• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8503-8508
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• 2014

Background: After the WHO recommended HPV vaccination of the general population in 2009, government support of HPV vaccination programs was increased in many countries. However, this policy was not implemented in Korea due to perceived low cost-effectiveness. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the cost-utility of HPV vaccination programs targeted to high risk populations as compared to vaccination programs for the general population. Materials and Methods: Each study population was set to 100,000 people in a simulation study to determine the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR), then standard prevalence rates, cost, vaccination rates, vaccine efficacy, and the Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs) were applied to the analysis. In addition, sensitivity analysis was performed by assuming discounted vaccination cost. Results: In the socially vulnerable population, QALYs gained through HPV vaccination were higher than that of the general population (General population: 1,019, Socially vulnerable population: 5,582). The results of ICUR showed that the cost of HPV vaccination was higher for the general population than the socially vulnerable population. (General population: 52,279,255 KRW, Socially vulnerable population: 9,547,347 KRW). Compared with 24 million KRW/QALYs as the social threshold, vaccination of the general population was not cost-effective. In contrast, vaccination of the socially vulnerable population was strongly cost-effective. Conclusions: The results suggest the importance and necessity of government support of HPV vaccination programs targeted to socially vulnerable populations because a targeted approach is much more cost-effective. The implementation of government support for such vaccination programs is a critical strategy for decreasing the burden of HPV infection in Korea.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.52-56
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• 2013

Background Measuring grip and pinch strength is an important part of hand injury evaluation. Currently, there are no standardized values of normal grip and pinch strength among the Korean population, and lack of such data prevents objective evaluation of post-surgical recovery in strength. This study was designed to establish the normal values of grip and pinch strength among the healthy Korean population and to identify any dependent variables affecting grip and pinch strength. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out. The inclusion criterion was being a healthy Korean person without a previous history of hand trauma. The grip strength was measured using a Jamar dynamometer. Pulp and key pinch strength were measured with a hydraulic pinch gauge. Intra-individual and inter-individual variations in these variables were analyzed in a standardized statistical manner. Results There were a total of 336 healthy participants between 13 and 77 years of age. As would be expected in any given population, the mean grip and pinch strength was greater in the right hand than the left. Male participants (137) showed mean strengths greater than female participants (199) when adjusted for age. Among the male participants, anthropometric variables correlated positively with grip strength, but no such correlations were identifiable in female participants in a statistically significant way. Conclusions Objective measurements of hand strength are an important component of hand injury evaluation, and population-specific normative data are essential for clinical and research purposes. This study reports updated normative hand strengths of the South Korean population in the 21st century.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2008

Objective:　We compared the prevalence of injury and poisoning in the agricultural and fishery population with that of the general population.Methods: The national health insurance data and agricultufor this study. The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio was used to compare the prevalence of all injuries and poisonings of the agricultural and fishery population with that of the general population for the year 2002, as well as the prevalence of certain injuries and poisonings common to the agricultural and fishery population. The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio and 95% confidence intervals were attained by using the general population as the standard population group.Results: The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio of total injuries and poisonings was significantly high in the agriculture and fishery population. The standardized morbidity ratio was 137.6 in the male agriculture and fishery population and 123.3 in the female agriculture and fishery population. In terms of injuries and poisonings common to the agriculture and fishery population, the age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio was significantly high regarding the dislocations and strains of lumbar spine/pelvis, shoulder and neck, the fracture of rib/thoracic spine/sternum and pesticide poisoning.Conclusions: The overall prevalence of injury/poisoning was significantly higher in the agriculture and fishery population than in the general population. Various forms of research should be conducted on the injuries of the agriculture and fishery population in the future. In order to compare the differences in the prevalence rates of injuries according to time and region, standard definitions of injuries and occupation related injuries are required.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate hygienic behavior of food handlers and general population focusing on awareness of hand-washing and the microbial load of their hands. Methods: A questionnaire survey and microbiological analysis were carried out for sixty-four people each. Samples for microbiological analysis were collected through the glove-juice method from the hands, and were analyzed for the presence of aerobic plate counts, total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. according to the Food Code of Korea. Results: In the survey, significant differences between the food handlers and general population (p < 0.01) were found in hand-washing frequency, duration, use of hand-washing agents, washing parts of hands, hand-drying method, and method of turning off water. In eight different situations among the ten particular situations in their daily life, more food handlers responded to wash their hands than general population (p < 0.05). Bacterial load on hands with general population was consistently higher than with food handlers (p < 0.05), however, percentages of positive hands of S. aureus and Salmonella spp. were not. Conclusions: Poor hand hygiene practices were indicated by the positive results for E. coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella spp. on the hands of some respondents in both groups. This study reveals that there is the need for programs or campaigns to increase hand-washing practices of both groups.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1415-1420
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• 2015

Background: We compared the health-promoting behavior of long-term cancer survivors with those of the general population to identify necessary behavioral interventions to reduce the health risk among cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We used data from the 2007 and 2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES IV [2007~2009] and KNHANES V [2010~2012]) on smoking status, alcohol use, physical exercise, and disease screening. We compared long-term cancer survivors with members of the general population; the controls were matched by propensity score matching. A multiple logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between cancer status and health-promoting behavior. Results: Long-term cancer survivors had a lower risk of smoking than the general population controls (OR: 0.42, 95%CI: 0.25-0.71). In addition, the long-term cancer survivors had a lower risk of alcohol use than the general population controls (OR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.50-0.98). However, in terms of physical exercise and disease screening, no statistically significant differences were detected (physical exercise OR: 1.01, 95%CI: 0.75-1.35; disease screening OR: 1.27, 95%CI: 0.93-1.74). All covariates were adjusted. Conclusions: The long-term cancer survivors had a much lower risk of smoking and alcohol use than the general population controls. However, almost no differences in physical exercise and screening for cancer recurrence or secondary disease were detected between the long-term cancer survivors and general population controls. To reduce the health risks and challenges facing long-term cancer survivors, interventions to encourage physical exercise and screening for cancer recurrence and secondary disease should be implemented.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.309-318
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Vietnam experience including exposure to military herbicides and cancer incidence in Korean Vietnam War veterans. Methods: The cancer cases of 185 265 Vietnam veterans from January 1, 1992 to December 31, 2003 were confirmed from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database. The age-adjusted incidence and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated using the male population during 1992 to 2003 as a standard population. Results: The age-adjusted overall cancer incidence per 100 000 person-years was 455.3 in Vietnam veterans. The overall cancer incidence was slightly yet significantly lower in veterans (SIR, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.95 to 0.99) than in the general population. The overall cancer incidence in enlisted soldiers was not lower (SIR, 1.00), whereas that in officers was significantly lower (SIR, 0.87) than in the general population. The incidences of prostate cancer and T-cell lymphoma in all veterans, and lung cancer and bladder cancer in enlisted soldiers, and colon cancer and kidney cancer in non-commissioned officers, and colon cancer, kidney cancer, and prostate cancer in officers, were higher than in the general population. The SIR for overall cancer among Vietnam veterans rose from 0.92 for 1992-1997 to 0.99 for 1998-2003. Conclusions: The overall cancer incidence in Vietnam veterans was not higher than in the general male population. Vietnam veterans and military rank subcohorts experienced a higher incidence of several cancers, including prostate cancer, T-cell lymphoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and colon cancer than the general population. The SIR for overall cancer increased over time in Vietnam veterans.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 1974

This experiment has been carried out with a view to elucidating the distribution of Azotobacter and their population size in rhizosphere and sea and designed ro compare the results with some environmental factors. Results of the experiment are summarized as follows: 1) It was observed that the population sizes of Azotobacter were decided upon the moisture content of soil and that the soil pH was one of the most impertant factors influencing the distribution of Azotobacter. 2)Population sizes of Azotobacter in rhizosphere were changed in accordance with the kinds of vegetation on soil: The rhizosphere where bamboo, corn, legume, and oak inhabit showed the largest population size of Azotobacter. On the other hand, rhizosphere of ginseng revealed no Azotobacter. However, the largest population of general fungi were measured at the rhizosphere. 3)Comparing the population sizes of general microbes in rhizosphere with those of non-rhizosphere, the population sizes of microbes in rhizosphere are larger than those of non-rhizosphere. 4)In coastal environments, population sizes of Azotobacter in surface water of sea are similar to those of the soil(mud) of tidal land. But the sizes are generally smaller than those of terrestrial soils.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.213-223
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• 2015

Objectives : Seventh-day Adventists is well known to place a strong doctrinal emphasis on healthy life style that do not consume tobacco, alcohol or pork, and many adhere to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian lifestyle. This study aimed to investigate the difference of mortality between Korean Seventh-day Adventists and the general Korean population. Methods : We got 592 mortality data of Adventist cemetery in Seoul city and Kyunggi provincce of Korea, which contains information on causes of death for 2000-2004. Also we used mortality data of the general Korean population in Korea National Statistics Office for 2000-2004. Results : The mean age at death was 70.45 in Korean Adventists, 65.63 in the general Korean population. Higher neoplasm cause of death, such as of stomach, liver and breast, were observed in Korean Adventists than the general population. The death cause of injury, poisoning and external causes, and cerebrovascular disease were higher in the general population than Korean Adventists. The death cause of stomach cancer was lower in Korean Adventists who had above 10 years religious period than general population above age 50 years. In male, the death cause of lung cancer was lower in Korean Adventists than the general population. Conclusions : The results point to the importance of healthy life-style in Korean peoples, and indicate that lifestyle changes in the population might change the causes of death.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.18-40
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• 2008

Measurements of health related quality of life can be used to compare patients with specific conditions to average individuals in the general population in a similar age and gender group. However there are few data available regarding health related quality of life for the general population of Korea. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the validity of the Korean version of EQ-5D and to measure the health related quality of life of the general adult population in a metropolitan city. The survey was cross-sectional and employed a stratified and multistage sampling design through 100 examination sites in 5 districts of UIsan. A total of 12,644 individuals from 4,112 households participated in the survey. Of these, we analyzed data from 8,068 adults who were over 19 years old and completed the EQ-5D. To examine the validity of the questionnaire, the differences in 5 dimensions and the $EQ-5D_{index}$ were analyzed with regard to demographic and socioeconomic factors such as sex, age, income, and education. In addition, visual analogue scales (VAS) were used to evaluate the overall health related quality of life issues of the respondents. The level of health related quality of life of the general adult population was then compared with the results from the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and other countries. There were a small number of people with problems related tomobility, self-care, and usual activity. In addition, many people complained ofpain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The complaint rate in each dimension, VAS, and $EQ-5D_{index}$ indicated relatively better states for males, the younger group, the higher income group, and the higher education group. In addition, the level of health related quality of life of the general population of Ulsan was relatively higher than that of Koreans nationwide as well as the populations of other countries. EQ-SD provided a valid measure of the health-related quality of life of the general adult population. In addition, the results of a survey of Ulsan revealed that the quality of life of its population is better than that of the overall population of Korea and of the populations of other countries.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.153-167
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• 2014

In this study, changes in the timing of puberty physicality and mentality and beauty characteristics of high school students were characterized for high school students and the general high school population in order to distinguish between interest and beauty and beauty products and beauty behavior for comparative analysis. First, for beauty characteristics of high school students and the general high school population, differences in beauty action and beauty characteristics of high school students were higher than this beauty behavior. Secondly, for the high school students and high school beauty characteristics of general high school population for beauty and beauty products, the difference between interest and multi-functional beauty products that characterize high school students has beauty and beauty products with multi-functional beauty products interest being high. Third, high school students and high school beauty characterize the general high school population of beauty is different from behaviors on its factors with common factors including the psychological gratification 'for reasons of appearance management looks for reasons that do not' have time to manage the response. Two groups of factors that characterize the differences in appearance and beauty as areason to manage high school students interested in the 'style' order, high school students do not manage reasons for lack of interest in the 'general' as a response. Beauty characteristics of high school students in the beauty, beauty products, and products demonstrated a multi-functional information gathering with lots of attention, and much ability can have an active beauty behavior. The general high school population lacks the ability to gather information in accordance with interested beauty behavior being passive. The two groups and beauty behavior patterns of consumption could see that a difference occurred.