• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.359-365
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• 2005

Objectives : An abrupt economic decline may widen the socioeconomic differences in health between the advantaged and disadvantaged in a society. The aim of this study was to examine whether the South Korean economic crisis of 1997-98 affected the socioeconomic inequality from all-causes and from cause-specific mortality between 1995 and 2001. Methods : Population denominators were obtained from the registration population data, with the number of death (numerators) calculated from raw death certificate data. The indicator used to assess the geographic socioeconomic position was the per capita regional tax revenue. Administrative districts (Si-Gun-Gu) were ranked according to this socioeconomic measure, and divided into equal population size quintiles on the basis of this ranking. The sex- and 5-year age-specific numbers of the population and deaths were used to compute the sex- and age-adjusted mortality rates (via direct standardization method), standardized mortality ratios (via indirect standardization methods) and relative indices of inequality (RII) (via Poisson regression). Results : Geographic inequalities from all-causes of mortality, as measured by RII, did not increase as a result of the economic crisis (from 1998-2001). This was true for both sexes and all age groups. However, the cause-specific analyses showed that socioeconomic inequalities in mortalities from external causes were affected by South Korean economic crisis. For males, the RIIs for mortalities from transport accidents and intentional self-harm increased between 1995 and 2001. For females, the RII for mortality from intentional self-harm increased during the same period. Conclusions : The South Korean economic crisis widened the geographic inequality in mortalities from major external causes. This increased inequality requires social discourse and counter policies with respect to the rising health inequalities in the South Korean society.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.1 s.49
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• pp.175-185
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• 1995

To evaluate the neurobehavioral effects of blood lead, we performed NCTB (Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery) on 59 men who were exposed to lead occupationally. Performance on the tests was studied in relation to three ranges of blood lead $(low,\;0. Workers with high and medium blood lead concentrations showed poorer performances on digit span backward, digit symbol and Benton Visual Retention. After adjustment for age and education, high and medium group showed significantly impaired performance on Benton visual retention and slightly impaired performance on digit span backward. But it showed no different performance on tests between high and medium blood lead group.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.345-359
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• 1993

This study was conducted to identify the factors related to the blood pressure in school children. The study subjects were 144 boys and 140 girls aged 10 years old, 4th grade student of one elementary school in Taegu City. Blood pressure and 18 variables for 284 school children were measured in May 1992. A weight-for-height index, R$\ddot{o}$hrer index(weight/$height^3$) was calculated for each individual as a measure of obesity. Body fat percent, fat weight, and lean body mass were measured by impedance fat meter(Model SIF-891). Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, uric acid, total protein, and electrolyte were measured by automated clinical chemistry analyzer(Hitachi 4020). Low-density lipoprotein and atherogenic index were calculated by the equation. The variables assessed were sex, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, body fat percent, body fat weight, lean body mass, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, uric acid, total protein, serum electrolyte and blood glucose. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures for boys were 104.1mmHg and 66.6mmHg and those for girls were 102.9mmHg and 67.5mmHg. Systolic blood pressure of boys was positively correlated with height, weight, R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, fat weight, lean body mass, and triglyceride. Systolic blood pressure of girls was positively correlated with height, weight, lean body mass, and uric acid. Diastolic blood pressure of boys was positively correlated with weight. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, and lean body mass. Diastolic blood pressure of girls was positively correlated with height, weight, fat weight, and lean body mass and negatively with total serum protein. In multiple regression analysis for the systolic blood pressure, the significant independent variables were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index and serum sodium in boys, and serum uric acid, fat percent, and R$\ddot{o}$hrer index in girls. In multiple regression analysis of the diastolic blood pressure, the significant independent variables were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index in boys and total serum protein in girls. This study indicated that important factors influencing blood pressure in school children were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, fat percent, serum sodium, uric acid, and total protein. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index was most important among these. It is recommended to enforce the nutritional education for diet control of obesity to prevent hypertention in children and to adopt healthy life-styles that promote good health and prevent development of cardiovascular risk factors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 1985

This study was conducted to evaluate nutritional status with the analysis of the factors which might influence on the prevalent condition of nutrients-intake. 373 persons who are above 60 years old in Chung-Gu, Seoul were surveyed from March 15 to March 30 in 1985. Results were as follows ; 1. General Characteristics 1) Male respondents among the entire respondents comprised 54.3% and female respondents comprised 45.7%. As for age, male and female respondents comprised 55.0% and 37.2% respectively. 2) As for the educational level of the respondents, illiteracy was 49.9% which was the highest. and those who graduated elementary school was 28.1% which was the second highest. And as for the comparison of the education of the male and female respondents, the educational level of male respondents was much higher than that of female respondents. 3) As for the final occupation of the respondents, those who were engaged in commerce comprised 30.8% which was the highest rate, and who were engaged in agriculture comprised 20.1% which was the second highest rate. And those who were engaged in labor comprised 12.3%. 2. The State of Nutrients-intake The energy of the male respondents was 61.4% of RDA and the protein was nothing but 66.8% of RDA. Except vitamin A, vitamin $B_1$ and niacin, calcium, iron, vitamin $B_2$, vitamin C were lower than RDA (the range: $67.5%{\sim}97.3%$). The energy of the female respondents was 70.0% of RDA and the protein was 58.8% which were lower than RDA. Except vitamin A and vitamin $B_1$, calcium, iron, vitamin $B_2$ vitamin C, niacin were lower than RDA (the range: $68.2%{\sim}98.9%$). 3. The various factors related to nutrients-intake 1) The composition of family and the food environment those who were living with their spouses comprised 44.8% which was the highest rate, and those who were living with their son's family comprised 33.5% which was the second highest rate and those who were living with their doughter's family comprised only 4.6%. Those who were living alone comprised 16.4%. The correlation with nutrient intake didn't show a clear relation. 2) Socio-economic state Those who said that they lacked in living expense comprised 32.7% and those who said that they lacked in pocket-money comprised 23.9%, The female respondents outnumbered the male respondents in lacking living expense or pocket-money. In the correlation with socio-economic, there was no striking relation with education level. However, it was shown that little relation in energy, fat in male and also fat and iron in female. The living expense and the satisfaction in pocket-money had also little relation with energy fat and vitamin C in male. 3) Nutrition knowledge and food habit (a) The state of nutrition knowledge and food habit In nutrition knowledge, those who scored less than 60 points were 32.9%, and those who scored more than 90 points were 21.0%. In food habit, those who scored less than 60 points were 26.5% and those who scored more than 80 points were 45%. (b) The corelation with nutrition knowledge and food habit In case of female respondents, nutrition knowledge had a little relation with the intake of cabohydrate, iron, and vitamin C. And we couldn't see a distinct phenomenon in food habit.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.671-675
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• 2008

Based on information about the major microbial composition of kimchi and its relation to the taste, Leuconostoc mesenteroides K2M5 and Lactobacillus sakei K5M3 were selected as kimchi starter candidates. These two strains were found to be safe for industrial use because they showed neither harmful characteristics like ${\beta}$-hemolysis, ammonia and indole formation, and gelatin liquefaction, nor enzymatic activities like phenylalanine deaminase, ${\beta}$-glucuronidase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, 7${\alpha}$-dehydroxylase and nitroreductase. Starter kimchi made with these strains were better in taste than the conventional kimchi when they are evaluated both by laboratory personnel and the public. Also microbial analysis of starter kimchi showed only starter bacteria after they were fermented to have the optimum acidity. Starter kimchi prepared with these two strains were not much different in physicochemical properties to the conventional kimchi except in that the starter kimchi were much higher in volatile organic acid content such as lactic acid. These results suggest that kimchi quality can be controlled to have consistent properties, both in taste and microbial composition, by using bacterial starters.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.79-86
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• 1968

This paper describes the incidence and some epidemiological features of drowning accident out of a series of our study on the epidemiology of various accidents in Korea. By the daily press it is apparent from the frequent reporting of swimming accidents that the incidence would be high. In the rural areas, there are, at present, about 1,250 artificial lakes and farm ponds to be utlized for rice production. The reservoirs, irrigation ditches and riversides are also used for recreation. In most places facilities for aquatic activities is meager, and safety measures for the prevention of drowning is not sufficiently enforced. In the survey crude data on drownings were collected from the concerned governmental statistic books for the period 1955 to 1967 which were compiled not in a uniform way. Drownings were classfied into two categories, one is accidental drowning, E 929 and the other is due to cataclysm, E 934, according to the WHO international classification of diseases. Epidemiological variables in relation to drowning accident were obtained through qualitative analysis of informations from the popular news papers. The following summary may be drawn; 1. The average number of deaths due to accidental drowning totaled 1,088 annually and the mortality rate per 100,000 population was 3.4, The 42.0% of all drownings were rescued and the remaining were not saved. 2. The sex ratio (M/F) of the victims for all ages was 5 to 1, which had a wide range of difference among the age groups. The young ages less than 20 years occupied 68.0% of all deaths. 3. The percentage distribution of the causes of accidents revealed 31.9% for careless swimming, 45.5% for unskilled, 10.6% for swimmer's cramp and 6.0% for drunked. The distribution of places where accidents occurred showed 88.0% for rivers, water reservoirs, irrigation ditches and 12.0% for regular swimming pools. The seasonal distribution of cases indicated 85.0% of the total were seen during the summer months, June-August, and 50.0% of them occurred on Sundays, 4. The average annual deaths due to cataclysm were 402 and mortality rate per 100,000 population was 1.6, but the number of victims due to cataclysm varied greatly each year. 5. The accident cases due to cataclysm were classified into 60.0% for injuries, 40.0% for deaths. The 26.8% of all deaths were missing cases. 6. The deaths due to either accidental drowning or cataclysm totaled 1,490, and the death rate per 100,000 for the whole country was 5.0.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 1968

Epidemiological and statistical observations were made of fire hazards that occurred during the past 18 years, 1948 to 1965. Injury and mortality rates for all ages were computed chronologically. For the years of 1955, 1961 and 1965, all fire accidents were epidemiologically analysed to draw characteristic patterns in relation to the seasonal and 24 hour distribution, causes and sites of accidents etc.. Fire hazards observed herein are the categorys E 916 of the International Classification of Causes of Death, 1955, and includes all accidents caused by fire and explosion of combustible materials. The following conclusion was made: 1. The average number of annual deaths due to fire was 183 and the number of the in jured due to the same cause was 335. The mortality rate per 100,000 population was 0.8 and the ratio of injuries per death was 1.83. 2. The casually rate including both the dead and injured was 5.0 per 100,000 in Seoul, the highest among the provinces and followed by 3.4 in Cheju -Do, 2.1 in Kangwon-Do, 1.7 in Kyunggi-Do accordingly. The other provinces had a range of 0.6 to 1.2. 3. The monthly distribution of fro accidents showed that the winter months, December through February, had more frequent accidents, while the summer season, June through August had less. The 24 hour distribution of accidents showed more cases from 12:00 to 18:00 and less from 4:00 to 10:00 hours. 4. The per cent distribution of causes of accidents showed; 90.0% for careless, 10.0% for arson. The cause of carelessness was further breakdown into; 15.0% for kitchen fire places, 13.8% for fire playing, 9,4% for electrical heating and wires, 8.3% for fuels, 6.3% for matches, 5.2% for ash dumps and the remaining for others. 5. The accidents as classified by place revealed that 56.8% of the total occurred at the common dwelling houses, 11.3 at various industrial workshops, 9.3% at the street shops and the remaining at the miscellaneous places.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.2 s.46
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• pp.230-241
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• 1994

Though people occupationally exposed to machineries and automation in the industrialized society desire work involving decreased strength, due to the continuous and repetitive activities, a new industrial stress is present. Studies on prevalence of musculoskeletal disease and their related risk factors have evolved. In this study in relation to work tasks, we investigated the differences in musculoskeletal symptoms occurring In each body region. The results of the survey were as follows. 1. When comparing age, level of education, work duration, job satisfaction and leisure time activities according to work task, age in control group was $38.83{\pm}5.5$, in comparison to the other 2 groups was smaller(p<0.05), and level of education in control group was higher (p<0.05). Work duration in the cutting department was $8.04{\pm}4.99$ years longer than the other 2 groups (p<0.05), but there was no difference in the job satisfaction and leisure time activities. 2. The mean of symptom scores of each work task was 1.54 in the cutting department, 1.57 in the press department and 1.59 in the control group, and there was no significant differnce in the 3 groups. The mean of symptom scores for upper extremities in the control group was low but no statistically significant diffrence was shown. 3. When comparing the mean of symptom score according to work task in the each body region, in the shoulder region, the symptom score in the press department which desired strength was higher than the other 2 groups but no significant difference was shown. In the wrist region the cutting department scored 1.01 and in comparison to the other 2 groups was significantly increased (p<0.05). 4. The results of the univariate regression analysis on the major individual risk factors associated with musculoskeletal symptom relating work showed that previous symptom complaints in the same body region was significant risk factor(p<0.001) in the whole body Besides wrist, hip, and knee, psychological problem was shown to be a significant factor(p<0.05). And the body regions which work task was significant risk factor were wrist and neck region (p<0.05). 5. The results of the multiple regression analysis involving significant factors of each body region from the univariate regression analysis showed that previous symptom complaint in whole body region(p<0.001) and psychological problem in the shoulder, elbow and lumbar region (p<0.05) were significant factors, and work task was significant factor in the wrist (p<0.05).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.349-355
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• 2015

Background: The tuberculin skin test (TST) is the standard tool to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in mass screening. The aim of this study is to find an optimal cut-off point of the TST+ rate within tuberculosis (TB) contacts to predict the active TB development among adolescents in school TB outbreaks. Methods: The Korean National Health Insurance Review and Assessment database was used to identify active TB development in relation to the initial TST (cut-off, 10 mm). The 7,475 contacts in 89 schools were divided into two groups: Incident TB group (43 schools) and no incident TB group (46 schools). LTBI treatment was initiated in 607 of the 1,761 TST+ contacts. The association with active TB progression was examined at different cut-off points of the TST+ rate. Results: The mean duration of follow-up was $3.9{\pm}0.9years$. Thirty-three contacts developed active TB during the 4,504 person-years among the TST+ contacts without LTBI treatment (n=1,154). The average TST+ rate for the incident TB group (n=43) and no incident TB group (n=46) were 31.0% and 15.5%, respectively. The TST+ rate per group was related with TB progression (odds ratio [OR], 1.025; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001-1.050; p=0.037). Based on the TST+ rate per group, active TB was best predicted at TST+ ${\geq}$ 16% (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.29-7.51; area under curve, 0.64). Conclusion: Sixteen percent of the TST+ rate per group within the same grade students can be suggested as an optimal cut-off to predict active TB development in middle and high schools TB outbreaks.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2003

Background: Most of all studies about the relation between the health risk and obesity are based on the European and American data. The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between adiposity and risk factors for cardiovacular disease (CVD) in normal weight individuals. Materials and Methods: Normal weight subjects with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and $23kg/m^2$ (76 subjects) and overweight subjects with a BMI between 23 and $25kg/m^2$ (53 subjects) were retained for this study. Normal weight subjects were divided into three group of each adiposity variable, then three group and the overweight group were evaluated for the presence of CVD risk factors and analyze the correlation coefficients between adiposity variables and risk factors controlled for age in normal weight, overweight groups. Using logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for the prevalence of risk factors for each group of adiposity variables and the overweight group was estimated relative to the first group in normal weight subjects. Results: Systolic BP, diastolic BP, LDL cholestrol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides in normal weight subjects were significantly correlated with all adiposity variables (P<0.01). Third group (3.7 for %fat and 4.7 for fat mass)of adiposity variables in the normal weight group and the overweight group (6.6 for %fat and 11.5 for fat mass) tended to have higher ORs compared to first group for risk factor variables. Conclusion: Normal weight subjects with elevated adiposity had higher prevalence of risk factors than normal weights subjects with less adiposity. Measuring of adiposity added additional information of cardiovascular disease risk factors in normal weight subjects.