• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2011

Objectives: We examined gender differential changes in employment-related health inequalities according to occupational position (professional/nonprofessional) in South Korea during the last decade. Methods: Data were taken from four rounds of Social Statistical Surveys of South Korea (1995, 1999, 2003, and 2006) from the Korean National Statistics Office. The total study population was 55435 male and 33913 female employees aged 25-64. Employment arrangements were divided into permanent, fixed-term, and daily employment. Results: After stratification according to occupational position (professional/nonprofessional) and gender, different patterns in employment - related health inequalities were observed. In the professional group, the gaps in absolute and relative employment inequalities for poor self-rated health were more likely to widen following Korea's 1997 economic downturn. In the nonprofessional group, during the study period, graded patterns of employment-related health inequalities were continuously observed in both genders. Absolute health inequalities by employment status, however, decreased among men but increased among women. In addition, a remarkable increase in relative health inequalities was found among female temporary and daily employees (p = 0.009, < 0.001, respectively), but only among male daily employees (p = 0.001). Relative employment-related health inequalities had clearly widened for female daily workers between 2003 and 2006 (p = 0.047). The 1997 Korean economic downturn, in particular, seemingly stimulated a widening gap in employment health inequalities. Conclusions: Our study revealed that whereas absolute health inequalities in relation to employment status increased in the professional group, relative employment-related health inequalities increased in the nonprofessional group, especially among women. In view of the high concentration of female nonstandard employees, further monitoring of inequality should consider gender specific patterns according to employee's occupational and employment status.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.193-205
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• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the current status of utilization and implementation of health promotion programs for Korean middle-aged women in public health centers. Methods: Three-phase stratified sampling was done to select 1304 middle-aged women (aged 40-64 years) from all regions of Korea. The data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire for individual responses and mailed surveys to 126 public health centers. Descriptive statistics and $x^2$-test were done for data analysis. Results: Only 12 of the 126 public health centers (9.9%) implemented health promotion programs for middle-aged women, with the lack of manpower being cited as the main reason for the absence of programs. From individual responses, 11.3% had participated in health promotion programs offered by public health centers. The main reasons for not participating were inconvenient times and lack of information. Significant differences were found in the frequency of participation in programs, exercise programs and diabetes management according to the size of region. The majority of the respondents cited the need for medical services, followed by programs focused on stroke prevention and leisure time management. The responses on the willingness to participate followed a similar pattern. Conclusion: There are gaps between the utilization of health promotion programs by middle-aged women and what is offered by public health centers. The results of this study support the need to develop more health promotion programs focusing specifically on the needs of middle-aged women.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.55-76
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• 1999

In order to understand the local council members' attitudes to the health policy, we conducted mail surveys using self-administered questionaire for 2 months(February and March. 1995). The study subjects were 2.312 local council members in Korea, but only about 11% among whom. 257 persons, responded to 2 times mail survey. This response rate revealed that the local council members was not interested in health care fields. The main results were as follows; The respondents thought that the economic and income development was most important among 15 regional policy agendas and the health care was the 5th or 7th important agenda. They. who had more health needs of and poor access to health care, tended to think that the health care was more important. They considered lobbying to and persuading the civil servants as the best method to tackle the local health care policy agenda. The respondents, who had poor access to health care facilities. tended to set the highest priority for the expansion of public and private health care resources. They expected that the election of local governor would activate the public health program more than thought that the program was implemented more actively than other region. The main opinion of respondents was that the central government had to take over planning and financing for the public health program, and the basic local government had to implment the program and budgeting. The majority of respondents agreed the private dominant medical care delivery system and nation-wide uniformed financing mechanism. Over 60% of them suggested that they were ready to suffer environmental pollution inducing health hazards for the purpose of regional economic and income development. About 75% of them favour the campaign for antismoking regardless of reducing local government's revenue from sale tax.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.266-280
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• 2013

Background: Information asymmetry between physicians and patients is one of the most unique characteristics of health care. But as consumerism spreads in health care sector, health care consumers are searching comparative information about quality and cost of providers from many information sources. Providing comparative information to health care consumers not only makes consumers choose hospital rationally, but also invigorates the health care market by providers' competition. However there are few studies regarding information searching behavior of health care consumers, then this study is carried out. Methods: The purpose of this study is to understand the information searching behavior of health care consumers based on their characteristics and the types of medical institutions. For this purpose, 313 spinal patients' data of 11 medical institutions (university hospital, spine specialized hospital, clinic) located in Seoul were collected by self-administered surveys. Results: The results of this study are as follows: 1) t-test/analysis of variance analysis showed that according to various characteristics of health care consumers and the types of medical institutions, the level of information searching of each source and the amount of information searching and searching outcomes are statistically different. 2) Regression analysis showed that influence on searching outcomes are statistically different according to the level of information searching of each source and searching content and the amount of information searching has positive effects on searching outcomes. Conclusion: The significance of this study is to provide empirical basis for establishment of health care policy reflecting information needs and preference of health care consumers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2024

Objectives: Protecting people against financial hardship caused by illness stands as a fundamental obligation within healthcare systems and constitutes a pivotal component in achieving universal health coverage. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence and determinants of catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) in Iran, over the period of 2013 to 2019. Methods: Data were obtained from 7 annual national surveys conducted between 2013 and 2019 on the income and expenditures of Iranian households. The prevalence of CHE was determined using a threshold of 40% of household capacity to pay for healthcare. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants influencing CHE. Results: The prevalence of CHE increased from 3.60% in 2013 to 3.95% in 2019. In all the years analyzed, the extent of CHE occurrence among rural populations exceeded that of urban populations. Living in an urban area, having a higher wealth index, possessing health insurance coverage, and having employed family members, an employed household head, and a literate household head are all associated with a reduced likelihood of CHE (p<0.05). Conversely, the use of dental, outpatient, and inpatient care, and the presence of elderly members in the household, are associated with an increased probability of facing CHE (p<0.05). Conclusions: Throughout the study period, CHE consistently exceeded the 1% threshold designated in the national development plan. Continuous monitoring of CHE and its determinants at both household and health system levels is essential for the implementation of effective strategies aimed at enhancing financial protection.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-42
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• 2007

In actuality, as most of harmful businesses running at school environment hygiene purification zones are stationeries with game rooms, comic book stores, PC rooms, etc., which are highly accessible to students, they become serious problems in school environment. The present study conducted a survey of violation cases at school environment sanitation and purification zones around 21 elementary schools in Seoul. The objectives of this study are, first, to investigate harmful environment around schools regulated by the School Health Act, and second, to suggest plans to improve harmful environment around schools. According to the results of our survey, illegal acts and facilities observed at school environment sanitation and purification zones are as follows. Amusement pubs/room saloons occupied 52.5%, singing rooms 15.4%, game rooms 15.1%, billiard clubs 4.3%, gambling houses 4.3%, hotels/motels/inns 3.6%, cartoon shops 2.6%, video rooms 1.0%, LPG storages 0.7%, and infectious disease hospitals/detention hospitals/detention facilities 0.7%. As it is required to make continuous and systematic surveys and researches on the environmental hygiene around schools, we need to manage school environment efficiently through cooperation among the government, education offices and individual schools.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.11-13
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• 1973

The nutritive value of foods is the most essential and fundamental data in food administration, nutrition surveys, dietary clinic, and in the conduct of nutritional education. The nutritive values of 283 different kinds of selected Korean foods were investigated and reported in our previous reports already. In this report, another 21 kinds of Korean foods are studied for their proximate components, minerals and vitamins. The foods were sampled at random from the markets or from cultivating fields. The methods of sampling and of chemical analysis were same as employed in the previous reports. The results are shown in the table. The nutritive value of the rest of Korean foods will be studied continuously.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a specialized education curriculum aimed at helping nurses prepare for running and managing a Maternal-Child Health Center (Postpartum Care Center). Method: This study was conducted by an academy and industry joint research group consisting of professors of Nursing, and nurses actually running a Postpartum Care Center. The group compiled job descriptions of nursing through document research, interviews and observation during site visits, surveys, and seminars. They then performed a feasibility study and developed the final curriculum. Result: The education curriculum is a 32-week(2semester) program compromised of a theory part (12 credits, 180 hours) covering maternal and infant care and business start-up and field practice (3 credits, 45 hours). Courses in the theory part include an antenatal care, overview and details of maternal care, starting a business and its management. Of these courses, the overview of a maternal care course was developed with web-based contents. Field practice is designed to give students opportunities to visit Postpartum Care Centers, observe the care provided, and get hands-on experience. Conclusion: The specialized education curriculum is a 32-week course comprised of 12 credits on theory of antenatal care, overview and details of maternal care, infant care, starting and operating a business and 3 credits of field practice.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.432-438
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This research was conducted to develop a construct model regarding the dietary style, late night snacking choice attributes and health promotion behaviors of industrial workers. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The surveys were collected during the period between January and February 2013. A statistical analysis of 888 industrial workers was conducted using SPSS 12.0 for Windows and SEM (Structural Equation Model) using AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structure) 5.0 statistics package. RESULTS: The results of the correlations between all variables showed significant positive correlations (P < 0.05). Results of factors analysis on dietary styles were categorized into five factors and health promotion behaviors were categorized into four. The reliability of these findings was supported by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.6 and higher for all other factors. After obtaining the factors from processing an exploratory factor analysis and the end results supported the validity. In an attempt to study the late night snacking choice attributes in accordance to dietary styles and the health promotion behaviors of industrial workers, a structural equation model was constructed and analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: All tests proved the model satisfied the recommended levels of the goodness on fit index, and thus, the overall research model was proved to be appropriate.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.571-580
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with unmet dental needs among adults with activity limitations. Methods: Data were obtained from the seventh Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The final sample consisted of 945 adults aged 20 years or older with limited activity. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the influence of predisposing, enabling, and need factors on unmet dental needs. Results: The proportion of adults with unmet dental needs during the last year was 52.2% in the middle-aged group and 45.5% in the older adult group. Higher household income was associated with fewer unmet dental needs in both groups. In the older adult group, married people were less likely to have unmet dental needs. In the middle-aged group, adults who perceived their oral health as poor were more likely to have unmet dental needs. Conclusions: All three factors (predisposing, enabling, and need) were found to be associated with unmet dental needs among adults with activity limitations. Special efforts should be made to improve access to dental care services for middle-aged adults with activity limitations.