• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.19 no.12
• /
• pp.451-461
• /
• 2018

This study investigated changes in the youth smoking rate and smoking cessation rates before and after a cigarette price increase in 2015. Specifically, the changes in smoking rate, smoking cessation attempt rate, selection rate and amount of smoking were investigated using primary data pertaining to Korean Youth Risk Behavior obtained from a web-based survey of youth general characteristics, mental health, subjective grade, drinking and smoking related characteristics before and after a cigarette price increase. To accomplish this, 800 middle school and high school students in 9th (2013), 10th (2014), 11th (2015) were surveyed. The current youth smoking rate was slightly decreased from 9.7% in 2013 to 9.2% in 2014, while the smoking rate in 2015 decreased significantly by 15.2% after the cigarette price increased to 7.8%. These results confirmed that increasing cigarette price is very effective at decreasing youth smoking rate, providing motivation to stop smoking and preventing smoking. The prevention of smoking and inducement to stop smoking during adolescence is very important because the majority of teenage smokers continue smoking into their adulthood. In addition to expanding a completely non-smoking area and a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship should be urgently sought, and the effect can be maximized when the WHO FCTC faithfully implements the already-founded treaty.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.129-135
• /
• 2014

Tobacco use is the most important preventable risk factor for premature death. The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first international public health treaty, came into force in 2005. This paper reviews the present status of tobacco control policies in Korea according to the WHO FCTC recommendations. In Korea, cigarette use is high among adult males (48.2% in 2010), and cigarette prices are the lowest among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries with no tax increases since 2004. Smoke-free policies have shown incremental progress since 1995, but smoking is still permitted in many indoor public places. More than 30% of non-smoking adults and adolescents are exposed to second-hand smoke. Public education on the harmful effects of tobacco is currently insufficient and the current policies have not been adequately evaluated. There is no comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, or sponsorship in Korea. Cigarette packages have text health warnings on only 30% of the main packaging area, and misleading terms such as "mild" and "light" are permitted. There are nationwide smoking cessation clinics and a Quitline service, but cessation services are not covered by public insurance schemes and there are no national treatment guidelines. The sale of tobacco to minors is prohibited by law, but is poorly enforced. The socioeconomic inequality of smoking prevalence has widened, although the government considers inequality reduction to be a national goal. The tobacco control policies in Korea have faltered recently and priority should be given to the development of comprehensive tobacco control policies.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.19-24
• /
• 2003

Background and Purposes : Smoking is a well-known risk factor for ischemic stroke. It may contribute to s1Toke by inducing the aggregation of platelets and formation of atheroma, reducing cerebral blood flow, and increasing fibrinogen. However, the relative risk varies according to different ethnicity and area. Therefore, we performed this study to assess the risk of smoking for ischemic s1Toke in Korea. Methods : Cigarette smoking habit was studied in 308 patients with ischemic s1Toke and in 348 age- and sex-matched control subjects who had no history of stroke using case control methods. In multiple logistic regression analysis, smoking had a significant value of odds ratio adjusted for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Results : The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95％ confidence interval (CI) was significant in the medium smokers (AOR, 1.92; 95％ CI, 1.11 to 3.33: p< 0.05) and heavy smokers (AOR, 2.80; 95％ CI, 1.64 to 4.78: p< 0.05). Furthermore, the OR was higher in hypertensive subjects than in normotensive subjects compared to non-smokers (AOR, 1.98; 95％ CI, 1.01 to 3.85: p< 0.05). Conclusions : Our findings suggest that smoking is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.219-228
• /
• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate impact of increased tobacco price in 2015 on the adult smoking rate in South Korea. Methods: This study used 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2015. Total 14,860 adults were included in the analysis. The chi-square test, univariate- and multivariate survey logistic regressions, and subgroup analysis were conducted. Results: Results show that adult smoking rate before price increase were 19.08% and after price increase were 16.69%. Adjusted by variables associated with smoking behavior and others, multivariate survey logistic regressions revealed that smoking rate decreased after introduction of increased tobacco price policy (odds ratio [OR], 0.745; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.575 to 0.967) and the impact was different by various social status (male: OR, 0.688; 95% CI, 0.523 to 0.905; age over 60: OR, 0.487; 95% CI, 0.315 to 0.754; rural area: OR, 0.531; 95% CI, 0.309 to 0.912; household income Q1: OR, 0.593; 95% CI, 0.352 to 0.999; household income Q4, OR, 0.616; 95% CI, 0.386 to 0.983). Conclusion: The study revealed decreased smoking rate after increased tobacco price policy and different trend depending on various social characteristics. We recommend that government agencies and policy makers should pursue tobacco price control policy continuously and population specific manner and concurrently non-price policy should be implemented as well.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.86-94
• /
• 2009

This study analyzed the concentration of the lead in blood (n=774) from May, 2007 to Oct 2007. The subject was residents in G, Y, H industrial area, Jeollanam-do, in which exposure to the lead is expected due to the adjacency of the industrial complex. As to the lead concentration in the blood of the residents in the whole exposed region and the comparing region, $2.81{\mu}g/dl$ in the exposed region group, and $2.86{\mu}g/dl$ in the comparing region group Respectively, which indicates that the concentration of the comparing group was higher than that of the exposed group. The geometric mean concentration of lead in blood was $3.26{\mu}g/dl$ as to men, and $2.46{\mu}g/dl$ as to women, which indicates that the concentration of men is higher than that of women (p<0.01). The lead concentration for each age group increased in proportion to age except those under 10 for some substances (p<0.01). As to geometric mean concentration in blood according to the smoking history of the subject, the concentration of the smoking group and the non-smoking group was $3.57{\mu}g/dl$ and $2.66{\mu}g/dl$ respectively, which indicates the former is higher than the latter (p<0.01). To clarify the factors affecting the heavy metal concentration in blood among the subjects, the multiple regression analysis was conducted. As a result, it turned out that as to lead content in blood, gender, age, smoking all affect the lead concentration of the subjects ($R^2$=23.3%).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.113-123
• /
• 2014

Objectives: Several previous studies have found that healthy behaviors substantially reduce non-communicable disease incidence and mortality. The present study was performed to estimate the prevalence of four modifiable healthy behaviors and a healthy lifestyle among Korean adults according to socio-demographic and regional factors. Methods: We analyzed data from 199 400 Korean adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the 2010 Korean Community Health Survey. We defined a healthy lifestyle as a combination of four modifiable healthy behaviors: non-smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular walking, and a healthy weight. We calculated the prevalence rates and odds ratios of each healthy behavior and healthy lifestyle according to socio-demographic and regional characteristics. Results: The prevalence rates were as follows: non-smoking, 75.0% (53.7% in men, 96.6% in women); moderate alcohol consumption, 88.2% (79.7% in men, 96.9% in women); regular walking, 45.0% (46.2% in men, 43.8% in women); healthy weight, 77.4% (71.3% in men, 73.6% in women); and a healthy lifestyle, 25.5% (16.4% in men, 34.6% in women). The characteristics associated with a low prevalence of healthy lifestyle were male gender, younger age (19 to 44 years of age), low educational attainment, married, living in a rural area, living in the Chungcheong, Youngnam, or Gwangwon-Jeju region, and poorer self-rated health. Conclusions: Further research should be implemented to explore the explainable factors of disparities for socio-demographic and regional characteristics to engage in the healthy lifestyle among adults.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.195-213
• /
• 1997

This study was carried out to investigate several effects of smoking and alcohol-drinking on the health of rural residents. The subjects were 710 people (325 males and 385 females) in rural area, Young-Duk Gun, Kyungbuk, Korea. The data were collected by medical students trained for this study during 4 days from 31 August, 1996. Questionnaire contents were general social characteristics, period of the agriculture, smoking history, alcohol-drinking history, some psychosomatic symptoms and self-evaluation for health. The results obtained are as follows : 1. Positive rates of the some psychosomatic symptoms and self-evaluation for health were higher in female than in male and were significantly increased as the as increased(p<0.05). 2. Smoking rate was 56.9% in male and 4.9% in female. In positive rates of the some psychosomatic symptoms and self-evaluation for health in male, 'insomnia' was only significantly lower in ex-smoker than in smoker and non-smoker(p<0.05). Other items were significantly not different. 3. Prevalence rate of alcohol drinker was 54.8% in male and 17.1% in female and the alcoholism was 8.3% in male and 0.8% in female. Positive rate of the some psychosomatic symptoms and self-evaluation for health in male were significantly not different. 4. The scores of self-evaluation for health was divided into two groups under two point and over three. And the analysis of multiple logistic regression shows that there were significant relationship with age and sex. This study suggests that some psychosomatic symptoms and self-evaluation for health were significant relationship with age and sex but not smoking and alcohol-drinking.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.565-574
• /
• 2011

This study analyzed the concentration of the heavy metals(Cd, Hg, iAs) of urine(n=576) from May, 2007 to Oct 2007. The subject was residents in G, Y, H industrial area, Jeollanam-do, in which exposure due to the adjacency of the industrial complex. As to the heavy metal concentration in the urine of the residents in the whole exposed region and the comparing region, the content of cadmium, mercury, and inorganic arsenic in the exposed region group were 1.23, 1.85, and 8.80 ${\mu}g$/g_ct respectively, and those of the comparing region group were 1.87, 2.00, and 8.93 ${\mu}g$/g_ct respectively, which indicates that the concentration of the comparing group was higher than that of the exposed group. The heavy metal concentration for each age group increased in proportion to age except those under 10 for some substances(p<0.01). As to geometric mean concentration cadmium and inorganic arsenic in urine according to the smoking history of the subject, the concentration of the smoking group and the non-smoking group were 1.65 ${\mu}g$/g_ct and 9.13 ${\mu}g$/g_ct respectively, while those of the non-smoking group were 1.47 ${\mu}g$/g_ct and 8.91 ${\mu}g$/g_ct respectively, which indicates that the former is higher than the latter. As to the inorganic arsenic concentration in urine according to the food preference, in order of vegetable, fish, and meat showed high concentration (p<0.01). To clarify the factors affecting the heavy metal concentration in urine among the subjects, the multiple regression analysis was conducted. As a result, it turned out that as to cadmium content in urine, gender, age, drinking, and smoking have influence on the subjects, with explanatory adequacy of 37.5 %.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
• /
• 2008.06a
• /
• pp.1789-1793
• /
• 2008

The Oxygen Index was measured for another flame retardant APP, or phosphorus, and other flame retarding assistants ZS, ZHS, AOM, and ZB, which are used as low smoke emitting materials, in order to see the increase in the flame retardation effect in comparison to the volume of additions. The results show that their flame retardation synergy effect was very small compared to the main flame retardants. The mixed use of main flame retardants, low smoking emitting materials, and phosphorus is a very important area of examination for creating synergy effect of flame retardation and lowering smoking and toxicity. For this, the results of flame retardation effect in comparison to the volume of addition of each low smoke emitting material are shown below.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.95-103
• /
• 2008

The aim of this study was to compare nutrient intakes, dietary habits, and blood components of smokers with non-smokers in the Seoul area and its vicinity. The results showed that non-smokers had higher intakes of brown rice, grains, fruit, vegetable and kimchi than the smokers. Smokers consumed more protein (p<0.001), vitamin B1 (p<0.001), vitamin B2 (p<0.007), niacin (p<0.0001), zinc (p<0.031) and phosphorus (p<0.005) than did non-smokers, whereas non-smokers' intakes of vitamin A (p<0.037), and folic acid (p<0.043) was higher than that of smokers. Individuals who smoked tended to have significantly higher levels of hemoglobin and monocytes. There were no significant differences by smoking status for dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which were in normal ranges. No significant differences by smoking status were shown for plasma homocysteine, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, vitamin C, and vitamin A. In conclusion, because smokers maintain a less healthy diet and life-style, it is to be recommended that educational programs be developed for smokers, guiding them into adopting better dietary habits in order to maintain and improve their health.