• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.523-528
• /
• 2005

The commercial interests in functional foods containing probiotics are gaining significance in view of increasing studies on their role in digestive tract. Probiotic dairy foods containing health-promoting bacteria are important segment of functional food market. Various health benefits have been attributed to specific strains of lactic acid bacteria or food containing these probiotic cultures. Probiotic-containing foods are considered to improve general gut health and natural defenses of body, and lower blood cholesterol level. Specific probiotic microbes can alleviate or prevent diverse intestinal diarrhea-inducing disorders, cause prophylaxis of intestinal and urogenital infections, inhibit mutagenicity of intestinal contents, and reduce incidence of intestinal tumors. Recent increasing evidences on health effects of probiotics have triggered consumer interest in this category of functional foods. Rational approach needs to be applied in selection of strains for probiotic preparation to achieve required functionality. Present article focuses on some prominent probiotic candidates and criteria for their inclusion in functional food sector. Various health claims of probiotics on gastrointestinal disorders, anticarcinogenic effects, and anti-cholestrimic effects, and possible mechanistic explanations for their functionality are highlighted.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.89-96
• /
• 2013

This article aimed to introduce 'risk sharing' schemes for pharmaceuticals between drug manufacturers and healthcare payer. Published literature review was undertaken to summarize risk sharing concepts and collect information on existing scheme examples in other countries focusing on new anticancer drugs. Risk sharing schemes could be categorized into health outcomes-based and non-outcomes (financial) based ones. Outcome-based schemes could be broken down into performance-linked reimbursement and conditional coverage. Performance-linked reimbursement can be further broken into outcomes guarantee and pattern or process of care and conditional coverage included coverage with evidence development and conditional treatment continuation schemes. Non-outcome based schemes included market share and price volume at population level, and utilization caps and manufacturer funded treatment initiation at patient level. We reviewed the fifteen examples for anticancer drugs that risk sharing agreements in response to the inherent uncertainties and increased costs of eleven anticancer drugs. Of them, eight cases were coverage with evidence development schemes. The anticancer drugs except bevacizumab and cetuximab were all listed on the national health insurance formulary in Korea, with reimbursement criteria defined on the basis of approved indications and administrations. Risk sharing approach may be a useful tool to ensure values for drug expenditure, but there are a number of concerns such as high administration costs, lack of transparency and conflicts of interest, especially for performance-based health outcomes reimbursement schemes.

• The Journal of KAIRB
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.1-4
• /
• 2022

Although disaster research participants are in a more vulnerable state than general research participants, various ethical issues to be considered in the study may be overlooked due to the special situation of disaster. Therefore, research ethics should be considered to reduce damage to study participants and maximize benefits. In addition, from the perspective of researchers, ethical considerations should be applied in the disaster research process, so research ethics awareness should be established. In addition, at the health care institution and national level, it is necessary to prepare research ethics that reflect the Korean situation while meeting international standards in consideration of the characteristics of local communities. In Korea, after the Ferry Sewol accident in 2014, social interest in disaster mental health increased and the National Trauma Center was established in 2018, raising the need for disaster mental health ethics guidelines. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the significance of six items: specificity of the study, prior consent and autonomy, community participation, confidentiality and feedback provision, risk minimization, and research support. So far, the experience of disaster mental health research is not sufficient in South Korea. Therefore, the current guidelines are required to be continuously revised through practical experience in the future.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.48-56
• /
• 2024

Purpose: Despite growing interest in health information sharing, researchers remain uncertain whether hospitals' sharing of information increases patient satisfaction, one of the key measures of the quality of care. This study evaluates the effect of health information sharing on patient satisfaction and whether the effect varies with context. Methodology: Regression analysis was conducted using a sample consisting of 6,641 year-hospital observations, based on data from the annual and IT surveys of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and Census. Findings: Our results suggest that information sharing using health IT increases patient satisfaction, while the extent (breadth) of information sharing increases patient satisfaction, the level of detail (depth) of information sharing does not. Our results also show that the effects of the breadth and depth of information sharing vary with different contexts, e.g., the percentage of people over 65 and Hirschman-Herfindahl index (HHI). Practical Implications: Policymakers should pay greater attention to realizing the full benefits of hospitals' information sharing based on market characteristics.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.558-565
• /
• 2007

On the basis of the increasing interest for the selection of beverages, this study aimed to evaluate the contents of nutrients and health ${\cdot}$ functional elements in the beverages. Total 161 beverages that bear nutrition lable (NL) as nutrition table and health ${\cdot}$ functional elements information were collected and classified to 8 groups. The evaluated nutrients that are obligatory for NL in Korea were total calorie, carbohydrate, protein, fat, and sodium. Presented values showed that milk & yogurt and soy milk are the most wholesome beverages while the total caloric contents also were higher among 8 groups. Sodium contents in soy milk were higher than any other groups. The caloric contents of other beverage groups come mainly from carbohydrate presumably simple sugar. The caloric content of sports drinks is the lowest but the sodium content is variable among products showing the range of 0 - 100 mg/100 ml. Nonobligatory nutrients for NL frequently expressed are Ca, Fe, vitamin C, folate, and dietary fiber. Their content per serving size does not exceed the tolerable upper intake level, however, habitual multiple intakes of certain product require attention for the prevention of overintakes. Many health ${\cdot}$ functional elements as catechin, carnitine, polyphenol, and nucleic acids etc were listed in NL without presenting the content and their functions appear to be exaggerated compared to the known scientific evidence.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.549-561
• /
• 2018

Ginseng has been traditionally used for several millennia in Asian countries, including Korea, China, and Japan, not only as a nourishing and tonifying agent but also as a therapeutic agent for a variety of diseases. In recent years, the various effects of red ginseng including immunity improvement, fatigue relief, memory improvement, blood circulation improvement, antioxidation, mitigation of menopausal women's symptoms, and anticancer an effect have been reported in clinical as well as basic research. Around the world, there is a trend of the rising consumption of health functional foods on the level of disease prevention along with increased interest in maintaining health because of population aging and the awareness of lifestyle diseases and chronic diseases. Red ginseng occupies an important position as a health functional food. But till now, international ginseng monographs including those of the World Health Organization have been based on data on white ginseng and have mentioned red ginseng only partly. Therefore, the red ginseng monograph is needed for component of red ginseng, functionality certified as a health functional food in the Korea Food and Drug Administration, major efficacy, action mechanism, and safety. The present red ginseng monograph will contribute to providing accurate information on red ginseng to agencies, businesses, and consumers both in South Korea and abroad.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2021

Background & objectives: Understanding the awareness of policy targets and implementers about safety in the local community is the crucial to establish a systematic community safety policy. The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of local citizens and civil servants regarding community safety and its related factors. Methods: For achieving this research goal, this study conducted survey targeting 538 citizens and 404 civil servants in S-si, Kyunggi-do. Self-administred and web-based survey were used to collect data from April 1^st to 16^th 2021. Results: Civil servants scored higher in community safety perception than citizens, and S city's safety interest, information, and participation scores were also higher than those of citizens. Based on the results of multiple regression, thought about in interest of safety in S-si, providing and sharing about safety information to citizens, and participation of community safety policy were significantly associated with perception of community safety. Conclusions: Setting safety as the top priority in S city policy and paying attention to safety by the mayor, public officials, and city council members is an important way to raise citizens' awareness of local safety. Also, efforts at the city level are needed to foster safety knowledge through systematic education on safety.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.165-174
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of eHealth literacy on health promoting behaviors, thereby providing basic data for the development of interventions for health promoting behaviors among university students. Methods: Data were collected from 242 university students aged 19 and over in a university located in K province in South Korea. Participants responded to structured questionnaires in September 2018. eHealth literacy and health promoting behaviors were measured by eHealth Litaracy (EHL) and a translated version of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II), respectively. The correlation between eHealth literacy and health promoting behaviors were analyzed using Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis was carried out to examine the influence of eHealth literacy on health promoting behaviors. Results: The participants had a moderate level of eHealth literacy with the greatest score recorded in the sub-domain of functional eHealth literacy and the lowest in the sub-domain of critical eHealth literacy. Female students and students who majored in healthcare had higher levels of eHealth literacy than male students and those with non-healthcare majors. The degree of health promoting behaviors was moderate or lower with the highest score being in the sub-domain of interpersonal support and the lowest in the sub-domain of health responsibility. Health promoting behaviors had significant relationships with eHealth literacy, exercise hours, subjective health status, and health concerns. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the participants engaged more in health promoting behaviors when they had greater eHealth literacy (β=.18, p<.001), interest in their own health (β=.33, p<.001), exercise hours (β=.18~.23, p<.001), and subjective health status (β=.17~.18, p=.007~.031). Conclusion: In order to facilitate health promoting behaviors of university students, interventions for health promoting behaviors need to be developed including strategies to improve competencies relevant to critical eHealth literacy and to increase exercise hours.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.104-117
• /
• 2004

Objectives: To propose the basic data for the development of the optimum health promotion program (HPP) for the workers in a petrochemical industry complex. Methods: The subjects were 553 workers who worked at the six plants in a petrochemical industry complex. From February to March 2003, questionnaire survey was conducted by the nurses with occupational health specialty about the life styles, interests, self-cognitions, practices of health behavior, subjective symptoms thought to be related the working environments, burden to the own health, needs and intentions to participation of the HPP. Data analysis was done using SPSS program (ver 10.0) with ${\alpha}=0.05$ of statistical significance. Results: The mean age and tenure of the subjects were 39.7 years and 14.2 years, respectively, and proportion of smokers was around 50%. Two of third (66%) satisfied their own job, and 58% recognized themselves healthy. The most frequent health behavior were exercise (60%) and regular health check (87%) in individual and job based, respectively. About half of them (58%) had at least one of the symptoms thought to be related the working environments, and the most frequent one was odor (21%). These symptoms were more frequent in case of the shorter career. The needs of HPP was relatively higher in exercise (66%), cancer prevention (51%), stress control (47%), and intention to participation was also the highest in exercise (64%). Job satisfaction was higher in case of the higher interests and cognitions to their own health, and thought that the ownership's interest to workers' health be high (p<0.01), but no associations with the subjective symptoms. The mean level of burden to the own health were $14.1{\pm}13.9$ of physical, $11.7{\pm}13.6$ of emotional, $9.1{\pm}10.7$ of behavioral as out of one hundred. They felt the more burden in case of office workers, the lower interests and cognitions to their own health, the lower satisfaction to their job, the frequent drinking group, and complained the subjective symptoms (p<0.05). Abnormal results of the regular health check was higher in the frequent drinking group (p=0.083). Conclusions: For the optimum HPP for the workers in the petrochemical complex, the ownership's interest to workers' health would be enhanced, and the priority would be focused on exercise and drinking habits control.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.13 no.11
• /
• pp.261-268
• /
• 2013

This study presents a descriptive research on the degree of self-care related to the prevention of radiation exposure after radioactive iodine therapy and on the relations between self-efficacy and social support to propose nursing interventions required for patients after radioactive iodine therapy. The research period lasted from March to May, 2013. The subjects included 108 patients that were receiving radioactive iodine therapy after thyroidectomy at a cancer hospital in Gyeonggi Province. The subjects scored mean 52.10 on self-care out of full 56 and as for the general characteristics of the subjects, there were significant differences in their self-care according to whether they had a child or not(t=-2.312, p=.023) and interest in health(t=5.689, p<.001). There were significant positive correlations between their self-care and their self-efficacy(r=.610, p<.001), family support(r=.646, p<.001), and medical staff support(r=.276, p=.004). Interest in health(t=5.301, p<.001) was predictor on level 1 of hierarchical regression and interest in health(t=2.140, p=.035) and family support(t=3.353, p=.001) turned out to influence the self-care of the subjects, recording total 46.3% explanatory power. The most important predictor was interest in health(${\beta}$=1.309, p=.035) of self-care.