• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.278-287
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• 2021

This study was conducted to analyze with a focus on gender whether the prevalence of hyperuricemia varies depending on sitting time and high-risk drinking by occupational group. For this study, the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data were used, and 16,366 people were selected. The chi-square independence test and logistic regression model were used as the analysis method. The prevalence and risk of hyperuricemia by sitting time were different in the 'agricultural, forestry and fishery skilled workers' only in men. On the other hand, the prevalence with high-risk drinking, both men and women showed differences in 'managers, experts and related workers' and 'office worker'. Also, only women have differences in 'service and sales workers', 'technicians, equipment, machine operation and assembly workers' and 'unemployed'. These results inform men have a higher prevalence and risk of hyperuricemia and suggest that health care policies and medical services are needed to prevent it by occupational group.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.314-323
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the status of medical service use of foreigners living in Korea by their nationality and types of national health insurance. As of 2018, 1,058,886 people were extracted from the qualification DB, excluding people whose insurance premium is missing. The data analysis showed that nearly 78% of foreigners with national health insurance used medical services and the countries with the largest number of users were China, Vietnam, and the United States. The total cost of treatment per capita was highest in the United States regardless of hospitalization and outpatient. The number of medical treatments per person, and the medical expenses of outpatients & inpatients services were highest among the regionally-insured and the length of stay per person was highest among the workers' dependents. Lastly, it was found that Chinese and regionally-insured received much more benefits than other groups compared to the premium they pay. After July 2019, foreign nationals residing in Korea for six months or longer are obligated to enroll in the national health insurance program. Since the latest data was in 2018, the result did not properly reflect the current situation, but it is meaningful that it made basic data for future comparative analysis.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2021

This study examined the association between hypertension (HTN), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) in Korean adults. Data for 8,922 adults (3,941 men and 4,981 women) aged ≥20 years from the Sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013~2014) were analyzed. In men, after adjusting for the related variables, the odds ratios (ORs) of HTN [systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg, or use of HTN medications] were significantly higher in the decreased eGFR group [eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 ㎡, 1.98 (95% CI, 1.21~3.24)], elevated ACR group [ACR ≥30 mg/g, 2.03 (95% CI, 1.54~2.69)], and decreased eGFR plus elevated ACR group [eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 ㎡ and ACR ≥30 mg/g, 6.03 (95% CI, 2.82~12.92)] than in the normal group (eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 ㎡ and ACR <30 mg/g). In women, after adjusting for the related variables, the ORs of HTN were significantly higher in the decreased eGFR group (2.29, 95% CI, 1.27~4.13), elevated ACR group (2.22, 95% CI, 1.68~2.94), and decreased eGFR plus elevated ACR group (10.77, 95% CI, 3.89~29.82) than the normal group. In conclusion, HTN was associated with a decreased eGFR and elevated ACR in Korean men and women. In addition, the prevalence of HTN increased greatly when a decreased eGFR and elevated ACR occurred simultaneously.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2022

Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is a new index reflecting central lipid accumulation and is known to be a strong independent indicator for identifying the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes mellitus (DM). This study was conducted to assess the relationship between the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and LAP according to the presence or absence of obesity in Korean adults. The study was carried out using data from the 2019 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and included 6,090 adults aged 20 years or older. There were several key findings. First, after adjusting for related variables, the mean of the HOMA-IR levels (M±SE, 95% confidence interval) was positively associated with the quartiles of LAP in the overall population (P<0.001), non-obese (P<0.001) or obese groups (P<0.001). Second, in all the groups (overall population, non-obese and obese groups), the mean value of the fasting blood glucose (all, P<0.001), insulin (all, P<0.001), and the metabolic syndrome score (all, P<0.001) increased with the increasing quartiles of LAP. Insulin resistance was thus positively associated with an increase in the LAP in Korean adults with or without obesity.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 2022

In order to explore the context of fraudulent claims and the measures for preventing them targeting the long-term care institutions for the elderly, which is increasing every year in Korea, this study conducted the text mining analysis using the media report articles. The media report articles were collected from the news big data analysis system called 'BIG KINDS' for about 15 years from July 2008 when the Long-Term Care Insurance for the Elderly took effect, to February 28^th 2022. During this period of time, total 2,627 articles were collected under keywords like 'elderly care+fraudulent claims' and 'long-term care+fraudulent claims', and among them, total 946 articles were selected after excluding overlapped articles. In the results of the text mining analysis in this study, first, the top 10 keywords mentioned in the highest frequency in every section(July 1^st 2008-February 28^th 2022) were shown in the order of long-term care institution for the elderly, fraudulent claims, National Health Insurance Service, Long-Term Care Insurance for the Elderly, long-term care benefits(expenses), elderly care facilities, The Ministry of Health & Welfare, the elderly, report, and reward(payment). Second, in the results of the N-gram analysis, they were shown in the order of long-term care benefits(expenses) and fraudulent claims, fraudulent claims and long-care institution for the elderly, falsehood and fraudulent claims, report and reward(payment), and long-term care institution for the elderly and report. Third, the analysis of TF-IDF was similar to the results of the frequency analysis while the rankings of report, reward(payment), and increase moved up. Based on such results of the analysis above, this study presented the future direction for the prevention of fraudulent claims of long-term care institutions for the elderly.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.81-109
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• 2021

This paper review about the relationship between the prohibition against medical refusal and the principle of private autonomy in medical contracts. The obligation to this Prohibition in Medical Law does not restrict the liberty of contracting a medical contract. On the other hand, the prohibition limits the freedom to terminate medical contracts. Medical contracts can be terminated if the trust between doctors and patients is vanished. However certain restrictions should be placed on termination of the medical contract, because termination of the contract should not be detrimental to patients' health. According to the current medical law the medical contract is to be enforced in principle and can be revoked only with justifiable reason. At the Civil Code on Medical Contracts the freedom to terminate the medical contract is permitted, but this paper suggests the restrictions of the revocation under certain conditions. The Criminal Punishment Regulations against medical refusal should be removed. Refusal the provide medical service should be regulated by administrative sanctions under the National Health Insurance Act's obligation.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.782-793
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• 2022

The rise in chronic disease not only has a negative effect on people's lives, but it also increases the cost of medical care owing to the increased usage of medical care as health and medical technology improves, life expectancy rises, and rapid population ageing. In such context, this study examined the difference in the disease cost of hypertension according to demographic information and the effect of the initial diagnosis age and treatment period on the cost. This study used the Korean Health Panel Survey from 2010 to 2017, and selected subjects based on health insurance beneficiaries between the ages of 30 and under 80. With the selected data, the direct and indirect costs of disease loss were calculated according to the cost of illness approach, and we constructed a disease-loss ratio cohort considering the age of diagnosis and time of treatment for hypertension. From the results of the study, the annual cost of disease loss for hypertensive patients differed by gender by 110,107 won, and it was found that the cost increased by 1.8 times as the treatment time increased. In addition, when comparing disease loss ratios between the same age groups, it was found that the disease loss ratios between those in their 60s and 70s were affected by treatment time. This study confirmed that hypertension significantly affects the cost of the disease, and not only requires early diagnosis and management, but also preventive efforts to lower the incidence of hypertensive disease must be strengthened.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2022

The education and training system, the ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupations), and the legal systems of Japan and the United States consider all ophthalmic optometry laboratory personnel as ophthalmologists. They encompass optometrists, orthoptists, optometric technicians, and ophthalmic medical technicians. Data retrieved from the KOSIS (Korean Statistical Information Service) revealed that the number of opticians associated with the department of ophthalmology in 2022 could be appraised by classifying their medical institutions; contrarily, the number of clinical laboratory technologists could not be assessed. However, the current research investigated a general tertiary hospital and determined that clinical laboratory technologists outnumber opticians. Classification in Korea is based on ophthalmic optometry laboratory personnel, ISCO, ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education), the medical service act, the act on medical service technologists, and the higher education act. These results cannot be compared to the optometrists evaluated in the United States. Ophthalmology is a suitable profession for optometric technologists and technicians who perform under the instructions of ophthalmologists and optometrists. The field of eye healthcare would be benefitted by assigning the management based on their qualification according to the requirement of the job title, such as 'Clinical Optometry Technologist' to be given to clinical laboratory technologists and opticians who work in the ophthalmic optometry laboratories after obtaining a private qualification endowed by the Korean Ophthalmological Society and the Korean Optometry Society.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2023

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the association between physical activity and periodontitis in the Korean population. Methods: This study utilized data from 9,191 participants of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Periodontitis was defined as a CPI score of 3 or 4. Physical activity was assessed by the trained interviewer using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). IPAQ-SF is composed of vigorous physical activity, moderate physical activity, and walking activity. Multivariable logistic regression analyses and stratified analyses by obesity were performed. All analyses were conducted separately for males and females. Results: Females who engaged in vigorous and moderate physical activity had a 28% (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.54 - 0.95) and 34% (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.44 - 0.98) lower risk of periodontitis, respectively. In obese females, moderate physical activity in obese had a 65% lower risk of periodontitis (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.18 - 0.67). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that moderate-intensity physical activity was inversely associated with a lower risk of periodontitis. In obese females, moderate physical activity had an independent inverse association with periodontitis.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 2023

This study assesses the urine microalbumin to urine creatinine ratio (uACR) with uric acid and the association with the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (UA/HDL-C) ratio in Korean adults. Data from the 2019 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was procured and included 5,845 adults aged 20 years or older. Several key findings were obtained in the present study. After adjusting for the related variables (age, gender, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease), the uACR was found to be positively associated with the quartiles of the UA/HDL-C ratio (P=0.002). Moreover, after adjusting for related variables, the odds ratio (OR) of albuminuria (uACR≥30.0 mg/g) was not significant in quartile 2 (Q2) (OR, 1.015; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.757~1.361) and Q3 (OR, 1.090; 95% CI, 0.811~1.465) but was significantly higher in Q4 (OR, 1.416; 95% CI, 1.044~1.921) as compared to Q1 of the UA/HDL-C ratio. We conclude that since the UA/HDL-C ratio is positively associated with albuminuria in Korean adults, an increased UA/HDL-C ratio could be applied as a useful measure to assess albuminuria in Korean adults.