• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7021-7027
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• 2014

Background: The problem of cancer, especially lung cancer, is very acute in Bangladesh. The present study was conducted to evaluate the risk of lung cancer among Bangladeshi people based on hereditary, socio-economic and demographic factors. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in 208 people (patients-104, controls-104) from January 2012 to September 2013 using a structured questionnaire containing details of lung cancer risk factors including smoking, secondhand smoke, tobacco leaf intake, age, gender, family history, chronic lung diseases, radiotherapy in the chest area, diet, obesity, physical activity, alcohol consumption, occupation, education, and income. Descriptive statistics and testing of hypotheses were used for the analysis using SPSS software (version 20). Results: According to this study, lung cancer was more prevalent in males than females. Smoking was the highest risk factor (OR=9.707; RR=3.924; sensitivity=0.8872 and P<0.0001) followed by previous lung disease (asthma, tuberculosis etc.) (OR=7.095; RR=1.508; sensitivity=0.316 and P<0.0001)) for male patients. Highly cooked food (OR=2.485; RR=1.126; sensitivity=0.418 and P=0.004)) and also genetic inheritance (OR=1.93; RR=1.335; sensitivity=0.163 and P=0.138) demonstrated significant correlation with lung cancer as risk factors after these two and alcohol consumption was not prevalent. On the other hand, for female patients, tobacco leaf intake represented the highest risk (OR=2.00; RR=1.429; sensitivity= 0.667 and P=0.5603) while genetic inheritance and highly cooked food also correlate with lung cancer but not so significantly. Socioeconomic status and education level also play important roles in causing lung cancer. Some 78.5% male and 83.3% of female cancer patients were rural residents, while 58.2% lived at the margin or below the poverty line. Most male (39.8%) and female (50.0%) patients had completed only primary level education, and 27.6% male and 33.3% female patients were illiterate. Smoking was found to be more prevalent among the less educated persons. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study indicate the importance of creating awareness about lung cancer risk factors among Bangladeshi people and making appropriate access to health services for the illiterate, poor, rural people.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10937-10941
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• 2015

Pathogenesis of lung cancer is a complicated biological process including multiple genetic and epigenetic changes. Since cigarette smoking is confirmed as the most main risk factor of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the aim of this study was to determine whether tobacco exposure plays a role in gene methylation. Methylation of the RAR-${\beta}$ gene were detected using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in DNA from 167 newly diagnosed cases with NSCLC and corresponding 105 controls. A significant statistical association was found in the detection rate of the promoter methylation of RAR-${\beta}$ gene between NSCLC and controls ($x^2$=166.01; p<0.01), and hypermethylation of the RAR-${\beta}$ gene was significantly associated with smoking status (p=0.038, p<0.05). No relationship was found between RAR-${\beta}$ gene methylation and pathologic staging including clinical stage, cell type, gender and drinking (p>0.05), and the methylation of RAR-${\beta}$ gene rate of NSCLC was slightly higher in stages III+IV (80.0%) than in I+II (70.8%). Similar results were obtained for methylation of the RAR-${\beta}$ gene between squamous cell carcinoma (77.9%) and other cell type lung cancer (73.9%). These results showed that the frequency of methylation increased gradually with the development of clinical stage in smoking-associated lung cancer patients, and tobacco smoke may be play a potential role in RAR-${\beta}$ gene methylation in the early pathogenesis and process in lung cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma. Aberrant promoter methylation is considered to be a promising marker of previous carcinogen exposure and cancer risk.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.253-265
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• 2021

Objectives: The aim of the study is to identify the success factors of 6 months of smoking cessation targeting male workers in small and medium-sized businesses. Methods: The subjects of this study were smoking male workers who had got the visiting services at a tobacco control center to stop smoking from January 2018 to December 2020. Total number of the participants was 767. Results: The male workers in small and medium enterprises had a success rate of 20.2% for smoking cessation for 6 months. With multiple logistic regression, the factors causing the differences in the success rate for 6 months of the workers were as follows. - The odds ratios (ORs)(95% confidence interval, CI) of the age group of under 29 and 40-49 years were 0.10 (0.03-0.29) and 0.43 (0.24-0.76), respectively, compared to the 50 years and older group. The ORs (95% CI) of the daily average of smoking group of 11-20 and more than 21 were 0.52(0.34-0.80) and 0.46(0.24-0.90), respectively, when compared to the group of 1-10. The ORs (95% CI) of the supporting persons for quitting smoking group of with spouse and other family were 1.99(1.18-3.34), compared to the group with no one. Conclusions: This study showed that the chance of success for smoking cessation for 6 months is higher when the subjects have spouses and other family Supporting persons for quitting smoking. And it also shows that the less they smoke a day and the older they are, the more likely it is to succeed in quitting smoking.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.85-89
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• 2015

Background: The study was designed to assess the changes in working conditions through a comparative analysis of the characteristics of working conditions in 2006 and 2010. Methods: We performed a comparative analysis of the data related to the first Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) and the second KWCS in the categories of demographic characteristics, quality of labor, exposure to hazards, and health problems. Results: From our analysis of the demographic characteristics, we saw an increase in labor force participation rate of women and elderly people. As a result of the investigation with regards to working hours, the ratio of employees who worked for ${\geq}49$ hours per week was decreased and the ratio of employees who worked for ${\geq}40h/wk$ increased. As for exposure to hazards, exposure to tobacco smoke notably decreased in 2010 compared with 2006. With regards to health problems, there was a sharp increase in the number of people who complained of muscle pain in their arms and legs. Conclusion: KWCS data included many aspects of working conditions as a nationwide sample. In addition, because this is a periodic nationwide survey, the labor force, working hours, harmful factor exposure, and the change in health problems characteristics according to the flow of time could be investigated. The information comparing the main results of the first survey conducted in 2006 and the second survey conducted in 2010 obtained through this study can be used as an important base material for the establishment of the national policy.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2001

Objective : To estimate the annual economic costs attributable to cigarette smoking in Korea. Methods : The costs were classified as being direct medical and non-medical costs, indirect costs and others. We focused on those costs related that are incurred in the treatment of selected diseases (cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and cancers), which have been proven to be caused by smoking. In addition to the basic costs of treatment, the additional amount of costs occurred due to smoking was obtained by computing the population attributable risk (PAR%) caused by smoking. To compute the PAR%, relative risks of smoking to the number of outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and the death were estimated using the Cox proportional hazard model, respectively. Our major data source was the 'Korea Medical Insurance Corporation (KMIC) cohort study,' which was composed of a total of 115,682 male and 67,932 female beneficiaries who had complete records of their smoking histories in the year of 1992. Results : The annual costs that could be attributable to smoking were estimated to be in the range of 2,847,500 million Won to 3,959,100 million Won. The maximum estimate of 3,959,100 million Won includes 233,100 million Won for medical costs, 5,100 million Won for transportation costs, 27,600 million Won for care giver's economic costs, 69,100 million Won in productivity loss, 3,435,000 million Won lost because of premature death, 172,100 million Won in costs resulting from passive smoke inhalation and 17,100 million Won for costs that resulted from fires that were caused by careless smoking. Conclusion : Our study confirms that the magnitude of the economic burden of smoking to Korean society is substantial. Therefore, this study provides strong evidence that there is a strong need for a national policy of tobacco control in Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2004

Objectives : Cotinine, the major metabolite of nicotine, is a useful marker of exposure to tobacco smoke and self-reporting of smoking status is thought not to be reliable. This study aimed to evaluate the agreement between the smoking self-report among adolescents and the urinary cotinine test. Methods : The study subjects were 1226 middle and high school students in Hanam city, who were selected by stratified random sampling. The self-report about smoking behavior was compared with urine cotinine value measured with PBM $AccuSign^{\circledR}fi$ Nicotine(Princeton BioMeditech Corporation, USA). The percentage agreement, kappa and 95% confidence interval(CI) were calculated. Results : The overall percentage agreement was 88.6%, and those for boys, girls, middle school, general school and vocational school students were 87.3%, 90.1%, 93.7%, 85,5%, 90.7%, and 78.4%, respectively. The overall kappa index was 0.46(95% CI=0.39-0.54)for overall, .and those for boys, girls, middle school, general school and vocational school students were 0.56(95% CI=0.48-0.65), 0.20(95% CI=0.07-0.32), 0.21(95% CI=0.09-0.34), 0.55(95% CI=0.47-0.64), 0.42(95% CI=0.33-0.52), and 0.48(95% CI=0.36-0.60), respectively. Conclusion : The percentage agreement was relatively high but the kappa values very low for girls, and middle school students. Though the prevalence bias can be influenced by these results, the self-report was not a sufficient tool for the evaluation of adolescents' smoking status, especially in girls or middle school students.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.123-131
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• 2002

Glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms (GST) were examined in 98 cases with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) to test the hypothesis that GST polymorphisms confer a risk to an individual to develop CVD. Tobacco smoke is a major cause of both cancer and vascular disease. We therefore were stratified the subjects with CVD for smoking status, and then examined whether polymorphisms in this detoxification enzyme gene, GST, influence risk of CVD. Neither GSTM1 nor GSTT1 genotypes in the CVD group was significantly different from the control group (n=230), even in smokers. We attempted the combined analyses for GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes in CVD for smoking status. No significant association observed between the combined genotypes and CVD. We also classified the subjects and control group into four types according to Sasang Constitutional Medicine, Korean Traditional Oriental Medicine, and investigated the association among GST genotypes, CVD, and Sasang constitutional classification. Our observations do not confirm the effect of the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes as a risk factor for CVD, even in smokers. Furthermore, we first attempted to evaluate the efficacy of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, and to find an association with CVD.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.70-82
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• 2011

Objectives: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death in Korea and known to result from several occupational factors. This study attempted to estimate the current magnitude of IHD mortality due to occupational factors in Korea. Methods: After selecting occupational risk factors by literature investigation, we calculated attributable fractions (AFs) from relative risks and exposure data for each factor. Relative risks were estimated using meta-analysis based on published research. Exposure data were collected from the 2006 Survey of Korean Working Conditions. Finally, we estimated 2006 occupation-related IHD mortality. Results: For the factors considered, we estimated the following relative risks: noise 1.06, environmental tobacco smoke 1.19 (men) and 1.22 (women), shift work 1.12, and low job control 1.15 (men) and 1.08 (women). Combined AFs of those factors in the IHD were estimated at 9.29% (0.3-18.51%) in men and 5.78% (-7.05-19.15%) in women. Based on these fractions, Korea's 2006 death toll from occupational IHD between the age of 15 and 69 was calculated at 353 in men (total 3,804) and 72 in women (total 1,246). Conclusion: We estimated occupational IHD mortality of Korea with updated data and more relevant evidence. Despite the efforts to obtain reliable estimates, there were many assumptions and limitations that must be overcome. Future research based on more precise design and reliable evidence is required for more accurate estimates.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.7
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• pp.33-49
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• 2006

Background & Objectives: This study was designed to examine relationships between smoking behavior and smoking attitudes among 6th-grade students in Korea in order to provide knowledge on school-based programs for preventing adolescent smoking behaviors. Methods: Questionnaires were administered to 464 students attending three public elementary schools in O city from June 13 to June 16, 2006. The total sample size is 458 (response rate = 98.7%). Data were statistically analyzed by frequency analysis, cross tabulation, and multiple regression. Results: First, smoking behavior was significantly influenced by the factors of gender, self-concept, family structure, sibling smoking, school achievement, relationship with teachers, satisfaction with school life, and smoking friends. Theprevalence of ever-smoking was 12.7% among 6th grade students in this study. Students were most likely to initiate smoking in the 5thgrade with curiosity and smoke at their own home. Second, students showed negative attitude toward smoking overall. From the detailed section, students respondednegatively about smoking in public places while they thought that adult smoking with moderate level was okay. Student who showed positive attitudes toward smoking in the present study were significantly related to the factors of self-concept, family environment, parental and sibling smoking status, school achievement, satisfaction with school life, and smoking friends. Third, Students who had tried cigarette smoking were likely to report less negative attitudes toward tobacco than non-smoking students. Fourth, this study found that smoking friends were the most significant predictor of positives smoking attitudes. Other factors significantlyassociated with smoking attitudes were gender, relationship with friends, self-concept, relationship with teachers, paternal smoking status. Conclusions: The study results suggest that smoking prevention programs focus on resisting peer influence and need to be community-incorporated and/or comprehensive from elementary to high school.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.5 s.92
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• pp.485-491
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• 2006

It is widely known that Environmental Tobacco Smoke(ETS) is not good for health. ETS is composed of a lot of chemicals. So indicators are needed to evaluate the risk of ETS in air. One of the indicators is Nicotine. Active sampler has been used to measure nicotine concentration in air. The experiments were conducted to compare the active sampler method with diffusive sampler in exposure chamber and smoking areas, respectively. Sampling rate was 40.5 ml/min in exposure chamber. Experimental sampling rate (40.5 ml/min) was more than theoretical sampling rate (33.52 ml/min). And the higher was the concentration in air, the higher was experimental sampling rate. The average desorption, rate was 113.6%. The overall precision was 7.31 %. The overall accuracy was 18.96%, which were under NIOSH criteria. The average(GM) concentrations of nicotine by two sampling methods were $8.29{\mu}g/m^{3}$ (active sampler), $7.54{\mu}/m^{3}$ (diffusive sampler) in smoking area and smoking room. There was no regression between active sampler and diffusive sampler ($R^{2}=0.2397$). But slope, coefficient of determination was 1.017, 0.9292, respectively after removing outliers. And the slope (1.017) was close to the theoretical slope (1). In conclusion, this study indicated that diffusive sampler can be used to evaluate concentration of nicotine in air instead of active sampler.