• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.477-488
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• 2007

Prevalence of an obese population has been increasing in Korea. Obesity is considered a major risk factor for chronic degenerative diseases. Specifically, prevalence of obesity is prominent for adult woman in Korea. In many weight control programs, weight change did not often show any beneficial effects for health. These facts discourage people in the program. Thus in this study, the anthropometry, blood pressure, serum biochemical indices and dietary habits were compared by percent body fat change for adult women to show the beneficial effects of the weight control program. Study subjects were 134. Measurements were done before and after the weight control program. Percent Body Fat (PBF) was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Using PBF changes, subjects were grouped as I (more than 1% increase), M (${\pm}1%$ change), and D (more than 1% decrease). Data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 program. Among the 134 participants, 13 increased their weight and 100 decreased. For PBF, 19 increased and 59 decreased. Statistical significant differences were shown for anthropometric assessments before and after for all weight, fat mass, percent body fat, waist-hip ratio and body mass index. I had increases, and D shows decreases. But the difference of D is large than M. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased in all groups (p < 0.05). Fasting blood glucose decreased in all groups but were statistically significant only in D. Also triglyceride decreased in D (p < 0.05). Thus health conditions showed desirable changes in I < M < D in order. Dietary habit changes were desirable with only D. Weight, BMI and other indicators for obesity is not the real indicator for PBF. Recently it is easy to measure PBF. Thus, for weight control programs and to show benefits of the program, PBF is a good indicator for adult women in Korea.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-87
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• 2024

Objectives : This study is to investigate the current National Health Insurance Database cohort studies related to complications of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and suggest the design of Korean medical epidemiological studies of PD. Methods : Nationwide longitudinal studies of PD patients in South Korea were collected through Pubmed and the Korea Citation Index (KCI). We selected cohort studies that used the National Health Insurance Database in Korea and targeted Parkinson's disease patients. Studies published before February 2024 were categorized according to study designs. We examined variables and covariates, enroll dates and matching methods. Results : Of a total of 536 studies, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies used the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database and among them, 5 used sample data and one senior database. Studies can be classified into two types. 11 cohort studies were comparing PD patients and non-PD patients. Another type was 4 PD patients cohort studies. Most studies used two diagnostic codes (G20 and V124) for inclusion criteria. Enroll periods were from 2002 to 2017, and follow-up periods were from 7 to 14 years. 16 studies considered age and sex as covariates. 15 studies used the propensity score matching method to increase the level of causality. There was only one study related to the Korean medical treatment. Conclusion : In future cohort studies on Korean medical treatment, more attempts should be made to reveal the effect of the treatments on PD patients by defining inclusion criteria for patient groups, covariates, exposure variables, and assessment indicators more operatively.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.349-356
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• 2024

By 2025, South Korea is expected to enter an ultra-aged society with the elderly comprising 20.6% of the population. We measured changes in health status before and after by the use of a "Cognition-Emotion Enhancement Chatbot Integrated Product" among Baby Boomer generation women. Fifty participants, proficient in smart device usage and willing to provide data, were selected from health communities in Seoul. After excluding some applicants, 43 Baby Boomer women were analyzed. Results revealed significant differences in post-chatbot use physical activity (43.5.21 ± 1310.39 MET) and depression levels (6.84 ± 3.53). Correlation between the two variables was not statistically significant. The findings suggest specific effects of the chatbot on physical activity and depression, emphasizing the need for future research with diverse health indicators.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.505-511
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• 2007

Objectives : While cervical cancer is one of the leading cancers among women worldwide, there are a number of effective early detection tests available. However, the participation rates in cervical cancer screening among Korean women remain low. After the nationwide efforts in 1988 and thereafter to encourage participation in cervical cancer screening, few studies have investigated the effects of socioeconomic inequality on participation in cervical cancer screening. The purpose of this study was to investigate 1) the level of socioeconomic disparities in receiving cervical cancer screening by age group and 2) if there was an improvement in reducing these disparities between 1995 and 2001. Methods : Using data from the Korean National Health Status, Health Behavior and Belief Survey in 1995, the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1998 and 2001 (sample sizes of 2,297, 3,738, and 3,283), age-standardized participation rates were calculated according to education level, equivalized household income, and job status. Odds ratios and the relative inequality index (RII) were also calculated after controlling for age. Results : Women with lower education levels were less likely to attend the screening test, and the disparities by education level were most pronounced among women aged 60 years and older. The RIIs among women 60 years and older were 3.64, 4.46, and 8.64 in 1995, 1998, and 2001, respectively. Higher rates of participation were reported among those in the highest income category, which was more notable among the middle aged women (40s and 50s). An inconsistent trend in the rate of participation in cervical cancer screening by occupational level was found. Conclusions : Indicators of socioeconomic position seem to have varying impacts on the inequalities in the rates of participation in cervical cancer screening according to age group. These results demonstrate the need for more aggressive and age-based interventions and policy programs to eliminate the remaining inequalities.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2017

The present study was aimed at evaluating whether white rice consumption has any association with selected measures of dietary intake and nutrients, including various variables of energy intake, major vitamin, mineral intakes, and the risk of health characteristics for over 60 years older. A total of 1,433 subjects (658 male and 775 females) 60 years or older from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey(KNHANES) 2010 participated and the Food Commodity Intake Database were used in this study. Levels of percent energy intake from rice were classified into 4 groups (R1, R2, R3, R4 groups: 25% of each) between male and female elderly using data from KNHANES. One of the interesting findings was that the higher rice consumers had a significantly sufficient intakes of a range of nutrients such as total energy intake, protein, carbohydrate, calcium, mineral, sodium, potassium, and niacin in female elderly, but not much in male. Other finding was that as the higher intake of rice group, prevalence of hypertension (53.5%, 63.4%, 50.3%, 46.3%, p=0.035), dyslipidemia (16.6%, 18.0%, 14.5%, 11.1%, p=0.008), sarcopenia (46.1%, 46.1%, 40.2%, 28.8%, p=0.012), sarcopenic obesity (25.4%, 31.5%, 23.7%, 15.5%, p=0.008) were significantly less than other groups in female, but not much in male. In conclusion, we obtained valuable basic information on recommended rice-centered diet could give us good nutritional status and eventually bring the prevention of some chronic diseases in elderly, especially in female.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.757-767
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• 2006

Biological assessments are the primary tool for evaluating the biological condition of a water body and makes it possible to understand accumulative and long-term effect of stressors. They also provide reliable biological information for which disturbed systems are to be restored. Sustainable water environment is not enough with attaining only the clean water, but it should sustain healthy and diverse aquatic life. Aquatic organisms are affected by various factors, including not only water quality but also habitat condition and stressors, and thus good condition of both physical and chemical water quality is prerequisite for sustaining healthy organisms. Therefore, biological assessment, along with other physical and chemical assessments, are crucial for evaluating the health of a water body. Overall, sustainability of water environment demands the attainment and maintenance of ecological integrity, which is resulted from the combination of physical, chemical and biological integrity. The biological criteria will play very important role in the water resource management and policy issues, and thus bioassessment program should be fully implemented and supported eventually by the law. To keep ecosystem health of water environment safely from the toxic pollutants and other stressors, the following suggestions need to be considered in environmental quality standards in Korea. For the first step, the biological indicators need to be introduced in evaluating river quality condition; they provide a qualitative description of biological condition of water body. Secondly, the biological water quality standards using biotic indices should be developed and implemented under the consideration of characteristics of Korean river systems. Lastly, the ecological status classification regime (ESCR) should be developed and introduced; it could be used in quality assessment of the water environment in general. In developing ESCR, integration of physico-chemical, biological, and habitat parameters should be taken into account.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.188-198
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• 2008

Since 2003, the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) of Korea has been conducting "The monitoring study on exposure level and biomarkers of environmental pollutants" in the Ulsan industrial complex with the goals to establish a surveillance system for residents, to evaluate the health effects associated with chronic exposure to environmental pollutants and to develop the environmental health indicators in Ulsan industrial complex. This program consists of three phases an initial or foundation phase in which the program is developed, made operational and extended to the community, followed by an evaluation and accountability assessment of the surveillance system and finally an improvement in the quality of life and the maintenance of good health for Ulsan residents. In the period 2003 to 2008, the study program developed the surveillance system which will be used for the full-length survey. All participants in this study were contacted at a presentation meeting for residents, introduced to the objectives and protocols of the survey, and asked to participate. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. The study is now underway and includes questionnaires, health examinations and the analysis/collection/banking of bio-sample such as blood and urine. To date 828 subjects have participated and already 588 subjects have been followed up. We are committed to complete health examinations and to arrange storage of biosample for all participants. During the current year, we will analyze metals (Pb in blood and Cd, inorganic As and Hg in urine) in 1,972 samples and VOCs (11 species) and PARs (18 species) in 300 samples (blood sample). Moreover, the summary of the first step and the further preparation of the second step are currently underway. In this article, we introduce the study and its protocols and the distribution and size of the study participants. In conclusion, this survey will be continuously conducted on the established cohort and will enable the identification of relationship between environmental pollutant exposures and the health status of residents in Ulsan industrial complex.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.119-131
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the diabetic management indicators between agriculture, forestry, and fishery workers (AFF) and other occupational adults (non-AFF) in community-dwelling diabetes. Methods: The study population consisted of 22,127 diabetic population ${\geq}19years$ who participated in the 2015 Community Health Survey. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis was used to compare the diabetic management indicators between AFF and non-AFF. Socioeconomic characteristics such as age, gender, education level, monthly household income, National Basic Livelihood Security status, and marital status was sequentially adjusted. Results: Among total diabetic population, 3,712 people (16.8%) was AFF and 18,415 people (83.2%) was non-AFF. The fully-adjusted odds ratio [OR] (95% confidence interval [CI]) of current non-medical treatment (0.72, 0.66-0.79), measurement of hemoglobin A1c (0.61, 0.55-0.67), screening for diabetic retinopathy (0.76, 0.70-0.83), screening for diabetic nephropathy (0.75, 0.70-0.81), non-alcoholic or moderate drinking (0.70, 0.64-0.78), nutrition label reading (0.83, 0.71-0.98), low salt preference (0.85, 0.78-0.93), dental examination (0.60, 0.54-0.66), scaling experience (0.84, 0.77-0.93), regular toothbrushing (0.66, 0.58-0.76), and diabetes management education (0.84, 0.77-0.92) was significantly lower in AFF compared to non-AFF. In contrast, the fully-adjusted OR (95% CI) of AFF's low stress level (1.39, 1.26-1.52) and adequate sleep duration (1.22, 1.13-1.32) was significantly higher than non-AFF, which are better indicators of diabetic management in AFF. Conclusions: Overall, the level of diabetes management of AFF was not as good as that of non-AFF. In order to improve the level of diabetes management of AFF, a delicate diabetes intervention strategy considering the occupational characteristics of AFF will be needed.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.60-71
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• 2011

Purpose: This study explored cardiovascular health (CVH), depressive symptoms, and well-being among community-based Korean women according to hwa-byung (HB) symptoms. Methods: This cross-sectional study measured HB symptoms, depressive symptoms, quality of life (QoL), and spiritual well-being (SWB) in addition to biophysical indicators of CVH. Results: Fourteen women of the HB group are more likely to live alone with lower income than 36 women in the comparison group. Compared to the comparison group, the HB group has larger mean waist circumference and higher prevalence of abdominal obesity along with more knee arthritis and back pain. Although women in the HB group appeared worse in other CVH than their counterparts, this was not statistically significant. It is noteworthy, that the HB group showed a higher probability of having a hard cardiovascular event (CVE) within 10 years than the comparison group. Women in the HB group reported more depressive symptoms, poor QoL, and low SWB as well as smoking and sleep difficulties. Conclusion: Despite the small sample size, significant relationships of HB symptoms to abdominal obesity, the probability of a hard CVE within 10 years, and psychosocial health were found. Strategies for effective community-based cardiovascular programs for Korean women may include HB screening and/or management.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 2019

Higher thermal exposure can influence the blood cell morphology and count. Hence, based on the previous results (Rahman et al., 2019), the present study evaluated the morphometric indices of erythrocytes and their nucleus under different water temperatures (25℃, 28℃, 31℃, and 34℃) to investigate their use as an indicator of thermal stress in red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara. 180 healthy specimens of E. akaara were exposed to four temperature conditions (25℃ as control, 28℃, 31℃, and 34℃) for 42 days, following 2 weeks of acclimation at 25℃. Erythrocyte major axis (EL), erythrocyte minor axis (EW), nucleus major axis (NL), and nucleus minor axis (NW) were examined from the blood smears on each sampling day (i.e., 2, 7, and 42 days of thermal exposure). EL and NL were significantly decreased, whereas EW and NW were increased at higher water temperature (31℃ and 34℃). The major-minor axis proportions of erythrocytes and their nucleus (EL/EW; NL/NW) were decreased with increasing water temperature (31℃ and 34℃). The strong relationships were observed among the morphometric indices of erythrocytes and their nucleus, especially in EL vs. NL and EW vs. NW. This study reveals that elevated water temperature (31℃ and 34℃) can influence the major and minor axis morphometry of erythrocytes and their nucleus in red spotted grouper. These indices may be used as stress indicators to monitor the health status of E. akaara and probably for other fish species.