• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.110-122
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• 2024

Objectives: This study analyzed the Korea Health Panel Annual Data 2019 to investigate factors related to the use of non-insured Korean medicine (KM) treatment in individuals with chronic diseases. The non-insured KM treatments of interest were herbal decoction (HD) and pharmacopuncture (PA). Methods: Among adults aged 19 or older, 6,159 individuals with chronic diseases who received outpatient KM treatment at least once in 2019 were included. They were divided into three groups according to the KM treatment used: (1) basic insured KM non-pharmacological treatment (BT) group (n = 629); (2) HD group (n = 256); (3) PA group (n = 184). Logistic regression analysis was used to explore factors associated with favoring HD or PA use over BT. Potentially relevant candidate factors were classified using the Andersen Behavior Model. Results: Compared to BT, the 1st to 3rd quartiles of income compared to the 4th quartile (odds ratio: 1.50 to 2.06 for HD; 2.03 to 2.83 for PA), health insurance subscribers compared to medical aid (odds ratio: 2.51; 13.43), and presence of musculoskeletal diseases (odds ratio: 1.66; 1.91) were significantly positively associated with HD and PA use. Moreover, the presence of cardiovascular disease (odds ratio: 1.46) and neuropsychiatric disease (odds ratio: 1.97) were also significantly positively associated with HD use. Conclusion: The presence of some chronic diseases, especially musculoskeletal diseases, was significantly positively associated with HD and PA use, while low economic status was significantly negatively associated with HD and PA use, indicating the potential existence of unmet medical needs in this population. Since chronic diseases impose a considerable health burden, the results of this study can be used for reference for future health insurance coverage policies in South Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.326-334
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• 2020

Background: Korea has gradually expanded the coverage of medical care services in its national health insurance system. On April 1, 2018, it implemented a policy that expanded the coverage for an ultrasonography in the upper abdomen. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the policy on the utilization of the ultrasonography in the upper abdomen in tertiary care hospitals. Methods: Using the dataset of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, we explored changes in the utilization of the ultrasonography in the upper abdomen in tertiary care hospitals from July 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018 through the difference-in-difference (DID) mixed-effects-model method. Facility factor, equipment factor and personnel factors, type of hospital, the total amount of medical care expenses, and geographic region were considered as control variables. Results: On average, the utilization of the ultrasonography in the upper abdomen increased by 228% after the coverage expansion policy. However, the results of DID mixed-effects-model method analysis showed that the utilization increased by 73%. As for the number of beds, the utilization was higher with a group of 844-930, 931-1,217, and 1,218 or greater compared with a group of 843 or fewer, while the utilization of the number of ultrasonic devices was lower with a group of 45-49 compared with a group of 44 or fewer. The utilization decreased with the number of interns and the number of nurse assistants. Besides, relative to Seoul, the utilization was lower in the other metro-cities and provinces. Conclusion: The coverage expansion policy in the national health insurance system increased service utilization among people. Future research needs to investigate the degree to which such coverage expansion policy reduces the unmet medical care needs among the deprived in Korea.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.621-629
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• 2017

According to the rapid population aging and the increase of the number of people with chronic diseases, the digital healthcare services are getting more and more attention. Recent improvement in information technology has expanded the consumers of digital healthcare service from the patients to the general population. Therefore, there is a growing need for studies on the status and needs of digital healthcare users in general. This study conducted a survey of 1,000 people on their perception and attitude about four areas of digital healthcare: internet health information service, smartphone healthcare application, wearable device, and u-health. The questionnaire asked the respondents about their past experience of using digital healthcare services, the purpose of use and point to be improved. The respondents were also asked about new type and contents of digital healthcare service which they would like to use. The survey results will help developers of digital healthcare service by improving their understanding and identifying unmet needs from the general population.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.270-284
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to understand the essential structure and meaning of self-management intervention for breast cancer survivors by using non-pharmacological approaches. The study participants were 10 breast cancer survivors who were completing cancer treatment that involved surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Data collected between August 2014 and February 2015 at E Hospital in S city were analyzed by using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Outcomes were classified into seven essential themes: 1) application of comfort measures to alleviate ongoing symptoms, 2) movement to change physical conditions, 3) special herbal intake to prevent recurrence, 4) a specially designed diet plan for health self-management, 5) constant awareness of complementary and alternative medicine, 6) unmet needs treated by one's own doctor's prescription, and 7) future life toward a nature-friendly environment. The study results contribute to a deeper understanding of self-management interventions in the daily lives of Korean breast cancer survivors. In addition, results provide an essential resource, based on actual self-management styles, that will help survivors to obtain guidance and participate in appropriate programs.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.79-91
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• 2015

Purpose - First, the study identifies and analyzes consumer preferences with regard to health foods and supplements. Second, it identifies and analyzes consumer preferences with regard to the properties of Vitamin C supplements. Third, in order to provide a basic data for the development of Vitamin C supplements and to measure how consumers value the properties of different Vitamin C products, a consumer survey was conducted through the choice-based conjoint model. Based on the results, the research estimates consumers' relative product-related priorities as well as price levels and willingness to pay (WTP) for different product types, and makes suggestions regarding consumer-oriented new product development and progressive directions for the successful launch of health foods and supplements. Research design, data, and methodology - This study aims to define the attributes of health foods and supplements based on several characteristics including their natural ingredients, product price, product originality, natural ingredient content, and additional functional ingredients, and makes suggestions regarding strategic market pricing and product development for health foods and supplements according to customer attitudes and characteristics. The research used choice-based conjoint analysis methodology based on the Multinomial Logic Model and collected 94 questionnaires filled out by users of Korean Vitamin C supplements. Results - Product price is the most influential factor among the five analyzed properties. When consumers buy Vitamin C products, the relative significance level of four of the examined properties is as follows: 40.9% for product price, 23.3% for product originality, 21.9% for natural ingredient content, and 13.9% for additional functional ingredients. Vitamin C content is excluded as it is not a statistically significant factor. It is interesting that supplement manufacturers and retailers consider Vitamin C content to be very important whereas consumers do not regard it as an important factor at the time of purchase. The results for the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for each property of Vitamin C supplements show that consumers are willing to pay an additional 11,146 Korean won for a 50% increase in the natural ingredient content. With regard to product originality, consumers are willing to pay an additional 11,301 Korean won for products manufactured in Europe than for products manufactured in China. Moreover, consumers show a greater preference for products manufactured in Korea than in Europe. However, consumers are not willing to pay more for additional Vitamin C or additional functional ingredients added to Vitamin C products. Conclusions - According to the results of consumer research on Vitamin C supplements, which represent a popular health food supplement in Korea, most Korean health food and supplement companies are not consumer- or market-oriented when developing new products. Companies gather information from either R&D specialists or sales managers and their opinions are highly reflected in new product development. The study's results will help companies recognize the importance of understanding consumers' unmet needs in advance to develop new products in the future.

• Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.591-613
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• 2018

Chronic cough is common in the community and causes significant morbidity. Several factors may underlie this problem, but comorbid conditions located at sensory nerve endings that regulate the cough reflex, including rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, asthma, eosinophilic bronchitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, are considered important. However, chronic cough is frequently non-specific and accompanied by not easily identifiable causes during the initial evaluation. Therefore, there are unmet needs for developing empirical treatment and practical diagnostic approaches that can be applied in primary clinics. Meanwhile, in referral clinics, a considerable proportion of adult patients with chronic cough are unexplained or refractory to conventional treatment. The present clinical practice guidelines aim to address major clinical questions regarding empirical treatment, practical diagnostic tools for non-specific chronic cough, and available therapeutic options for chronic wet cough in children and unexplained chronic cough in adults in Korea.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.305-314
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to provide basic information on regional senior welfare policy setting for the elderly in the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas and on the development of senior welfare programs on the basis of the data of the 2019 community health survey conducted by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The subjects in this study were 74,547 senior citizens who were at the ages of 65 and over as of 2019 and who were 17,423 from the metropolitan area and 57,124 from the nonmetropolitan areas. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 26.0. The findings of the study were as follows: As for the levels of happiness in the metropolitan area, happiness was better in the seniors who were aged 75 and up, who had spouses, whose income was larger and who engaged in economic activity. In the nonmetropolitan areas, happiness was better in the seniors who were aged 75 and up, who were better educated, who had spouses, whose income was larger and who engaged in economic activity. In terms of health behaviors and subjective health levels, more happiness was felt by the seniors who didn't smoke at present, who didn't suffer any subjective stress, who were at higher subjective health levels and higher subjective oral health levels and who had unmet health care needs, no matter whether they dwelled in the metropolitan or nonmetropolitan areas. In the nonmetropolitan areas, however, engaging in intensive physical activity and lower BMI were identified as the factors to affect happiness.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.375-390
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• 2022

Influenza viruses are zoonotic respiratory pathogens, and influenza infections have caused a substantial burden on public health systems and the livestock industry. Although currently approved seasonal influenza vaccines have shown potent protection efficacy against antigenically well-matched strains, there are considerable unmet needs for the efficient control of viral infections. Enormous efforts have been made to develop broadly protective universal influenza vaccines to tackle the huge levels of genetic diversity and variability of influenza viruses. In addition, antiviral drugs have been considered important interventions for the treatment of viral infections. The viral neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir is the most widely used antiviral medication to treat influenza A and influenza B viruses. However, unsatisfactory clinical outcomes resulting from side effects and the emergence of resistant variants have led to greater attention being paid to plants as a natural resource for anti-influenza drugs. In particular, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has underpinned the need for safe and effective antiviral drugs with a broad spectrum of antiviral activity to prevent the rapid spread of viruses among humans. This review outlines the results of the antiviral activities of various natural products isolated from plants against influenza viruses. Special focus is paid to the virucidal effects and the immune-enhancing effects of antiviral natural products, since the products have broad applications as inactivating agents for the preparation of inactivated vaccines and vaccine adjuvants.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.35-65
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between health insurance and health by evaluating the impacts of health insurance coverage expansion on health care utilization and health status. To analyze the causal relationship between health insurance and health, this study employed a "difference-in-difference method" that could compare changes in health care utilization and health status across groups in health insurance coverage expansion in 2005. The researcher predicted that the expansion of health insurance coverage would be an exogenous source of variation in the prices of health service use. First, the difference-in-differences estimator between 'illness group' and 'non-illness group' revealed that the increase in coverage of inpatient care services would result from the increases in the stay of length of 'non-illness group' rather than that of 'illness group'. However, the difference-in-differences estimator between 'serious illness group' and 'chronic illness group' identified that the policy change that focuses on expansion of the coverage for 'serious illness' effects on the increases in health care utilization and promotion of health status. In summary, the changes of health insurance coverage focusing on serious illness and inpatient care have positive effects on health care utilization and health status of serious illness group. But, 'non-illness groups' with acute illness receive more benefits from the policy change than 'illness group' with chronic illness.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.387-410
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• 2016

This study conducted a review of the existential and psychological perspective about the risks and safe. The risk was identified as existential task through the existential philosophy and psychology discussed were the safety regulations as existential need. As existential anxiety that is caused by unmet and insufficiency of the existential needs and the existential task that was presented to identify the subjective risk. Subjective risk as existential anxiety, and suggested that serves as a compass to advance to the completion and the facing the existential. In addition, existential anxiety as a subjective function as a signal that can identify the problem conditions that expressed phenomena. Problematic aspect of a subjective risk was suggested that it can be adjusted through a method for supplying information that can be recognized by an experienced and symmetrical state with the direction of the expressed symptoms. The attempt to determine the existence of and psychological point of view, it gave provided the underlying psychological spokesman for the analysis of human society, including the Sewol ferry of Korea-type disaster. There are also presented some implications that can be applied effectively to give more psychological approach to future risk reduction and safety enhancement. In addition, this study through the various views presented by a comprehensive existential subject of several ways to adjust the status Theme conditioning method (Theme Condition Adjustment Theory: TCAT) to establish a theoretical basis for expecting it to be that.