• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5123-5125
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is one the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of dietary factors and health status indicators on breast cancer (BC) incidence. Materials and Methods: Risk factor data (RFD) of 89,404 individuals (15-64 years old) were gathered by questionnaire and laboratory examinations through a cross sectional study from the Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (NCDSC) of Iran. BC incidences of all provinces through 2001-2006 segregated by age and gender were obtained from the Cancer Registry Ministry of Health (CRMH). Results: a significant positive relationship was seen between diabetes mellitus, fish comsupmption, percent of academic education and non-consumption of fruit, and breast cancer in women. However, non fish consumption, percent age illiteracy and taking fruit showed a significant negative relationship with the incidence of breast cancer. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis showed associations among percentage with academic education, fruit consumption and diabetes. Conclusions: We conclude that dietary factors such as fish and furit consumption, dairy products, health status indicators, academic education, and some diseases like diabetes mellitus can affect the BC incidence, although the results of ecologic studies like this must naturally be interpreted with caution.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2014

The prevalence of helminthic infections was surveyed on a total of 6,178 residents (males 2,549 and females 3,629) in 102 villages of 9 provinces in Lao PDR between 2007 and 2011 under the project of Korea-Laos Collaborative Project for Control of Foodborne Trematode Infections in Lao PDR. Fecal specimens were collected and examined by the Kato-Katz thick smear and Stoll's egg counting techniques. The overall liver/intestinal helminth egg positive rate was 71.9% with a single or mixed infections with Opisthorchis viverrini and minute intestinal flukes (Ov/MIF), Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, Trichostrongylus sp., echinostomes, Taenia spp., and others. Ov/MIF revealed the highest prevalence (55.6%) followed by hookworms (27.8%) and T. trichiura (6.5%). The endemic regions with the highest prevalence of Ov/MIF were Savannakhet, Khammouane, Vientiane (Nam Ngum), Champasak (Khong Island), and Saravane Province. High prevalences of A. lumbricoides (33.8%), hookworms (47.8%), and T. trichiura (32.6%) were observed in Phongsaly, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane (Nam Ngum) areas, respectively. The results of this study highlight helminth parasites of current public health significance in different areas of Lao PDR.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.256-261
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• 2015

Purpose: Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with the incidence and mortality being higher in men than in women. Various studies have shown that eating carrots may play a major role in the prevention of gastric cancer. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the relationship between carrot consumption and gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: We searched multiple databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Persian databases like Scientific Information Database (SID) and IranMedx. The following search terms were used: stomach or gastric, neoplasm or cancer, carcinoma or tumor, and carrot. Statistical analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta Analysis/2.0 software. Results: We retrieved 81 articles by searching the databases. After considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 5 articles were included in this study. The odds ratio (OR) obtained by fixed effects model showed that a 26% reduction in the risk of gastric cancer has been associated with the consumption of carrots) OR=0.74; 95% confidence interval=0.68~0.81; P<0.0001). According to funnel graph, the results showed that the possibility of a publication bias does not exist in this study. Conclusions: The findings of this study showed an inverse relationship between the consumption of carrots and the risk of gastric cancer.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.379-391
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We investigated the associations between eating away from home (EAFH) and overweight and obesity among Ugandan adults using the 2014 Uganda non-communicable disease risk factor survey. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In total, 3,025 participants aged 18-69 years were included in the analysis. The frequency of EAFH was assessed by asking participants the number of meals eaten per week that were not prepared at a home. EAFH frequency was categorized as; less than once/week, 1-2 times/week, or ≥ 3 times/week. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between overweight, obesity, and EAFH. We also tested whether sex and age modified these associations. RESULTS: Participants that ate away from home ≥ 3 times/week were 2.13 times more likely to be obese than those that ate away from home less than once/week (odds ratio [OR], 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-3.54). However, when the analysis was stratified by sex, women that ate away from home ≥ 3 times/week were 42% less likely to be overweight than those that ate away from home less than once/week (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.36-0.94). Men that ate away from home ≥ 3 times a week were 3.89 times and 2.23 times more likely to be obese and overweight, respectively, than those that ate away from home less than once/week (obesity: OR, 3.89; 95% CI, 1.50-10.09; overweight: OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.42-3.51). Age-stratified analysis showed that among participants aged 31-50 years, those that ate away from home ≥ 3 times a week were 3.53 times more likely to be obese than those that ate away from home less than once/week (OR, 3.53; 95% CI, 1.69-7.37). CONCLUSIONS: Frequent EAFH was positively associated with overweight and obesity among men, and obesity among young/middle-aged adults, but negatively associated with overweight in women. Nutritional interventions for obesity reduction in Uganda should include strategies aimed at reducing the frequency of eating meals prepared away from home, and specifically target men and young/middle-aged adults.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2023

Objectives: Socioeconomic inequality in metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains poorly understood in Iran. The present study examined the extent of the socioeconomic inequalities in MetS and quantified the contribution of its determinants to explain the observed inequality, with a focus on middle-aged adults in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease cohort study. A sample of 9975 middleaged adults aged 35-65 years was analyzed. MetS was assessed based on the International Diabetes Federation definition. Principal component analysis was used to construct socioeconomic status (SES). The Wagstaff normalized concentration index (CI_n) was employed to measure the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in MetS. Decomposition analysis was performed to identify and calculate the contribution of the MetS inequality determinants. Results: The proportion of MetS in the sample was 41.1%. The CI_n of having MetS was 0.043 (95% confidence interval, 0.020 to 0.066), indicating that MetS was more concentrated among individuals with high SES. The main contributors to the observed inequality in MetS were SES (72.0%), residence (rural or urban, 46.9%), and physical activity (31.5%). Conclusions: Our findings indicated a pro-poor inequality in MetS among Iranian middle-aged adults. These results highlight the importance of persuading middle-aged adults to be physically active, particularly those in an urban setting. In addition to targeting physically inactive individuals and those with low levels of education, policy interventions aimed at mitigating socioeconomic inequality in MetS should increase the focus on high-SES individuals and the urban population.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.265-269
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• 2020

Korea has failed to respond to the Middle East respiratory syndrome of 2015 and the early phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) of 2020. This is due to the structural problems of the Ministry of Health and Welfare that has been more increased manpower and budgets of the welfare part relative to those of the health part, and the ministers were appointed welfare experts, not health experts. In 21 (56.8%) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, the Ministry of Health operates independently, and these countries have been relatively well coping with COVID-19. The importance of the Korean health sector is increasing even further. Korea faces on the emerging infectious diseases, chronic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis that has been being a huge burden, and rapidly increasing non-communicable diseases, suicide and mental disorders, and some diseases due to fine dust and climate change. In addition, the rapid advancement of the aging society, the entry of an era of ultra-low fertility and low-economic growth, and the unification of the Korean peninsula are calling for a health policy reform. Therefore, the Ministry of Health should be established and systematically responsible for health policy, disease policy, medical policy, and medical security policy. Ministry of Health will be the control tower for K-Disease Control, K-Bio, and K-Health.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.41-49
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• 1994

Water- borne infectious diseases can be acquired by contact with contaminated water or by ingestion of contaminated water. There are many water- borne infectious agents such as bacteria, virus, and parasite. Among many of water- borne infectious diseases, health authorities of Korean government has particularly intensified to prevent and control typhoid fever(class I ), shigellosis(class I ), cholera(class I ), paratyphoid fever(class I), amebiasis(class II ) and leptospirosis(euivalent to class II ) under the communicable disease control law. Water- borne disease Prevention and control guideline itself has been also well provided by the health authorities. However, in practical public health point of view, there are still many problems remained to be solved out; no prospective investigation project to survey water borne infectious diseases under the national disease prevention and control programmes, incredible statistic data of annual notifiable disease report frequent appearance and varieties of drug resistance water- borne infectious agents, little cooperation and information- exchange system in between the related government authorities( the health authorities, the environment sanitation authorities and the food hygiene authorities) which should be closely collaborated, lack of health consciousness of the people, necessity of evaluation and Hndification on to the outcomes of performed health activities and programmes, neglect activities for water quality investigation, shortage of expertise and human resources in the related field, and poor investment of the government budget to develope and improve public health and sanitation field. In order to prevent and control water- borne infectious diseases effectively, it is emphasized that all the above indicated should be considered and performed to improve under the national health and sanitation development programmes.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2018

Purpose: Celiac disease is a common non-communicable disease with varied presentations. Purpose of this study was to find the duodeno-endoscopic features in celiac disease and to compare duodeno-endoscopic and histological findings between typical and atypical celiac disease in children. Methods: Hospital based observational study was conducted at Sir Padampat Mother and Child Health Institute, Jaipur from June 2015 to May 2016. Patients were selected and divided in two groups- typical and atypical celiac disease based upon the presenting symptoms. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and duodenal biopsy was performed for serology positive patients. Results were analysed using appropriate statistical test of significance. Results: Out of 101 enrolled patients, 47.5% were male. Age ranged from 1 to 18 years. Study showed that 54.5% were typical and 45.5% were atypical. Patients presenting with atypical symptoms were predominantly of older age group. On endoscopy, scalloping, mosaic pattern, reduced fold height and absent fold height; and in histology, advanced Marsh stage were significantly higher in the typical group. Conclusion: Awareness of atypical presentations as well as duodeno-endoscopic features may have considerable practical importance for the diagnosis of celiac disease in children. Scalloping, mosaic pattern, reduced fold height and nodularity are main endoscopic markers of celiac disease in children. Endoscopic markers of duodenal mucosa may be important in early diagnosis of celiac disease, in children subjected to endoscopy for atypical presentations or indication other than suspected celiac disease.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.589-596
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• 2018

Ticks are the vectors of various pathogens, threatening human health and animal production across the globe. Here, for the first time we detected Ricketssia spp., Borrelia spp. and protozoan in ticks from Poyang Lake region in Jiangxi Province of eastern China. In 3 habitat categories and on 12 host species, 311 ticks from 11 species were collected. Haemaphysalis longicornis was the predominant species, accounting for 55.63%, followed by Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis flava and Ixodes granulatus. Of the collected ticks, 7.07% were positive for tick-borne pathogens, and H. longicornis and H. flava were found to be co-infected with Ricketssia spp. and protozoan. H. flava was the most detected positive for tick-borne pathogens, whereas H. longicornis had the lowest infection rate, and the difference in infection rates between tick species was significant (${\chi}^2=61.24$, P<0.001). Furthermore, adult ticks demonstrated remarkably greater infection rate than immature ticks (${\chi}^2=10.12$, P=0.018), meanwhile ticks on Erinaceidae showed significantly higher positivity than ticks collected on other host species (${\chi}^2=108.44$, P<0.001). Genetic fragment sequencing and analyses showed at least 4 pathogen species presence in ticks, namely Borrelia yangtzensis, Rickettsia slovaca or Rickettsia raoultii related genospecies, Babesia vogeli and Hepatozoon canis or Hepatozoon felis related genospecies. The finding indicates that the abundant ticks can carry diverse pathogens in Poyang Lake region, and pathogen infection is highly related to species, vertebrate hosts and life stages of ticks.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2022

This study estimated the direct and indirect socioeconomic costs of 238 diseases and 22 injuries from a social perspective in Korea from 2007 to 2015. The socioeconomic cost of each disease group was calculated based on the Korean Standard Disease Classification System. Direct costs were estimated using health insurance claims data provided by the National Health Insurance Service. The numbers of outpatients and inpatients with the main diagnostic codes for each disease were selected as a proxy indicator for estimating patients' medical use behavior by disease. The economic burden of disease from 2007 to 2015 showed an approximately 20% increase in total costs. From 2007 to 2015, communicable diseases (including infectious, maternal, pediatric, and nutritional diseases) accounted for 8.9-12.2% of the socioeconomic burden, while non-infectious diseases accounted for 65.7-70.7% and injuries accounted for 19.1-22.8%. The top 5 diseases in terms of the socioeconomic burden were self-harm (which took the top spot for 8 years), followed by cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, ischemic heart disease, and upper respiratory infections in 2007. Since 2010, the economic burden of conditions such as low back pain, falls, and acute bronchitis has been included in this ranking. This study expanded the scope of calculating the burden of disease at the national level by calculating the burden of disease in Koreans by gender and disease. These findings can be used as indicators of health equality and as useful data for establishing community-centered (or customized) health promotion policies, projects, and national health policy goals.