• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.129-136
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• 1985

This paper is carried out to determine the venous blood gas components and heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium and copper, in blood between urban and rural teenager. The subjects were 34 in urban, Taegu city and 37 in rural, Euisung-Gun. But smokers were excluded. The specimens were sampled in May, 1985. The heavy metals were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (IL. 551) and carboxy-Hb, Met-Hb, Hb, $O_2\;and\;CO_2$, blood gas analyzer (IL. 1301) and CO-oximeter (IL. 282). In urban group, $PO_2\;and\;O_2-Hb$ were significantly lower than in rural (p<0.01, p<0.03, respectively), and ${HCO_3}^{-}\;and\;TCO_2$ were significantly higher than in rural (p<0.01, p<0.01, respectively). CO-Hb concentration was rather higher in the rural group than the urban (p<0.03), other Met-Hb was higher in urban group than in the rural (p<0.01). Lead and cadmium were also significantly higher in the urban group (p<0.03, p<0.02, respectively).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.2 s.61
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• pp.323-334
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• 1998

To investigate determinants of health care utilization of the physically disabled over 20 years old in age living in Taegu city, a self-administered questionnaire survey was carried out for 337 disabled persons with chronic illness from April to July, 1997. Health care utilization .ate was 81.9%(69.1% for hospital or clinic and 12.8% for pharmacy). Marital status, job, health concern, and response to illness showed statistically significant relationship with health care utilization(p<0.05). By path analysis, job, economic status, medical security type and response to illness had a significant direct effect on health care utilization(p<0.05), however, health concern and regular source of care had an indirect effect. The reasons of no health utilization were due to economic problem(31.1%), no symptom(18.0%), inconvenience to seek care or no accompanying persons to be helped(14.8%), unseriousness of the severity of the illness(14.8%), too busy to be treated or no free time(8.2%), hopeless prognosis to be treated(6.6%) in order. In conclusion, it is recommended that the program for expanding medicaid, improving socioeconomic status by getting a job and health education to increase the health concern toward physically disabled should be implemented to increase health care utilization rate.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.345-359
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• 1993

This study was conducted to identify the factors related to the blood pressure in school children. The study subjects were 144 boys and 140 girls aged 10 years old, 4th grade student of one elementary school in Taegu City. Blood pressure and 18 variables for 284 school children were measured in May 1992. A weight-for-height index, R$\ddot{o}$hrer index(weight/$height^3$) was calculated for each individual as a measure of obesity. Body fat percent, fat weight, and lean body mass were measured by impedance fat meter(Model SIF-891). Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, uric acid, total protein, and electrolyte were measured by automated clinical chemistry analyzer(Hitachi 4020). Low-density lipoprotein and atherogenic index were calculated by the equation. The variables assessed were sex, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, body fat percent, body fat weight, lean body mass, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, uric acid, total protein, serum electrolyte and blood glucose. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures for boys were 104.1mmHg and 66.6mmHg and those for girls were 102.9mmHg and 67.5mmHg. Systolic blood pressure of boys was positively correlated with height, weight, R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, fat weight, lean body mass, and triglyceride. Systolic blood pressure of girls was positively correlated with height, weight, lean body mass, and uric acid. Diastolic blood pressure of boys was positively correlated with weight. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, and lean body mass. Diastolic blood pressure of girls was positively correlated with height, weight, fat weight, and lean body mass and negatively with total serum protein. In multiple regression analysis for the systolic blood pressure, the significant independent variables were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index and serum sodium in boys, and serum uric acid, fat percent, and R$\ddot{o}$hrer index in girls. In multiple regression analysis of the diastolic blood pressure, the significant independent variables were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index in boys and total serum protein in girls. This study indicated that important factors influencing blood pressure in school children were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, fat percent, serum sodium, uric acid, and total protein. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index was most important among these. It is recommended to enforce the nutritional education for diet control of obesity to prevent hypertention in children and to adopt healthy life-styles that promote good health and prevent development of cardiovascular risk factors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.295-303
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of systemic oral health education on the improvement of knowledge levels and patient hygiene performance(PHP) for elementary school students. The randomly selected 1st and 5th grade students in a public elementary school of Taegu city were divided by education group(118 students) and non-education group(122 students). The oral health education lesson was systematically held on the education group once a month for 4 months. The questionnaire queried all the subjects about their knowledge and attitudes before and after oral health education, and PHP was also tested at the same time. Corresponding p-values were significantly considered at values less than 0.05. The obtained results were as follows: Due to the oral health education lesson, the education group of both 1st and 5th grade students came to have a higher knowledge level than the non-education group. There was high improvement of items such as toothbrushing time, toothbrushing method, cause of dental caries, treatment after tooth damage, and tongue-brushing. Therefore, these items should be educated to all the elementary school students. By increaseing the knowledge level of oral health after education, the PHP index in the education group was significantly decreased in comparison to the non-education group and hence the capability of oral health management improved. From the above results, a systematically and periodically oral health education system for elementary school students can improve the knowledge level and capability of oral health management. Further study will be required to develop an easy and acceptable systemic oral health education program for elementary schools.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.604-621
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• 1999

We analyze the admission test problems used in 1998 at the Science Education Center for Gifted Youth at Kyungpook National University (SECGY, KNU). The test consists of two parts, an evaluation of the scientific thinking skills and an evaluation of the achievement for Mathematics and Sciences, the former of which includes evaluations of scientific process skills and logical thinking skills. The problems for the test of scientific thinking skills were developed and standardized by the Korea Education Development Center, while those of the achievement for Mathematics and Sciences were made at SECGY. We calculate the indices of the difficulty and discrimination for each problem to determine whether or not the test is appropriate to apply for selecting number of gifted students among the recommended students from 389 middle schools in Taegu-city and Kyungsang-pook-do Province. We find that both indices of most problems for the test of scientific thinking skills were out range of the appropriate level and. moreover, even those problems which fall into the appropriate range showed very low efficiencies for distractors. We, thus, conclude that the problems of the test of scientific thinking skills are inappropriate to use as a test for admission to SECGY. On the other hand, the problems of the achievement test showed extreme results; the Mathematics problems appeared to be too difficult, whereas the Physics problems appeared too easy. However, overall scores showed a normal distribution, indicating that those problems played crucial role in selecting gifted students. We finally propose several suggestions in developing the test problems and in selecting students at the SECGY.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.29-46
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• 1970

Measurement and analysis of the physical status (height, body weight, breast girth, sitting height. length of leg, length of thigh, thigh girth, crural length, length of arm, brachial length, antebrachial girth and skinfold thickness), physical types and the growth were made to the 360 Korean middle and high school boys aged between 12 and 17 years in Taegu City. The physical status was evaluated and expressed as dispersion and the Physical type as percentage of each status to height, and the growth was analysed by the growth formula. The results are as follows; 1) The increase of the volumes of Physical status was slowest between 12 and 13 years and fastest between 13 and 14 years in general. 2) The increase of the volumes of thigh girth and antebrachial girth showed a linear pattern until 16 years. 3) The coefficient of variation was largest in skinfold thickness $(16.3{\sim}28.4%)$ followed by body weight $(10.0{\sim}14.3%)$, antebrachial girth $(4.8{\sim}19.60%)$ and length of thigh$(6.3{\sim}13.6%)$. The coefficients of variation in all the other status were similar $(4{\sim}7%)$. 4)The physical indices of body weight, breast girth, sitting height, length of thigh, thigh girth, antebrachial girth and skinfold thickness increased as age increased while the others decreased except the brachial length, which showed no significant change. 5) Ratio of growth quantity was largest in body weight followed by skinfold thickness, and the others were all similar. 6) Growth rate and specific growth rate decreased in the all the status analysed as age increased except in the skinfold thickness in which an increase was noted. 7) Growth gradient was increased along the increase of age in breast girth, sitting height, crural length, brachial length and in skinfold thickness. However a decrease was observed in the other status except in the body weight which was decreased until 15 years of age and increased thereafter.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.3 s.43
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• pp.457-468
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• 1993

This study was conducted to investigate the repeat test rate for diagnosis at a tertiary hospital for the outpatients who were referred themselves to the hospital by the clinics and other medical facilities. The study population consisted of 498 patients who visited outpatient department of internal medicine, general surgery, orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery in the hospital between March 16 and April 11, 1992. This study was surveyed by the questionnaire about the tests for diagnosis at first level medical facilities, and then, was investigated by the medical record about the tests for diagnosis at a tertiary hospital. The proportion of test among the patients who utilized the first level medical facilities was 20.9% for the X-ray test, 10.6% for the urinalysis, 9.0% for the electrocardiogram, 3.4% for the computer tomogram and 6.4% for the ultrasonogram. At the tertiary hospital, the X-ray test was 45.2%, the liver function test was 24.1%, the urinalysis was 19.1%, and the electrocardiogram was 15.7%. The proportion of patients who possessed results of test for diagnosis at the first level medical facilities was 76.5% for the computer tomogram, and 31.3% for the ultrasonogram. As the repeat test rate between the first level medical facilities and the tertiary hospital, the thyroid function test was the first rank as 71.4%, the second rank was the routine CBC as 67.9%, and the third rank was the X-ray test as 64.4%. But among the patients that brought the result for tests at the first level medical facilities, the repeat test rate was as follow : the routine CBC was 75.0%, the liver function test was 72.1%, and the computer tomogram was 15.4%.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.1 s.45
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• pp.117-134
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• 1994

The effects of regional medical insurance on utilization of medical care in urban population was examined in this study. The data was collected in a 2-year follow-up household survey conducted at Taegu city before and after implementation of the regional medical insurance. The study population was divided into 2 groups. Cohort I was the uninsured in 1989 and cohort II was the insured in 1989. After the coverage of medical insurance, physician visit rate per 1,000 population, use-disability ratio and use-restricted activity ratio in cohort I were increased compared to cohort II in both of acute and chronically ill people. The use-disability ratio and use-restricted activity ratio of the insured poor were lower than those of the insured nonpoor in both of cohort I and cohort II. The major reasons for pharmacy use were accessibility and affordability before the coverage of medical insurance in cohort I, however, after the coverage of medical insurance, the important reason was accessibility rather than affordability. In logistic regression analysis of physician visit, the significant independent variables were acute illness episode (+), chronic illness episode (+) and income (+) in both of cohort I and cohort II. In cohort I, after the coverage of medical insurance, more people replied that the medical cost of hospital and clinic was reasonable. The people who covered by the regional medical insurance were more dissatisfied with the imposed premium than those who covered by other types of medical insurance in both of cohort I and cohort II. More people in cohort II than cohort I were dissatisfied with the services from hospitals and clinics after implementation of the regional medical insurance. In conclusion. after the coverage of medical insurance, the gap between the poor and the nonpoor still exists in terms of medical care utilization.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 1984

To assess the status of industrial injuries, a large scale textile company located around Taegu city was selected. And it was investigated from January 1981 to December 1982. After the department for workers safety was established, frequency rate of injury was 9.70 in 1981 and 4.15 in 1982, incidence rate per 1,000 workers was 27.11 in 1981 and 12.96 in 1982, and then, intensity rate was 0.33 in 1981 and 0.01 in 1982. The average duration of working loss was 36.64 days in 1981 and 3.34 in 1982. The incidence rate per 100 workers was 2.3 in annual average, 2.7 in men and 2.0 in women. The monthly incidence rate per 1,000 workers was highest as 3.6 in June; daily incidence rate, lowest as 1.8 on Sunday; and the highest as 14.7 from 10 to 12 o'clock in a day. The frequency by injured parts of body was highest as 42.3% on finger and 14.4% on the other part of hand, and the lower extremities as 14.4% followed. According to the kind of injuries, the laceration was the highest as 46.1%, the next was contusion as 15.4%, and the third was superficial injuries as 6.7%, According to the cause of injuries, the machinery accidents showed the highest as 47.1% and the accidents due to hand tool followed as 16.3%. By underlying cause of injuries, the environmental factors were 13.5% and the human factors 86.5%. The psychologic factors among human factors were the most common as 60.6%.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.1 s.25
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• pp.125-135
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• 1989

This paper was carried out to study on correlation between mentally retardation and lead and zinc. The subjects were 297 mentally retarded children: 132 of Bomyung special school and Sunmyung, which were located in Taegu city of Korea. The former had their parents but the latter had not. The control group 63 children were randomly seleted from the Dong-in primary school near to Medical School of Kyungpook National University. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, model IL-551 connected with CTF atomizer(IL. 655) was used for the analysis of lead and zinc. The mean value of lead in hair of mentally retarded children was $14.97{\pm}3.71ppm$ which is significantly higher than that of control group, $11.36{\pm}2.83ppm$. But the content of zinc was not significant in both groups. In the lead there was no significant correlation to age but significant negative correlation to IQ. Zinc showed significant correlation to age but not to IQ. Among the handicapped children, no signigicant correlation between orphan group and non orphan group. Handicaps of mentally-retarded children were speech impairment, emotional disturbance, double and triple handicaps, sensory impairment and abnormal dietary patterns. There were significantly higher contents of lead compared with normal group, except the latter two groups. The disease conditions of mentally retarded children were mongolism, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and microcephaly. In comparing with mongolism, significant difference were existent only on the cerebral palsy and group of unknown etiology. We attempted to divide their past history into external etiology and internal etiology, but could not find significant difference. In view of the whole results, the relationship between mentally-retarded children and lead was presumed to be the early time exposure rather than long interval exposure during growth and the contact opportunity was considered important subject in maternal and child health care.