• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.213-214
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• 2018

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in North America, and it was designated as a national notifiable infectious disease in Korea in December 2010. While no cases in Jeju-do were recorded from 2012 to 2016, a recent survey reported that the seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in horses in Jeju-do was 19.0% (95% confidence interval, 12.0 to 28.3%). This fact suggests that horses may be a potential reservoir of LB in Jeju-do and that individuals in close contact with horses may be a high-risk group. Thus, a serological study in this high-risk group is urgently needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.183-200
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• 2014

Cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity throughout the world, including the countries of North-East and South-East Asia. Assessment of burden through cancer registration, determination of risk and protective factors, early detection and screening, clinical practice, interventions for example in vaccination, tobacco cessation efforts and palliative care all should be included in comprehensive cancer control programs. The degree to which this is possible naturally depends on the resources available at local, national and international levels. The present review concerns elements of cancer control programs established in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in North-East Asia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia as representative larger countries of South-East Asia for comparison, using the published literature as a guide. While major advances have been made, there are still areas which need more attention, especially in South-East Asia, and international cooperation is essential if standard guidelines are to be generated to allow effective cancer control efforts throughout the Far East.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.23 no.4 s.32
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• pp.416-427
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• 1990

Unfortunately, we have poor knowledge of medical technology in North Korea. This study has thus attempted to identify the level and status of medical technology development through analyzing the contents of medical textbooks currently in use. This study has assumed that three factors are influencing the level and status of medical technology in a society ; the level of socio-economic development in general, the level of scientific technology revolution and health policy. Forty textbooks are collected for this purpose. The main findings are summarized as follows : 1) North Korea s strengths in that (1) its herb drugs, which are in a broad use, are cheaper, more safe and more attainable than bio-equivalent chemical ones, and (2) the development of its medical technology was carried out with emphasis on the practical and basic health needs. 2) North Korea has weaknesses in that (1) its medical diagnostic method largely depends on manual procedures, (2) the R & D investment in the development of chemical drugs, especially antibiotics, is very small, (3) the amount of medical equipments is in a absolute shortage, and (4) the medical technology is destitute of specialty, caused mainly by the overemphasis on Juche-Uihak or herb medicine. 3) Medical technology has two faces, positive and negative so that it cannot be successfully evaluated by one. It eventually acts a positive function for public health through developments of drug, equipment and new medical treatment method. But it is also true that it has negative effects such as the dehumanization of high cost medical technology, cost hike due to over-investments in expensive equipment and the absence of wholistic care from overspecialization. 4) We have to consider economic status and the social needs of medical care in order to evaluate the medical technology of a society. It is also the case with North Korea. A whole picture of the North Korean medical technology could be understood only if further comprehensive studies of medical technology are to be carried out for North Korea.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.182-201
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• 2001

This Study has attemped to compare the health care systems of South and North Korea. There has been a wide difference in the health care System between the South and North of Korea. In this paper, I have also shown that each health care system has its own unique response to the social, political, and economic conditions of the country. Therefore the author analyzed and summarized the important difference of health care system between the South and the North of Korea as follows. 1. Compared with the Laissez-faire health care system of South Korea, North Korea has the state socialistic health care system which provide health care services to the people free of charge. And the North Korea is marking positive efforts toward the scientification and systemization of Oriental Medicine which is called Dongui-Hak in the North-on the basis of Ju-Che idea. 2. North Korea's health care system appears to be strongly geared toward extensive and preventive treatment and launched the massive sanitary propagation campaign. which have resulted in a great success. North Korea has a system of universal comprehensive care for its population. The government has a central role in planning and regulating health care. 3. The government also employs physicians, nurses, and other professionals to provide health care to patients at public expense. In North Korea, health professionals are government employees. They work for a salary and the system is funded through general taxation. 4. In the North Korea, health services area system of the cities and countre's unit is strictly conducted along with the doctor's area responsibility system. And so without referal card, patients can not use the upper-grade medical facilities. The health care delivery system of North Korea is made up of the fourth level procedue unlike South Korea. 5. General office of Oriental Medicine, Academy of Oriental Medical Science and Guidance Bureau of Oriental Medicine are established in the organization of the Department of Health in the North Korea. And nowadays much emphasis are equally placed on the Oriental Medicine as well as Western Medicine. Both South and North Korea have faced with a critical moment of developing a mutually agreeable and acceptable system of health care for the unified nation.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the diet intake status and quality of adults from North Korea who had lived in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, using the nutrition quotient (NQ) for Korean adults. Methods: A number of 166 adults aged from 20 to 64 years were enrolled as study subjects. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on their demographic characteristics, food consumption frequency, eating behaviors, and NQ. The NQ score was then used to measure the overall diet quality. The NQ score was composed of four major age-based categories. 'Balance', 'Diversity', 'Moderation', and 'Dietary behavior' were utilized as scores for measurements within each of the four categories. The scores for all four categories were summed up, resulting in the total NQ score. Participants' age groups were stratified by 20's, 30's, 40', and over 50's. A χ² test and generalized linear regression (GLM) model were used to assess a significance for difference of subject distribution in categorical and continuous variables in the food consumption frequency, eating behaviors, and NQ scores. Results: Participants in younger age groups were more likely to report consumption of ramyeon, fast food, sweet and greasy baked products, processed beverage, delivery food, and night snacks than the older age groups. Most importantly, participants in 20's age group were less likely to report the total NQ and moderation score than the 50's age group. Conclusion: In this study, the 20's age group displayed a lower NQ characteristic for an unbalanced diet. Therefore, it is imperative for adults from North Korea to be given individualized diet instructions along with nutritional education programs.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.396-405
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• 1997

We performed this study to understand the health status and food intake of North Koreans. Information was collected by individual closed in-depth interviews of 11 escapers from North Korea as well as books, newspapers and North Korean movies. Interviews were done from October, 1996 to May, 1997, covering their heights and weights, their appearance and disease, food system and intake of various main/side foods, concern about health and hygiene. North Korean's height and BMI were lower than those of South Koreans. Difference of BMIs between North and South Koreans was profound in middle aged women than in other age groups. Childrem showed many malnutrition appearances of moon face, large abdomem, arrow-like legs, flaky skin, decolored hair, etc.. Main foods in North Korea were rice-shaped corn, corn flour, wheat flour and wet noodle, and side foods were kimchi and/or soups and steamed soy paste. Food supply system there seemed not to work normally for many years, so foods, especially in cities, has been extremely short in government-operating shops, but some in private market. Many housewives were eager to make and sell simple snack food products, We noticed that North korea schools didn't check students' health even though their medical policy was based on preventive medicine. Their living environmental hygiene was shown to be oyt of control.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.231-238
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• 2015

Objectives: The present study aimed to analyze the factors that could affect the health-promoting behaviors of North Korean adolescent refugees residing in South Korea. Methods: Questions about their sociodemographic variables, subjective health status, healthy living habits, and health-promoting behaviors were asked. Results: Statistically significant differences were found in religion (t=2.30, p<0.05), having family members in South Korea (t=2.02, p<0.05), and subjective health status (t=4.96, p<0.01). Scores on health-responsible behaviors were higher with higher age (t=2.90, p<0.01) and for subjects without family or friends (t=2.43, p<0.05). Higher physical-activity behaviors were observed in males (t=3.32, p<0.01), in those with better subjective health status (t=3.46, p<0.05) and lower body mas index (t=3.48, p<0.05), and in smokers (t=3.17, p<0.01). Nutritional behaviors were higher in those who followed a religion (t=2.17, p<0.05). Spiritual growth behaviors were higher in those who followed a religion (t=4.21, p<0.001), had no family in South Korea (t=2.04, p<0.05), and had higher subjective health status (t=5.74, p<0.01). Scores on interpersonal relationships and stress-management behaviors were higher for those with higher subjective health status. A multiple regression analysis showed greater effects on health-promoting behaviors when subjective health status was better. Older people and non-smokers exhibited more health-responsible behaviors, while more physical-activity behaviors and spiritual growth activities were observed when subjective health status was better. Interpersonal relationship behaviors had positive effects on those with good subjective heath status and on non-smokers. Conclusions: Based on the results of the current study, an alternative was suggested for promoting health in North Korean adolescent refugees.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.3-43
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• 2016

The North Korean medical laws are consisted of 'People's Health Act' and 'Medical Act' in the peak of the North Korean constitutional law. Before the legislation of 'People's Health Act', a number of medical laws and regulations existed. But, at present, there is no information about its amendment and effectiveness. 'People's Health Act' legislated in 1980 declared fundamental principles and policies of the North Korean health care system. 'Medical Act' legislated in 1997 is the basic law among the North Korean medical laws. It presented the goals and fundamental principles of the North Korean health care, and then regulated the basics about 'Tests and Diagnosis', 'Medical Treatment', and 'Medical Appraisal'. 'Medical Act' of North Korea was established later than South Korea, and its provisions is smaller in number. And there are lots of abstract and declaratory provisions compare with South Korean 'Medical Act'. Especially there is no provision about the kind and requirements of medical personnel and medical institutions, so it is hard to grasp the North Korean health care system at once. Regarding the medical treatment, there are many similar contents between the North and South Korean 'Medical Act'. But, the provisions, such as regarding mixing the new medicine and the korean traditional medicine, encouraging natural therapies in medical treatment, and informing the patient's protector of bad diagnostic result if there is concern to have a bad influence on patient, are different from the South Korean 'Medical Act'.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1998.10b
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• pp.221-222
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• 1998

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.58 no.9
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• pp.536-545
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• 2020

In preparing for the era of Korean reunification, it is essential to consider the integration of medical systems and human resources. While Korean dental practitioners are expanding their activities in various fields both domestically and internationally, there are many restrictions on the activities for improving the health of North Korean people due to political and historical reasons even nowadays. In addition, there is little is known about the current state of dental health in North Korea. We analyzed the reports published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Public Health of North Korea prepared individually or in cooperation, and investigated the current status of the health care strategy applied to the dental field by conducting a full investigation of the 2018 『Rodong』newspaper. Based on the above, we tried to grasp the major health care strategies in North Korea and their application. Understanding the direction and status of North Korea's health care system would be an important cornerstone for international cooperation and practical activities to improve oral health care of North Koreans in the future. And there is a need that studies should be steadily conducted in various methods to overcome the heterogeneity of the two Koreas in the long-term perspective.