Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (한국환경보건학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Health (한국환경보건학회)
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Review of Epidemiological Research and Perspectives for Future Environmental Health Progress in Korea

한국 환경보건 발전에 대한 역학 연구의 기여 및 전망

  • Lee, Kyoung-Mu (Department of Environmental Health, Korea National Open University) ;
  • Park, Moon-Young (Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
  • 이경무 (한국방송통신대학교 보건환경학과) ;
  • 박문영 (서울대학교 보건대학원 환경보건학과)
  • Received : 2022.04.19
  • Accepted : 2022.06.13
  • Published : 2022.06.30
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Abstract

Background: Epidemiology is a fundamental study of public health, including environmental health, since the features and causes of diseases discovered through epidemiology provide crucial information for developing successful disease prevention strategies. Objectives: This paper tried to define the role and function of epidemiologic research in the field of environmental health, summarize examples of epidemiological studies with regard to selected environmental health events in South Korea, and address important issues that should be considered when conducting epidemiological research in the future. Methods: Epidemiological studies of selected environmental health events were reviewed and summarized in terms of their contribution to environmental health in South Korea. Based on the information, important issues were suggested for future epidemiological studies in environmental health. Results: The role and function of epidemiologic research in the field of environmental health includes the systematic description of the health effects caused by environmental exposure, verification of the causal relationship between environmental exposure and health effects, and provision of background data for conducting prevention strategies and developing policies. A number of epidemiological studies have contributed to characterizing and assessing the environmental risks involved in a series of environmental health events in South Korea. Conclusions: Important issues for future epidemiological studies may include health effects from chronic low-level environmental exposure, application of analytical epidemiology to elucidate causal relationships, use of exposure/disease/susceptibility biomarkers, accurate reconstruction of past exposure status, cohort recruitment and long-term follow-up, and in-advance surveillance of diseases with environmental causes.

Keywords

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