• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2013

Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse health effects associated with heavy metal exposure. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between proximity to an industry complex and blood lead and urinary cadmium levels for children aged 7-13 who lived in Ulsan where a big petrochemical complex is located. We conducted a questionnaire survey to collect data including sociodemographics, daily habits, residential environment, etc. We also analyzed blood lead and urinary cadmium levels using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Data were analyzed using regression analysis. All statistical analyses were conducted with SAS software version 9.2. We calculated distance by using a Geographic Information System (ArcGIS version 10.0). The geometric mean blood lead level was 1.55 ${\mu}g/dL$ (boys: 1.59 ${\mu}g/dL$, girls: 1.51 ${\mu}g/dL$), and the geometric mean urinary cadmium level was 0.51 ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine (boys: 0.45 ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine, girls: 0.58 ${\mu}g/g$ creatinine). In the results of regression analyses, we found that urinary cadmium levels significantly decreased as distance between residence and industrial complex increased after adjusting for age, gender, income, passive smoking and the length of residence. This result was opposite to that for lead levels. Our observations support the hypothesis that urinary cadmium levels in children are related to their proximity to an industrial complex.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.719-731
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• 2002

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge, attitude, and practice of middle-aged women breast self-examination, and to develop a breast self-examination promotion program for them. Method: The subjects of the study were 365 middle-aged women in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gyeongbok, Gyeongnam, Jeonbuk, Gangwon, and Kyonggi. The instruments used in this study included knowledge (l6items), attitude (22items) by Choi (1996) and practice (1item). The data were collected from September 15 to October 31, 2001 by using self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, $x^2$ test, t-test, ANOVA and Scheffe test with SPSS program. Results: 1) 78.4% of the subjects were educated for breast self-examination. The most common source of knowledge for the breast self-examination was mess media. 2) The average score of knowledge on breast self-examination was 8.52 points. The average score of attitude toward breast self-examination was 3.08 points. 58.3% of the subjects practiced breast self-examination. But only 9.4% of the subjects practiced breast self-examination with a monthly basis. 3) Knowledge on breast self-examination was correlated with demographic variables including residence (F=2.923, p=0.004), education (F=5.145 p=0.000), number of children (F=5.125 p=0.002), family income (F=6.128 p=0.002), and menopause (t=-2.330, p= 0.020). Attitude toward breast self-examination was correlated with demographic variables including residence (F=3.611, p=0.000), age (F=2.731 p= 0.029), education (F=4.480 p=0.004), and family income (F=5.963 p=0.003). Practice of breast self-examination was correlated with demographic variables including residence ($x^2$=51.342, p=0.000), education ($x^2$=19.896, p=0.000), and menopause ($x^2$=9.841, p=0.000). 4) In terms of correlations among the scores of breast self-examination related knowledge, attitude, and practice, there was a correlation between knowledge and attitude. But there was no correlations between knowledge and practice, and between attitude and practice of breast self-examination. Conclusion: This study suggests that programs about the practice of breast self examination need to be developed in the future.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.371-381
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the relationship of family function, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and general characteristics to loneliness in community dwelling Korean elders and identify factors affecting loneliness. Method: With a cross-sectional causal-relationship design and a convenience sample, 205 elders residing in three districts of the city of Seoul, S. Korea were recruited. Participants were assessed using the Family APGAR Score, Self-Esteem Scale, Life-Satisfaction Scale, and Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results: The mean score for degree of loneliness (Mean=39.61, SD=10.09) was just below the mean for the scale (Possible range 20-80). Loneliness had significant negative correlations with family function (r= -.400, p<.001), self-esteem (r= -.399, p<.001), and life satisfaction (r= -.644, p<.001). Other general characteristics that had significant or nearly significant relationships with loneliness were perceived current financial and health status, whether doing any exercise or physical activities, degree of close relationship with family members, and length of living in current residence. Among variables, life satisfaction (Standardized ${\beta}\;=\;-.589$, p<.001) and length of living in current residence (Standardized ${\beta}\;=\;-.136$, p<.05) significantly predicted degree of loneliness. Conclusion: Findings of this study allow a comprehensive understanding of loneliness and related factors among community dwelling elders in Korea. However, further studies with a larger random sample from various living environments are necessary.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2020

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of comorbid sleep disorders (SD) on the incidence of cardiovascular complications among newly-diagnosed hypertension (HTN) patients. Methods: As study population, 124 057 newly-diagnosed essential HTN patients aged 30 or older, without cardiovascular complications at diagnosis with HTN, were selected from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. The incidence of cardiovascular complications was calculated, Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to analyze the risk of complications, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) for cardiovascular complications of having comorbid SD at HTN diagnosis was calculated. Results: Over 10 years, 32 275 patients (26.0%) developed cardiovascular complications. In HTN patients with comorbid SD at diagnosis of HTN, the incidence of cardiovascular complications (78.3/1000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 75.8 to 80.9) was higher than in those without comorbid SD (58.6/1000 person-years; 95% CI, 57.9 to 59.3) and the risk of cardiovascular complications was 1.21 times higher (95% CI, 1.17 to 1.25), adjusting for age, gender, income, area of residence, and comorbid diabetes mellitus. The PAF of having comorbid SD at diagnosis of HTN for the incidence of cardiovascular complications was 2.07% (95% CI, 1.69 to 2.44). Conclusions: Newly-diagnosed essential HTN patients aged 30 or older who had comorbid SD at the time of their HTN diagnosis had a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications than those without comorbid SD. Age, gender, income, area of residence, and comorbid diabetes mellitus had a significant effect on the incidence of cardiovascular complications. Approximately 2% of cardiovascular complications were found to occur due to the presence of SD.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.327-335
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• 2014

Objectives: Several epidemiological studies on medical care utilization prior to suicide have considered the motivation of suicide, but focused on the influence of physical illnesses. Medical care expenditure in suicide completers with non-illness-related causes has not been investigated. Methods: Suicides motivated by non-illness-related factors were identified using the investigator's note from the National Police Agency, which was then linked to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment data. We investigated the medical care expenditures of cases one year prior to committing suicide and conducted a case-control study using conditional logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, gender, area of residence, and socioeconomic status. Results: Among the 4515 suicides motivated by non-illness-related causes, medical care expenditures increased in only the last 3 months prior to suicide in the adolescent group. In the younger group, the proportion of total medical expenditure for external injuries was higher than that in the older groups. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed significant associations with being a suicide completer and having a rural residence, low socioeconomic status, and high medical care expenditure. After stratification into the four age groups, a significant positive association with medical care expenditures and being a suicide completer was found in the adolescent and young adult groups, but no significant results were found in the elderly groups for both men and women. Conclusions: Younger adults who committed suicide motivated by non-illness-related causes had a higher proportion of external injuries and more medical care expenditures than their controls did. This reinforces the notion that suicide prevention strategies for young people with suicidal risk factors are needed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.242-248
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• 2019

This study was conducted to examine the effects of a smart home (electronic control unit, ECU) on the performance and satisfaction of activities of daily living of wheelchair users. A total of 15 wheelchair users (10 patients with spinal cord injury and 5 patients with stroke) were investigated. Smart homes were equipped with ECU technology, which consisted of automation of furniture and products. The products and facilities were integrated and controlled by a smart device or voice. Performance and satisfaction of activities of daily living were measured by the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) before and after residence in a smart home. All participants showed a higher COPM (performance score ${\geq}3$, satisfaction score ${\geq}4$) during residence in a smart home compared to residence in the current home. In addition, the COPM scores differed significantly before and after residence in a smart home. These results provide evidence of the applicability of smart homes based on high technology. However, additional studies of more smart home participants should be conducted to improve the quality of the results.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.424.1-424.1
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• 2002

Interferon has therapeutic potential for a wide range of infectious and proliferative disorders such as chronic hepatitis C and malignant melanoma. However. it has some therapeutic problems as other protein therapeutics do. A variety of approaches have been developed to circumvent these problems. Among them. the attachment of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety 10 interferon is considered as one of the most promising solutions for its ability of extending the plasma residence time. (omitted)

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.325-337
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine the oral health state of the elderly in an effort to pave the way for dental health project planning for the elderly for the city of Jeonju and to help promote the oral health of the elderly population to which health care services weren't accessible a lot. The subjects in this study were 300 elderly people who were in their 60s and up and used 10 different welfare establishments for the elderly in Jeonju. A survey was conducted from May 3 through 13, 2005, by interviewing them in person, and the collected data were analyzed. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. In terms of the period of oral health examination, 44.1 percent of the 66-70 age group, 48.1 percent of the elementary school graduates and 39.4 percent of the house owners had their teeth examined whenever they had a toothache. So their cycle of oral health examination was statistically significantly different according to age(p<.05), education(p<0.001) and form of residence(p<0.001). 2. Regarding the necessity of prosthesis, prosthesis was needed by 52.1 percent of the age group from 71 to 80, 44.3 percent of the women, 48.9 percent of the men, 60.0 percent of the community college graduates and 55.9 percent who rent a house on a deposit or monthly basis. But there was no statistically significant gap among the groups. 3. As for the necessity of oral health education, the necessity of it was absolutely supported by 89.7 percent of the 66-70 age group, 76.0 percent of the women, 87.2 percent of the men, 95.3 percent of the middle school graduates and 87.7 percent of the house owners. Their age(p<.0.01), gender(p<0.05) education(p<0.05) and form of residence(p<0.01) made a statistically significant difference to that. 4. Concerning oral health education experience, 79.3 percent of the high school graduates and 79.8 percent of the house owners had never received oral health education, and that experience statistically significantly varied with education(p<0.001) and form of residence (p<0.001). 5. As to the biggest reason for oral health care, 50.0 percent found it necessary to take care of their teeth to ensure their own perpetual oral health, and 33.7 percent felt the need for that because they had a toothache. The above-mentioned findings indicated that the elderly people were definitely in want of oral health education. Dental hygienists in public dental clinics should serve as dental health educators to address their needs, and regular oral health care programs should be prepared to spread awareness about the importance of oral health among elderly locals.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.133-144
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to analyze housing expectations and housing preferences of college students' first purchased house for the future. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires for this study and the samples consisted of 797 college students. This study found that college students preferred a high-rise apartments, a 20-24 pyung (66.0㎡-79.2㎡) house in housing size and relatively new house. The housing features and interior features that college students like to have and expected to have in the first residence were different. Their housing expectations were fairly realistic considering their affordability. College students preferred to furnish video and audio equipments, exercise equipments and ceiling fans. They generally preferred hardwood floorings and decorative moldings and expected to have built-in closet in their master bedrooms. They expected to have linen closets and large mirrors in their bathrooms. They preferred ceramic tile counter tops, wood cabinets, vinyl floorings in their kitchens and they also preferred to use kitchen as a utility.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.43-51
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to identify the culture of college students in Jeju Province related to drinking alcohol and to analyze the relationship between drinking culture and social characteristics of the students. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 295 students at a college in Jeju province, students who met the criteria for the final analysis. Results: The results revealed that drinking most frequently began after graduation from high school (41.7%) and the reason for drinking was to get along with others (48.7%) and normal drinkers were common (69.6%). Gender, residence, experience of black outs and not to wishing to drink alcohol were significantly related to drinking characteristics. Satisfaction with college life, satisfaction with interpersonal relationships and stress level were not correlated with alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Educational and college authorities need to acknowledge colleges' responsibility in relation to their students' drinking behavior and to commit themselves to support an environment of responsible alcohol use.