• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.10-18
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• 2013

Objectives: We investigated the association between particulate matter less than $10{\mu}m$ in aerodynamic diameter ($PM_{10}$) exposure and non-accidental mortality in Asian populations by meta-analysis, using both time-series and case-crossover analysis. Methods: Among the 819 published studies searched from PubMed and EMBASE using key words related to $PM_{10}$ exposure and non-accidental mortality in Asian countries, 8 time-series and 4 case-crossover studies were selected for meta-analysis after exclusion by selection criteria. We obtained the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of non-accidental mortality per $10{\mu}g/m^3$ increase of daily $PM_{10}$ from each study. We used Q statistics to test the heterogeneity of the results among the different studies and evaluated for publication bias using Begg funnel plot and Egger test. Results: Testing for heterogeneity showed significance (p<0.001); thus, we applied a random-effects model. RR (95% CI) per $10{\mu}g/m^3$ increase of daily $PM_{10}$ for both the time-series and case-crossover studies combined, time-series studies relative risk only, and case-crossover studies only, were 1.0047 (1.0033 to 1.0062), 1.0057 (1.0029 to 1.0086), and 1.0027 (1.0010 to 1.0043), respectively. The non-significant Egger test suggested that this analysis was not likely to have a publication bias. Conclusions: We found a significant positive association between $PM_{10}$ exposure and non-accidental mortality among Asian populations. Continued investigations are encouraged to contribute to the health impact assessment and public health management of air pollution in Asian countries.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.165-173
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• 2000

Objectives : To assess the availability of the glycophorin A (GPA) assay to detect the biological effect of ionizing radiation in workers exposed to low-doses of radiation. Methods : Information on confounding factors, such as age and cigarette smoking was obtained on 144 nuclear power plant workers and 32 hospital workers, by a self-administered questionnaire. Information on physical exposure levels was obtained from the registries of radiation exposure monitoring and control at each facility. The GPA mutant assay was performed using the BR6 method with modification by using a FACScan flow cytometer. Results : As confounders, age and cigarette smoking habits showed increasing trends with GPA variants, but these were of no statistical significance. Hospital workers showed a higher frequency of the GPA variant than nuclear power plant workers in terms of the NO variant. Significant dose-response relationships were obtained from in simple and multiple linear regression models. The slope of the regression equation for nuclear power plant workers was much smaller than that of hospital workers. These findings suggest that there may be apparent dose-rate effects. Conclusion : In population exposed to chronic low-dose radiation, the GPA assay has a potential to be used as an effective biologic marker for assessing the bone marrow cumulative exposure dose.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.439-446
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• 2007

In order to reduce the health inequalities within a society changes need to be made in broad health determinants and their distribution in the population. It has been expected that the Health impact assessment(HIA) and Healthy Cities can provide opportunities and useful means for changing social policy and environment related with the broad health determinants in developed countries. HIA is any combination of procedures or methods by which a proposed 4P(policy, plan, program, project) may be judged as to the effects it may have on the health of a population. Healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential. In Korea, social and academic interest regarding the HIA and Healthy Cities has been growing recently but the need of HIA and Healthy Cities in the perspective of reducing health inequality was not introduced adequately. So we reviewed the basic concepts and methods of the HIA and Healthy Cities, and its possible contribution to reducing health inequalities. We concluded that though the concepts and methods of the HIA and Healthy Cities are relatively new and still in need of improvement, they will be useful in approaching the issue of health inequality in Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제53권2호
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• pp.73-81
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether eating non-home-prepared meals (NHPM), including fast food, ready-to-eat foods, and frozen foods, was associated with self-reported infertility in the United States women. Methods: Data on diet and infertility from women aged 20-49 years who participated in the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed (n=2143). Dietary information, including the number and types of NHPM consumed, was obtained from a self-reported questionnaire, and infertility status was analyzed using the following question, "Have you ever attempted to become pregnant over a period of at least a year without becoming pregnant" Results: The frequency of NHPM consumption was positively associated with self-reported infertility after adjusting for confounding effects (odds ratio [OR], 2.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48 to 5.38 of >1 vs. 0 NHPM/d). The odds of infertility were 2-3 times higher in women who consumed fast food than in those who did not consume fast food (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.15 to 6.48 of >1 vs. 0 times/d). Conclusions: The frequency and types of NHPM may be a factor contributing to infertility. Although our findings require confirmation, they suggest that eating out may be deleterious to women fecundity.

• 대한예방한의학회지
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.77-87
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• 2009

Purpose : To evaluate the effects of Samultang(SMT) on the metals in the dams and fetuses Method : SMT(Decoction) was administered orally using different concentrations to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats for 20days after being assigned randomly to 5 groups. Each group has 11 dams. Pregnant rats were sacrificed at the 20th day of gestation and metal concentration in the dams and fetuses was observed using a ICP-MS and mercury analyzer. Results : Hg concentration in the blood of dams was lower in the $SMT{\times}1$, $SMT{\times}2$, $SMT{\times}4$group than VC(Vehicle Control) and Control group. Hg concentration in the organs of dams was lower in the $SMT{\times}1$, $SMT{\times}2$, $SMT{\times}4$ group than VC, Control group. Whereas Cd concentration in the organs of fetuses was getting lower as increasing SMT dose, Hg concentration in the organs of fetuses was getting higher as increasing SMT dose. Discussion and Conclusion : There were not any significant harmful differences of metal concentration in the dams and fetuses treated by SMT. Particularly, SMT showed the possibility of efficacy to reduce the concentration of Hg in dams but to increase the concentration of Hg in fetuses. The mechanism of reduction is not yet proven. A hypothesis says there is a possibility of the chelation effect between the essential elements of herbs and heavy metals. Another hypothesis is the possibility of Hg transmission from dam to fetus. Further study should be conducted to make guidelines for the safe use of herbal medicine.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.287-294
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• 2002

Objectives : To examine whether cumulative chronic stress influences the immune status, and to verify the effect of social support on the relationship between these two dimensions in male manufacturing workers. Methods : A total of 39 workers were recruited for this study. A structured-questionnaire was used to assess general characteristics, job characteristics (work demand and decision latitude), psychosocial distress, and social support. The serum levels of CD4 and CD8 were measured as immune markers, and were collected between 8:00 and 10:00am in order to standardize the markers. Nonparametric statistics were used to estimate the differences between job characteristics and the immune markers. Results : General characteristics, and health-related behaviors, were not associated with CD4, CD8 or CD4/CD8. No relationships were found between job characteristics and the mean levels of immune reactivity. These results were consistent, even after controlling for social support. Social support failed to modify the relationship toward work demand, decision latitude or psychosocial distress to CD4, CD8, and CD4/CD8. Conclusion : Cumulative chronic life stress might not influence the immune status, and the effects of social support on the immune function under chronic stress, may not play a crucial role in modifying the relationships. This implication supports that the effect of stress on the immune function may be determined by the characteristics of that stress. further research should effectively considers the type, magnitude and timing of a stress event, and modifiable factors, such as personality traits, coping style, and hormone excretion levels, on the alteration of immune status.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.282-292
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• 1993

Neurotoxicity in the workplace may occur with exposure to scores of chemicals. Although large acute outbreaks of the occupational neurological disease are rare, the incidence of occupational neurotoxicity in its subtler aspects is unknown. A working knowledge of both the major occupational neurotoxic solvents and the tools used by cliniical neurologists and neurotoxicologists to evaluate neurotoxicity in working populations is a necessity fur the occupational physician. To investigate the effects of carbon disulfide($CS_2$) on the peripheral nerve system using the nervous conduction study, 105 male workers working in the spinning room of a viscose rayon factory were examined and compared with a sex and age matched, unexposed 105 male controls using t-test analysis. 72.4% of $CS_2$-exposed workers complained of neurological symptoms, and the abnormal cases in nerve conduction study were 48.6%. The abnormal cases of nerve conduction study increased in number according as the age and duration of exposure increased. In this study, asymptomatic workers were confirmed to have subclinical neuropathy by nerve conduction study. Also as there were abnormal cases even in its duration of exposure below 4 years, nerve conduction study turned out to be ways of discovering of early peripheral neuropathy. In nerve conduction study, the amplitude, velocity, F-wave latency and H-reflex of the motor and sensory nerves in both upper and lower extremities were significant different between $CS_2$-exposed workers and the controls. From the pathological viewpoint, both segmental and axonal degenerations were assumed in this study.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제3권4호
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• pp.542-555
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• 1998

This study was conducted to assess the nutrient intake patterns among urban and rural adolescents and to investigate the effects due to parent's socioeconomic status and other factors, such as mother's job, family type and regular exercise on that pattern. 2,455 middle and high school students living in Seoul and Yangpong, Kyounffi-Do participated in a self-administered questionnaire that was used to collect data. The one-day dietary intake was surveyed through a 24-hour recall method. The factors significantly different between urban and rural adolescents according to monthly income, parent's education level, mother's job, family type and exercise. Income, the parents' education level and regular exercise were associated with the patterns of nutrient intakes as a percent of the RDA. So, when adjusted for parental income, the father's and mother's education level and regular exercise, there were no signifcant differences within the patterns of nutritional intake between urban and rural adolescents. The results provided the information regarding the determinants of nutrient status among adolescents and were expected to be helpful for planning school health promotion programs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제52권1호
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• pp.1-13
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• 2019

Objectives: In recent years, serious concerns have been raised regarding the impacts of rising temperatures on health. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between elevated temperatures and kidney disease through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: In October 2017, 2 researchers independently searched related studies in PubMed and Embase. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model, including only studies that presented odds ratios, relative risks, or percentage changes, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The characteristics of each study were summarized, and the Egger test and funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias. Results: Eleven studies that met the criteria were included in the final analysis. The pooled results suggest an increase of 30% (95% CI, 20 to 40) in kidney disease morbidity with high temperatures. In a disease-specific subgroup analysis, statistically significant results were observed for both renal colic or kidney stones and other renal diseases. In a study design-specific subgroup analysis, statistically significant results were observed in both time-series analyses and studies with other designs. In a temperature measure-specific subgroup analysis, significant results were likewise found for both studies using mean temperature measurements and studies measuring heat waves or heat stress. Conclusions: Our results indicate that morbidity due to kidney disease increases at high temperatures. We also found significant results in subgroup analyses. However, further time-series analyses are needed to obtain more generalizable evidence.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.1134-1148
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• 2022

Purpose: We evaluated whether Spatholobus suberectus extract (SSE) can be used as a means of preventing and treating osteoporosis by measuring its effect on osteoclast differentiation, gene expression, and bone resorption. Methods: SSE was used to examine the effect on RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with RANKL to induce bone resorption. The inhibitory effect of TRAP formation and the expression of the bone resorption factors TRAP, cathepsin K, and MMP-9 during differentiation were measured. The effects on the differentiation-related factors NFATc and TRAIL and on the expression of OC-STAMP, DC-STAMP, ATP6v0d2, MITF, c-Fos, and inflammation-related factors were also evaluated. The effect on bone resorption was evaluated by culturing RANKL-treated osteoclasts on artificial bone fragments and observing the resulting resorption traces. The effect on bone damage in experimental animals was also measured. Results: SSE inhibited the differentiation of RANKL-stimulated osteoclasts into osteoclasts and suppressed the expression of cathepsin K, TRAP, MMP-9, NFATc1, TRAIL, MITF, OC-STAMP, DC-STAMP, ATP6v0d2, and c-Fos genes. Bone pore formation due to osteoclast action was also inhibited, and LPS-induced bone loss was suppressed in animal experiments. Conclusions: SSE could be useful for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption and suppressing bone loss induced in experimental animals. However, studies of larger populations are required.