• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2010

The indoor environmental condition was assessed in houses with allergy (asthma and atopy) patients by use of a fungal detector. The fungal index was calculated from the growth rate of the sensor fungi in a fungal detector encapsulating the spores, Alternaria alternata S-78, Eurotium herbariorum J-183 and Aspergillus penicillioides K-712. Fungal indices were higher in asthma patient's houses than in control houses and Eurotium herbariorum showed the highest growth response among the sensor fungi. Dust mites allergen, Der f1, was also significantly high in allergy patient's houses where fungal indices above 10 were detected. A correlation was observed between the fungal indices and dust mite allergen proliferations in examined houses. Therefore, the fungal index can be a useful tool as an indirect indication for detecting chronic dampness that brings both contaminations by fungi and dust mite.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.841-857
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• 2012

Preliminary ecological environmental assessments including physico-chemical constituents, water quality, fish fauna analysis, physical habitat health, and ecological health assessment were conducted as a primary step for Jeungchon micro-habitat ecosystem restoration in 2012. Water chemistry analysis of conductivity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a and etc. indicated that there were no significant differences(p < 0.05) among 6 sites between the headwaters and downstream. Multi-metric model analysis of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index(QHEI) showed that brooklets were at "good condition" as a mean QHEI of 158.7(n = 6) and the longitudinal differences of the model values between the sites were minor(QHEI range: 153 - 165). Total fish species and the number of individuals were 12 and 481, respectively, and dominant species were Zacco platypus(49.5%) and Zacco koreanus(36.8%). Tolerance guild analysis showed that the proportion of sensitive species($S_S$) had a negative linear function[$S_S=86.35-0.31(D_H)$; $R^2$ = 0.892, p < 0.01] with a distance from the headwaters, while the proportion of tolerant species($T_S$) had a positive linear function($R^2$ = 0.950, F = 90.28, p < 0.001) with the distance. Trophic feeding guild analysis showed that the proportion of insectivore species($I_n$) had a negative linear function($R^2$ = 0.934, p < 0.01) with a distance from the headwaters, while the proportion of omnivore species($O_m$) had a positive linear function($R^2$ = 0.958, p < 0.001) with the distance. Index of Biological Integrity(IBI) model, based on fish assemblages, showed a "fair condition" as a mean IBI of 23(n = 6), and there was a distinct differences of ecological health between the headwaters(S1 = 30; "good condition") and the downstreams(S6 = 14; "poor condition"). Overall, the preliminary environmental impact assessments suggest that water quality, physical habitat conditions(QHEI model), and ecological health(IBI model) were maintained well, even if the state was not an excellent conditions.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.560-568
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• 2007

The objectives of this study were to analyze ecological effects on effluents from the Sagok Stream (Chonnam province) as an abandoned mine drainage through necropsy-based health assessments and fish exposure tests, and to conduct In situ field pilot tests for restoration of stream water. Also, we analyzed water quality including general parameters and heavy metals. The tests were performed three times on April 2005, April 2006, and April 2007. Also, we constructed a reactor facility in the outflowing point of the abandoned mine for the remediation of AMD wastewater. In lab test, death rates in all three treatments were ${\geq}50%$ in the experiments. Necropsybased fish tissue assessments using the Health Assessment Index (HAI), indicated that the most frequently damaged tissue was liver (average: 20.8). Values of Health Assessment Index were lower in the control than any other treatments of T1, T2, and T3 and three treatments showed a distinct toxicity impacts by the AMD. In situ lethal test, concentration of Fe, Al and Zn decreased particularly by 85%, 99% and 94%, respectively through the disposal facility. Values of pH, ranged from 3.1 to 7.0, increased by 2.3 fold (mean=5.1) along with the reduction of metal contents. All fishes in P1 cage died 100% on 3 days later after the experimental setting, while all fishes in the P6 died 100% on 9 days later. Overall, these results evidently provide a key methodology for pilot test using the disposal facility and also clarify the toxicity of AMD once again, so this approach used in the pilot facilities here may reduce the acidic and toxic effects in the abandoned mining drainage.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and Quality of Life (QoL) between urban and rural residents in Koreausing data from the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Methods: This study was analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 program (IBM SPSS Statistics), and a t-test was performed for difference between GOHAI and QoL, and a multiple regression analysis was used for association between the independent and dependent variables with confounding variables corrected. The statistical significance was p<0.05. Results: Urban residents' average QoL was statistically significantly higher rural residents'(Table 1, p>0.05). For subjects under the age of 65, the QoL increased by 0.30 points for urban residents and 0.39 points for rural residents according to GOHAI increased by one unit (Table 2, p>0.05). Also, for subjects aged 65 years or older, the QoL increased by 0.42 points for urban residents and 0.61 points for rural residents according to the GOHAI, increasing by one unit (Table 3, p>0.05). Conclusion: Through the results of this study, the quality of life of rural residents was lower than that of urban residents. The GOHAI had a stronger impact on QoL among rural residents than in urban areas. In order to address the disparity in QoL between urban and rural residents, it was believed that policies aimed at improving oral health for rural residents should b etaken in to account.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.84-89
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• 2023

Background: Food consumption is one of the most important routes for radionuclide intake for the public; therefore, there is the need to have a comprehensive understanding of the amount of radioactivity in food products. Consumption of radionuclide-contaminated food could increase potential health risks associated with exposure to radiation such as cancers. The present study aims to determine radioactivity levels in some food products (milk, rice, sugar, and wheat flour) consumed in Mali and to evaluate the radiological effect on the public health from these radionuclides. Materials and Methods: The health impact due to ingestion of radionuclides from these foods was evaluated by the determination of activity concentration of radionuclides ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs using gamma spectrometry system with high-purity germanium detector and radiological hazards index in 16 samples collected in some markets, mall, and shops of Bamako-Mali. Results and Discussion: The average activity concentrations were 9.8±0.6 Bq/kg for ²³⁸U, 8.7±0.5 Bq/kg for ²³²Th, 162.9±7.9 Bq/kg for ⁴⁰K, and 0.0035±0.0005 Bq/kg for ¹³⁷Cs. The mean values of radiological hazard parameters such as annual committed effective dose, internal hazard index, and risk assessment from this work were within the dose criteria limits given by international organizations (International Commission on Radiological Protection and United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) and national standards. Conclusion: The results show low public exposure to radioactivity and associated radiological impact on public health. Nevertheless, this study stipulates vital data for future research and regulatory authorities in Mali.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 2015

This study was conducted to examine O'leary index, patient hygiene performance (PHP) index, and toothbrushing practice assessment in subjects of college students in 20s who had been randomly selected. The purpose of this study is to examine if it is easy for rolling method which is recommended by many dental professionals in Korea to implement and to effectively remove dental plaque. Also, the correlations between dental plaque index and toothbrushing practice assessment with the course of time was confirmed, after instruction session on toothbrushing was provided. STATA 11.0 (StataCorp) was used for analysis. There was no significant difference on the three ways of O'leary index, PHP index, and toothbrushing practice assessment in using rolling method, bass technique and toothpick method when comparing the average resulting from first to third instruction session on toothbrushing. O'leary index, PHP index, and toothbrushing practice assessment were inspected with Kruskal-Wallis test which is used for non-parametric statistics. They were checked three times: the first, before the toothbrushing instruction was given; the second, two weeks after the toothbrushing session was given; and the third, 4 weeks after the session. The results are as follows: O'leary index stood at the lowest in the first experiment but showed the highest in the second (p=0.0001). PHP index was the highest level in the first trial and decreased in the second time, but increased again in the last examination (p=0.0001). Toothbrushing practice assessment also showed a similar tendency with PHP index (p=0.0001). In conclusion, rolling method is not the best option for everyone, and it is thought that more various toothbrushing ways need to be reviewed and recommended to people. Also, institutional framework is required for the continuous education on toothbrushing to be in place as the effectiveness of the education is decreased with time.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.216-223
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate factors affecting the assessment of objective and subjective masticatory ability in the elderly, and to evaluate masticatory ability assessment more accurately. Methods: A total of 112 participants were recruited after oral examination in senior citizen welfare facilities. The participants' masticatory ability was evaluated objectively (Mixing ability index; MAI), and subjectively (Key food intake ability; KFIA). Participants' general characteristics and oral health-related variables were also recorded. Based on masticatory ability assessment, participants were classified as either high or low. IBM SPSS Statistics Ver.23.0 was used for all analyses, including descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman rank correlation, and Logistic regression analysis. Results: Higher masticatory ability was positively correlated with higher scores on MAI and KFIA. Additionally, there was a significant positive correlation between MAI and KFIA. When analyzing factors affecting objective and subjective masticatory ability assessments, Functional tooth units (FTUs) were revealed as a related factor. In subjective masticatory ability assessment, oral moisture, difficulty in chewing, and the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) were also influential factors. Conclusions: In order to accurately assess masticatory ability, it is necessary to use both objective and subjective measures. Additionally, to improve the masticatory ability in the elderly, treatment should be provided to improve overall oral health and satisfaction.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.402-411
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The role of a school's nutrition environment in explaining students' eating behaviors and weight status has not been examined in an Asian setting. The purpose of this study was to create a school nutrition environment index and to pilot test the index in elementary and middle schools in urban South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study used a mixed-methods approach. Environment assessment tools were developed based on formative research, which comprised literature reviews, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Key elements from the formative research were included in the assessment tool, which consisted of a structured survey questionnaire for school dietitians. Fifteen school dietitians from 7 elementary and 8 middle schools in Seoul completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: The formative research revealed four main sections that guided a summary index to assess a school's nutrition environment: resource availability, education and programs, dietitians' perceptions and characteristics, and school lunch menu. Based on the literature reviews and interviews, an index scoring system was developed. The total possible score from the combined four index sections was 40 points. From the 15 schools participating in the pilot survey, the mean school nutrition-environment index was 22.5 (standard deviation ${\pm}3.2$; range 17-28). The majority of the schools did not offer classroom-based nutrition education or nutrition counseling for students and parents. The popular modes of nutrition education were school websites, posters, and newsletters. CONCLUSIONS: This paper illustrates the process used to develop an instrument to assess a school's nutrition environment. Moreover, it presents the steps used to develop a scoring system for creation of a school nutrition environment index. As pilot testing indicated the total index score has some variation across schools, we suggest applying this instrument in future studies involving a larger number of schools. Future studies with larger samples will allow investigation of the validity and reliability of this newly developed tool.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.109-118
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• 2022

This study was conducted to emphasize the importance of oral health education by identifying the relationship between the oral health knowledge level, the oral health education request level, and Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index(GOHAI) of the elderly. The survey was conducted on 191 elderly people aged 65 and over living in Chungbuk from January 6, 2020 to February 7, 2020, and for data analysis, χ2-test, t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, logistic regression analysis were performed. As a result, it was found that the quality of life as measured by GOHAI increased when they had oral health education experience, had a high level of oral health knowledge and oral health education request level, and had regular oral examinations. Based on the above results, in order to improve the quality of life related to oral health of the elderly, it is necessary to prepare policies to increase the participation rate by developing and continuously expanding opportunities for oral health education in various ways.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.23 no.1 s.29
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• pp.33-42
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• 1990

This study was conducted to find out the relationship between the stress perception and health habits with 426 industrial workers using the GARS(Global assessment of recent stress) scale. The results were as follows : 1. The mean scores of stress perception were higher in female, more educated and divorced. There were no evident trends of mean scores of stress perception in age, monthly income and years worked. 2. The stress perception by health habits and sex showed significant difference in physical exercise and smoking variables. The higher health bit index, the lower degree of stress perception in male, but higher in female reversely. 3. The health habits and demographic variables were classified by five factors. Factors of sleeping hours, body mass index, and taste containing smoking and alcohol drinking had relatively high relation to stress perception. The explanation power of factors and variables was relatively low as 3.4%.