• Endocrinology and Metabolism
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.447-458
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• 2018

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathies among reproductive-age women. Its metabolic features often overlap with those associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) and insulin resistance syndrome (IRS). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of MS and IRS in infertile Vietnamese women with PCOS. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary fertility centre at Hue University Hospital from June 2016 to November 2017. A total of 441 infertile women diagnosed with PCOS based on the revised 2003 Rotterdam consensus criteria were enrolled. MS and IRS were defined based on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/American Heart Association Adult Treatment Panel III 2005 and American College of Endocrinology IRS 2003 criteria, respectively. Complete clinical and biochemical measurements of 318 women were available for analysis. Independent predictors of MS and IRS were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Results: The overall prevalence of MS and IRS in women with PCOS was 10.4% and 27.0%, respectively. We identified older age (>30 years) and obesity as independent predictors of MS and IRS. Elevated anti-$M{\ddot{u}}llerian$ hormone levels increased the risk of IRS, but not that of MS. Conclusion: MS and IRS are prevalent disorders among infertile Vietnamese women with PCOS. PCOS is not solely a reproductive problem. Screening and early intervention for MS and/or IRS based on anthropometric, metabolic, and reproductive hormone risk factors should be an integral part of fertility care.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 2019

Objectives: College is an important time for students to establish their identity as an independent subjects and develop a foundation to maintain a healthy adulthood. However, after female students become college students, their eating habits are likely to become more irregular and they may experience various health problems because of excessive weight control. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the dietary behaviors and blood clinical indices of female college students by residence types. Methods: A total of 374 subjects were classified as home group, self-boarding group or boarding group according to residence type. Dietary habits, frequency of food intake, and eating attitudes were examined through questionnaires and anthropometric measurements and blood clinical indices were analyzed. Results: The meal most frequently skipped by female college students was breakfast, and the frequency of skipping breakfast was significantly lower in the home group than other groups. Most college students recognized that their eating habits had worsened since becoming college students, with the self-boarding group in particular feeling that their eating habits changed negatively. The consumption frequencies of protein foods, fruits, dairy products, seaweed, and fatty meats were significantly lower in the self-boarding group than other groups. The home group ate food cut into smaller pieces, while the self-boarding group tried new and rich foods. Residence types did not affect blood clinical indices. Conclusions: The self-boarding group had inadequate dietary habits compared to the home group. Although residence type did not affect the blood clinical indices, the students still had poor dietary habits. Therefore, proper nutrition education is needed to improve the nutritional status of college students, especially those that self-board.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.48-54
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• 2019

Purpose: Liver metabolism plays a pivotal role in the development of metabolic disorders. We aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory risk factors associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in young adolescents from an urban population in Korea. Methods: A population of 120 apparently healthy adolescents aged 12-13 years was included in the cross-sectional design study; 58 were overweight or obese and 62 were of normal weight. We estimated anthropometric and laboratory measurements, including waist-to-height ratio, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, aspartate aminotransferases (AST), ALT, and lipid profiles. Results: The mean ages of the overweight or obese and normal weight participants were $12.9{\pm}0.3$ and $13.0{\pm}0.3years$, respectively. Height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, AST, ALT, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score were significantly higher and the high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index were significantly lower in the overweight/obese participants in comparison to the normal-weight participants (all P<0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, waist-to-height ratio, systolic blood pressure, and HOMA-IR score were independently and positively associated with serum ALT levels. Conclusion: Screening for ALT levels in adolescents may help to differentiate those at risk of metabolic abnormalities and thus prevent disease progression at an early age.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.214-221
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• 2019

BACKGROUNDS/OBJECTIVES: Cancer treatment may lead to significant body composition changes and affect growth and disease outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. This prospective study aimed to evaluate short- and long-term body compositions changes focused on body fat during the first year of cancer treatment in children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 30 pediatric cancer patients (19 hematologic malignancies and 11 solid tumors) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Anthropometric measurements and body composition analysis using whole body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were performed at baseline and 1, 6, and 12 month(s) of cancer treatment. Kruskal-Wallis tests, Wilcoxon paired t tests, and generalized estimation equation (GEE) were applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, no differences in weight, height, body mass index, abdominal circumferences, body fat, and fat-free mass were observed between 30 controls and 30 pediatric cancer patients. Total fat mass (P < 0.001) and body fat percentage (P = 0.002) increased significantly during the first month, but no changes were observed from 1 to 12 months; however, no changes in the total mass were observed during the first year of cancer treatment. Meanwhile, the total fat-free mass decreased during the first month (P = 0.008) and recovered between 6 and 12 months of follow-up (P < 0.001). According to GEE analysis, there was a significant upward trend in body fat percentage during the first year, especially the first month, of cancer treatment in children with hematologic malignancies, but not in those with solid tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that cancer treatment is related to significant body composition changes and rapid body fat gain, particularly during the first month after initiating cancer treatment, in children with hematologic malignancies. Therefore, individualized dietary strategies to prevent excessive fat gain are needed in pediatric cancer patients for better outcomes.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 2018

Background: Brain volume is associated with dementia and depression in the elderly. An easy way to predict relative brain volume is to measure head circumference. In this study, we investigated the relationship between head circumference and cognition as well as depression in a non-demented elderly community. Methods: Baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted in 2007 and 2010. At baseline, community residents aged 65 years or over (n=382) within a rural area of South Korea were screened for dementia and symptoms of depression and were followed using the same screening battery after 3 years (n=279). Data from anthropometric measurements (head circumference, height, and body weight), demographics, and blood tests were gathered. Neuropsychological tests, including the Korean version of mini-mental state examination (K-MMSE), clinical dementia rating (CDR) including the CDR-sum of boxes, the Korean version of instrumental activities of daily living, and geriatric depression scale (GDS), were performed. None of the 279 subjects followed were demented. Results: Baseline performance on the K-MMSE and GDS was poorer for participants with smaller head circumferences. Follow-up performance on the MMSE was also poorer for participants with smaller head circumferences. Interestingly, participants with smaller head circumference showed worse GDS scores at baseline but on follow-up examination, participants with larger head circumference showed rapid worsening than those with smaller head circumference with marginal significance by ANOVA test. In regression coefficient analysis, GDS decline showed significant difference. Conclusion: Head circumference was not associated with cognitive change but was associated with symptoms of depression in non-demented community residents.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.504-515
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition risk and malnutrition among the elderly is a public health concern. In combating this health-related problem, it is critically important to evaluate the risk factors in a multidimensional way and to apply appropriate nutrition intervention based on the results. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 215 elderly patients (32.6% male, 67.4% female) in a geriatric outpatient clinic of a hospital in Turkey. Nutritional questionnaires that incorporated the 24-h recall method were applied to determine general characteristics of patients, their health status, nutritional habits, and daily energy and nutrient intakes. Mini Nutritional Assessment was used to determine nutritional status. Relevant anthropometric measurements were obtained. RESULTS: The subjects' mean age was 76.1 ± 7.0 years, and the prevalence of malnutrition (n = 7) and risk of malnutrition (n = 53) among the 215 subjects was 3.2% and 24.7%, respectively. Patients with malnutrition or risk of malnutrition were found to be single, have a depression diagnosis, in an older age group, have less appetite, more tooth loss, have more frequent swallowing/chewing difficulty, and have more frequent meal skipping. In addition, mean daily energy, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folates, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron intake, and water consumption were found to be statistically significantly low in subjects with malnutrition or risk of malnutrition. After performing regression analysis to determine confounding factors, malnutrition risk was significantly associated with marital status, loss of teeth, appetite status, and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Routine nutritional screening and assessment of the elderly should be performed. If nutritional deficiencies cannot be diagnosed early and treated, self-sufficiency in the elderly may deteriorate, resulting in increased institutionalization.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.239-244
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• 2022

Purpose: Despite the proliferation of numerous morphometric and anthropometric methods for sex identification based on linear, angular, and regional measurements of various parts of the body, these methods are subject to error due to the observer's knowledge and expertise. This study aimed to explore the possibility of automated sex determination using convolutional neural networks(CNNs) based on lateral cephalometric radiographs. Materials and Methods: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 1,476 Iranian subjects (794 women and 682 men) from 18 to 49 years of age were included. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were considered as a network input and output layer including 2 classes(male and female). Eighty percent of the data was used as a training set and the rest as a test set. Hyperparameter tuning of each network was done after preprocessing and data augmentation steps. The predictive performance of different architectures (DenseNet, ResNet, and VGG) was evaluated based on their accuracy in test sets. Results: The CNN based on the DenseNet121 architecture, with an overall accuracy of 90%, had the best predictive power in sex determination. The prediction accuracy of this model was almost equal for men and women. Furthermore, with all architectures, the use of transfer learning improved predictive performance. Conclusion: The results confirmed that a CNN could predict a person's sex with high accuracy. This prediction was independent of human bias because feature extraction was done automatically. However, for more accurate sex determination on a wider scale, further studies with larger sample sizes are desirable.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status and dietary behavior of adolescents from North Korean refugee (NKR) families residing in South Korea (SK), who are known to be at a higher risk of malnutrition due to their lower socioeconomic status and facing other psychological challenges. Methods: A total of 178 adolescents (91 males and 87 females) from NKR families were included in the analysis, and their demographic details such as age, birthplace, parental nationality, and duration of their settlement in SK were collected through questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were also taken to determine their growth and nutritional status according to the 2017 Korean National Growth Charts for children and adolescents. The study used the Nutrition Quotient for Korean Adolescents (NQ-A) questionnaire to assess the dietary behavior of the participants. Results: Approximately 11.8% and 10.1% of participants were identified with malnutrition and obesity, respectively. The total mean score for the NQ-A was 50.1. The mean scores for the individual factors of balance, diversity, moderation, environment, and practice were 49.2, 44.7, 43.8, 51.2, and 61.5, respectively. Approximately 47.2% of participants had a low NQ-A grade. However, there was no significant difference in the NQ-A scores according to their nutritional status or duration of time in SK. Conclusions: Adolescents from NKR families exhibited both malnutrition and obesity. However, their dietary behavior, as assessed using the NQ-A, did not vary with their nutritional status. The unique challenges and related dietary behavior of North Korean adolescent refugees should be taken into consideration, when developing targeted strategies for nutritional education and health management programs.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.46-57
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• 2022

Background Adherence to healthy diet acts as a key role to modify sedentary lifestyle in real life setting. Constitution type of traditional Korean medicine has been prediagnosed to risk factors of cardiometabolic diseases. This study aims to evaluate the associations between body composition and healthy eating status in Korean adults by their constitution type. Methods Of 4046 participants from Korean Medicine Daejeon Citizen Cohort study, Korean Medicine Daejeon Citizen Cohort (KDCC) study were included for analysis. Demographic, health-related behaviors and Korean Medicine (KM) type were surveyed based on a general health-related questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements and dietary factors by using Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) were assessed only in the half of the original participants. Results 50.8% of Taeeum was observed from eligible 1967 participants (66.7%, women). The highest KHEI score was observed in soyang group (52.0±0.3, p=0.006) compared to other two groups. In taeeum group, lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM)(%)(Taeeum: 38.7±0.1 vs. Soeum/Soyang: 39.2±0.1, p < 0.05), and higher percent of body fat (PBF)(%) (Taeeum: 32.9±0.2 vs. Soeum/Soyang: 29.0±0.2, p < 0.05) by the lowest tertile (T1) of the KHEI score, respectively. When the KHEI score increased by 1 point in taeeum group, a positive relationship was observed, which increased by 0.015% of ASM, however, a negatively related to in which body fat mass (BFM) decreased by 0.022 kg and PBF decreased by 0.024%. Conclusion Customized nutritional management is required that could help maintaining physical health and diet by their constitution type.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.73-85
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• 2023

Purpose: This study focused on identifying the interaction effects of genetic and lifestyle-environmental factors on the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Methods: Study subjects were selected from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) from 2001 to 2014. Data on genetic variations, anthropometric measurements, biochemical data, and seven lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity, alcohol drinking, smoking, sleep, depression, and stress) were obtained from 4,836 Koreans aged between 40 and 59 years, including those with T2D at baseline (n = 1,209), newly developed T2D (n= 1,298) and verified controls (n = 3,538). The genetic risk score (GRS) was calculated by using 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to T2D development and the second quartile was used as the reference category. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the associations of GRS and lifestyle factors with T2D risk, controlling for covariates. Results: Multivariate regression analysis revealed that GRS was the strongest risk factor for T2D, and body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking, and spicy food preference also increased the risk. Lifestyle/environmental factors that showed significant interactions with GRS were BMI, current smoking, current drinking, fatty food preference, and spicy food preference. Conclusions: Interactions between genetic factors and lifestyle/environmental factors were associated with an increased risk of T2D. The results will be useful to provide a new perspective on genetic profiling for the earlier detection of T2D risk and clues for personalized interventions, which might be more effective prevention strategies or therapies in individuals with a genetic predisposition to T2D.