• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2015

Purpose: Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are progressive neurodegenerative disorders with diverse modes of inheritance. There are several subtypes of SCAs. SCA 8, SCA 12, and SCA 17 are the less common forms of SCAs with limited information available on their epidemiological profiles in Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of SCA8, SCA12, and SCA17 in Korea. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six unrelated Korean patients were enrolled and showed normal trinucleotide repeats through polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) for the genes ATXN1, ATXN2, ATXN3, CACNA1A, and ATXN7, which correspond to SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, and SCA7, respectively. PCR products from patients were further analyzed by capillary electrophoresis using fluorescence labeled primers for the genes ATXN8OS, PPP2R2B, and TBP, which correspond to SCA8, SCA12, and SCA17. Results: Three patients had 104, 97, and 75 abnormal expanded repeats in the ATXN8OS gene, the causative gene for SCA8. None of the patients exhibited abnormal repeats in SCA12 and SCA17. Normal trinucleotide repeat ranges of the cohort in this study were estimated to be 17-34 copies (average, $24{\pm}4copies$) for SCA8, 7-18 copies (average, $13{\pm}3copies$) for SCA12, and 26-43 copies (average, $35{\pm}2copies$) for SCA17. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that SCA8, SCA12, and SCA17 are rare in Korean patients with SCA, and further genetic studies are warranted to enhance the mutation detection rate in the Korean SCA population.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.358-372
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to describe the way of life (such as smoking habits, alcohol consumption, exercise, duration of sleep, eating habits etc.), physical. psychological and overall health complaints and to identify the relationship between the way of life and health complaints of the nursing students. Data was collected with the self-administered OMI( Okayama Medical Index Health Questionnaire, devised Cornell Medical Index) from 766 nursing students and was analyzed. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and an ANOVA with an SPSS/PC+ program were used. The results were as follows: 1. The mean age of subjects was 21.0557(2.7618) years old in their 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year-classes of nursing departments and college students in 4 regions of Korea. 62.1% of subjects were of the proper body weight, 2.0% were overweight, and 28.3% were underweight. Most subjects did not have a past history of disease, but 1.8% of subjects had experienced a blood transfusion. 2. 28.3% of the subjects had averaged 7 hours of sleep, 98.5% were nonsmokers, 91.2% were nondrinkers, 74.7% of subjects had milk intake sometimes, 53.7% of the subjects had an average salt intake, 49.6% of the subjects usually had a green vegetable intake, 45.4% of the subjects sometimes had fatty food intake, 64.8% of the subjects had good taste, 29.5% of the subjects enjoyed physical exercise. 3. The highest percentages of 'yes' among physical. psychological and overall health complaints were observed in the question 'Do you have gastric pain?'(60.2%), 'Are you confused of disorderly?' (37.2%), 'Physical body was burdensome and fatigued.'(57.3%). 4. The total O.M.I. score ranged from 1 to 89 with an average of 22.91(SD=12.10). A statistically significant difference was observed for the physical. psychological complaints for alcohol consumption. and for the psychological complaints for salt and fatty food intake. These conclusions should provide grounds for future studies of strategies for health promoting lifestyle for nursing students and their health concerns. Further research is required to investigate the life environmental and psychological factors affecting the way of life for nursing students and their health status, to analyze the health behavior of nursing students related with their culture and consciousness. Also epidemiologic research methodology, such as prospective cohort study should be considered to explore the performing process of nursing student's health behavior related with the occurrence of diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.9
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• pp.1387-1394
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• 2013

Allergies are one of the most common chronic diseases during childhood. While the prevalence of allergic disease in children is increasing dramatically, few studies have evaluated the risk and preventive factors related to this health condition, especially in South Korea. The purpose of this case-control study was to evaluate independent determinants of allergic disease, and to examine whether it is associated with growth and other health conditions in childhood. The current study included 209 cases and 311 age and sex-matched controls (fifth and sixth graders) residing in Daegu, South Korea. Environmental data was collected, including child and family histories of allergies, birth information, and reaction to weaning foods during infancy. In addition, current dietary habits (assessed by 2 day-24 hr food records), health conditions, and anthropometric data were obtained through questionnaires and student health check-ups at the school. Based on chi-square tests, cases had a significantly higher prevalence of having a disease at birth, an allergic reaction to weaning foods, frequent hospital visits, and frequent experiences of the common cold and digestive diseases. In addition, significantly more mothers had a higher education in the cases compared to controls. Based on multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis, factors significantly associated with greater odds for having allergies were parental (OR=21.42) and fraternal (OR=14.40) histories of allergies. The anthropometric measures showed that cases tended to be shorter in height and lighter in weight than the controls, but these differences were not statistically significant. These findings may indicate that current nutrient intakes may not be the only critical factor associated with delayed growth delay in the allergic group. A well-planned, large cohort study is warranted to confirm our findings in the future.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.235-254
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to develop a nursing management case simulation (NMCS) framework based on the five components of nursing management process and to apply it to clinical nursing practice of nursing college students. The subjects of this study were NMCS reports submitted by the 4th grade 105 nursing students of an university. The research tool is a simulation framework for nursing management practice. It reflects the brainstorming and debriefing process used in the previous simulation exercise based on the five elements of planning, organization, human resource management, directing and control of the nursing management process respectively. As a result of the study, 32 nursing management cases were found to have 79.6% correct rate, 11.6% concept error rate, and 5.6% classification error rate in the first brainstorming and debriefing process for the five components of nursing management process. On the other hand, in the second brainstorming and debriefing process, 94.6% correct rate, 0.0% concept error rate, and 4.4% classification error rate. Based on these results, the NMCS framework developed in this study can be applied to the nursing management theory and practice course of nursing college students as well as simulation based job training and maintenance educations for clinical nurses. Therefore, we propose follow-up studies in various clinical nursing settings and a longitudinal cohort study to investigate the effect of nursing management job skills of nursing college students after graduation.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.258-264
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Diet quality scores or indices, based on dietary guidelines, are used to summarize dietary intake into a single numeric variable. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the modified diet quality index for Koreans (DQI-K) and mortality among Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study participants. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The DQI-K was modified from the original diet quality index. A total of 134,547 participants (45,207 men and 89,340 women) from the HEXA-G study (2004 and 2013) were included. The DQI-K is based on eight components: 1) daily protein intake, 2) percent of energy from fat, 3) percent of energy from saturated fat, 4) daily cholesterol intake, 5) daily whole-grain intake, 6) daily fruit intake, 7) daily vegetable intake, and 8) daily sodium intake. The association between all-cause mortality and the DQI-K was examined using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Hazard ratios and confidence intervals were estimated after adjusting for age, gender, income, smoking status, alcohol drinking, body mass index, and total energy intake. RESULTS: The total DQI-K score was calculated by summing the scores of the eight components (range 0-9). In the multivariable adjusted models, with good diet quality (score 0-4) as a reference, poor diet quality (score 5-9) was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratios = 1.23, 95% confidence intervals = 1.06-1.43). Moreover, a one-unit increase in DQI-K score resulted in a 6% higher mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS: A poor diet quality DQI-K score was associated with an increased risk of mortality. The DQI-K in the present study may be used to assess the diet quality of Korean adults.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.160-165
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Korea is quickly becoming an aged society. Dementia is also becoming a vital public health problem in Korea. Cognitive impairment as a pre-stage of dementia shares most risk factors for dementia. The aim of the present study was to determine associations of serum levels of vitamins A, C, and E with the risk of cognitive impairment among elderly Koreans. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 230 participants aged 60-79 years from Yangpyeong cohort were included. Cognitive function was assessed by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening. The logistic multivariable regression model was applied to determine the effect of serum vitamins A, C, and E on the risk of cognitive impairment. RESULTS: There was no significant association between the risk of cognitive impairment and serum levels of vitamin A and vitamin C. There was a significant odd ratio when the second tertile group of beta-gamma tocopherol level was compared to the first tertile group [odds ratio (OR) = 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.14-0.98, P for trend = 0.051]. In subgroup analyses, there were significant negative associations between beta-gamma tocopherol level and the risk of cognitive impairment in men (OR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.03-0.87, P for trend = 0.028), non-drinkers or former drinkers (OR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.02-0.66, P for trend = 0.025), and non-smokers or former smokers (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.09-0.82, P for trend = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Serum beta-gamma tocopherol levels tended to be inversely associated with the risk of cognitive impairment. Further prospective large-scaled studies are needed to examine this association.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.25-50
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• 2009

Using the Korean labor and Income Panel Study, this study examines the impact of educational attainment on first marriage formation in Korea. In particular, this study examines whether higher education is associated primarily with delayed marriage or with a higher likelihood of never marrying. The results show that the trend toward later and less marriage is occurring at all levels of educational attainment in Korea. The data also indicated that educational attainment showed differential effects on the risk of first marriage formation for Korean men and women. For those born before 1970, both highly educated men and women delayed marriage but caught up by marrying at higher rates at later ages. However, for those born after 1970, highly educated women were increasingly more likely to show the trend toward later and less marriage, while highly educated men were more likely to delay marriage but caught up by marrying at higher rates at later ages. Overall the evidence in this study is consistent with the argument that gender divisions make it difficult for women to balance work and family in Korea.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2009

This paper uses a survey data to analyze the age-specific fertility rates, age-specific cumulative fertility rates, and ages of marriage of the five birth cohorts of Korean women born in the 1940s and thereafter. It was found that later cohorts reach their highest age-specific fertility rate at higher ages than earlier cohorts. The age-specific cumulative fertility rates of the 1950s and 1960 cohorts were found to be much lower than those of the immediately preceding cohorts, while those of the 1970s and 1980s cohorts were not different from those of the 1960s cohorts. Women belonging to later cohorts were found to get married at relatively higher ages. The estimation results of the hazard model show that women belonging to later cohorts and those with more schooling have a tendency to get married at higher ages. The effect of the birth cohorts is thought to be due to the economic, social, and cultural changes in Korea during the late 50 years or so. The time interval between a woman‘s marriage and first birth was found not to be affected by either the year of marriage or that of her birth. Also, those who remained employed for some time around their marriage and those with low schooling were found to have a lower first child birth hazard, which implies that married women’s employment status and family income play an important role in their decisions on childbirth.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2018

Purpose: The number of patients with dyslipidemia have been increasing steadily over the past few decades in South Korea. The association between the chromium level and chronic disease has attracted considerable interest, but few studies have been conducted on the Korean population. The aim of this study was to identify the dietary and non-dietary correlates of the toenail chromium level, and evaluate the association between the toenail chromium level and dyslipidemia. Methods: The baseline data of an ongoing prospective cohort study in Yeungnam area in South Korea were analyzed. A total of 500 participants aged 35 years or older who completed questionnaires on their demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and medical information were included. The toenail chromium level was analyzed by neutron activation analysis. The dietary intake was assessed using a validated 146-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The blood lipid profiles were obtained from medical examinations conducted by the Korean National Health Insurance Service or medical institutions. Results: Higher chromium levels were associated with the residential area (urban), higher education level, higher intakes of noodles and vegetables, and lower intake of fruits. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the toenail chromium levels were not associated significantly with the prevalence of dyslipidemia (odds ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.61 ~ 1.60). Conclusion: This study is the first study in Korea to determine the independent correlates of the toenail chromium levels and the association between chromium exposure and dyslipidemia. These findings provide useful scientific evidence for the development of chromium intake guidelines for the Korean population.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.486-495
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• 2021

Background: Particulate matter (PM) is one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide. Previous studies in South Korea have applied a relative risk calculated from Western populations when estimating the disease burden attributable to PM. However, the relative risk of PM on health outcomes may not be the same across different countries or regions. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the premature deaths and socioeconomic costs attributable to long-term exposure to PM in South Korea. We considered not only the difference in PM concentration between regions, but also the difference in relative risk. Methods: National monitoring data of PM concentrations was obtained, and missing values were imputed using the AERMOD model and linear regression model. As a surrogate for relative risk, hazard ratios (HRs) of PM for cardiovascular and respiratory mortality were estimated using the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. The nation was divided into five areas (metropolitan, central, southern, south-eastern, and Gangwon-do Province regions). The number of PM attributable deaths in 2018 was calculated at the district level. The socioeconomic cost was derived by multiplying the number of deaths and the statistical value of life. Results: The average PM₁₀ concentration for 2014~2018 was 45.2 ㎍/m³. The association between long-term exposure to PM₁₀ and mortality was heterogeneous between areas. When applying area-specific HRs, 23,811 premature deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory disease in 2018 were attributable to PM₁₀ (reference level 20 ㎍/m³). The corresponding socioeconomic cost was about 31 trillion won. These estimated values were higher than that when applying nationwide HRs. Conclusions: This study is the first research to estimate the premature mortality caused by long-term exposure to PM using relative risks derived from the national population. This study will help precisely identify the national and regional health burden attributed to PM and establish the priorities of air quality policy.