• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.218-225
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• 2011

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between the blood mercury concentration and cardiovascular risk factors in elderly Korean individuals living in coastal areas. Methods: The sample consisted of 477 adults (164 males, 313 females) aged 40 to 65 years who visited a Busan health promotion center from June to September in 2009. The relationship between blood mercury concentration and cardiovascular risk factors including metabolic syndrome, cholesterol profiles, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), was investigated. Variables related to blood mercury concentration were further evaluated using multiple regression analysis. Results: The blood mercury concentration of the study population was 7.99 (range, 7.60 to 8.40) ${\mu}g$/L. In males, the blood mercury concentration was 9.74 (8.92 to 10.63) ${\mu}g$/L, which was significantly higher than that in females (7.21, [6.80 to 7.64] ${\mu}g$/L). The blood mercury concentration of the study population was related to several cardiovascular risk factors including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (p=0.044), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (p=0.034), BMI (p = 0.006), waist circumference (p = 0.031), and WHR (p < 0.001). In males, the blood mercury concentration was significantly correlated with WHR in the multiple regression analysis. Conclusions: In males, the blood mercury concentration was related to waist-to-hip ratio, which is a central obesity index and cardiovascular risk factor. Our finding suggests that cardiovascular disease risk in males was increased by mercury exposure via an obesity-related mechanism.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권14호
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• pp.5787-5792
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• 2015

Background: Reported age standardized incidence rates for esophageal cancer in Iran are 0.88 and 6.15 for females and males, at fifth and the eighth ranks, respectively, of cancers overall. The present study aimed to map relative risk using more realistic and less problematic methods than common estimators. Materials and Methods: In this ecological investigation, the studied population consisted of all esophageal cancer patients in Iran from 2005 to 2007. The Bayesian multilevel space-time model with three levels of county, province, and time was used to measure the relative risk of esophageal cancer. Analyses were conducted using R package INLA. Results: The total number of registered patients was 7,160. According to the results, the three-level model with adjustment for risk factors of physical activity and smoking had the best fit among all models. The overall temporal trend was significantly increasing. At county level, Ahar, Marand, Salmas, Bojnoord, Saghez, Sarakhs, Shahroud and Torbatejam had the highest relative risks. Physical activity was found to have significant direct association with risk of developing esophageal cancer. Conclusions: Given to great variation across geographical areas, many different factors affect the incidence of esophageal cancer. Conducting further studies at the individual level in areas with high incidence could provide more detailed information on risk factors of esophageal cancer.

• 의료ㆍ복지 건축 : 한국의료복지건축학회 논문집
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.61-70
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• 2021

Purpose: The study aims at identifying patient-related and environmental factors associated with an increased risk of falling and, therefore, both caregivers and designers can be aware of fall risk factors and can contribute to prevent inpatient falls in their own areas of expertise. Methods: A case-control study has been conducted, utilizing patient data and physical environmental data in the unit of General Medicine in the United States. The case-control study investigated data about patients who had suffered falls as well as patients with similar characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and diagnosis) who did not suffer falls. Results: The study identified both patient-related and physical environmental factors associated with inpatient falls. Morse fall risk score, patient visibility, and patient accessibilityB were identified as significant predictors to inpatient falls, when controlling for other significant variables. Implications: The findings of the study can provide implications to both caregivers and healthcare and hospital environment designers. Caregivers should give special attention to patients with high Morse Fall Risk Scores to prevent inpatient falls. Designers also need to examine and to fine-tune the unit layout of inpatient care units to maximize each patient room's patient visibility from the rest of the unit and patient accessibilityB from working areas of nurses.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.272-281
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• 2022

Background: The constant consumption of chemical products owing to expanding industrialization has led to an increase in public interest in chemical substances. As the production and disposal processes for these chemical products cause environmental problems, regional information on the hazard level of chemical substances is required considering their effects on humans and in order to ensure environmental safety. Objectives: This study aimed to identify hazard contribution and spatiotemporal characteristics by region and chemical by calculating a hazard-based result score using pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR) data. Methods: This study calculated the chemical discharge and hazard-based result score from the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) model, analyzed their spatiotemporal patterns, and identified hotspot areas where chemical discharges and high hazard-based scores were concentrated. The amount of chemical discharge and hazard-based risk scores for 250 cities and counties across South Korea were calculated using PRTR data from 2011 to 2018. Results: The chemical discharge (high densities in Incheon, Daegu, and Busan) and hazard-based result scores (high densities in Incheon, Chungcheongnam-do, and some areas of Gyeongsangnam-do Province) showed varying spatial patterns. The chemical discharge (A, B) and hazard-based result score (C, D) hotspots were identified. Additionally, identification of the hazard-based result scores revealed differences in the type of chemicals contributing to the discharge. Ethylbenzene accounted for ≥80% of the discharged chemicals in the discharge hotspots, while chromium accounted for >90% of the discharged chemicals in the hazard-based result score hotspots. Conclusions: The RSEI hazard-based result score is a quantitative indicator that considers the degree of impact on human health as a toxicity-weighted value. It can be used for the management of industries discharging chemical substances as well as local environmental health management.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.447-454
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• 2006

Objectives : To determine obesity for the screening of individuals at high risk of coronary heart disease in urban areas. Methods : Data were obtained from 4,137 adults between 19 and 85 years of age (2,372 males, 1,765 females), not recognized as taking medicines for cardiovascular diseases, who underwent a health check-up at the health promotion center of university hospitals in cities between Jan. 2003 and Dec. 2004. The variables studied were divided into two broad categories, and their relationships examined. obesity indices and risk factors for coronary heart disease. To reveal the relation between each of the obesity indices and the proportion of individuals at risk of coronary heart disease, the obesity indices were stratified and odds ratios obtained after age adjustment. Results : From a gender comparison of anthropometric measures, men were found to have significantly greater heights, weights, and waist and hip circumferences than women. From a gender comparison by the obesity indices, women were found to have significantly higher BMI, %Fat, waist to hip and waist to stature ratios than men. As obesity indices, the waist to stature ratio and the waist circumference were strongly correlated with coronary risk factors, both in men and women. The age-adjusted odds ratio of coronary risk factors increased significantly with increasing waist circumference, BMI, %fat, waist to hip and waist to stature ratios, and were highest specifically for the waist to stature ratio and the waist circumference. Conclusions : The study results showed that the waist to stature ratio and the waist circumference, as obesity indices, were most closely correlated with coronary risk factors. It is suggested that the waist to stature ratio and, specifically, the waist circumference can be effectively used in the field of health management for screening those with high levels of coronary risk factors.

• 한국수자원학회논문집
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• 제47권9호
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• pp.789-799
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• 2014

본 연구는 도시지역의 내수침수 특성을 고려한 내수침수위험도 산정방법을 제시하였다. 의사결정과정에서 발생할 수 있는 불확실성을 정량적으로 반영하기 위하여 Fuzzy AHP 기법을 활용하였다. 내수침수 위험도의 평가기준으로는 물리적 지표, 사회적 지표, 그리고 내수침수 시나리오 결과 등 세 가지로 구성하였다. 각각의 평가기준은 3개의 세부평가항목을 가지고 있어 총 9가지의 평가항목을 바탕으로 내수침수 위험도 분석을 수행하였다. 또한, 행정구역 단위가 아닌 배수시스템의 노드(맨홀)를 기준으로 침수위험도를 분석하여 침수위험도가 높은 지점을 상세하게 표현할 수 있었다. 본 연구의 대상지역인 부산시 거제지구에 Fuzzy AHP 기법을 적용한 결과, 온천천 거제천 합류부 저지대의 침수위험도가 크게 나타났으며, 이는 과거 피해이력과 일치하는 것이다. Fuzzy AHP 기법을 적용한 본 연구결과는 내수침수 위험도 산정 및 고위험도 지역의 내수침수 저감계획 수립을 위한 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

• 한국산림과학회지
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• 제109권3호
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• pp.259-270
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• 2020

최근 20년 동안 고온, 건조 등 이상기상 현상이 빈발해지면서 병해충으로 인한 피해가 아닌 생리적 스트레스로 인한 소나무 피해 사례가 지속적으로 보고되고 있다. 2014년도에는 울진 소광리 산림유전자원보호구역 내에 금강소나무(Pinus densiflora for. erecta Uyeki)의 집단고사가 발견되어 이에 대한 원인 구명과 산림관리방안 마련이 요구되었다. 이에 본 연구는 2008~2015년 항공사진에서 발견된 울진 소광리 금강소나무 고사 피해 발생 지역의 지형 및 임분 특성을 파악하여 고사 발생의 영향 요인을 도출하고 이를 기반으로 전체 지역의 고사피해 발생 위험지역을 예측하는 것을 목표로 하였다. 소나무 고사발생 지점 정보와 해발고도, 경사 등의 지형정보, 영급, 경급 등의 임분 정보 등 총 14개의 설명변수를 이용하여 고사발생 예측모델을 구축하였다. 모형 개발에는 Decision Tree, Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM) 등 기계학습 기법을 적용하였으며, RF와 SVM가 정확도 93% 이상으로 좋은 성능을 보였다. 소나무 고사와 관련된 주요 변수 분석 결과, 소나무 고사의 지형적인 취약지역은 해발고도가 높은 동시에 일사량이 높으며 수분 조건이 불리한 지역이었으며, 임분 특성 중에서는 특히 5~15m 높이의 수직적 임분밀도가 높은 소나무림, 그리고 영급이 높은 소나무림에서 고사 위험성이 높다고 평가되었다. RF와 SVM 모형 예측에 따라, 소나무 고사위험도가 높은 지역의 면적은 연구대상지 전체 소나무림 면적의 약 9.5%, 115ha로 평가되었다. 본 연구의 고사위험도 평가 결과는 금강소나무 취약지역의 현황을 조사하고 아직 피해가 발생하지 않은 취약지역에 대한 적극적인 기후변화 적응 산림관리를 수행하기 위한 기반자료로 활용될 수 있다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.1907-1912
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• 2015

Purpose: The study was designed to: (1) investigate the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection and cervical neoplasia; and (2) evaluate clinical performance of visual inspection with acetic acid/ Lugol's iodine (VIA /VILI), Pap smear, high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) DNA test for detecting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) and (3) explore appropriate screening approach in rural areas of Shandong Province. Materials and Methods: A total of 3,763 eligible women from Yiyuan County in Yimeng mountainous areas of rural Shandong, China, were enrolled and underwent Pap smear, HR-HPV DNA testing by Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2), and VIA /VILI tests. Women positive in any test were referred to colposcopy and biopsy as indicated. Results: The prevalence of HR-HPV infection among all enrolled women was 11.1% and that in healthy women was 9.9%. In total 33 cases of CIN1, 16 cases of CIN2, 6 cases of CIN3 but none of cervical cancer were detected and the crude prevalence of CIN2+ was 0.58%. For detecting CIN2+, the sensitivity of HR-HPV DNA testing, VIA/VILI, Pap smear was 90.9%, 77.3%, 81.8%, respectively. Pap smear had the best specificity of 98.2%, followed by HR-HPV DNA testing with specificity of 89.4%, VIA/VILI had the lowest specificity of 81.2%. Colposcopy referral rate of HR-HPV DNA testing, VIA/VILI, Pap smear was 11.1%, 18.5%, 2.3%, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggest that HR-HPV DNA testing alone might be appropriate for primary cervical cancer screening in rural low-resource areas of Shandong Province, China.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.298-307
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the recent trends in patients with work-related musculoskeletal disorders in South Korea and to check the major results by reviewing the literature on the risk factors and prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases related to work. Methods: Industrial disaster data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor from 2012 to 2021 were used, and the literature was reviewed regarding risk factors for musculoskeletal diseases related to work using PubMed and RISS. Results: The trend of patients with work-related musculoskeletal disorders has increased overall since 2017 after declining until 2016, with a particularly notable increase in the average annual number of patients with physical burden work. The average annual rate per ten thousand people for patients with body burden work, non-accidental lower back pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome among work-related diseases was high in the mining industry. The average annual rate per ten thousand people for patients with accidental lower back pain was the highest in the fishing industry. Within the manufacturing field, it was the highest in the shipbuilding and ship repair industry. As a result of the literature review, the search rate for work-related musculoskeletal disease papers in unstructured work was high. In addition, physical stress factors were high among risk factors, and pain areas showed a high rate for the waist. Conclusion: Even after the institutional implementation of a hazard investigation system related to musculoskeletal diseases is implemented, the number of patients with occupational musculoskeletal disorders continues to increase. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct regular surveys and implement effective improvement activities for vulnerable industries or occupations.

• 한국수자원학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수자원학회 2023년도 학술발표회
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• pp.181-181
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• 2023

Flood is a major threat to human society, and scientific assessment of flood risk in human living areas is an important task. In this study, two different methods were used to evaluate the flood in Ulsan City, and the results were comprehensively compared and analyzed. Based on the fuzzy mathematics and VIKOR method of the multi-objective decision system, similar evaluation results were obtained in the study area. The results show that due to the large number of rivers in Ulsan City and the relatively high exposure index, the whole city faces a high risk of flooding. However, fuzzy mathematics theory pays more attention to the negative impact of floods on people, and the adaptability in the Nam-gu District is lower. In contrast, the VIKOR method pays more attention to the positive role of the economy and population in flood protection, and thus obtains a higher score. Both approaches demonstrate that the city of Ulsan faces a high risk of flooding and that its citizens and policymakers need to invest in preventing flood damage.