Hoo Jeung Cho, and Euna Park. Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives 2017;8:124-9. https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2017.8.2.04

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) are considered predictors of CAD prognosis. Unhealthy lifestyles and type-D personality are associated with MetS and are potential causes of primary and secondary CAD. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between behavioral-psychological variables and predictors of CAD prognosis. The behavioral-psychological variable set contained six lifestyle categories and two type-D personality categories. Descriptive analyses, t-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation, and canonical correlation were used. The behavioral-psychological variable set was related to the predictor set for CAD prognosis, with a significant canonical variate of 0.67 (45% overlapping variance). Significant pairs of canonical variates indicated that poor physical activity and weight control (−0.77), poor dietary habits (−0.78), alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking (−0.37), lack of sleep and rest (−0.40), stress (−0.64) in the lifestyle set, higher negative affectivity (0.52), and social inhibition (0.71) in the type-D personality set were associated with a high MetS score (0.59) and severity of CAD (0.91). A combination of behavioral and psychological variables was found to be important in predicting the prognosis of CAD; therefore, interventions aimed at preventing combinations of these variables may be effective in improving CAD prognosis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-care agency and health self-efficacy measures, in patients with viral hepatitis. Data were collected from 116 outpatients over the age of 19 years who were diagnosed with viral hepatitis between February 20, 2019 and April 30, 2019. This study used the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale-Revised and the Health Self-Efficacy measures. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and canonical correlations were used during data analysis [SPSS version 25.0 for Windows (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA)]. The first canonical correlation coefficient was 0.65 (Wilks' λ = 0.44, F = 5.63, p < 0.001) and the second was 0.42 (Wilks' λ = 0.76, F = 3.08, p = .001). The first variate indicated a higher perception of having power for self-care (0.85) and developing power for self-care (0.92), and this was related to exercise (0.66), illness (0.76), emotion (0.75), nutrition (0.81), stress (0.60), and health practice (0.85). The second variate indicated a higher perception of having power for self-care (0.42), whilst lacking power for self-care (-0.82), was related to illness (0.35) and stress (0.72). Nursing interventions and education aimed at enhancing the self-care of viral hepatitis patients are needed to assist patients to improve their health care behaviors.

To understand the illness experience of patients with chronic hepatitis C participating in clinical trials in the sociocultural context of Korea in an in-depth and comprehensive manner. A focused ethnography approach was used to discover the pattern of illness experience of patients with chronic hepatitis C in the cultural background of Korea. Interviews were conducted with 11 patients with chronic hepatitis C participating in clinical trials and the collected data were analyzed with the domain analysis, taxonomical analysis, componential analysis, and theme analysis proposed by Spradley. With the cultural theme of "less-known illness, less-familiar illness," four categories were derived: "my illness discovered by accident," "shaken life," "scary but inevitable treatment method," and "precious life that can't be wasted," along with 12 properties. Public campaigns or education programs are needed to meet the needs for information on the disease for patients with chronic hepatitis C participating in clinical trials and help the general public acquire knowledge or change view on this disease.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a goal attainment theory-based antiviral agent medication adherence education program (AMAEP) for patients with chronic hepatitis C. A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Data were collected from December 2019 to March 2020 from a control group of 35 outpatients and an experimental group of 28 outpatients older than 20 years old who had been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C. The data analysis included an independent t-test, a χ²-test or Fisher’s exact test, a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, an analysis of covariance, and a Mann–Whitney U test. The results showed the effectiveness of the education program for patients with chronic hepatitis C. There were significant differences between the control group and experimental group in patients’ knowledge of chronic hepatitis C (Z = −5.91, p < 0.001), medication self-efficacy (Z = −5.02, p < 0.001), medication adherence rate (t = −3.88, p < 0.001), medication misuse behavior (Z = −5.00, p < 0.001), and patients’ satisfaction with their interaction with healthcare practitioners (Z = −6.61, p < 0.001). Therefore, we hope that the education program developed in this study will be utilized as an intervention for patients with chronic hepatitis C and be further developed for other patients with viral hepatitis.