• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.355-363
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• 2008

Objectives : Most studies about multiple roles and women's health suggested that combining with paid job, being married and having children was more likely to improve health status than in case of single or traditional roles. We investigated whether there was better health outcome in multiple roles among Korean women coinciding with previous studies of other nations. Methods : Data were from the 2005 Korea National Health & Nutritional Examination Survey, a subsample of women aged 25-59 years (N=2,943). Health status was assessed for self-rated poor health, perceived stress and depression, respectively based on one questionnaire item. The age-standardized prevalence of all health outcomes were calculated by role categories and socioeconomic status. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association of self rated health, perceived stress, and depression with multiple roles adjusted for age, education, household income, number of children and age of children. Results : Having multiple roles with working role was not associated with better health and psychological wellbeing. Compared to those with traditional roles, employed women more frequently experienced perceived stress, with marital and/or parental roles. Non-working single mothers suffered depression more often than women with traditional roles or other role occupancy. Socioeconomic status indicators were potent independent correlates of self-rated health and perceived stress. Conclusions : Employment of women with other roles did not confer additional health benefit to traditional family responsibility. Juggling of work and family responsibility appeared more stressful than traditional unemployed parental and marital role in Korean women.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2002

Objective : Hyperhomocysteinemia has been proven to be an independent risk factor for stroke. The genetic mutation of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) elevates serum homocysteine level, but it still remains controversial whether the MTHFR gene mutation could be a predictor of ischemic stroke. Therefore, we studied if this genetic defect could cause ischemic stroke independently. Methods : We gathered ischemic stroke subjects and age, sex-matched controls. Age, gender, past medical history, smoking habit, serum homocysteine level, and the MTHFR genotype were recorded. General characteristics of ischemic stroke subjects were compared to the controls. We classified the stroke according to the related vessels(small and large artery infarction) and single lesion and multiple infraction. Relevant risk of the MTHFR genotype was evaluated in each stroke subtype with multiple logistic regression analysis. Results : When the controls were compared to the whole ischemic stroke, there was no specific difference except some medical histories. However, further analysis based on stroke subtypes showed important results. The small artery infarction group, multiple infraction group had significant odds ratio of the MTHFR TT genotype adjusted for age, gender, medical history and smoking habit. Conclusions : The MTHFR TT genotype is an independent risk factor for certain types of ischemic stroke, small artery infarction and multiple infarction.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2012

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the relationships between proximity to an industrial complex and blood lead levels and urinary cadmium levels. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey and analyzed blood lead and urinary cadmium levels using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAs). Data was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. All statistical analyses were conducted with SAS software version 9.2. The distance between the residence and an industrial complex was calculated through a Geographical Information System (GIS). Results: A total of 967 residents living near a large petrochemical complex in Ulsan participated. The geometric mean levels of blood lead and urinary cadmium were $1.70{\mu}g/dl$ (male: $1.77{\mu}g/dl$, female: $1.67{\mu}g/dl$), and $0.72{\mu}g/g$ creatinine (male: $0.49{\mu}g/g$ cr. female: $0.89{\mu}g/g$ cr.), respectively. Blood lead and urinary cadmium levels both increased with age and were higher among smokers compared to never smokers. Both significantly showed a decreasing trend with rising income. Results from multiple logistic regression analysis showed that urinary cadmium levels for subjects aged less than 20 years old were negatively associated with distance from the industrial area to the residence. The results, however, indicated that the blood lead levels were positively associated with the distance. Conclusions: The results of this study support that proximity to an industrial complex is related to urinary cadmium values for children. A positive finding with blood lead can be explained by the ambiguity of lead exposure sources in the general environment.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.365-380
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the association between socio-demographic factors and attitudes toward antibiotic resistance and consumer's knowledge on antibiotic use for common cold. Telephone survey was conducted between June 24 and July 2, 2009, among 1,015 adults who were randomly stratified by age, sex and area. A total of 921 respondents were included in the analysis. Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of socio-demographic factors on knowledge and attitudes. A total of 452 respondents(49.1%) recognised that they knew about antibiotic resistance and 769 respondents(83.5%) worried that antibiotic resistance is a serious problem in Korea. A total of 577 respondents(62.7%) had adequate knowledge on antibiotic use and resistance. Multiple logistic regression showed that younger age and higher education level were associated with adequate knowledge. The odds ratio of appropriate knowledge among persons with college degrees was 5.25(95% CI, 2.78-9.90) compared to those with elementary or less education. Sex and income variable were not predictors of adequate knowledge on antibiotic use and resistance. This study showed that consumers with less education had inadequate knowledge on antibiotic use for common cold. Even though consumers in their 40s and 50s thought they knew about antibiotic resistance, there is a need to improve their knowledge. Education campaigns for appropriate antibiotic use have to be differentiated among consumers with different socio-demographic characteristics.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.47-52
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• 2020

Glucagon regulates glucose and fat metabolism as well as being involved in the production of ketone bodies. The new antidiabetic drug, a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor, increases glucagon, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization due to heart failure. The presence of metabolic syndrome is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases(CVD) in type 2 diabetes(T2DM) patients. We, thus, investigated the association between glucagon levels and metabolic syndrome in T2DM patients. This cross-sectional study involved 317 T2DM patients. Fasting and postprandial (30 min after ingestion of a standard mixed meal) glucagon levels were measured. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. A multiple regression logistic analysis was employed for statistical evaluation. A total of 219 (69%) subjects had metabolic syndrome. The fasting and postprandial glucagon levels did not differ between the group with metabolic syndrome and the group without. Postprandial glucagon levels increased significantly with the increase in the number of metabolic syndrome components, but the fasting levels did not. However, a hierarchical logistic regression analysis revealed that the postprandial glucagon levels did not contribute significantly to metabolic syndrome even after adjusting for other covariates. Fasting and postprandial glucagon levels are not associated with metabolic syndrome in T2DM patients. However, further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between glucagon and cardiovascular risk in patients with T2DM.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.341-349
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• 2018

This study was done to identify the significant convergence factors of affecting depression of elderly women in rural area. A total of 161 elderly women aged 65 and over were collected and data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression with SPSS/WIN 21.0. The result indicated that 42.9% of participants were depressed. In logistic regression, significant factors of depression were age(p<.001, OR=1.146), economic status (p=.004, OR=.123), number of family member living together (p=.013, OR=.020), number of social activities (p=.012, OR=.436), number of disease diagnosed (p<.001, OR=3.847), visual function (p=.023, OR=3.867), family support (p=.048, OR=.707), which accounted for 68.6% of the variance. The results of this study can contribute to develop various convergence strategies to prevent the prevalence of depression of elderly women in rural area. Further studies are needed to confirm the level of contribution of visual disability to depression in rural older women.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.236-244
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• 2020

Objectives: Although the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative "My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene" has been lauded as effective in preventing hospital-associated infections, little is known about healthcare workers (HCWs)' hand hygiene behavior. In this study, we sought to assess knowledge and attitudes towards the concepts in this initiative, as well as associated factors, among Vietnamese HCWs at a general hospital. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to HCWs at a central Vietnamese general hospital in 2015. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with HCWs' knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene. Results: Of 120 respondents, 65.8% and 67.5% demonstrated appropriate knowledge and a positive attitude, respectively, regarding all 5 hand hygiene moments. Logistic regression indicated better knowledge of hand hygiene in workers who were over 30 years old, who were direct HCWs (rather than managers), who had frequent access to clinical information, and who received their clinical information from training. Those who worked in infectious and tropical disease wards, who had frequent access to clinical information, and who received information from training were more likely to have a positive attitude towards hand hygiene than their counterparts. Conclusions: Although many Vietnamese HCWs displayed moderate knowledge and positive attitudes towards the WHO hand hygiene guidelines, a key gap remained. Regular education and training programs are needed to increase knowledge and to improve attitudes and practices towards hand hygiene. Furthermore, a combination of multimodal strategies and locally-adapted interventions is needed for sustainable hand hygiene adherence.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.146-153
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the association between physical activity and vitamin D deficiency status among Korean adolescents. Methods: This is cross-sectional analysis of Korean adolescents aged 10-18 years from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(KNHANES 2010-2012; n=2,384). We estimated the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and identified the correlations with the strength of physical activity. $x^2$ test, t-test, and multiple logistic regression using complex sample analysis were done. The odds ratio of vitamin D deficiency by physical activity was calculated using complex sample multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 78.2%. The mean serum 25 (OH) D level in deficiency group and non-deficiency group was 14.4ng/mL, 23.7ng/mL respectively. Differences by age strata (the prevalence ranging from 68.5% to 86.3%) and gender (78.6% for boy and 84.5% for girl) were identified. Among adolescents aged 16-18 or girl in vigorous physical activity, a significant correlation between vitamin D deficiency and physical activity was observed, whereas no significant correlation were found among adolescents in moderate physical activity. Conclusion: In conclusion, vigorous physical activity was associated with vitamin D deficit in Korean adolescents. Thus, intervention programs enhancing vigorous activity than moderate activity need to be developed in schools and community.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.133-137
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• 2017

Periodontitis is the major causation of tooth loss in the elderly population. Multiple risk factors include oral microorganisms, smoking, metabolic syndrome, and genetic factors influence periodontitis development. In this study, we conducted a replication study of using previous Korean GWAS results by examining an independent population. The study population was recruited from Mir Dental Clinic, Daegu, Korea. In total, 93 samples were evaluated from July 2016 to January 2017. The sample groups include relatively older patients (>60 years) with no periodontitis (n = 31) and relatively younger patients (range 40~60 years) with severe periodontitis (n = 62). A total of seven markers which were previously reported to be associated with periodontitis were genotyped. Among the seven SNPs, rs16846206 and rs2392510 showed a significant association by logistic regression analysis and Chi square test, respectively. The former SNP showed significant association with severe periodontitis, whereas this study also showed same tendency in which individuals with the minor allele are significantly more frequent in cases than those in controls. The SNP is located on a coding gene (SLC9C2), where the alanine residue 505 is replaced by glycine (Ala505Gly). The later SNP was significant when differed between case and control groups, but there was no significance by logistic regression analysis when controlled for age and sex as covariant. Although the study population size examined in the current study was relatively smaller compared to previous studies, our results implicated that at least the two SNPs (rs16846206 and rs2392510) might be important candidates for the further genetic study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.73-83
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• 2015

The objective of this study is to establish implications for forest restoration planning in North Korea by analyzing spatio-temporal forest changes and detecting bio-physical factors driving forest degraded. We measured the relationship and spatial distribution between shifting cultivation and sparse forest. We also analyzed between degraded forest land and ecological variables by binary logistic regression to find biophysical drivers of forest degradation and deforestation in North Korea. Between the sparse forest and the shifting cultivation, a positive relationship is found (r=0.91) and scattered discontinuously throughout the country (Moran's I = -1, Z score = -13.46 (p=0.000)). The sparse forest showed a negative relationship with the warmest month(bio 9), the coldest month(bio10), and the minimum of soil water contents (swc_min), while the shifting cultivation had a negative relationship with the warmest month(bio 9) and the minimum of soil water contents(swc_min). However, the most critical drivers convert forests into sloping farmland were the three months rainfall in summer(bio8) and the yearly mean of soil water contents. Such results reflect the growth period of crops which overlaps with the rainy season in North Korea and the recent land reclamation of uplands where the soil water contents are maintained with a dense forest. When South Korea aids forest restoration projects in North Korea, in consideration of food shortage due to North Korea's cropland deficiency, terrace farmlands where soil water contents can be maintained should be excluded from the priority restoration area. In addition, an evaluation method for selecting a potential restoration area must be modified and applied based on multiple criteria including altitude and socio-economic factors in the respective regions.