• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.19 no.2 s.20
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• pp.293-306
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• 1986

A Health Interview Survey at Chuncheon city was conducted to assess level of illness by stratified random sampling method. Sample size was 6,007 and the prevalence of illness in period of 15 days was studied. 1) Prevalence rate of illness among Chuncheon citizen was 20.8 percent, and that of acute condition was 10.8 percent and chronic condition, 10.0 percent. 2) There was significant difference in prevalence rate by sex, especially the prevalence rate of chronic illness. 3) High positive correlation was noted between aging and prevalence rate of chronic illness. But negative correlation was noted in case of acute illness. 4) Multiple regression analysis on morbid state by socioeconomic variables was not seen to be appropriate for this survey, especially the analysis of acute illness. 5) Estimation of anual prevalence rate could not be possible because of seasonal variation of disease prevalence.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2020

Background: It is well known that the prevalence of obesity in Korea is increasing over time, however it is not known how the trends among occupational groups and sex differ in such increasing trends. This study was designed to provide recent trends of obesity among workers in Korea and to identify whether there were differences among occupational groups. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Phases I to VI (19982015), to analyze trends in the prevalence of obesity in adult Korean workers. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 25 kg/㎡ or higher. Occupations were classified into 3 groups: (a) nonmanual workers, (b) service/sales workers, and (c) manual workers. Results: During the period of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Phases I to VI, the prevalence of obesity in male workers increased in all occupations (31.1% to 39.5% in manual workers, 32.3% to 38.2% in service/sales workers, and 25.3% to 39.7% in manual workers). However, female workers did not show any particular tendency toward obesity, except for a significant decrease in the prevalence rate in service/sales workers (30.8% to 23.9%, p for trend = 0.0048). Conclusion: The trends of obesity prevalence by sex and occupation were different. For male manual workers, the prevalence rate increased steadily during the data period, while it decreased steadily in female sales/service workers.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1146-1153
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• 2018

Many studies have investigated the prevalence of neck pain (NP) and its risk factors in the general population. However, the prevalence of NP among athletes has not yet been systematically investigated. We aimed to systematically review the prevalence of NP in athletes. A comprehensive search was conducted in September 2015 using PubMed, Ovid SP Medline, ISI, and Google Scholar. We included studies in English that reported the prevalence of NP in an athletic population during a defined period of time. We assessed the risk of bias in studies due to various definitions of NP, response rates, and reliability of the study instruments. Two reviewers independently assessed the studies' quality and performed data extraction. Of 1,675 titles identified, eight articles were assessed for risk of bias, and six with low or moderate risk were included. NP was shown to be prevalent in athletes, with a 1-week prevalence ranging from 8% to 45%, a 1-year prevalence ranging from 38% to 73%, and a lifetime prevalence of about 48%. The prevalence of NP in athletes is high. More studies regarding the prevalence and risk factors of NP may be useful for planning educational programs and developing appropriate rehabilitation protocols and preventive guidelines. Researchers are encouraged to perform epidemiologic studies in athletes with a low risk of bias.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1484-1490
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• 2013

A lack of investigation in specific regions has impeded the understanding of epidemiological trends in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in South Korea. To help fill this research gap, this study used multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) to determine the prevalence of STIs detected in clinical specimens collected from women in Cheonan, South Korea between August 2006 and November 2012, and analyzed the prevalence of STIs according to age, bacterial pathogen, and time period. Of the 1,618 specimens collected from 1,523 patients, 536 (35.2%) tested positive for at least 1 pathogen, with 407 (25.2%) testing positive for 1 pathogen, 103 (6.4%) for 2 pathogens, 20 (1.2%) for 3 pathogens, and 6 (0.4%) for 4 pathogens (n = 697 pathogens total). The median ages of all patients and of STI-positive patients were 37.8 and 33.3 years, respectively, and both decreased annually over the study period. Mycoplasma hominis (MH) was detected in 62.1% of the positive specimens, Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) in 28.4%, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in 23.1%, Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) in 7.8%, Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) in 6.5%, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in 2.1%. Whereas the prevalence of MH, MG, and TV infection did not vary greatly over the study period, that of UU decreased by one-fifth and that of both CT and NG increased 4-fold. The results indicate great variability in the rates of infection with each pathogen and a decreasing trend in overall STI prevalence, age of patients seeking STI testing, and age of STI-positive patients.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2020

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of malocclusion with respect to grade, sex, and year among Korean pre-adolescent and adolescent students during 2012-2017. Methods: A total of 165,996 students (first grade [E1, 6-7 years of age], fourth grade [E4, 9-10 years], seventh grade [M1, 12-13 years], and tenth grade [H1, 15-16 years]) were selected by stratified sampling method and underwent the nationwide oral health examination performed by the Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea. The malocclusion assessments based on dentists' judgments were "no malocclusion," "needs orthodontic treatment (N-OTx)," and "under orthodontic treatment (U-OTx)." The sum of N-OTx and U-OTx cases was determined as the number of students with malocclusion. After analyzing the prevalence of malocclusion according to grade, sex, and year-by-year differences, Pearson correlation analyses and two-way analyses of variance were performed. Results: The prevalence of malocclusion was 18.7%, which increased with the grades (E1 [8.3%] < E4 [15.8%] < M1 [22.9%] < H1 [25.3%], p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of malocclusion in each grade group for the period (p > 0.05) without significant correlation (E1, ρ = 0.129; E4, ρ = -0.495; M1, ρ = 0.406; H1, ρ = -0.383; all p > 0.05). The prevalence of malocclusion within each grade group over the six-year period was more prominent in the female (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Further studies are necessary to modify the malocclusion assessment method to account for specific types of malocclusion in pre-adolescent and adolescent students.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1981-1987
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• 2014

Objective: To establish the prevalence and distribution profile of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) over a 22-yr period in North China. Methods: Using endoscopy for primary diagnosis and histological analysis for the further confirmation, a total of 74,854 ESCC patients aged 20-89 between January 1985 and December 2006 were investigated to analyze the epidemiological profile including prevalence rates, distribution of age-of-onset, gender and geographical area of ESCC in Luoyang, the highest incidence area of North China. Results: A total of 4092 cases of ESCC were finally diagnosed among 74,854 patients who had their first endoscopies. The prevalence among males was higher than that among females (p<0.01), resulting in an overall male:female OR of 1.2 (95%CI, 1.2-1.3). The prevalence in rural areas was higher than in urban areas (p<0.01), resulting in an overall rural:urban OR of 2.6 (95%CI, 2.4-2.9). The rural:urban ORs and the 95% CI increased continuously from 2.6, 2.3-3.0 to 2.7, 2.2-3.3, respectively, for 4 consecutive periods during the 22-yr study period. Moreover, the median age of onset among females was higher than that among males (p<0.01). For both sexes and in both areas, the prevalence rates declined and the median age of onset rose for 4 consecutive periods in the 22-yrs time frame (p<0.01). Conculsions: These data reveal the epidemiological profile of ESCC in the area of North China, and suggest that urban areas and rural people account for a growing proportion of the ESCC patients although the prevalence of ESCC significantly declined and the median age-of-onset postponed over the 22-yrs period. Moreover, the prevalence status of ESCC in rural areas also underlines the need for public health initiatives aimed at reducing risk factors of this fatal disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.8
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• pp.319-327
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• 2016

Allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy, are most common chronic, noncommunicable diseases in childhood. In the past few decades, the prevalence has increased abruptly worldwide. There are 2 possible explanations for the rising prevalence of allergic diseases worldwide, that an increased disease-awareness of physician, patient, or caregivers, and an abrupt exposure to unknown hazards. Unfortunately, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Despite the continuing efforts worldwide, the etiologies and rising prevalence remain unclear. Thus, it is important to identify and control risk factors in the susceptible individual for the best prevention and management. Genetic susceptibility or environments may be a potential background for the development of allergic disease, however they alone cannot explain the rising prevalence worldwide. There is growing evidence that epigenetic change depends on the gene, environment, and their interactions, may induce a long-lasting altered gene expression and the consequent development of allergic diseases. In epigenetic mechanisms, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during critical period (i.e., during pregnancy and early life) are considered as a potential cause of the development of childhood allergic diseases. However, the causal relationship is still unclear. This review aimed to highlight the impact of ETS exposure during the perinatal period on the development of childhood allergic diseases and to propose a future research direction.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.430-433
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• 2018

Hepatitis B is a major health problem in China. However, little is known about the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Kaifeng, the major urban capital of Henan province, China. We found that HBV prevalence increased with age and that chronic HBV was predominant in adult males in Kaifeng. The HBV prevalence remained unchanged over a 5-year period for all age groups. Alarmingly, 25% of the population remained unvaccinated and potentially susceptible to future HBV infection. HBV immunization and health education initiatives should be carried out in this population to further reduce the overall prevalence of HBV.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.91-101
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• 2021

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors related to osteoporosis prevalence in postmenopausal women. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis research using data from the Eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VIII-1), 2019, which were downloaded from the KNHANES website. The subjects of this study were 1,791 postmenopausal women who participated in the KNHANES VIII-1, 2019. Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS 21.0 program and complex sample design analysis was performed considering factors such as weight, cluster, and strata. Results: Osteoporosis prevalence of in postmenopausal women was 17.5%. Factors related to osteoporosis prevalence were age (65~74 years old, ≥75 years old), house income (low), household type (one-person household), postmenopausal period (10~19 years), drinking (non-drinking). Conclusion: Interventions for osteoporosis prevention and management in postmenopausal women need to focus on women less than 10 years after menopause and one-person household women. Furthermore, it is necessary to expand bone density testing for the early detection of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.11-15
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• 2016

Gastrointestinal cancers remain the most prevalent cancers in many developing countries such as Iran. The aim of this study was to estimate incidence, prevalence and mortality, as well as time trends for gastrointestinal cancers in Isfahan province of Iran for the period 2001 to 2010 and to project these estimates to the year 2020. Estimates were driven by applying the MIAMOD method (a backward calculation approach using mortality and relative survival rates). Mortality data were obtained from the Ministry of Health and the relative survival rate for all gastrointestinal cancers combined was derived from the Eurocare 3 study. Results indicated that there were clear upward trends in age adjusted incidence (males 22.9 to 74.2 and females 14.9 to 44.2), prevalence (males 52.6 to 177.7 and females 38.3 to 111.03), and mortality (males 14.6 to 47.2 and females 9.6 to 28.2) rates per 100,000 for the period of 2001 to 2010 and this upward state would persist for the projected period. For the entire period, the male to female ratio increased slightly for all parameters (incidence rate increased from 1.5 to 1.7, prevalence from 1.4 to 1.6, and mortality from 1.5 to 1.7). In males, totals of 2,179 incident cases, 5,097 prevalent cases and 1,398 mortality cases were predicated to occur during the study period. For females the predicted figures were 1,379, 3,190 and 891, respectively. It was concluded that the upward trend of incidence alongside increase in survival rates would induce a high burden on the health care infrastructure in the province of Isfahan in the future.