Korean defectors. Methods: The subjects were 117 North Korean defectors living in B and Y city. The data were collected from September 1 to September 20, 2014, and analyzed by the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. Results: Significant differences were found in the health-related quality of life with respect to the subjects’ education, marriage status, types of dwelling, family types, duration of residence in South Korea, jobs in South Korea and in North Korea, families left in North Korea or other surrounding countries, and subjective health status. Health-related quality of life is negatively related to trauma experiences during escape from North Korea and during their life in South Korea. Health-related quality of life positively is related to social adjustment. The meaningful variables which influenced the subjects’health-related quality include social adjustment, job in South Korea, job in North Korea, current family structure, and trauma experiences in South Korea. Total explanatory power of these factors for health-related quality in North Korean Defectors is 43.0% and social adjustment is the most influential factor. Conclusion: Therefore, in order to enhance health-related quality of life in North Korean defectors, it is necessary for them to increase social adjustment and decrease trauma experiences. In addition, methods are needed to provide job opportunities, better education and family services for North Korean defectors.

재한외국인 태권도 수련생들의 수련만족이 문화적응 스트레스 및 삶의 만족에 미치는 영향

This study has started with the purpose of verifying the effect of Taekwondo training on acculturative stress and life satisfaction of foreign residents in South Korea. And it is to provide basis data for developing Taekwondo as a settlement program. For achieving the aim of this study, researcher surveyed 380 foreigners who trained Taekwondo in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongnam-do area from July to September 2016. Among the collected questionnaires, 29 dishonestly answered questionnaires were filtered out and used the rest of 351 for the data analysis. In order to get the results, frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency reliability analysis, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed by SPSS WINDOWS ver. 23 and the results are as follows: Firstly, training satisfaction has negative influences on acculturative stress. Secondly, acculturative stress negatively influences life satisfaction. Lastly, training satisfaction positively influences life satisfaction.

Evaluation of a technology-enhanced integrated care model for frail older persons: protocol of the SPEC study, a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial in nursing homes

BackgroundLimited evidence exists on the effectiveness of the chronic care model for people with multimorbidity. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an information and communication technology- (ICT-)enhanced integrated care model, called Systems for Person-centered Elder Care (SPEC), for frail older adults at nursing homes.Methods/DesignSPEC is a prospective stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial conducted at 10 nursing homes in South Korea. Residents aged 65 or older meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria in all the homes are eligible to participate. The multifaceted SPEC intervention, a geriatric care model guided by the chronic care model, consists of five components: comprehensive geriatric assessment for need/risk profiling, individual need-based care planning, interdisciplinary case conferences, person-centered care coordination, and a cloud-based information and communications technology (ICT) tool supporting the intervention process. The primary outcome is quality of care for older residents using a composite measure of quality indicators from the interRAI LTCF assessment system. Outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to group assignment. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, healthcare utilization, and cost. Process evaluation will be also conducted.DiscussionThis study is expected to provide important new evidence on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and implementation process of an ICT-supported chronic care model for older persons with multiple chronic illnesses. The SPEC intervention is also unique as the first registered trial implementing an integrated care model using technology to promote person-centered care for frail older nursing home residents in South Korea, where formal LTC was recently introduced.Trial registrationISRCTN11972147