• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.132-140
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• 2005

Objectives: To propose a risk-adjustment model from insurance claims data, and analyze the changes in cesarean section rates of healthcare organizations after adjusting for risk distribution. Methods: The study sample included delivery claims data from January to September, 2003. A risk-adjustment model was built using the 1st quarter data, and the 2nd and 3rd quarter data were used for a validation test. Patients' risk factors were adjusted using a logistic regression analysis. The c-statistic and Hosmer-Lemeshow test were used to evaluate the performance of the risk-adjustment model. Crude, predicted and risk-adjusted rates were calculated, and compared to analyze the effects of the adjustment. Results: Nine risk factors (malpresentation, eclampsia, malignancy, multiple pregnancies, problems in the placenta, previous Cesarean section, older mothers, bleeding and diabetes) were included in the final risk-adjustment model, and were found to have statistically significant effects on the mode of delivery. The c-statistic (0.78) and Hosmer-Lemeshow test ($x^2$=0.60, p=0.439) indicated a good model performance. After applying the 2nd and 3rd quarter data to the model, there were no differences in the c-statistic and Hosmer-Lemeshow $x^2$. Also, risk factor adjustment led to changes in the ranking of hospital Cesarean section rates, especially in tertiary and general hospitals. Conclusion: This study showed a model performance, using medical record abstracted data, was comparable to the results of previous studies. Insurance claims data can be used for identifying areas where risk factors should be adjusted. The changes in the ranking of hospital Cesarean section rates implied that crude rates can mislead people and therefore, the risk should be adjusted before the rates are released to the public. The proposed risk-adjustment model can be applied for the fair comparisons of the rates between hospitals.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2012

Objectives: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers related to occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens were assessed in a tertiary-care hospital in Middle East. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken using a self-administered questionnaire based on 3 paired (infectivity known vs. not known-suspected) case studies. Only 17 out of 230 respondents had an exposure in the 12 months prior to the survey and of these, only 2 had complied fully with the hospital's exposure reporting policy. Results: In the paired case studies, the theoretical responses of participating health professionals showed a greater preference for initiating self-directed treatment with antivirals or immunisation rather than complying with the hospital protocol, when the patient was known to be infected. The differences in practice when exposed to a patient with suspected blood pathogens compared to patient known to be infected was statistically significant (p < 0.001) in all 3 paired cases. Failure to test an infected patient's blood meant that an adequate risk assessment and appropriate secondary prevention could not be performed, and reflected the unwillingness to report the occupational exposure. Conclusion: Therefore, the study demonstrated that healthcare providers opted to treat themselves when exposed to patient with infectious disease, rather than comply with the hospital reporting and assessment protocol.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2017

Background: Pelvic ring fractures (PRFs) may influence the daily activities and quality of life of the injured. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore the functional outcomes and factors related to return to work (RTW) after PRF. Methods: During the years 2003-2012, 282 injured individuals aged 20-55 years on the date of the accident, were hospitalized and treated for PRFs in a large tertiary hospital in Athens, Greece. One hundred and three patients were traced and contacted; 77 who were on paid employment prior to the accident gave their informed consent to participate in the survey, which was conducted in early 2015 through telephone interviews. The questionnaire included variables related to injury, treatment and activities, and the Majeed pelvic score. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used for statistical assessment. Results: Almost half of the injured (46.7%) fully RTW, and earning losses were reported to be 35% after PRF. The univariate analysis confirmed that RTW was significantly related to accident site (labor or not), the magnitude of the accident's force, concomitant injuries, duration of hospitalization, time to RTW, engagement to the same sport, Majeed score, and complications such as limp and pain as well as urologic and sexual complaints (p < 0.05 for all). On multiple logistic regression analysis, the accident sustained out of work (odds ratio: 6.472, 95% confidence interval: 1.626-25.769) and Majeed score (odds ratio: 3.749, 95% confidence interval: 2.092-6.720) were identified as independent predictive factors of full RTW. Conclusion: PRFs have severe socioeconomic consequences. Possible predictors of RTW should be taken into account for health management and policies.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.390-399
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• 2017

Background This article aims to investigate current perceptions of beauty of the general public and physicians without a specialization in plastic surgery performing aesthetic procedures. Methods A cross-sectional and interviewing questionnaire was administered to 290 people in Seoul, South Korea in September 2015. The questionnaire addressed three issues: general attitudes about plastic surgery (Q1), perception of and preferences regarding Korean female celebrities' facial attractiveness (Q2), and the relative influence of each facial aesthetic subunit on overall facial attractiveness. The survey's results were gathered by a professional research agency and classified according to a respondent's gender, age, and job type ($95%{\pm}5.75%$ confidence interval). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 10.1, calculating one-way analysis of variance with post hoc analysis and Tukey's t-test. Results Among the respondents, 38.3% were in favor of aesthetic plastic surgery. The most common source of plastic surgery information was the internet (50.0%). The most powerful factor influencing hospital or clinic selection was the postoperative surgical results of acquaintances (74.9%). We created a composite face of an attractive Korean female, representing the current facial configuration considered appealing to the Koreans. Beauty perceptions differed to some degree based on gender and generational differences. We found that there were certain differences in beauty perceptions between general physicians who perform aesthetic procedures and the general public. Conclusions Our study results provide aesthetic plastic surgeons with detailed information about contemporary Korean people's attitudes toward and perceptions of plastic surgery and the specific characteristics of female Korean faces currently considered attractive, plus trends in these perceptions, which should inform plastic surgeons within their specialized fields.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.503-510
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to find the biomechanical research project result carried out at 2011 IAAF World championship in Daegu. This project was approved by the International Amateur Athletic Federation(IAAF) and financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism(MCST) and, Korea Association of Athletics Federations(KAAF). The total number of the project members was 20, including the members of the Scientific Committee, the Korean Society of Sport Biomechanics(KSSB) and graduate students as assistants. The objective of this project has been to analyze the performance in the track events(100 m, 110 mH) and field events(Long Jump, High Jump, Triple Jump, Pole Vault, Javelin Throw and Shot Put). This project was focused on the biomechanical research only. This kind of analysis has been carried out at major competitions for more than a decade, as it provides coaches and athletes with very useful information as an aid to training programmes and competition preparation. The biomechanical analysis of the top athletes in the world in each specialty serves as a reference for assessing technique and rationalizing the results achieved. The results will be disseminated world-wide and coaches will be in a better position to design training strategies in line with current world trends.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.56-61
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• 2016

Central motion techniques are to mention the central-motion by the limpness motion function and limpness sensory unit function on the body. Central body motion is consisted of the limpness central function by the central body system. To evaluate the signal of central body motion, we are investigated a limpness value of the central function by the central body function on the static state. The concept of limpness motion function was checked the reference of limpness motion signal and limpness sensory signal by the central motion body. For assessment on the limpness sensory variation of the maximum and average in terms of central motion from the static function, and limpness value that was a limpness value of the vision condition of the Vi-${\lambda}_{MAX-AVG}$ with $8.71{\pm}-3.2units$, that was a limpness value of the vestibular condition of the Ve-${\lambda}_{MAX-AVG}$ with $3.05{\pm}-6.52units$, that was a limpness value of the somatosensory condition of the So-${\lambda}_{MAX-AVG}$ with $2.4{\pm}1.9units$. The static sensory motion was made mention of check out at the condition of the limpness sensory unit motion for the comparable values of limpness central motion that was expressed the analysis capacity by the limpness nerve system. Limpness sensory system will be to propose of the minute motion by static central motion situation and was to imply a limpness motion data of static body sensory function.

• Journal of forensic and investigative science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.50-59
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to figure out clinical characteristics in young and adult acute myocardial infarction patients come to emergency room. One hundred fifty four acute myocardial infarction cases were collected and analized from January 2003 to April 2006, especially focused on below the age 50. The results of the study were summarized as follows. The results were proportion up disease occur to women disease rate as men after 50 age and acute myocardial infarction occur to spring and winter most of all. Research for this patients coronary artery condition in cardiac angiography room and coronary artery condition is left anterior descending portion was obstruction and stenosis most of all at that time in emergency room. HDL-cholesterol was not normal range of this patients. About 57.9% patients downward normal range but total cholesterol was very variant condition. Investigated chest X-ray of this patients and result in upward 75% patients was C-T ratio 50% upward condition. And it was shown result from this patients 94. 7% was obesity condition and family history showed mother or father got hypertension or diabete mellitus patients but 42. 7% patients not family history. This patients not going to direct emergency room after via local medical center result in badly condition up. Have got outcomes of youth and adults age patient of acute myocardial infarction come to emergency room. Government and administration have to support advertising this results about acute myocardial infarction condition of nation people. We need to preservation and preventing this disease but if this disease occurrence, to the utmost directly and speedly emergency room for fast therapy.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.93-98
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• 2016

As information technologies are rapidly developed recently, social networking services through a variety of mobile devices and smart screen is becoming popular. SNS is a social networking based services which is online forms from existed offline. SNS can also be used differently which is confused with the online community. A modelling algorithm is a variety of techniques, which are assocoation, clustering, neural networks, and decision trees, etc. By utilizing this technique, it is necessary to study to effectively using the large number of materials. In this paper, we evaluate in particular the performance of the algorithm based on the results of the clustering using Facebook Insights data for the EM algorithm to be evaluated as a good performance in clustering. Through this analysis it was based on the results of the application of the experimental data of the change and the South Australian state library according to the performance of the EM algorithm.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2015

The purpose of the present review is to give an overview of the association between alcohol intake and the risk of developing cancer. Two large-scale expert reports; the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) report from 2007, including its continuous update project, and the International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC) monograph from 2012 have extensively reviewed this association in the last decade. We summarize and compare their findings, as well as relate these to the public health impact, with a particular focus on region-specific drinking patterns and disease tendencies. Our findings show that alcohol intake is strongly linked to the risk of developing cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, colorectum (in men), and female breast. The two expert reports diverge on the evidence for an association with liver cancer and colorectal cancer in women, which the IARC grades as convincing, but the WCRF/AICR as probable. Despite these discrepancies, there does, however, not seem to be any doubt, that the Population Attributable Fraction of alcohol in relation to cancer is large. As alcohol intake varies largely worldwide, so does, however, also the Population Attributable Fractions, ranging from 10% in Europe to almost 0% in countries where alcohol use is banned. Given the World Health Organization's prediction, that alcohol intake is increasing, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and steadily high in high-income countries, the need for preventive efforts to curb the number of alcohol-related cancers seems growing, as well as the need for taking a region- and gender-specific approach in both future campaigns as well as future research. The review acknowledges the potential beneficial effects of small doses of alcohol in relation to ischaemic heart disease, but a discussion of this lies without the scope of the present study.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.247-255
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• 2017

Background: South Korea has experienced problems with excessive pharmaceutical expenditures. In 2010, the South Korean government introduced an outpatient prescription incentive program to effectively manage pharmaceutical expenditures. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the outpatient prescription incentive program and pharmaceutical expenditures. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database, which included medical claims filed for 22,732 clinics from 2011-2014 to evaluate associated pharmaceutical expenditures. We performed multiple regression analysis and Poisson regression analysis using generalized estimating equation models to examine the associations between outpatient prescription incentives and the outcome variables. Results: The data used in this study consisted of 123,392 cases from 22,372 clinics (average 5.4 periods follow-up). Clinics that had received outpatient prescription incentives in the last period had better cost saving and Outpatient Prescribing Costliness Index (OPCI) (received: proportion of cost saving, ${\beta}=6.8179$; p-value < 0.0001; OPCI, ${\beta}=-0.0227$; p-value < 0.0001; reference = non-received). Moreover, these clinics had higher risk in the provision of outpatient prescription incentive (relative risk, 2.772; 95% confidence interval, 2.720 to 2.824). The associations were higher in clinics that had separate prescribing and dispensing programs, or had professional staff. Conclusion: The introduction of an outpatient prescription incentive program for clinics effectively managed problems with rapid increases of pharmaceutical expenditures in South Korea. However, the pharmaceutical expenditures still increased in spite of the positive impact of the outpatient prescription incentive program. Therefore, healthcare professionals and health policy makers should develop more effective alternatives (i.e., for clinics without separate prescribing and dispensing programs) based on our results.