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http://dx.doi.org/10.5668/JEHS.2022.48.3.138

Review of Epidemiological Research and Perspectives for Future Environmental Health Progress in Korea  

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)
Publication Information
Journal of Environmental Health Sciences / v.48, no.3, 2022 , pp. 138-150 More about this Journal
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
Environmental health; epidemiology; environmental health events; causal relationship;
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