• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.223-232
• /
• 2012

Objective: We performed this study to determine the association between childhood asthma and residential environment risk factors including VOCs and formaldehyde exposure. Methods: We selected an asthma group (30) and a control gorup (30) through physicain diagnosis and assessed the VOCs and formaldehyde levels of exposure of elementary school children in Seoul. Results: In the results, there were no significant differences in socioeconomic factors between case and control groups. However, there were significant differences in family asthma history, amount of sunlight, level of humidity and number of household residents (p < 0.05). The level of VOC (toluene, ethylbenzene, stylene, m,p-xylene) exposure level of the case group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05) and the result of logistic regression showed that asthma family history, amount of humidity and number of household residents were significant predictors of childhood asthma (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Some residential environments such as lower amounts of sunlight, greater amounts of humidity and smaller numbers of household residents and VOC exposure were determinded as risk factors for childhood asthma.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.61-70
• /
• 2012

The range of special management target facilities is seperated by the building sector and the field of civil engineering. In the present study, the risk analysis was performed, related to fire occurred for the last five years, in the field of residential and non-residential facilities in buildings. Most of fire incidents occurred in residential and non-residential facilities was the cause of the electrical, and the resulting casualties were also very high. Therefore, based on the results, the risk evaluation index was developed, identifying the causes of fire occur and doing the fire vulnerability analysis for each facility. The result of this study can be utilized safety management to these facilities for the future, especially, inducing a more specialized and intensive safety management.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.60-67
• /
• 2021

Purpose: Traditional markets often have irregular space utilization patterns because the spaces are created and divided as time passed. Internally, there is high risk of fire due to problems such as aging facilities and high-density of stores and externally, there is high risk of fire spread since it is often adjacent to deteriorated residential and commercial facilities. Method: In this paper, on-site investigations were carried out to check fire risk factors and fire spread risk, and fire occurrence and expansion risk factors were investigated for traditional markets in Hwanghak-dong and Dong-daemun by using large-scale fire data from existing traditional markets. Result: As a result of the analysis, there are likely to be various problems such as high fire load and lack of safety awareness due to aging facilities and high-density of stores. In particular, it is necessary to prepare countermeasures because deteriorated residential facilities with narrow alleys around traditional markets have high fire spread. It is situation that while traditional markets mainly are managing for fire and disaster centering on the merchant association, the surrounding residential areas are not properly managed. Conclusion: It is necessary to manage deteriorated residential facilities with traditional markets, also to be linked early warning system and information to evacuate rapidly in case of fire there.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
• /
• 2017.11a
• /
• pp.69-70
• /
• 2017

Recently, The Building has became high rising and large scaling according to development of economy in domestic and other country, also the building has increased a variety of functions of insulation for warmth. and it has a symbol of economic growth, but it has risk factor for disasters such as fire. this hazards include not only general building but also residential building. Recently, Grenfell Fire that occurred in England has increased in combustion to the 24th floor of the 1st floor for 1 hour. it resulted in 80 deaths and 79 missing persons. In this study we suggest basic data of residential building for fire safety design related to domestic environment to analyze the problem of Grenfell Tower.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.42-52
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to find grounds for the development of a health promotion program by examining the risk factors affecting children in low-income families. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The subjects were 288 children under 13 years of age in We-Start, W city. The tools used included a household information questionnaire and risk assessment tools. The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regressions. Results: Risk factors like disability problems (β=.38, p<.001), residential environment (β=.37, p<.001), parenting type (β=.27, p=.003), the foster's educational level (β=.22, p=.011), and the gender of the child (β=.19, p=.030) explained 51% (p<.001) of the preschoolers in crisis. For the schooler, academic achievement (β=.39, p<.001), disability problems (β=.24, p<.001), adaptation to school (β=.23, p<.001), noise from the environment (β=.20, p<.001), and the foster's job (β=-.15, p=.007) explained 50% (p<.001) of crisis of schooler. Conclusion: The study found that children (disability, gender), family (residential environment, type of parenting), and caregivers (educational level, economic competence) had a complex impact on crisis situations. In children of a school-going age, school life appeared to be an important influencing factor. Therefore, an integrated case management approach that considers children, carers, and the home environment is necessary.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.263-278
• /
• 2022

Limestone calcined clay cement (LC³) is a low carbon alternative to conventional cement. Literature shows that using limestone and calcined clay in LC³ increases the thermal degradation of LC³ pastes and can increase the magnitude of fire risk in LC³ concrete structures. Higher thermal degradation of LC³ paste prompts this study toward understanding the fire performance of LC³ concrete and the associated magnitude of fire risk. For fire performance, concrete prepared using ordinary Portland cement (OPC), pozzolanic Portland cement (PPC) and LC³ were exposed to 16 scenarios of different elevated temperatures (400℃, 600℃, 800℃, and 1000℃) for different durations (0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h). After exposure to elevated temperatures, mass loss, residual ultrasonic pulse velocity (rUPV) and residual compressive strength (rCS) were measured as the residual properties of concrete. XRD (X-ray diffraction), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) and three-factor ANOVA (analysis of variance) are also used to compare the fire performance of LC³ with OPC and PPC. Monte Carlo simulation has been used to assess the magnitude of fire risk in LC³ structures and devise recommendations for the robust application of LC³. Results show that LC³ concrete has weaker fire performance, with average rCS being 11.06% and 1.73% lower than OPC and PPC concrete. Analysis of 106 fire scenarios, in Indian context, shows lower rCS and higher failure probability for LC³ (95.05%, 2.22%) than OPC (98.16%, 0.22%) and PPC (96.48%, 1.14%). For robust application, either LC³ can be restricted to residential and educational structures (failure probability <0.5%), or LC³ can have reserve strength (factor of safety >1.08).

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.83-96
• /
• 2021

Background & objectives: Cognitive function decline is a main factor influencing the overall life of the elderly and places a burden of society. The aime of this study was to investigate the risk factors of cognitive function decline of elderly living alone and living with a spouse. Methods: This study used the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing from 2014 to 2018. 243 older adults who lived alone and 1,155 lived with a spouse with the Korean version of Mini Mental State Examination scores in normal range at the time of 2014 were included in the analysis. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the difference of risk factors affecting cognitive function decline between in elderly living alone and elderly living with a spouse. Results: Cognitive function decline incidence rate of elderly living alone was 30.5% and the elderly living with a spouse showed 23.0%. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the risk factors of cognitive function decline in the elderly living alone was age and residential area, while in the elderly living with a spouse were age, education level, social networks, and depression. Conclusions: The factors that affect the cognitive function decline of the elderly living alone and the elderly living with a spouse were different. Accordingly, other measures to prevent cognitive decline are necessary.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.10
• /
• pp.5953-5956
• /
• 2013

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the most common cancer in Northeast Thailand. It is also a crucial health problem for Thai people. Various risk factors for CCA have been identified in the upper part of Northeast Thailand, but no similar studies of risk factors have been conducted in the lower parts of the region. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with CCA in the resident population. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted during 2009-2012 with the recruitment of 123 CCA cases and 123 non-CCA patient controls, matched for sex, age and residential area. Information was collected by interview with a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were collected for assays of anti-OV antibodies. Associations between various personal factors, dietary habits, family history, the presence of anti-OV antibodies and CCA were analyzed using multiple conditional logistic regression. Results: Patients who consumed raw meat (beef, pork) and alcoholic beverages ${\geq}3$ times per week had a higher risk of CCA than non-consumers ($OR_{adj}$=4.33; 95%CI=1.14-16.35 and $OR_{adj}$=2.13; 95%CI=1.00-4.55, respectively). Patients who had a family history of cancer had a higher risk than those who did not ($OR_{adj}$=4.34; 95%CI=1.80-10.43). Also, patients who had anti-OV antibodies (AU>23.337) had a higher risk than those whose anti-OV antibodies were below the cut-off ($AU{\leq}23.34$) ($OR_{adj}$=3.09; 95%CI=1.04-9.16). Conclusions: As is the case in the upper part of Northeast Thailand, OV infection is a crucial risk factor for CCA in people who live in lower part of the region. Similarly, a family history of cancer and the consumption of alcohol are risk factors for CCA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.139-142
• /
• 2013

Pinworm infection can occur through contact with contaminated surfaces followed by ingestion or even through inhalation of infective eggs. We have limited information regarding environmental contamination by eggs of Enterobius vermicularis. In order to determine environmental risk factors associated with the rate of E. vermicularis infection, we investigated possible environmental risk factors using a questionnaire from 46 kindergartens in 3 different cities of the southeast area of Korea. In total, using the cellotape anal swab technique, 3,422 children were examined for E. vermicularis infection. We evaluated E. vermicularis egg of books, educational materials, toys, room door handles, dusts of window edges, desks, chairs, tables, and dusts of classrooms. The overall egg-positive rate for E. vermicularis was 6.0%, and the prevalence of enterobiasis in each kindergarten ranged between 0% and 16.9%. We found that 78.9% of egg positive kindergartens were managed by private foundations, which was significantly higher, compared with kindergartens managed by public foundations or the nation. Compared with public or national kindergartens, most private kindergartens were located in residential areas and the number of children in these areas was significantly higher. In conclusion, numbers of children in kindergartens was found to be an environmental risk factor associated with transmission of enterobiasis in Korea.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.13 no.1_2
• /
• pp.49-54
• /
• 1997

PCBs are classified as B2 (Probable human carcinogen) based on the induction of hepatocellular carcinomas in rats and mice from IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System). About 20 years ago, PCBs were phased out for electrical use in Korea, but PCBs were continuously used in the other field. Lately, there has been increasing concern on possible effects of contaminated soil to the other environment and human health. The purpose of this study is to determine PCBs level in soil at some site and to assess the human exposure doses according to exposure routes for people living within sites which expected to be exposed to PCBs. Pollution level of PCBs on the site was monitored using gas liquid chromatography. To assess the transport of PCBs in soil to plant and to air, various transfer factors(diffusion coefficient, bioconcentration factor etc.) were considered in simple calculations. To calculate the residential exposure doses by routes, some equations were considered using assumption value, which define inhalation, ingestion (soil, plant) and derreal uptake pathway. Computated results will be used as risk assessment information for human health evaluation on contaminated soil.