• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.224-239
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• 1994

In this study we examined several subjective symptoms in an exposed group and an unexposed group to perchloroethylene. The exposed group consists to 30 workers employed in 23 dry-cleaning establishments located in Chung Cheung Do, whereas the unexposed group consists of 42 officers employed in a certain university. This study was conducted from October, 1993 to March, 1994. Also we investigated personal exposure levels and area concentration of PCE, and performed hematological and biochemical examination in blood and urine samples from the exposed group. The results are : 1. The exposed group highly complains several subjective symptoms, particularly in neuropsychiatry, eye, respiratory system and digestive system, compared with the unexposed group. But complaint rates in the exposed group are not related with PCE exposure levels. 2. PCE exposure levels for all dry-cleaning establishment varied widely, from 0.18 to 37.58ppm. The mean exposure level for centers of chain was 16.85ppm, and for local laundries was 8.83ppm, while for self-service establishment it was 3.07ppm. Eighty three percent of the workers were exposed less than the half-level(25.0ppm) of the Korea 50.0ppm standard for eight-hour PCE exposure. Seventeen percent of them exceeded the half-level of the Korea TLV. 3. Statistical correlation exists between the work load(number of operation cycles of equipment and the mass of processed textiles) and the personal exposure levels to be observed. 4. In hematological examination the values of WBC, RBC, Hgb, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC and PLT in the exposed group were within normal ranges. In biochemical examination(GOT, GPT, ALP, U-A and LDH) most of the items were within normal ranges. From this surveys conducted on 23 dry-cleaning establishments, the complaint rates of the exposed group to PCE in several subjective symptoms were higher than those of the unexposed group, and PCE exposure levels in all dry-cleaning establishment were below the Koera standard 50.0ppm. In hematological and biochemical examination the significant abnormalities by occupational exposure to PCE were not observed. However, the workers employed in dry-cleaning establishments are always faced with risk, becauses they are also exposed to several organic solvents used to remove stains. Therefore, various measures to improve occupational environment in dry-cleaning establishment should be considered.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.559-568
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• 2018

This study examined the factors affecting abdominal obesity by sex among the Korean elderly focusing on health and health behavior related factors. The data utilized in this study were derived from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI-3) conducted from January to December 2015 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The subjects of this study were 599 men and 793 women over the age of 65 for whom their waist circumference was known. The data were analyzed by a complex sampling design method applying weights using the SPSS 23.0 program. Korean elderly showed significant differences in demographic factors, health-related factors, and health behaviors according to gender. The abdominal obesity rate of elderly males was 38.3%, while that of elderly females was 50.5%. Among the factors related to health and health behavior, frequency of binge drinking among elderly male and subjective health status of elderly females were significant factors influencing abdominal obesity. Therefore, programs for abdominal obesity management of elderly Koreans should be planned with consideration of differences in health related factors and health behavior and influencing factors by sex.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.19-40
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• 1999

In order to ascertain the attitudes of residents to their health and the National Health Promotion Law, surveyors interviewed 1,220 subjects, 1% of men and women in Kyungsan city, who were twenty-year-old or more. The major findings are as follows: Men and women were 48.2% and 51.8%, respectively. The recognition rate of enacting and enforcing this law is 59.2% of men and 51.3% of women. With regard to the behavioral attitude to the health in the distinction of sex and age, current smokers are 31.2% of the interviewees, 61.6% of the men and 3.3% of the women. Current drinkers are 35.1%, 59.5% of the men and 12.3% of the women, but on the other hand there is little significance in the distinction of age. The acknowledgement proportion of enacting and enforcing this law is 59.2% of male and 51.3% of female. In terms of the recognition rate of the contents according to the general characteristics of interviewees, it appears that the indication of a warning expression on a packing paper of cigarette case and a liquor bottle is 92.4% and also the designation of a smoking free area in public facilities is 94.8%. Prohibition of cigarette-sale to the teenagers who are under 19, is 96.0%. Considering these facts, the recognition rate is high. On the contrary, 48.8% is accounted for encouraging a medical check-up before marriage which is in a low position. As a result of multiple behavior as a independent educational level, marital significant variables. In case of having undergone a periodic medical examination the recognition rate was high whereas frequent exercise led to the low recognition rate. Concerning the details of the undertaking in accordance with each factor of general characteristics, the greater part of them have been appraised successfully whether it is recognized or not. On the other side, no effect got answered about the result of the undertaking subjects to general and peculiar behavior attitude towards health was in effect or not. A great majority approved of more reinforcement of legal regulation about smoking and drinking regardless of whether they perceived the details of the law of promotion of National Health Promotion Law or not. Additionally there was significant difference in reinforcing legal regulation of smoking and drinking in compliance with the attitude of the substance of this law. With regard to education, public relations and evaluation about national health through public health centers by our government, the younger and the higher in education they are, the more deficient they feel. First of all, those who were aware of the enforcement of this law as well as plenty of scarcity answered that better service of disease prevention had to be expanded than ever. In consideration of the above-stated results, the education to public health and the business of public relations should be reinforced and a practical campaign for health life should also spread out for the purpose of encouraging to practise healthy life-style.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.287-300
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• 2010

Objectives: We identified factors associated with any participation and with "good participation" (as assessed by frequency of attendance) in health promotion programs at a public health center in Korea. Methods: The subjects included 199 women who attended a baseline examination of health promotion programs during the first half of 2009. We collected data by structured interviews and physical examinations. Participation status was quantified by the frequency of attendance to the program. We classified the subjects as non-participants (0) and participants (1+ times), and as poor participants (0-29 times) and good participants (30+ times). Results: Of the 199 subjects, there were 57 (28.6%) non-participants, while 56 (28.1%) were classified as good participants. The factors that significantly affected participation status, as identified by univariate analysis, were personal factors (age, educational level, marital status, religion, living with someone, monthly income), environmental factors (method of access, accessibility of other facilities), body mass index, hypertension, perceived barriers to health, emotional salience, affectionate domain of social support, and depression. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that method of access was the most significant factor affecting participation in the health promotion program, and that the factors most highly associated with good participation were emotional salience, hypertension and body mass index. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that specific factors determine and enhance participation in health promotion programs offered by public health centers. These factors should be considered during the design and evaluation of health promotion programs that are offered by public health centers.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.251-260
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of the Body Shape Index (ABSI) with suicide ideation and suicide attempts by controlling the body mass index (BMI), as well as general characteristics that may affect suicide. The study has used The Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2013 to 2015. A total of 13,155 participants were studied, excluding those who had no information on variables that could affect suicidal ideations and suicidal attempts. The chi-squared test and the multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. The results of the analysis showed that those who had obesity in BMI were more likely to commit suicide and suicide than those who were in 'standard' in BMI. In ABSI, Q3 group was more likely to commit suicide than Q1 group. The number of suicide attempt was significantly higher in the group with Q3 in ABSI than in Q1 group (3.623 times (95% CI 1.027-12.772)). The results of this study suggest that a higher ABSI compared to BMI means that it is possible to make a more extreme choice of suicide attempt rather than suicide ideation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.307-314
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• 2008

Objectives : We conducted an epidemiologic survey to evaluate the effect of the aircraft noise exposure on the health of the residents near the military airbases in Pyeongtaek City. Methods : The evaluation of environmental noise level, questionnaire survey, and health examination were performed for 917 residents. The study population consisted of four groups: subjects who lived in the village close to the fighter airbase (high exposure), subjects who lived along the course of fighters (intermediate exposure), and subjects near a helicopter airbase, and the control group. Results : The prevalence of the aircraft noise related accident and irritable bowel syndrome in the exposure groups were higher than that of the control group. The risks of noise induced hearing loss, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were higher in the exposed groups than in the control group. The prevalence of anxiety disorder and primary insomnia were higher in the exposed groups than in the control group. Prevalence odd ratios of the risk for primary insomnia after adjusting age, sex, agricultural noise, and occupation were 4.03 [95% confidence interval (95% Cl) 1.56-10.47] for the subject near the helicopter airbase, 1.23 (95% Cl 0.40-3.76) for those intermediately exposed to fighter noise, and 4.99 (95% Cl 2.14-11.64) for those highly exposed to fighter noise. Conclusions : The results of the present study suggest that the aircraft noise may have adverse effects on hearing function, cardiovascular health and mental health. Therefore, it seems to be needed to take proper measures including the control of the aircraft noise and the management of the exposed people's health.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.323-332
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• 2017

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the decision on whether to receive regular oral check-ups among the national health insurance beneficiaries with income and aged over 20 years in Korea. This was a cross-sectional study, using the data from the 2014 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI-2), conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The final sample included 2,843 subjects who participated in the health examination survey and oral check-ups. The IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 20.0 was used for the statistical analysis, based on the complex sampling design. The Rao-Scott chi-square test was used to verify the difference in the distribution of independent variables with regard to oral check-ups. The binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influencing factors. The ratio of beneficiaries who received oral check-ups was less than half of those who received medical examinations. The Rao-Scott chi-square test, revealed significant differences in the age group (p<0.05) of the predisposing factors, toothache within a year (p<0.001), untreated dental caries (p<0.001) of the need factors, personal income level (p<0.001), educational level (p<0.001), type of medical insurance (p<0.001), and private health insurance (p<0.01) of the enabling factors. In the binary logistic regression analysis, factors influencing oral check-ups were age group, personal income level, educational level, toothache within a year, and untreated dental caries. These findings show a variety of factors influencing the utilization of regular oral check-ups.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.253-259
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• 2011

The rapid rise in the incidence of obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing global public health issues in recent years. The underlying etiological causes of obesity, whether behavioral, environmental, genetic, or a combination of several of them, have not been completely elucidated. The obesity epidemic has been attributed to the ready availability, abundance, and overconsumption of high-energy content food. We determined here by Pearson's correlation the relationship between food type consumption and rising obesity using the loss-adjusted food availability data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Services (ERS) as well as the obesity prevalence data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our analysis showed that total calorie intake and consumption of high fructose com syrup (HFCS) did not correlate with rising obesity trends. Intake of other major food types, including chicken, dairy fats, salad and cooking oils, and cheese also did not correlate with obesity trends. However, our results surprisingly revealed that consumption of com products correlated with rising obesity and was independent of gender and race/ethnicity among population dynamics in the U.S. Therefore, we were able to demonstrate a novel link between the consumption of com products and rising obesity trends that has not been previously attributed to the obesity epidemic. This correlation coincides with the introduction of bioengineered corns into the human food chain, thus raising a new hypothesis that should be tested in molecular and animal models of obesity.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.628-637
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing quality of life among cancer survivors in order to identify strategies for cancer survivors to go back to normal life and carry on stable and high quality life. This study used Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2010-2014), conducted by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC). The sample of this study was 610 cancer survivors and their average time since diagnosis was about 11 years. The most powerful influencing factors for quality of life among cancer survivors were activity limitation(${\beta}$=.30, p<.001), followed by age(${\beta}$=-.20, p<.001), subjective health status(${\beta}$ =-.19, p<.001), and economic status(${\beta}$=.12, p=.004). According to the result, limitation on daily activities or social activities due to physical or mental debilitation was a strong factor that lowers quality of life among cancer survivors. Hence, there is a need for manpower and infrastructure that facilitates, supports, and manage daily activities of cancer survivors.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.252-257
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (K-SIS 3.0) in patients with stroke. Methods: Patients with stroke longer than 3 months were invited to participate in the study at specialized rehabilitation centers in Busan. Information on patients was collected using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Modified Bathel Index (MBI), Beck Depression Index (BDI), WHODAS 2.0-12 item, and K-SIS. Floor and ceiling effects of each domain of K-SIS were examined. The internal consistency of each domain of the K-SIS was calculated using Cronbach's ${\alpha}$. Correlation between K-SIS and each scale was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: Ninety subjects participated in the study. The K-SIS was found to have excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's ${\alpha}=0.93$). Each domain of the consistency ranged from 0.86 to 0.94, except the emotion (${\alpha}=0.51$). Significant correlations were observed between MMSE and domains of memory and thinking, and communication (r=0.48 and 0.52 respectively). BDI was negatively related to domains of emotion, ADL, mobility, and participation (r=-0.43, -0.49, -0.52 and -0.33 respectively). Specific daily activity (MBI) and general functioning (WHODAS 2.0) were also found to be closely related to the domains of ADL, mobility, and participation (ranging from r=-0.41 to r=-0.59). No ceiling and floor effect was observed. Conclusion: Excellent reliability and validity of K-SIS were obtained in the study and it could be suggested that K-SIS may be used for patients with stroke for collection of information on functioning in the clinical context.