Backgrounds As the prevalence of dementia rises, caregiver burden also increases in South Korea, especially for informal family caregivers. This study aimed to analyze factors affecting caregiver burden by the severity of dementia based on data of patients in Seoul. Methods A total of 12,292 individuals aged ≥65 years enrolled in the Seoul Dementia Management Project from 2010 to 2016 in an online database were selected. Caregiver’s burden was assessed using the Korea version of Zarit Burden Interview. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with primary caregiver’s burden after stratifying the severity of dementia. Results Most patients showed moderate levels of cognitive impairment (49.4%), behavior problems (82.6%), and ADL dependency (73.6%). After stratifying the severity of dementia, caregivers caring for patients with mild symptoms of dementia were experienced with higher caregiver burden if patients were under a lower score of IADL. Significant factors for caregiver burden among caregivers supporting patients with moderate symptoms of dementia include caregivers’ residence with patients, subjective health status, and co-work with secondary caregivers. Lastly, caregivers for patients with severe dementia symptoms experienced a higher caregiver burden from limited cognitive function, problematic behavior, and caregivers’ negative health status. Conclusion In terms of sample size, this study had far more patients than any other domestic or international study. It was meaningful in that it analyzed characteristics of patients with dementia and caregivers affecting the burden of caregivers in Korea. Intensive social supports with multiple coping strategies focusing on different levels of patients’ clinical symptoms and caregivers’ needs should be planned to relieve the caregiver burden.

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Objectives The average annual healthcare expenditure among elderly patients in Korea is increasing rapidly in indirect healthcare sectors, requiring an understanding of factors related to the use of both formal and informal caregivers. This study analyzed the characteristics of caregiver use and caregiving costs among elderly patients hospitalized due to acute illness or exacerbation of chronic diseases. Methods A total of 819 study participants were selected from the 2017 Korea Health Panel Study Data. Replacement costing methods were applied to estimate the hours of informal caregiver assistance received by elderly inpatients. Elderly inpatients’ predisposing, enabling, and need factors were studied to identify the relationship between caregiver uses, based on Andersen’s behavior model. A two-part model was applied to analyze the factors related to care receipt and to estimate the incremental costs of care. Results Elderly inpatients who used tertiary hospitals (OR: 2.77, p-value < 0.00) and received financial support (OR: 2.68, p-value < 0.00) were more likely to receive support from a caregiver. However, elderly inpatients living alone were lesser to do so (OR: 0.49, p-value < 0.00). Elderly inpatients with Medicaid insurance (β:0.54, p-value = 0.02) or financial aid (β: 0.64, p-value < 0.00) had a statistically positive association with spending more on caregiving costs. Additionally, financial support receivers had incremental costs of $627 in caregiving costs than nonreceivers. Conclusions This study presented significant socioenvironmental characteristics of formal and informal caregiver use and the related expenditures. Healthcare management plans that encompass multiple social levels should be implemented to ease the caregiver burden. Trial registration Retrospectively registered.

IntroductionRisk of infections due to communicable pathogens among health care workers is very high. Though many counter measures have been implemented, respiratory protective devices (RPD) are very common in use for prevention of the inhalation of pathogens. Nevertheless, proper education and training of RPDs are lacking for health care workers. This study is focused on the actual RPDs use and the fit tests so as to establishing effective training programs.MethodsA total of 393 female health care workers were recruited for quantitative fit testing (QNFT), with at least 2 RPDs out of 4 different types of RPDs provided. The U.S. OSHA Fit Test protocol was used to conduct the fit test exercises along with the pass criteria (FF >100). The QNFT results were analysed by division and occupation using STATA.ResultsAmong participants, all occupations showed relatively high pass percentages except doctors who showed about 40% of failure with the Folder shaped mask. For almost all divisions, the cup shaped and the cup shaped small size mask showed the highest fail rate, but the folder shaped mask showed lower failure rates. Within the hospital, different failure rates were observed between divisions; emergency room=13.5%, MICU=3.6%, SICU=8.8%, BMTICU=15.4%, isolation ward=6.7%, respiratory/infection control division=3.7%, PICU=0.0%, and CCU=4.3%, respectively. While no association between types of occupation and QNFT result were observed, QNFT results were statistically significantly different between divisions (χ2=17.122, p=0.017).DiscussionThe results of this study showed that some RPDs perform better in terms of respiratory protection providedaccording to the subjects’facial shapes. And health care professionalsneed formal educationand training for the use of RPDs, regardless of their occupations. Properdonning experiences of RPDs arehighly recommended and annual QNFT are recommended for checking the effectiveness of RPDs.

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