{"title":"Artificial intelligence integration and human interaction in detecting depression in tuberculosis patients.","authors":"Mylene Icamina Maravilla","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.25.0047","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.25.0047","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"212-213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127748/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143700591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmad Kousha, Elham Lotfalinezhad, Haidar Nadrian, Karen Andersen-Ranberg, Shannon Freeman, Fatemeh Barati, Hasan Mosazadeh, Mina Hashemiparast, Mohammed Asghari Jafarabadi, Ahmad Sohrabi, Mohammad Reza Honarvar
{"title":"Effectiveness of an informal home care support intervention program to reduce loneliness and improve quality of life among lonely community-dwelling older adults: a feasibility study.","authors":"Ahmad Kousha, Elham Lotfalinezhad, Haidar Nadrian, Karen Andersen-Ranberg, Shannon Freeman, Fatemeh Barati, Hasan Mosazadeh, Mina Hashemiparast, Mohammed Asghari Jafarabadi, Ahmad Sohrabi, Mohammad Reza Honarvar","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0269","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0269","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Establishing cost-effective informal care services for lonely older adults living at home in developing countries can be an innovative approach for improving their well-being. This study investigated the effectiveness of an informal home care support intervention program (HoSIP) reducing the loneliness and improving quality of life of lonely community-dwelling older adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This quasi-experimental pre-post study employed a non-randomized control group design with a 12-week intervention period and three follow-up points at the end of the HoSIP. Questionnaires were used to measure feelings of loneliness (20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale), quality of life (Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization and Pleasure Scale), general health (12-item General Health Questionnaire), social network (six-item Lubben Social Network Scale), social support (12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and self-care ability (17-item Self-care Ability Scale for the Elderly). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to gauge the effect of the intervention program over time and in comparison to the control group. Data analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software (IBM Corp.).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found a significant relationship between the outcome variables, including feelings of loneliness (P<0.001) and quality of life (P<0.001), at different stages of measurement. Despite the positive feasibility results, the implementation of the HoSIP faced challenges due to a lack of facilities (e.g., place restriction for holding educational classes, educational facilities like computers, video projector, and whiteboard at daycare center) and the absence of supporting organizations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Utilizing the existing capabilities of older adults to provide online and face-to-face care services can be a cost-effective way to improve their quality of life and reduce loneliness. The process of facilitating such informal care services for lonely older adults should be managed by either governmental or non-governmental organizations to reduce the rate of social isolation among this vulnerable population.</p>","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"185-194"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127753/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141296361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Relationship between social participation and cognitive impairment in low-educated older adults based on Indonesian Family Life Survey-5.","authors":"Jayanto Nanda Putra, Yuda Turana, Yvonne Suzy Handajani","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0134","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The increasing older adult population requires attention in terms of education and health, as higher education levels contribute to cognitive reserve and may protect against age-related cognitive impairment. Cognitive reserve is an individual's cognitive flexibility in using cognitive functions affected by brain aging, neurological diseases, and injury. Indonesia has a high prevalence of low-educated older adults, which strongly correlates with progressive cognitive impairment. Identifying risk factors for cognitive decline in this population is crucial. This study determines the factors affecting cognitive impairment in low-educated older adults using cross-sectional data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey-5.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This descriptive study analyzed 2,313 low-educated older adults ≥60 years old. Univariate and bivariate analyses were used to describe the sample and identify the relationships between categorical variables. Logistic regression identified the most significant factor affecting cognitive impairment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of cognitive impairment in low-educated older adults is 22.6%. The chi-square test revealed significant relationships between those who are aged 75 years, a status other than married, female, living in rural areas, and not participating in social activities. Age is the most prominent factor affecting cognitive impairment in such adults (P<0.001; adjusted odds ratio, 3.232; 95% confidence interval, 2.500-4.180).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Cognitive impairment in the aforementioned adults is associated with being ≥75 years old, being a status other than married, being female, living in rural areas, and not participating in social activities. After controlling other variables, low-educated older adults who participated in at least ≥1 social activity in the last 12 months experienced cognitive impairment 0.64 times compared to those who did not participate in social activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"170-175"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127743/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141071267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparing mobile-based to group-based education for weight reduction in a developing country: a randomized study.","authors":"Hourvash Haghighinejad, Forough Sedaghat, Marzieh Akbarzadeh, Mahtab Jafari","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0144","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study compared the impact of Short Message Service (SMS)-based education with traditional group-based education and the control group on body mass index, weight, and lifestyle in obese and overweight patients in a limited-resource country. It also compared the direct financial costs between the two intervention groups.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this controlled randomized educational study, 90 overweight or obese adults from four family physician clinics in Shiraz, Iran were randomly allocated to three training groups: SMS-based education, group-based education, and a control group. The participants' weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were measured at baseline, and the Physical Activity Scale questionnaire was completed. Group-based training was conducted in 1-hour weekly sessions. The SMS group received a text message each morning. The control group received routine care from a family physician. The intervention lasted 12 weeks. All participants were re-examined for the studied variables. Additionally, the direct costs were estimated, calculated, and compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean weight, BMI, and waist circumference changed significantly after 3 months compared to baseline in each group. The mean weight change differed significantly among the three groups (P-value=0.04), and the mean BMI changes were near significant (P-value=0.06). A post hoc comparison of changes in weight and BMI showed a significant difference between the control and SMS groups. SMS education incurred much lower costs for patients and healthcare services than group-based education.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study showed that SMS is an effective and cost-saving educational method for weight loss compared to group-based education, especially in developing countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"152-161"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127745/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141071342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna Lee, Hyun-Min Koh, Ji-Yong Jang, Hye-Rang Bak, Hye-Jin Jang, Jun-Young Huh, Nak-Gyeong Ko
{"title":"Association of lipoprotein(a) with progression of coronary artery calcification: retrospective longitudinal study.","authors":"Anna Lee, Hyun-Min Koh, Ji-Yong Jang, Hye-Rang Bak, Hye-Jin Jang, Jun-Young Huh, Nak-Gyeong Ko","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0108","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.23.0108","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a major health concern, and lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is an independent risk factor. However, there is limited evidence regarding Lp(a) and the risk of ASCVD in Asian populations. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of changes in coronary artery calcification (CAC) for ASCVD risk associated with Lp(a) level.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants (n=2,750) were grouped according to their Lp(a) levels, and the association between Lp(a) and CAC progression was examined. CAC progression was defined as the occurrence of incident CAC or a difference ≥2.5 between the square root (√) of baseline and follow-up coronary artery calcium scores (CACSs) (Δ√transformed CACS). To adjust for differences in follow-up periods, Δ√transformed CACS was divided by the follow- up period (in years).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over an average follow-up of 3.07 years, 18.98% of participants experienced CAC progression. Those with disease progression had notably higher Lp(a) levels. Higher Lp(a) tertiles correlated with increased baseline and follow-up CACS, CAC progression (%), and Δ√transformed CACS. Even after adjustment, higher Lp(a) levels were associated with CAC progression. However, annualized Δ√transformed CACS analysis yielded no significant results.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrated an association between elevated Lp(a) levels and CAC progression in a general population without ASCVD. However, longer-term follow-up studies are needed to obtain meaningful results regarding CAC progression. Further research is necessary to utilize Lp(a) level as a predictor of cardiovascular disease and to establish clinically relevant thresholds specific to the Korean population.</p>","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"176-184"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127746/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141076275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cumulative circadian disruption factors and metabolic syndrome.","authors":"Jungun Lee","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.46.3E","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.46.3E","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":"46 3","pages":"125-126"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127751/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144182416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Beyond numbers: a sustainable approach to physician workforce planning in the Philippines.","authors":"Jose Eric Mella Lacsa","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.25.0043","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.25.0043","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"210-211"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12127749/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143700595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seonyoung Jeong, Yeani Choi, Hajin Kim, Sang Min Park
{"title":"One-year mortality disparities between infants of unmarried and married families in South Korea: a large scale retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Seonyoung Jeong, Yeani Choi, Hajin Kim, Sang Min Park","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.24.0226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.24.0226","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study examined disparities in 1-year mortality rates between infants born to married and unmarried single-parent families, emphasizing the need for targeted health policies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from 3,298,263 cases, obtained from the South Korea National Statistical Office (2010-2017), were analyzed. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to assess the demographic characteristics of the study group. The number of deaths per 1,000 live births was calculated, and logistic and multivariable logistic regressions were employed to compare infant mortality rates between family types. Additional stratified analyses, based on gestational age and birth weight, further elucidated the relationship between parental marital status and infant mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Infants from unmarried families exhibited a 3.34-fold higher crude odds ratio (OR) for 1-year mortality (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.56-4.36; P<0.001) than that from married families. After adjusting for confounders, the adjusted OR was 1.40 (95% CI, 1.03-1.92). Stratification by gestational age and birth weight revealed crude ORs of 4.62 (95% CI, 3.34- 6.39) in non-preterm infants (≥37 weeks) and 4.76 (95% CI, 3.46-6.56) in non-low-birth-weight infants (≥2.5 kg), highlighting a more pronounced disparity in infants born at or above normal weight and full term. No significant difference (P>0.05) was found in the crude OR for 1-year mortality rates among low-birth-weight (<2.5 kg) or preterm (<37 weeks) infants between the two-family types. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant disparity in infant mortality rates based on parental marital status, underscoring the need for enhanced social support and tailored policies for unmarried single-parent families.</p>","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144017524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The relationship between sleep duration and obesity among risky drinking workers: using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey.","authors":"Jion Kim, Sinyoung Cho, Young Ho Yun","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.24.0205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.24.0205","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The association between sleep duration and obesity risk among risky drinkers remains controversial. This study aims to investigate the relationship between adequate sleep duration and both central and overall obesity among risky drinkers in Korea, with a focus on identifying potential interventions to reduce obesity rates.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed data from 978 individuals, selected from 1,356 risky drinkers-as defined by the World Health Organization criteria-who participated in the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants had no missing values and were engaged in economic activities. Demographic characteristics and key variables by obesity status were examined using frequency analysis and chi-square tests. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between sleep duration and obesity. To account for the stratified sampling design, we utilized complex sample analysis with weighted values.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Risky drinkers with adequate sleep duration (7-9 hours) were less likely to be obese based on waist circumference (≥90 cm in males; ≥85 cm in females) (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.86) and body mass index (≥25 kg/m2) (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41-0.76). Trend analysis revealed a significant inverse relationship between sleep duration and obesity likelihood (P for trend <0.05). Gender-stratified analysis demonstrated that the association was significant among males and more pronounced in risky drinkers compared to the general population.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study suggests that adequate sleep duration may play a key role in reducing obesity rates among Korean male risky drinkers. Further longitudinal studies are recommended to strengthen this finding.</p>","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143803430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reflecting on progress and challenges: the Korean Journal of Family Medicine in 2024.","authors":"Seung-Won Oh","doi":"10.4082/kjfm.46.2E.1","DOIUrl":"10.4082/kjfm.46.2E.1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17893,"journal":{"name":"Korean Journal of Family Medicine","volume":"46 2","pages":"55-57"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11978433/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143730722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}