Prevalence of Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder in Korea Using National Statistics Including the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2011 to 2021

Hyeji Eom(Hyeji Eom),Minji Kim(Minji Kim),Jung Kyung Yoo(Jung Kyung Yoo),Eunjoo Bae(Eunjoo Bae),Jeonghyeon Yi(Jeonghyeon Yi),Ji Young Lee(Ji Young Lee) 대한소아신경학회 2022 대한소아신경학회지 Vol.31 No.1

Purpose: Regularly analyzing the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is important to inform policies and strategies for proper management. The present study aimed to esti-mate trends in ASD prevalence according to age and time in Korean children. Methods: We monitored the annual prevalence of ASD in children aged 2 to 18 years based on information from Statistics Korea and the Korean National Health Insurance Service. We estimated changes in prevalence between 2011 and 2021 after stratifying partici-pants into three age groups. Furthermore, we analyzed the prevalence of ASD by birth year. Results: The highest level of prevalence appeared in children aged 6 years, and thereafter, it de-clined with age. The prevalence of ASD in children aged 2 to 18 years increased from 0.05% in 2011 to 0.12% in 2021. During the same time, the prevalence in preschool children (2 to 5 years) remarkably increased from 0.04% in 2011 to 0.12% in 2021, while the prevalence in adolescents (13 to 18 years) increased from 0.05% in 2011 to 0.09% in 2021. The prevalence of ASD notably increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2020 to 2021). Among children born between 2011 and 2015, the prevalence of ASD was higher for children with recent birth years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The overall ASD prevalence in children and adolescents in Korea seems to be increasing, especially in preschool children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early and more effec-tive interventions are necessary for Korean children.

Effects of nonpharmacological interventions on the psychological health of high-risk pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

( Hyeji Yoo ),( Sukhee Ahn ) 한국여성건강간호학회 2021 여성건강간호학회지 Vol.27 No.3

Purpose: This study aimed to summarize the current evidence on the effects of nonpharmacological interventions on psychological health outcomes for women with high-risk pregnancies due to conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or preterm labor. Methods: The following databases were searched from January 2000 to December 2020: PubMed, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, DBpia, RISS, and KISS. Two investigators independently reviewed and selected articles according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. RoB 2 and the ROB-INS-I checklist were used to evaluate study quality. Results: Twenty-nine studies with a combined total of 1,806 pregnant women were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological health improvements were found in women with preeclampsia (Hedges’ g=-0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.91 to -0.44), gestational diabetes (Hedges’ g=-0.38; 95% CI, -0.54 to -0.12), and preterm labor (Hedges’ g=-0.73; 95% CI, -1.00 to -0.46). The funnel plot was slightly asymmetrical, but the fail-safe N value and the trim-and-fill method showed no publication bias. Conclusion: Nonpharmacological interventions for women with high-risk pregnancies due to conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm labor can improve psychological parameters such as anxiety, stress, and depression. Nurses can play a pivotal role in the nursing management of pregnant women with high-risk conditions and apply various types of nonpharmacological interventions to meet their needs in uncertain and anxious times during pregnancy.

Corrigendum: Factors influencing prenatal and postpartum depression in Korea: a prospective cohort study

( Hyeji Yoo ),( Sukhee Ahn ),( Seyeon Park ),( Jisoon Kim ),( Jiwon Oh ),( Minseon Koh ) 한국여성건강간호학회 2022 여성건강간호학회지 Vol.28 No.1

Impact of marital satisfaction, fetal attachment, and depression on quality of life among Korean pregnant couples

Hyeji Yoo,Sukhee Ahn,Hyunjin Cho,Feiyan Yi,Minkyeong Kim,Mihyun Park 한국간호과학회 2021 한국간호과학회 학술대회 Vol.2021 No.10

Aim: Pregnant couples during the third trimester feel very difficult to expect something happening after childbirth. The aim of this study was to explore an impact of marital satisfaction, fetal attachment, and depression on quality of life among Korean pregnant couples Method: With correlational study design, a total of 127 pregnant couples during week 28 to 32 were recruited at local clinics via convenience sampling. After obtained the informed consent, both husband and wife were asked to completer the measures with no discussion between them. A self-administered questionnaire included scales of marital satisfaction, fetal attachment, prenatal depression, and quality of life. Results: The mean age of pregnant women was 32.4 years and of their spouses was 34.5 years. Their mean marriage duration was 2.6 years and 16.5% of pregnant couples had more one child. Pregnant women showed higher scores in depression than their spouses’ (t =5.15, p <.001) whereas their spouses had greater scores in marital satisfaction (t =-16.17, p <.001) and quality of life in physical domain (t =-10.61, p <.001) and in mental domain (t =-8.65, p <.001) than their wives’. However, the wives’ marital satisfaction, fetal attachment, and depression were not related to their husbands’ one. Quality of life in mental domain in pregnant women was higher when their depression score was lower (β=-.44, p <.001). In case of their spouses, higher fetal attachment (β=.28, p =.002) and lower depression (t =-44, p <.001) explained greater quality of life in physical domain. Spousal quality of life in mental domain was affected by higher marital satisfaction (β=.30, p =.001) and lower depression (β=-.41, p <.001). Conclusion: Both pregnant couples need to manage their levels of depressive symptoms to have better quality of life during the third trimester. There is a need to explore various factors to enhance quality of life in pregnant couples while considering family (a set of mother-father-fetus) dynamics.

Factors influencing prenatal and postpartum depression in Korea: a prospective cohort study

( Hyeji Yoo ),( Sukhee Ahn ),( Seyeon Park ),( Jisoon Kim ),( Jiwon Oh ),( Minseon Koh ) 한국여성건강간호학회 2021 여성건강간호학회지 Vol.27 No.4

Purpose: This study explored the prevalence of prenatal and postpartum depression in Korea and its influencing factors from 20 weeks of pregnancy to 12 weeks postpartum. Methods: Using a prospective cohort study design, data on women’s depression and its influencing factors were collected at 20, 28, and 36 weeks of pregnancy and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postpartum. The participants were 219 women and 181 spouses during pregnancy; and 183 mothers and 130 spouses after childbirth. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and influencing factors were measured by the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised, parity, and spousal depression. Results: The prevalence of maternal depression was 10.5% to 21.5% before birth, and it was 22.4% to 32.8% postpartum. The prevalence slightly decreased during the prenatal period but peaked at 2 weeks postpartum. Antenatal depression was influenced by low socioeconomic status, lower self-esteem, having experienced prenatal depression, having experienced prenatal anxiety, a previous history of depression, lower social support, lower marital satisfaction, and higher life stress. The factors influencing postpartum depression were lower self-esteem, having experienced prenatal depression, having experienced prenatal anxiety, lower social support, lower marital satisfaction, and higher life stress, as well as infant temperament and maternal blues. Parity and spousal depression had no impacts. Conclusion: The prevalence and influencing factors of maternal depression changed over time. Nurses need to screen women accordingly during the perinatal period and should provide education or counseling to prevent depression and promote adjustment to parenthood.

Study on the Improvement of Health and Nutrition Status After a 12-week Protein-Rich Supplementation Regimen in Children and Adolescents With Brain Lesions Disorder

( Hyeji Yoon ),( Hyoung Su Park ),( Xiangxue An ),( Seok Jun Park ),( Gwang Woong Go ),( Hyunjung Kim ),( Hyesoon Lee ),( Mee Na Kim ),( Yoo Kyoung Park ) 한국임상영양학회 2022 Clinical Nutrition Research Vol.11 No.1

Through a survey on dietary intake of children and adolescents with brain lesions, the present study aimed to analyze the current status of nutrient intake and examine the effect of high-protein nutrient drink on their nutritional and muscle statuses. The study participants were 90 juvenile participants aged 8-19 years, with brain lesions. The participants were provided with a protein nutrient drink for 12 weeks and a questionnaire survey on dietary intake was performed to analyze the level of nutrient intake before and after ingestion. The physical measurements were taken to determine the improvements in nutrient and muscle statuses. The results showed that, before the intake of protein nutrient drink as a supplement, the participants exhibited lower height, weight, and body mass index than those of the standard levels of healthy individuals, and the level of nutrient intake through diet was lower than those of the required and recommended levels of nutrient intake for Koreans. Conversely, after the intake of protein nutrient drink for 12 weeks, the level of nutrient intake and physical statuses such as weight showed significant improvements. In addition, the muscle status had undergone approximately 10% of change during the intervention with no significant difference. Thus, to ensure an adequate level of nutrient supply to children and adolescents with brain lesions, there is an urgent need to develop a guideline of nutrient intake. The findings in this study are expected to serve as the basic data for such guidelines.

굴뚝 제원에 따른 PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> 전환율 모사 비교: 2016 KORUS-AQ 기간 충남 사례

주혜지(Hyeji Ju),유철(Chul Yoo),김병욱(Byeong-Uk Kim),김현철(Hyun Cheol Kim),김순태(Soontae Kim) 한국대기환경학회 2019 한국대기환경학회지 Vol.35 No.5

환경보건자료 통합관리시스템 구축 및 활용방안에 대한 연구

한혜지(Hyeji Han),박충희(Choonghee Park),유시은(Si-Eun Yoo),이철우(Chulwoo Lee) 환경독성보건학회 2017 한국독성학회 심포지움 및 학술발표회 Vol.2017 No.10

Validation of the Korean version of the Perinatal Infant Care Social Support scale: a methodological study

( Mihyeon Park ),( Hyeji Yoo ),( Sukhee Ahn ) 한국여성건강간호학회 2021 여성건강간호학회지 Vol.27 No.4

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Perinatal Infant Care Social Support (K-PICSS) for postpartum mothers. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. The K-PICSS was developed through forward-backward translation. Online survey data were collected from 284 Korean mothers with infants 1-2 months of age. The 19-item K-PICSS consists of functional and structural domains. The functional domain of social support measures infant care practices of postpartum mothers. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and known-group comparison were used to verify the construct validity of the K-PICSS. Social support and postpartum depression were also measured to test criterion validity. Psychometric testing was not applicable to the structural social support domain. Results: The average age of mothers was 32.76±3.34 years, and they had been married for 38.45±29.48 months. Construct validity was supported by the results of EFA, which confirmed a three-factor structure of the scale (informational support, supporting presence, and practical support). Significant correlations of the K-PICSS with social support (r=.71, p<.001) and depression (r=-.40, p<.001) were found. The K-PICSS showed reliable internal consistency, with Cronbach’s α values of .90 overall and .82-.83 in the three subscales. The vast majority of respondents reported that their husband or their parents were their main sources of support for infant care. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the K-PICSS has satisfactory construct validity and reliability to measure infant care social support in Korea.

Development and application of a couple-centered antenatal education program in Korea

( Minseon Koh ),( Jisoon Kim ),( Hyeji Yoo ),( Sun A Kim ),( Sukhee Ahn ) 한국여성건강간호학회 (구 여성건강간호학회) 2021 여성건강간호학회지 Vol.27 No.2

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a couple-centered antenatal education program and to test the program’s feasibility. Methods: With a preliminary-experimental study design, 33 pregnant couples who were expecting their first child participated in this study. The program consisted of four sessions (1 hour/session/week) of education and counseling. Data were collected before and after the intervention from September 2018 to April 2019 at a women’s hospital in Daejeon, Korea, with demographic data forms, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, Korean Newborn Care Confidence Scale, Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale-10. Results: The pregnant women and their husbands were on average 32.30±3.10 and 33.21±6.25 years old, respectively. The mean marriage duration was 2.34±1.63 years, the gestational age was 31.30±2.66 weeks, and 78.8% of the couples had a planned pregnancy. After the program, both the pregnant women and their husbands showed significant improvements in attachment to the fetus and confidence in providing infant care. Prenatal depression, prenatal stress, and fear of childbirth in pregnant women significantly decreased after completing the program. However, the dyadic adjustment score did not change significantly either in the pregnant women or their husbands. Conclusion: A couple-centered antenatal education program seems to be effective for couples adjusting to parenthood, but further studies should explore ways to have a positive impact on couples’ relationships.