• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8503-8508
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• 2014

Background: After the WHO recommended HPV vaccination of the general population in 2009, government support of HPV vaccination programs was increased in many countries. However, this policy was not implemented in Korea due to perceived low cost-effectiveness. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the cost-utility of HPV vaccination programs targeted to high risk populations as compared to vaccination programs for the general population. Materials and Methods: Each study population was set to 100,000 people in a simulation study to determine the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR), then standard prevalence rates, cost, vaccination rates, vaccine efficacy, and the Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs) were applied to the analysis. In addition, sensitivity analysis was performed by assuming discounted vaccination cost. Results: In the socially vulnerable population, QALYs gained through HPV vaccination were higher than that of the general population (General population: 1,019, Socially vulnerable population: 5,582). The results of ICUR showed that the cost of HPV vaccination was higher for the general population than the socially vulnerable population. (General population: 52,279,255 KRW, Socially vulnerable population: 9,547,347 KRW). Compared with 24 million KRW/QALYs as the social threshold, vaccination of the general population was not cost-effective. In contrast, vaccination of the socially vulnerable population was strongly cost-effective. Conclusions: The results suggest the importance and necessity of government support of HPV vaccination programs targeted to socially vulnerable populations because a targeted approach is much more cost-effective. The implementation of government support for such vaccination programs is a critical strategy for decreasing the burden of HPV infection in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.528-539
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study is to provide baseline data on the housing environment of a vulnerable population. Methods: This study provides a descriptive survey on the housing environment of a vulnerable population of a city in Gyeong-gi province. A total of 9,061 households were selected as research participants. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews by visiting nurses from February 2014 to March 2014. Results: Interviewees answered "poor" on items including cold drafts, illumination, daylight penetration, inflow of polluted air, house odor, stairs safety, noise, mold, pests, and ventilation. The score for housing environment problems showed a significant group difference due to gender, age, economic status, family type, type of housing, and type of ownership. Conclusion: These results indicate that the vulnerable population is exposed to a poor housing environment. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve the housing environment for the vulnerable population. Based on this study, linking a visiting health care service program and housing environment improvement projects from relevant administrative agencies might be recommended in order to effectively improve the housing environment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2015

Individuals who are vulnerable during disaster - including elderly, people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and etc - have a strong desire to protect themselves when disaster strikes since they are less capable to deal with the impact of disaster. Their experience and effort to keep them safe can be used as a resource to reduce the impacts of disaster not only for them but also for the community as a whole. Therefore, voluntary disaster management program will contribute to our society as a tool to respond effectively to disaster not only to meet the vulnerable's special needs but also to enhance community safety and public interest. This paper suggests a model that able "disaster vulnerable population" to take a leadership role in identifying risk and vulnerability factors, recommending disaster management strategy, and through that, contributing to enhance society's disaster plan. Therefore, this study aimed to surveyed individuals including "disaster vulnerable population" in order to assess the vulnerable's participation in disaster related volunteer work and surveyed associated institutions(volunteer centers, community centers) in order to research currently existing relevant programmes and the participation of "disaster vulnerable population" in such programmes. Also conducted focus group interview to explore voluntary program which will possibly integrate "disaster vulnerable population" into disaster management activities. As a result, three types of voluntary disaster management programs - education, public-relations, and activity - were suggested.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.266-275
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate achievements of a community health center for vulnerable population in urban areas and to find out its strength and weakness. Method: This evaluative study employed system theories and analytic techniques. Results: The purpose of improving vulnerable population's health-related self-care abilities adequately met the operation of programs. This center maintained close connection to a nursing college as a information resource. The subjects' satisfaction was high because team members who visited them were faithful and there were face-to-face contact, sufficient time set, closeness and resourcefulness. There were needs for regular meetings to discuss overall matters in organizing the program and to improve management skills. The mean score of health promotion lifestyle was 2.23 on a 4 point scale. This score indicates what in higher than vulnerable people in other communities. Conclusions: Community-based nursing centers for vulnerable population in urban areas should be developed as support organizations and community network.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.697-705
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• 2014

The exposed population of a vulnerable group to high ozone episodes (exceeding 60 ppb/8h) was estimated in Busan metropolitan city from 2000 to 2010. The frequency of high ozone days at monitoring sites and the number of the population aged over 65 were used to calculate the accumulated (total, seasonal, and yearly) number of the exposed older population (EOP) to high ozone episodes during the study period based on administrative areas, by interpolation and zonal mean methods in ArcGIS software. The older population in this city had increased significantly from 2000 to 2010 (representing over 10% of the total population in 2010). The vulnerable areas (e.g. the eastern area of the city) of the EOP to high ozone episodes were different from the areas with frequent high ozone episodes (e.g., the western area) due to the increase of the older population in particular areas. The difference was more significant in spring than in any other season, and in 2010 than in previous years (2000 and 2005).

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.99-118
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• 2007

There are little program and services that have been developed to address the health and health care needs of vulnerable women. The access for their timely and appropriate health care and health promotion services have been a increasing concern. The purpose of this study was to suggest health promotion program for vulnerable women with collaboration of women's NGOs. At the first part of this study, we reviewed a conceptual framework for identifying vulnerable population, and issues regarding health problems, unmet needs, policies and programs that have been developed to address their need. In second part, we focused on investigating the role, subjects and activities of women's NGOs and their capacity for health promotion program. The last part of this study proposed health promotion programme with integrating above two parts of study. In describing what type of health promotion program available in women's NCOs, eight major programs and services were summarized. 1. Direct health promotion program and collaborating program with other services. 2. Education and training for empowerment of vulnerable women 3. Organizing mutual support system such as self-help group 4. Community supports. Vulnerable women living at home may benefit from linkage to community services as much as women living in facility 5. Organizing collaboration system with program for economic support and job training, social rehabilitation 6. Trainer's training for practitioners in NGOs 7. Technical, informational support from professional groups 8. A national coordinating policies for vulnerable population should be established at the central level. National support for NGOs' health promotion program are needed hi solving unmet needs of vulnerable women.

• Journal of Korea Planning Association
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.71-78
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• 2019

Due to the rapid pace of low fertility and aging of Korea, population decline is rapidly progressing in the outskirts of the province and county. Demand for public transport is decreasing due to suburban population declines, while local government funding for maintenance of the bus system is expected to increase gradually. The government and municipalities are promoting the introduction of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) in order to reduce the burden of financial support for buses while enhancing mobility of the residents in vulnerable areas. However, most DRTs in Korea have been operated mainly in the areas that are not provided with public transportation services. Although DRT is able to reduce the financial burden of local governments, it is not easy to be introduced because of the objection of the existing bus users. In this study, 11 out of 61 towns with poor public transportation services in Gyeongsangnam-Do were selected for the introduction of DRT to replace bus services by using village characteristics. The results of this study are expected to be used as a basis for decision making to use DRT instead of bus service for the burden of bus financing for local governments.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 2020

Korean fir (Abies koreana) is an evergreen coniferous tree species that is unique to South Korea. A. koreana is found in a limited sub-alpine habitat and is considered particularly vulnerable to climate change. Identification of populations vulnerable to climate change is an important component of conservation programs. In this study, a heat stress-induced transcriptome RNA-seq dataset was used to identify a subset of six genes for assessment as candidate marker genes for ecologically vulnerable populations. Samples of A. koreana were isolated from ecologically stable and vulnerable regions of the Halla and Jiri mountains, and the expression levels of the six candidate markers were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. All six of the candidate genes exhibited higher expression levels in samples from vulnerable regions compared with stable regions. These results confirm that the six high temperature-induced genes can be used as diagnostic markers for the identification of populations of A. koreana that are experiencing stress due to the effects of climate change.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.556-569
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to provide baseline data on the health care of children and the demand for visiting health care services in one region in efforts to support the implementation of visiting health care services for vulnerable children. Methods: Seventy-three children and their caregivers from the vulnerable social group and 82 children and their caregivers from the general group were selected as research participants. The data were collected through home visiting survey by professional nurses. Results: Children from the vulnerable social group were at higher risk of poor health care than the general group. Regarding home safety, vulnerable children were more likely to be exposed to unsafe conditions. With respect to nutrition, developmental play, developmental screening test, and home safety, visiting health care services were in demand for caretakers. Conclusion: These results indicate that to promote health care and safety conditions for vulnerable children, it is necessary to implement visiting health care programs that include the management of vaccination, medical check-up, growth and development, home safety, and nutrition. These findings can be used as the baseline data for the development of visiting health care programs for vulnerable children.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.444-453
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• 2014

Inequality of environmental impact is forecast to deepen due to the damage of environmental risk by the interaction between environmental and social inequalities causing more harms to environmentally vulnerable population. This study assessed the integrated cumulative impact of Seoul using Environmental Health Screening Tool developed by Environmental Protection Agency of California. In order to screen vulnerable area to environmental health, 10 indexes have been selected according to the environmental burden of exposure to environment and public health effects, population characteristics of sensitive populations and socio-economic factors. As a result of assessment conducted on cumulative impact of Seoul for years 2009~2011 through Environmental Health Screening Tool, risk factor for districts of Gangseo and Gangnam of Seoul showed high - Gangseo area indicated high risk factor both in environmental burden and population characteristics, while Gangnam area appeared high in environmental burden. The result of survey will be able to suggest scientific basis to push through fair and effective environmental policy in consideration of environment vulnerable population.