• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.19-30
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• 2023

This study analyzed intra-regional disparities by using the concentration index of industrial organization theory. And the range of study is 11 cities in Chungcheongbuk-do province. This study aims to clarify the characteristics of the intra-regional disparities by using concentration ratio(CR) and Herfindahl-Hirschman Index. After the review of previous studies, we intend to study the intra-regional disparities using these two indexes. Target is the bio-health industry that all povinces in South Korea want to develop competitively. In addition the analysis was conducted by dividing the bio-health industry into four detailed fields(pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health functional foods, and cosmetics). These fields are based on the results of the city and county competitiveness-enhancing industry. The research results derived the intra-regional disparities index based on sales, the number of workers, and R&D expenses by detailed field. As a result it was confirmed that the strengths according to the detailed fields differed by region. It can be used as basic data in establishing differentiated industrial development strategies for each region in the future.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.145-151
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to interpret regional disparities in the number of teeth sealed with pit and fissure sealants, identify the factors that affect these disparities and find solutions for the same. Methods: Data were collected from the National Health Insurance Service and Korean statistical information service using metropolis-city-rural area dental health infrastructure variables, regional health behavior variables, and local finance-related variables. Results: In 2015, the number of teeth sealed with pit and fissure sealants per 100 people was higher in the metropolis or city than in the rural area. There was a positive correlation between the number of teeth sealed with pit and fissure sealants and the number of dentists, dental hygienists, dental institutions, standardization rate of subjective awareness of well-being, standardization rate of brushing after lunch, and the proportion of welfare budget in the general budget. There was a negative correlation with the annual standardization rate of health institution use, the standardization rate of unused medical services, and the local government's financial independence. According to the final model of the multiple regression analysis, while the impact of infrastructure on dentistry was not statistically significant, the statistical significance of standardization rate of brushing after lunch, the local government's financial independence, and the proportion of welfare budget in the general budget were maintained. Conclusions: To reduce regional disparities in the volume of use of pit and fissure sealants, it was concluded that it may be effective to select regions with a consideration of the level of regional economic power, implement separate and appropriate policies and projects, and improve the awareness in residents.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.73-91
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• 2009

In this paper, we attempt to study the trend of regional disparity among Chinese provinces and examine the effects of globalization on the disparities adapting panel data approach. The panel data set utilized consists of the annual variables of 29 provinces during 18 years from 1990 to 2007. The trend of inter-provincial disparities in the 1990s with the expansive trend but the trend has started to decrease since 2000. The results of the China case study show clearly that the provincial international trade level and ratio variables perform on regional income disparities remarkably in all cases. It means that the large development of international trade do with increased among provincial disparity. While due to the large area in the provinces, there exist urban-rural disparities within provinces could be one of the main source of regional disparities. Therefore, along with western regions development policy various development policies against small cities are necessary for balanced regional economic growth in China.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.442-456
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• 2010

The european union used the regional policy for a compensation for a economic loss of the underdeveloped member countries and for a conciliation of the new member countries with a geographical enlargement. As a result, the objet of regional policy and the support eligible regions of structural funds increased. According to the central and eastern europe countries entry into the european union, the european union modified the regional policy: the integration of the dispersed objects of regional policy into the 3 objects, the reduction of the support eligible region of structural funds and the promotion of the interregional cohesion policy. The development disparities of the between the member countries converged. But the inter-local development disparities of a intra-member country dispersed. This tendency means that the regional policy of the european union contributed for the reduction of development disparities between the member countries but produced no effect on the diminution of the inter-local disparities of a intra-member country because of the regional differentiation of locational conditions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.260-268
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• 2024

Objectives: Regional disparities in cardiovascular care in Korea have led to uneven patient outcomes. Despite the growing need for and access to procedures, few studies have linked regional service availability to mortality rates. This study analyzed regional variation in the utilization of major cardiovascular procedures and their associations with short-term mortality to provide better evidence regarding the relationship between healthcare resource distribution and patient survival. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using nationwide claims data for patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), stent insertion, or aortic aneurysm resection in 2022. Regional variation was assessed by the relevance index (RI). The associations between the regional RI and 30-day mortality were analyzed. Results: The RI was lowest for aortic aneurysm resection (mean, 26.2; standard deviation, 26.1), indicating the most uneven regional distribution among the surgical procedures. Patients undergoing this procedure in regions with higher RIs showed significantly lower 30-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 0.96; p=0.026) versus those with lower RIs. This suggests that cardiovascular surgery regional availability, as measured by RI, has an impact on mortality rates for certain complex surgical procedures. The RI was not associated with significant mortality differences for more widely available procedures like CABG (aOR, 0.96), PCI (aOR, 1.00), or stent insertion (aOR, 0.91). Conclusions: Significant regional variation and underutilization of cardiovascular surgery were found, with reduced access linked to worse mortality for complex procedures. Disparities should be addressed through collaboration among hospitals and policy efforts to improve outcomes.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.35-50
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• 1998

This paper examines the determinants of imbalanced regional development in Korea during the period of 1985-1995. The review of previous analytical techniques have been used to analyze the determinants of disparities in regional development of disparities in regional development, but few has applied the regression technique which reduces a bias due to heterogeneity across region. The results of the study show that Kmenta model with per capita GRDP as dependent variable can reduce the heterogeneity bias in regional development and can minimize the statical errors in estimation and interpretation of the coefficients of the explanatory variables. According to the results of Kmenta model, urban infrastructure such as roads, information and communication facilities are major causes of regional disparity over the period of 1985-1995. The results of the study also indicate that local government should devote their policy efforts to identify and utilize the unique soci-economic characteristics of each locality in the process of regional development.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.755-764
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in Koreans, and eating habits, including diet quality, are among the etiologies of these diseases. Recently, various studies on regional health disparities have been conducted. However, there are limited studies on their relationship with nutritional factors. This study aimed to identify the magnitude of regional disparities in diet quality and prevalence of CVD in Korean adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study included 17,646 participants aged ≥ 20 years from the 7^th (2013-2016) Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were classified into four groups based on their residential areas: City 1, City 2, City 3, and non-city. Demographic characteristics, health-related factors, body mass index (BMI), metabolic syndrome index, diet quality, and CVD prevalence were evaluated. RESULTS: In terms of demographic characteristics, age (P < 0.001), marital status (P < 0.001), educational level (P < 0.001), and income (P < 0.001) were lower in the non-city category. Health-related factors such as monthly drinking rate (P < 0.01) and mental stress (P < 0.05) were the highest in City 1 and lowest in the non-city group. Conversely, the current smoking rate (P < 0.05), BMI (P < 0.05), and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (P < 0.001) were the highest in the non-city group (P < 0.05). The non-city group also had the highest prevalence of CVDs (35.6%). This group had the lowest diet quality index (68.36 ± 0.22, P < 0.01), caused by low intake of fruit and calcium, a lack of sodium moderation, and an overall imbalance in the macronutrient and fatty acid ratio. When the diet quality index was increased by 1, the odds ratio for the prevalence of CVDs was reduced by 0.991 (P < 0.001), but this was not the case in all regions. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides useful information and data in identifying and resolving the regional health disparities related to CVD prevalence and implementation of public health nutrition systems.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.80-88
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• 2006

This study calculates comprehensive regional innovation potentials of the 16 provincial governments of Korea based on the 20 indices from 3 fields such as regional innovation infrastructure, regional innovation activities, and regional innovation performance. Except regional innovation activities supported by the central government's regional innovation grant program, there are disparities of the 3 innovation fields between the Seoul Metropolitan Area and non-Seoul areas. In some local provinces where the comprehensive innovation capacities are low, there are significant disparities among the 3 innovation fields. These provincial governments should support a policy to adjust the disparities for the sustainable regional innovation.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2018

Purpose: This study attempted to identify regional disparities of self-rated health among Korean wage workers and to investigate the influencing factors on them. Methods: The study subjects were 25,069 workers in 16 regions who were extracted from the 2014 Korean Working Condition Survey (KWCS). A multilevel analysis was conducted by building hierarchical data at individual and regional level. Results: In this study, 'financial autonomy rate' and 'current smoking rate' were identified as regional factors influencing the workers' self-rated health. When the socio-demographic and occupational factors of the workers were controlled, 'current smoking rate', a health policy factor, explained the regional disparity of workers' health status. Conclusion: We found that the health status of workers can be affected by the health behavior level of the whole population in their residential area. In order to improve the health status of working population and to alleviate their regional health inequalities, it is necessary to strengthen macro and structural level interventions.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.273-294
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• 2023

Background: Most developed countries are working to improve their universal health coverage systems. This study investigates regional disparities in unmet healthcare needs and their causes in South Korea. Additionally, it compares the unmet healthcare needs rate in South Korea with that of 33 European countries. Methods: The analysis incorporates information from 13,359 adults aged 19 or older, using data from the Korea Health Panel. The dependent variables encompass the experience of unmet healthcare needs and the three causes of occurrence: "burden of medical expenses," "time constraints," and "lack of care." The primary variable of interest is the region of residence, while control variables encompass 14 socio-demographic, health, and functional characteristics. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, accounting for the sampling design, is conducted. Results: The rate of unmet healthcare needs in Korea is 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0%-13.3%), which is approximately 30 times higher than that of Austria (0.4%). The causes of unmet healthcare needs, ranked in descending order, are "lack of care," "time constraints," and "burden of medical expenses." Predictive probabilities for experiencing unmet healthcare needs and each cause differ significantly between regions. For instance, the probability of experiencing unmet healthcare needs due to "lack of care" is approximately 10 times higher in Gangwon-do (13.5%; 95% CI, 13.0%-14.1%) than in Busan (1.3%; 95% CI, 1.3%-1.4%). The probability due to "burden of medical expenses" is approximately 14 times higher in Seoul (4.1%; 95% CI, 3.6%-4.6%) compared to Jeollanam-do (0.3%; 95% CI, 0.2%-0.4%). Conclusion: Amid rapid sociodemographic transitions, South Korea must make significant efforts to alleviate unmet healthcare needs and the associated regional disparities. To effectively achieve this, it is recommended that South Korea involves the National Assembly in healthcare policy-making, while maintaining a centralized financing model and delegating healthcare planning and implementation to regional authorities for their local residents-similar to the approaches of the United Kingdom and France.