• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.249-254
• /
• 2006

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the factors related to the perceived peer smoking prevalence for adolescents. Methods: A self-administrated questionnaire was administered to 352 students in a technical high school in Kangwon Province in May, 2002. The questions included in the questionnaire were concerned with the estimated number of smokers among ten students of the same grade in their school, the sociodemographic characteristics, the smoking-related behaviors and attitudes, and the smoking-related environments. All the students had their expiratory carbon monoxide level measured with EC50 Micro-Smokerlyzer? to verify their smoking status. Multiple regression analysis was applied for data analysis using Windows SPSS 11.5. Results: The former and current smokers overestimated the peer smoking prevalence. Multiple regression analysis for estimating the peer smoking prevalence for the male showed that the perceived smoking prevalence was higher in the female students than in the male students, higher in those students whose mothers had a higher educational level, who had smoked more frequently, who had more best friends smoking, and who had a higher actual smoking rate of the class. For estimating the peer smoking prevalence for the female, the perceived smoking prevalence was higher in the female students than in the male students, higher in those who smoked more frequently, whose five best friends smoked, who had higher actual smoking rate of the class, and who had smoking siblings. Conclusions: This study showed that a higher perceived peer smoking rate is related with their own smoking history and smoking frequency, the smoking related environment, and gender. Smoking prevention and smoking cessation programs need to focus on correcting the falsely perceived smoking prevalence.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.16
• /
• pp.6609-6612
• /
• 2014

Opisthorchis viverrini is an ongoing public health problem in Northeast Thailand. Despite continuous efforts for decades by healthcare organizations to overcome this problem, infection rates remain high. To enable related personnel to identify and address the various issues effectively, a cross-sectional study was performed to investigate prevalence and risk factors for opisthorchiasis. The target group was 3,916 Thai residents of Northeast Thailand who were 15 or over. Participants were recruited using the 30 clusters sampling technique. The data were gathered through questionnaires, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and stool examinations for parasite eggs (using the Modified Kato Katz method). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inference statistics; in order to ascertain the risk factors and test them using the odds ratio and multiple logistic regressions. The prevalence of opisthorchiasis was 22.7% (95%CI: 0.26 to 0.24). The province with the highest prevalence was Nakhorn Phanom (40.9%; female to male ratio =1:1.2). The age group with the highest prevalence was 40-49 year olds. All age groups had a prevalence >20%. Four of seven provinces had a prevalence >20%. The factors related to opisthorchiasis were (a) sex, (b) age (especially > 50), (c) proximity and duration living near a water body, and (d) eating raw and/or fermented fish. In order to reduce the prevalence of opisthorchiasis, the focus in populations living in upper Northeast Thailand should be changing their eating behaviors as appropriate to their tradition and context.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.141-145
• /
• 2003

This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of theileriosis and to compare the prevalence of this disease in Korean native cattle reared under different environmental conditions, namely, in a grazing area and a non-grazing area by polymerase chain reaction. Three hundred and one Korean native cattle (276 cows and 25 bulls) that had not received prior treatment or been vaccinated to prevent theileriosis were examined by PCR for Theileria sergenti infection from 2001 to 2002. In our study, the parasitemia range in T. sergenti-positive cattle by microscopy were from 0.1 to 3％ (mean 0.8％). In terms of mean prevalence, 204 of the 301 Korean native cattle (67.8％) were positive reaction by PCR. Our results also revealed that the infection rate among cows (70.3％) was significantly higher than that among bulls (40.0％) (p < 0.01). T. sergenti infection among the over 3 year-old-group (75％) had a significant higher prevalence than that among the less than 3 year-old-group (61.8％) (p < 0.05). Our data also showed that grazing areas (76.1％) had the significant higher prevalence than non-grazing areas (51％) (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the prevalence of T. sergenti infection is high and that its prevalence in grazing cattle is higher than that in non-grazing cattle, Therefore, life-long treatment and the development of an optimal vaccine are needed to reduce the numbers of bovine theileriosis in both grazing and non-grazing areas.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.472-481
• /
• 2012

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the AD (allergic diseases: asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis) prevalence among elementary schoolchildren in an industrial city, Ulsan, and identify major environmental risk factors associated with AD prevalence. Methods: Data on the physician-diagnosed prevalence over the past 12 months and potential risk factors of AD were collected through a questionnaire from a 2009-2010 survey of 4,067 schoolchildren living in different urban environments. The logistic regression analysis was performed to assess differences in AD prevalence among the areas and to determine which environmental factors impacted AD. Results: Our survey results showed that the AD prevalence rate ranged between 26.2% and 35.9%. Children living in polluted areas (near industrial and central urban areas) had about a 10% higher prevalence of AD than did those living in coastal or suburban residences. The Chi-Square test demonstrated that this local difference was statistically significant before and after adjustment of major confounders such as parental AD history and parental education. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between several environmental factors (ventilation in winter, odor conditions and exposure to traffic smoke, and outdoor $PM_{10}/O_3$ pollution) and the prevalence of AD found by multivariate model after adjusting confounders. Conclusion: These results suggest that local differences in AD prevalence are significantly associated with outdoor environmental factors. Although there are likely to be other risk factors for AD, living in a polluted area and exposure to high levels of air pollutants can contribute to an increased risk of childhood AD.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.27
• /
• pp.6.1-6.8
• /
• 2012

Objectives: Childhood allergic diseases are a major concern because they lead to a heavy economic burden and poor quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of childhood atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and the comorbidity of allergic diseases in Seoul, Korea. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey between May and October 2010 to evaluate the prevalence of childhood allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, using a questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood group. Each questionnaire was completed by the parent or guardian of a child. Results: In the 31,201 children studied, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis symptoms in the past 12 months was 19.3% in children 0 to 3 years of age, 19.7% in children 4 to 6 years of age, 16.7% in children 7 to 9 years of age, and 14.5% in children 10 to 13 years of age (p for trend < 0.001). The prevalence of asthma in these age groups was 16.5%, 9.8%, 6.5%, and 5.4%, respectively (p for trend < 0.001). The prevalence of allergic rhinitis in these age groups was 28.5%, 38.0%, 38.5%, and 35.9%, respectively (p for trend = 0.043). The percentage of subjects with both atopic dermatitis and asthma, both asthma and allergic rhinitis, or both atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis was 2.5%, 4.7%, and 8.7%, respectively. The prevalence of comorbid allergic diseases decreased with age (p for trend < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study revealed that the prevalence of some allergic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and asthma, was relatively high in very young children and that all of the principal allergic diseases in children often co-exist.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.3-9
• /
• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the difference between prevalence and risk factors of the metabolic syndrome(MS) by gender in type2 diabetic patients. Method: 108 participants(males 69, females 39) were recruited from the endocrinology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in an urban city. MS was defined by a third report of the national cholesterol education program (NCEP) expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults(Adult Treatment Panel III)(ATP III), and abdominal obesity was determined by Asia-Pacific criteria in waist circumference. Results: The prevalence of MS by definition of NCEP-ATP III and the Asia-Pacific criteria in waist circumference was 39.3% in males and 66.7% in females type2 diabetic patients. The abdominal obesity prevalence was seen in 44.9% of males and in 79.5% of females patients. The prevalence of low HDL-cholesterolemia in serum was 26.2% in male, 52.8% in female type2 diabetic patients. Conclusion: These results show that nurses should focus on female diabetic patients for preventing MS.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.202-215
• /
• 2001

This is an exploratory study to describe drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems (ARP) in women. A probability sample was drawn from Kyungnam Providence area 20 to 59 age by a multi- stage cluster sampling method and secondary data analysis was used. Drinking patterns in this study involve lifetime prevalence of alcohol use, year prevalence, month prevalence , frequency and usual quantity of drinking alcohol in a situation, ARPs were measured by employing a modified version of ARP developed by Alcohol Research Group in U.S.A. Three measurements were constructed to represent alcohol-related problems by summing up 41 alcoholic statements, which were consequence, social consequence and dependence. The results were as follows; 1) The lifetime prevalence of alcohol use in women was $80.3\%$ and year prevalence $78.3\%$. High prevalence rates of drinking were observed in the twenties who have at least community college diploma. and frequencies of alcohol use were increased as age increased. 2) More than $27.3\%$ of the respondents who were reported to experience at least a ARP in a year. 3) ARPs were associated with age, religion, frequency and usual quantity of drinking alcohol in situation. Issues were proposed with respect to research methodology and policy implications for public health.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.415-421
• /
• 2011

Currently, various diseases reside in Korean swine farms and affect production performance of the farms greatly. These damages from disease are further aggravated by the concurrent infection of other disease. In this study, y investigating the distribution of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), Salmonella spp. in farms, correlation between the damage and the prevalence of disease was analyzed. Ten selected Korean swine farms that uses PCV2 vaccine were tested for presence of antibody and antigen of PRRSV, PCV2, Salmonella spp. per ages of pigs, 4weeks, 7weeks, 11weeks and 17weeks, respectively. The results were analyzed by dividing the farms in to groups with MSY above 19, and that with MSY below 19. Then calculating the distribution of disease each ages of pigs. Farms with MSY below 19 showed high prevalence of disease by PRRSV, PCV2 and Salmonella spp.. In this group, the detection rate of PCV2 and Salmonella spp. was increased by the activation/viremia of PRRSV in the young ages of pigs. The results are proved that the correlation between disease prevalence and production performance in Korean swine farms were very significant. The prevalence of PRRSV is more important index which influence to the productivity in current prevalence of diseases.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.90-97
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study was to determined the rate of sensitization to food allergen in children with Atopic Dermatitis (AD) in Korea. A total of 3,783 patients (male = 1983, female = 1800) with AD (age under 18 years) who had visited Samsung Medical Center from 1998 to 2003 were enrolled in the study. Food hypersensitivity was measured by specific IgE to egg, cow's milk, soy, peanut, wheat, buckwheat, beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, crab, salmon, mackerel, etc. Specific IgE levels > 0.7 kU/L. by Captured Allergen Product (CAP) assay were considered positive. Chi-square test at p value < 0.05 was used to examine the difference of the prevalence by sex and age. The rate of sensitization to multiple food allergens was 31.2% and decreased with age. Hypersensitivity to egg showed highest prevalence, which was 24.3%, compared to the prevalence of other foods. High prevalence of hypersensitivity to milk. wheat, soy, peanut, crab or shrimp was observed (11.6- 17.7%). Low prevalence of hypersensitivity to beef, pork, tuna or chicken was observed (1.9-3.5%). Children aged under 3 years had significantly higher prevalence of hypersensitivity to egg, milk, soy and beef than children aged at least 3 years. Our results stress the need for examination of food hypersensitivity aimed at identified and limited each food allergen among children with AD caused by food to help patients outgrow their food allergy.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.282-290
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors among community dwelling aged 65 and over in South Korea. Methods: A total of 1,367 subjects from the 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were selected. The data analysis was conducted by SPSS WIN 19.0 using descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2$-test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 47.70%. Logistic regression analysis shows that hypertension was more prevalent as people became older; in females; in elderly who were not employed as compared to those employed; elderly with diabetes, and obesity as compared to those without these health conditions; as elderly who performed more moderate intensity exercise. While, education, household income, high risk alcoholic drinking, smoking, stress perception, usual activity, and eating out behavior were not associated with prevalence of hypertension in this study. Conclusion: The finding of prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors is expected to promote the screening or prevention strategy for community dwelling aged 65 and over at risk of hypertension in Korea.