Results indicate that postmenopausal women have a higher prevalence of osteoporosis than men and awareness and treatment rates were higher than for men. Despite gender difference in prevalence, osteoporosis was underdiagnosed and undertreated for both genders. Specialized public education and routine health screenings according to gender could be effective strategies to increase osteoporosis awareness and treatment.

This study was done to identify learning experiences and self-confidence and to analyze nursing students' self-confidence according to learning experiences for core nursing skills (CNS). Method: Participants were 502 final year nursing students. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test. Results: Over 60% of participants had practiced 15 items of the 24 CNS in the basic nursing lab (BNL). In clinical practice (CP), they had practiced five items but experienced only one item in a simulation lab (SL). Items with the highest confidence level were vital signs (4.69) followed by blood sugar test (4.60), pulse oximeter (4.38), and oral medication (4.12). Items with the lowest confidence level were blood transfusion (2.17) followed by enema (2.64) and indwelling catheterization (2.67). The group with CNS experience in the practice curriculum was generally more confident than the group with no experience. Self-confidences in some skills was significantly different depending on availability of SL, credits for BNL and CP, and presence of preceptors. Conclusion:Results indicate a need to develop practice education strategies such as changing the CP to practice-centered learning with preceptors and including well-designed SL to increase confidence of nursing students.

This study was done to explore the effect of Korean women's salt usage behavior on their sodium intake and excretion according to aging. Dietary sodium intake and salt usage behavior were analyzed to compare the difference between young and middle-aged women. One hundred fifty six young women and 77 middle-aged women without hypertension or any current medication were recruited. Body mass index, waist hip ratio, blood pressure were measured from each subject. Salt usage behaviors were surveyed with questionnaire, sodium intake with 24-hr recall method, and sodium excretion with spot urine. Middle-aged women were more obese than young women according to body mass index and waist hip ratio. Blood pressure was significantly higher for the middle-aged. Young women consumed more fats and middle-aged women more carbohydrates. Middle-aged women consumed more sodium and potassium, and excreted more sodium. Among questionnaire items, kimchi, soup or pot stew, or salted vegetables were found to be related with high sodium diet. Salted vegetables and salted nuts and potato chips were significantly correlated with young women's high sodium diet, while soy sauce on fried food, kimchi, salted vegetables accounted for middle-aged women's high sodium diet. With these results, we concluded that middle-aged women consumed more carbohydrates, less fat, and more sodium and potassium than young women. Middle-aged women frequently choose kimchi, soup or pot stew, or salted vegetables, and they contribute to high sodium intake. We recommend to choose low-salt kimchi, less soup or pot stew, and more fresh vegetables for lower sodium diet.

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Purpose: This study was conducted to identify awareness levels in regard to preconception care and gender differences targeting single undergraduate students in their 20s. Methods: The study participants were 867 single undergraduate students aged 20~29 (523 women, 344 men). This was a descriptive research, in which awareness levels of preconception care and pregnancy were identified the through questionnaire surveys. Results: Gender differences in the awareness of reproductive care before conception were found. Generally, women's awareness of issues related to preconception care and pregnancy was higher than that of men. Women recognized risk factors in pregnancy (x 2 =22.85, p<.001) and positive behaviors (x 2 =10.91, p = .012) better than men. Women's awareness of preconception care was significantly higher than that of men (t=8.37, p<.001). The awareness levels of the students who completed a reproduction related class (t=3.16, p = .002) and the students who knew about folic acid (t=-10.78, p<.001) in preconception care were statistically significantly higher. Conclusion: The results indicate that the ways to educate and alert students to major risk factors before pregnancy and other reproductive care content before conception is to provide education both single women and single men.