• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2018

Purposes: This study identifies local Chinese consumers' standard for selecting medical care provider and their standard for choosing medical staff, as well as their expectations and concerns regarding Korean medical care providers. Methodology: A survey was conducted in China, to identify Chinese medical care consumers' standards for selecting a medical provider and the factors that influence their use of general hospitals. A total of 1,500 people across three cities, between the ages 18 and 60 participated in the survey. Moreover, a multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors that affect Chinese medical care consumers' use of general hospitals. Findings: A total of 75.5 percent respondents chose general hospitals as their most frequently-used medical provider. Those who have health insurance, visit general hospitals as outpatients or are hospitalized more frequently than those who do not have a health insurance. Furthermore, those who have private insurance visit general hospitals as outpatients or are hospitalized more frequently than those who are not signed up for private insurance. Major standards for selecting a hospital included: the doctor's skills, word-of-mouth regarding the hospital, and distance to the hospital from the respondents' home. Standards for choosing medical personnel included word-of-mouth regarding the medical team, recommendations from family members or acquaintances, and medical team's notoriety. Friends and neighbors, family members, television and other media outlets were the channels for acquiring information on a hospital. It was found that Chinese people mostly visit the cardiovascular department of Korean hospitals for treatment. For using Korean hospitals in China, the majority of respondents answered that they were concerned about the cost. Practical Implications: Backed by highly skilled medical experts and cutting-edge technology, Korean medical care providers are attempting to enter China's medical care market. To succeed in China's medical care market, it is vital to conduct a clear and precise analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 2017

This study aims to identify the effect for exercise intensity on hypertension using propensity score based on the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data and to provide an evidence for the most effective exercise intensity for prevention or treatment of hypertension. Specifically, we select 3,486 subjects who aged between 18 and 65 years after excluding some subjects who are expected to have limited athletic ability. We estimate propensity scores for exercise intensity based on the confounders such as sex, age, smoking, drinking, and natrium intake. Considering the complex survey design, we conduct a descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression for hypertension with propensity score as a covariate. Although the results of the study did not show statistically significant relationship between exercise intensity and hypertension, we expect that it can be used as a basis evidence that the appropriate exercise of moderate intensity may be more effective for the prevention and treatment of hypertension rather than strong intensity exercise and non-exercise.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2017

This study aims to identify individual and familial factors associated with youth sexual experience by using the nationally representative sample data in South Korea. Specifically, we select 68,043 students in middle and high schools participating in the 2015 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. Considering the complex survey design, we conduct a descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression for sexual experience. The main results identify factors on sexual experience such as age, type of school, stress level, drinking, smoking, economic status, and cohabiting parents. In particular, the drinking and smoking behaviors are positively associated with sexual experience and the youth living with neither parent is more likely to have a sexual experience than those who lived two parents. In conclusion, the plan of sex education should consider the risk factors and the quality of sex education should be enhanced in order to build more appropriate sexual culture and behaviors among the youth.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.287-298
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• 2018

This study, a second analysis research using raw data of the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2013-015), places its purpose on examining risk factors for the mental health of the youth. With its target on 3,712 people in their twenties and thirties, it has used complex sample cross analysis to figure out the relationship between their mental health and eating habits. Also, it has carried out multiple logistic regression analysis for the purpose of grasping the youth's mental health risk factors. Under the circumstances, controlling the subjects' individual characteristics, the study has shown that males with their breakfast and dinner partners have lower possibilities of depression and suicidal thoughts. Meanwhile, in the case of females, their breakfast and lunch partners have played a key role in lowering their stress and suicidal thoughts. Given these results, the government will have to make all-out efforts to upgrade public places and spaces for the youth to eat together. All this will lead to their healthy eating habits and positive mental health. More specifically, it will have to create variable programs necessary for educating them to manage their diet and enjoy eating with other people.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.4 s.20
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• pp.266-272
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• 2005

Purpose: Recurrence occurs in various forms and in different organs after a curative resection of gastric cancer. The most common location for hematogenous recurrence is the liver. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological risk factors associated with hepatic recurrence after surgical treatment of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 838 patients who had taken radical surgery for primary gastric cancers at Chonbuk National University Hospital between January 1992 and December 1999. According to the medical records, we retrospectively investigated the association between the clinicopathologic variables and hepatic recurence. Results: Recurrence of gastric cancer was documented in 201 out of the 838 patients (23.98%). Hepatic recurrences were found in 59 out of 201 patients (29.35%). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified the following as independent risk factors of hepatic recurrence: Lauren's Intestinal type (OR, 6.60; 95% Cl, 1.53 to 28.9; p=0.011) and proximal resection of margin below 6 cm (OR, 3.76; 95% Cl, 1.03 to 13.67; P=0.045). Conclusion: Various studies on clinocopathologic risk factors of liver recurrence with molecular biologic research should make possible the prediction of recurrence and help high-risk patients to find appropriate management.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 2016

Objectives: In the present study, a genetic analysis was conducted to investigate the association of the expression of SNPs of EDN1 gene polymorphism with the clinical phenotype in bronchial asthma patients with either excess or deficiency syndrome.Methods: Ninety-four healthy control subjects and 52 asthma patients were included in this study. The asthma patients were divided into two groups: those with deficiency syndrome and those with excess syndrome. We searched the exonic and promoter areas of the EDN1 gene in the NCBI website SNPs with <0.01 minor allele frequency (MAF) and <0.01 heterozygosity. Pro programs were performed to obtain the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and p-value. Multiple logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the genetic data.Results: In our genotype and allele analyses, there were significant differences in the codominant 2 model of the rs3087459 SNP genotype and also in the CGG haplotype between the control group and the asthma group. Genotype and allele analyses were conducted between the deficiency and excess syndrome group. There were significant differences in the dominant and log-additive model and also in the frequency of C-alleles of rs3087459 SNP genotype. There were significant differences in codominant 1, dominant and log-additive model and T-allele of rs5370 SNP genotype. The AGG haplotype also revealed significant differences.Conclusions: EDN1 SNPs (rs3087459, rs5370) showed a significant association with symptomatic excess syndrome in Korean asthmatic patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.208-214
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was performed to examine the factors affecting re-smoking in male workers. Methods: A self-administrated questionnaire survey was conducted during April 2003 to examine the smoking state of 1,154 employees of a company that launched a smoking cessation campaign in1998. Five hundred and eighty seven persons, who had stopped smoking for at least one week, were selected as the final study subjects. This study collected data on smoking cessation success or failure for 6 months, and looked at the factors having an effect on re-smoking within this period. This study employed the Health Belief Model as its theoretical basis. Results: The re-smoking rate of the 587 study subjects who had stopped smoking for at least one week was 44.8% within the 6 month period. In a simple analysis, the re-smoking rates were higher in workers with a low age, on day and night shifts, blue collar, of a low rank, where this was their second attempt at smoking cessation and for those with a shorter job duration (p<0.05). Of the cues to action variables in the Heath Belief Model, re-smoking was significantly related with the perceived susceptibility factor, economic advantages of smoking cessation among the perceived benefits factor, the degree of cessation trial's barrier of the perceived barriers factor, smoking symptom experience, recognition of the degree of harmfulness of environmental tobacco smoke and the existence of chronic disease due to smoking (p<0.05). In the multiple logistic regression analysis for re-smoking, the significant variables were age, perceived susceptibility for disease, economic advantages due to smoking cessation, the perceived barrier for smoking cessation, recognition on the degree of harmfulness of environmental tobacco smoke, the existence of chronic disease due to smoking and the number of attempts at smoking cessation (p<0.05). Conclusion: From the result of this study, for an effective smoking ban policy within the work place, health education that improves the knowledge of the adverse health effects of smoking and the harmfulness of environmental tobacco smoke will be required, as well as counter plans to reduce the barriers for smoking cessation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2001

Objective : To elucidate risk factors for coronary heart diseases among Korean males. Methods : A nested case control study was conducted among a Korea Medical Insurance Cooperation(KMIC) cohort composed of 108,802 males. The eases included 246 male patients who were admitted to hospital due to coronary heart diseases from 1993 to 1997 (120-25 by ICD) and whose diagnosis was confirmed by the protocol by WHO MONICA Project(1994). The control group was composed of 483 patients selected by frequency matching considering age and resident area from an inpatient care group without coronary heart disease during the same period. For study cases and the controls, the results of a health check-up in 1990 and a questionnaire on life style in 1992 were received through the KMIC. Some additional information was collected by telephone interviews during October 1999. Results : Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio(OR) of coronary heart diseases among past smokers and current smokers as compared to non-smokers were 1.94(95% CI : 1.14-3.31) and 2.20(55% CI : 1.35-3.59), respectively. The OR among persons who drank 4 cups or more of caffeinated beverages such as coffee or tea daily as compared to persons who drank one cup for 2-3 days was 2.50(95% CI : 1.07-6.12). The OR among persons with high normal BP and stage 3 hypertension against normotension were 2.51 (95% CI : 1.44-4.37) and 5.08(95% CI : 2.38-10.84). The OR among persons whose blood cholesterol were 240 mg/dL or mere against lower than 200mg/dL was 2.24(95% CI : 1.43-3.49). Conclusion : Smoking, drinking of excessive caffeinated beverages, hypertension and high blood cholesterol were proven to be significant risk factors for coronary heart diseases among Korean males.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 2001

Objectives : To identify the risk factors of cerebrovascular disorders(CVD) in Koreans using a nested case-control study. Methods : The cohort consisted of beneficiaries who had taken health examinations of the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation (KMIC cohort: 115,600 persons) in 1990 and 1992 consecutively. Four hundred and twenty five (425) cases were selected following the validation of diagnosis among 2,026 reported CVD (160-168) inpatients during the year from 1993 to 1997. Controls were matched (1:1) with age and gender of the cases among inpatients without CVD during the same period. The source of data in this study were the files of the 1990 health examinations and the 1992 health questionnaires, as well as an additional telephone survey undertaken from March to November 1999. Results : In a bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis, risk factors for total CVD were hyperglycemia and hypertension. Unrespectively, the odds ratio of ex-smoker was significantly lower than that of those who had never smoked. The risk factors for ischemic CVD also were hyperglycemia and hypertension. However, only blood pressure was found to be a risk factor for hemorrhagic CVD. Hypercholesterolemia was not a risk factor for total CVD, ischemic CVD, and hemorrhagic CVD. Conclusion : We concluded that the most important risk factor for CVD (including subtype) in Koreans was hypertension.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.25 no.2 s.38
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• pp.148-156
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• 1992

A case-control study was conducted to investigate the relationship between blood cadmium, blood zinc and cadmium/zinc ratio and hypertension. Eighty-three hypertensive and seventy-seven normotensive study subjects matched for age and sex were selected from the workers who had no history of job-related cadmium exposure, in Ulsan city and it's vincinity, Korea. The blood cadmium in hypertensive group was $2.90{\eta}g/mL$, which was significantly higher than that of control group, $1.99{\eta}g/mL$(P<0.01). After stratifing for smoking and age variables, the relationship was still remained. The blood cadmium/zinc ratio in hypertensive group was 2.46, which was significantly higher than that of control group, 1.65(P<0.01), After stratifing for smoking and age variables, the relationship was still remained. There was no significant differance in blood zinc between hypertensive and control group. On multiple logistic regression analysis, the blood cadmium/zinc ratio is highly significant than blood cadmium. In conclusion, there is the possible relationship between blood cadmium level which has been known to be within normal limits and hypertension. But, futrher cohort studies to define the effect of cadmium on human hypertension are required.