Heavy metals (HMs) persist in the environment and enter the human body via various pathways. Once stored in adipose tissue, they can be transferred to breast milk, posing risks to infants. Moreover, maternal diet plays a key role in influencing HM levels in breast milk. The aim of this study was to measure the concentration of HMs, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As), in the breast milk of Korean mothers, assess their potential health risks, and identify maternal dietary factors influencing HM concentration in breast milk. Survey data on maternal–infant pairs and breast milk samples from 209 healthy lactating mothers were collected between January and March 2023. Trained nurses manually expressed the breast milk to prevent external contamination, and maternal dietary intake was systematically assessed using the 24 h recall method. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Hg, and As were measured, and a risk assessment was conducted using the estimated daily intake hazard quotient. A multiple linear regression model was employed to evaluate the association between the HMs in breast milk and maternal dietary factors. Cd was detected in 99% of the breast milk samples, and high detection rates were observed for Hg (97%), As (89%), and Pb (79%). Arsenic was the largest contributor to the potential health risks of HM-contaminated breast milk. Positive associations were observed between Pb concentration and legume and seaweed consumption, Cd concentration and vegetable and seaweed consumption, Hg concentration and sugar intake, and As concentration and meat intake. This study highlights that maternal dietary intake is closely linked to HM concentrations in breast milk, and elevated As levels potentially pose health risks to infants. These findings underscore the importance of adopting a healthy diet to reduce HM exposure in breast milk and to promote safer breastfeeding practices.

During pregnancy, reproductive hormonal changes could affect the mental health of women, such as depression and anxiety. Previous studies have shown that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is significantly associated with mental health symptoms; however, the results were inconsistent. We aimed to examine the association between 24 endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in maternal urine and perinatal depression and their association with dietary and lifestyle factors. Participants were recruited from the “No Environmental Hazards for Mother–Child” cohort in Korea. Structured questionnaires asking dietary and lifestyle factors and evaluation of depressive symptoms were administered during antepartum (14 weeks of gestation) and postpartum (within four weeks after birth) periods. Urine samples were collected from 242 and 119 women during antepartum and postpartum periods, respectively. To assess perinatal depression, we used the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Antepartum depression and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP) (1.50, 1.01–2.23) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) (0.05, 0–0.89) showed significant positive association. Additionally, postpartum depression showed significant associations with mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) (2.78, 1.00–7.70), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) (2.79, 1.04–7.46), 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP) (7.22, 1.43–36.59), and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-FLU) (<0.01, 0–0.004). Some dietary factors (consumption of fish, fermented foods, cup noodles, and popcorn) and consumer product factors (use of skin care, makeup, perfume, antibiotics, sunscreen, nail polish, new furniture, plastic tableware, detergent, polish, paint, and pesticide) were associated with the concentration level of chemicals. We found that exposure to several EDCs during pregnancy and the postpartum period was associated with perinatal depression and dietary–lifestyle factors. Women in childbirth need to actively seek out information about exposure to EDCs and make efforts to avoid them for their own and fetal health.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence safe sexual behaviors of Korean young adults and identify differences by gender.Methods: This study aimed to determine which factors affected safe sexual behaviors based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Data from 437 Korean young adults (in their 20s and 30s) were collected via online survey between January 3 and January 28, 2022. The questionnaire included items on sexual body image, sexual role perception, sexual attitudes, sexual socialization, sexual communication, and safe sexual behaviors. Structural equation modeling was performed.Results: According to the overall model fit of the hypothetical model, the final model was acceptable and explained 49% of safe sexual behaviors. Sexual attitudes (β=–.70, p<.001) and sexual communication (β=.53, p<.001) directly affected safe sexual behaviors, and sexual role perception (β=.42, p<.001) indirectly affected safe sexual behaviors in a combined model. There were gender differences in the path from sexual attitudes (β=–.94, p<.001) and sexual communication (β=.66, p<.001) to safe sexual behaviors and from sexual body image (β=.27, p<.001) to sexual communication.Conclusion: Sexual attitudes and sexual communication were predictors of safe sexual behaviors, which differed by gender. Strategies that consider sexual attitudes, sexual communication, sexual role perception, and differences between men and women should be developed to improve the safe sexual behaviors of young adults.

Purpose: Heavy metals, which are persistent in the environment and toxic, can accumulate in the body and cause organ damage, which may further negatively affect perinatal women and their fetuses. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary interventions to reduce heavy metal exposure in antepartum and postpartum women.Methods: We searched five databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) for randomized controlled trials that provided dietary interventions for antepartum and postpartum women. Quality assessments were conducted independently by two reviewers using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool, a quality assessment tool for randomized controlled trials.Results: A total of seven studies were included. The studies were conducted in six countries, with interventions categorized into “nutritional supplements,” “food supply,” and “educational” strategies. Interventions involving nutritional supplements, such as calcium and probiotics, primarily reduced heavy metal levels in the blood and minimized toxicity. Food-based interventions, including specific fruit consumption, decreased heavy metal concentrations in breast milk. Educational interventions effectively promoted behavioral changes, such as adopting diets low in mercury. The studies demonstrated a low overall risk of bias, supporting the reliability of the findings. These strategies underscore the effectiveness of dietary approaches in mitigating heavy metal exposure and improving maternal and child health.Conclusion: The main findings underscore the importance of dietary interventions in reducing heavy metal exposure. This emphasizes the critical role of nursing in guiding dietary strategies to minimize exposure risks, ultimately supporting maternal and fetal health during pregnancy.

Non-persistent endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are associated with increased oxidative stress and disrupted thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) during pregnancy; however, the results of previous studies are inconsistent. This study assessed the concentrations of 15 non-persistent chemicals, TSH, and oxidative stress biomarkers in pregnant women during the first trimester in Korea. This study was a prospective cohort study, recruiting a total of 242 pregnant women from March 18, 2022 to March 17, 2023. Pregnant women who agreed to participate in the study provided blood and urine samples in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Concentrations of three bisphenols, four parabens, triclosan, benzophenone-3, two volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in urine samples. TSH, malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured as biomarkers of thyroid function and oxidative stress. The geometric mean concentration of the chemicals ranged from 0.07 to 45.20 μg/g creatinine, and were lower or similar to those in previous studies, except for ethyl paraben (EP). Spearman’s coefficients of correlation ranged from −0.26 to 0.51. A multiple linear regression model was constructed after adjusting for covariates (maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, education level, income, residence area, parity, and maternal cotinine level). BPF (ß = −0.184, p = .020, 95 % CI = −0.223 to −0.020), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) (ß = −0.197, p = .046, 95 % CI = −0.915 to −0.009), and , 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-FLU) (ß = 0.199, p = .026, 95 % CI = 0.053 to 0.819) were significantly associated with TSH. trans, trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) (ß = 0262, p = .001, 95 % CI = 0.050 to 0.181) showed a positive association with malondialdehyde (MDA) as a biomarker for oxidative stress. Therefore, pregnant women should minimize their exposure to EDCs, which impact oxidative stress and TSH in the early stages of pregnancy.