• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.757-764
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• 2013

This study was conducted to determine factors causing urban temperature rises in a mixed urban and rural city in Korea. The study site was Miryang City. For this study, temperature changes over a 36 year period from 1974 to 2010, as well as changes made in the urban environment of the city were examined. Changes in the urban environment included data pertaining to both urban development and changing land use, as well as the changing lifestyle patterns of the populace. The study showed that a rise in the average annual temperature and the average annual mean-maximum temperature were statistically significant and the greatest determining factor for the temperature rise was a corresponding decrease in arable land. The study also showed that the decrease in cultivated land was directly and significantly related to an expansion of regional urbanization. There is a direct relationship between the decrease in cultivated land and an increase in the annual-mean-maximum temperature compared with annual-mean temperature. This increase can be explained as arable land works as an "island" of cooler temperatures in the hottest times of the day. A decrease of $1km^2$ of arable land is expected to cause an increase of $0.08^{\circ}C$ of annual-maximum-mean temperature and $0.06^{\circ}C$ of annual-mean temperature.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.3934-3943
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the incidence rate of metabolic syndrome, and the related factors were examined. 620 persons who had participated in both initial and second survey were selected. Initial survey was performed at the year of 2006 and second survey was performed at the year of 2010. Among them, 460 persons who didn't initially have a metabolic syndrome were selected as the final study subjects. They were classified into 2 categories; stationary normal group (352, 76.5%), and metabolic syndrome incidence group (108, 23.5%). The incidence rate of metabolic syndrome for the subjects was 25.2 per 1,000 person years. Sex, obesity, and smoking had significant effect on the incidence of metabolic syndrome. In multiple logistic regression analysis,after controlling variables, obesity index was found to be major factor in the incidence of metabolic syndrome. The risk of metabolic syndrome was increased by overweight or obesity. The strategy to control body weight should be emphasized for prevention of metabolic syndrome.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.119-130
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• 1999

As Japanese economy has been well developed, the manpower problem of farmland has also become one of the largest and the most crucial issues in the overall agricultural policy of the Japanese Government. Particularly, the energetic younger generation and a core of agricultural labor force, has drastically decreased, while the weak older generation has increased. The severity of manpower shortage in agricultural sector led to create a farmer training programs which had been vigorously begun by the Yamagata Prefecture, and a center for promoting local autonomy. The major purpose of education for enhancement of status of future farmers as well as the welfare of core farmhousehold is to provide them with technical of vocational education to give training to those who want to become agricultural technicians, rural leaders of practical farmers Educational program for future and young farmers put emphasis on practical trainings which are directly applied to proper farm management. As a supporting policy for promoting future farmers' activities, Prefecture-level supports were strengthened to develop technical capability, managerial and supervisory ability, and the ability to lead organized activity so that the farm youth may operate modern farms with higher efficiency and greater specialization. Political consideration was also made to develop a rich sense of farm management as well as the adaptability necessary to introduce technical and managerial innovations. Methological measurements on how the Korean government has to do for solving the problem of agricultural manpower facing in farmland in Korea were noted.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.85-100
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• 2008

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded collaborative project on The Economic Feasibility Analysis of Crop Cultivation Practice Project in Pirganj and Kurigram Districts in Bangladesh will started during 2008-2012, for 4 years with total project cost of US$ 571,270. The project will be implemented in 6 villages; has 1,097 hectares areas which is divided into 948 hectares of agricultural land, 52 hectares of forest land and 345 hectares of other land, covered 1,059 households equal to 5,305 persons in Pirganj and Kurigram districts The project has proposed to be implemented in joint collaboration by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) Bangladesh with full participation of the farmers' groups of respective project site. The specific objectives of the project are: (1) to estimate the productivity of paddy, wheat, maize, tobacco and sugarcane (2) to determine the cost of production and returns to the above mentioned crops (3) to study the interrelationship between inputs and output of the above mentioned crops and (4) to examine the resource utilization patterns at farm level. In this project analysis, the net incremental profit is US$33,028. The expected incremental project benefit and incremented production cost are estimated as US$ 219,959 and US$ 186,931 respectively. The financial decision making criteria would be followed in this crop cultivation practice project. After the project implementation, the expected project benefits are assumed to be continued for 15 years. The benefit cost ratio (B/C) of the project is estimated at 1.077 (table 11) when using discount rate of 10% as an opportunity cost of capital in Bangladesh. FIRR of project is estimated at 26.15% which is bigger than the opportunity cost by more than double. So this project is financially feasible and acceptable. Therefore, this project should be extended to other areas to increase the farm income and economic growth of marginal poor farmers in Bangladesh.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 1970

The present status of control measures for public health important helminthic infections in Korea was surveyed in 1969 and the following results were obtained. The activities of parasitic examination and Ascaris treatment for the positives which were done during 1966 to 1969 were brought in poor result and could not decrease the infection rate. It is needed to improve or strengthen the activities. The mass treatment activities for paragonimiasis and clonorchiasis in the areas which were designated by the Ministry of Health were carried out during 1965 to 1968 with no good results in decrease of estimated number of the patients. There were too many pharmaceutical companies where many kinds of anthelmintics were produced. It may be better to reduce the number of anthelmintics produced and control the quality. The human feces, the most important source of helminthic infections, was generally not treated in sanitary ways because of the poor sewerage system and no sewage treatment plant in urban areas and insanitary latrines in rural areas. The field soils of 170 specimens were collected from 34 areas out of 55 urban and tourist areas where night soil has been prohibited by a regulation to be used as a fertilizer, and examined for parasites contamination with the result of Ascaris egg detection in 44%. Some kinds of vegetables of 64 specimens each from the supply agents of parasite free vegetables and general markets were collected and examined for parasites contamination with the results of Ascaris egg detection in 25% and 36% respectively. The parasite control activities and the ability of parasitological examination techniques in the health centers of the country were not satisfactory. The budget of the Ministry of Health for the parasite control was very poor. The actual expenditure needed for cellophane thick smear technique was 8 Won per a specimen. As a principle the control of helminthic infections might be led toward breaking the chain of events in the life cycle of the prasites and eliminating environmental and host factors concerned with the infections, and the following methods nay be pointed out. 1) Mass treatment might be done to eliminate human reservoirs of an infection. 2) Animal reservoirs which are related with human infections night be eliminated. 3) The excretes of reservoirs, particularly human feces, should be treated in sanitary ways by the means of sanitary sewerage system and sewage treatment plant in urban areas and sanitary latrines such as waterborne latrine, aqua privy and pit latrine in rural areas. The increase of national economical development and prohibition of the habit of using night soils as a fertilizer might be very important factors to achieve the purpose. 4) The control of vehicles and intermediate hosts might be done by the means of prohibition of soil contamination with parasites, food sanitation, insect control and snail control. 5) The improvement of insanitary attitudes and bad habits which are related with parasitic infections night be done by the means of prohibition of habit of using night soils as a fertilizer, and improving eating habits and personal hygiene. 6) Chemoprophylactic measure and vaccination may be effective to prevent the infections or the development of a parasite to adult in the bodies when the bodies were invaded by parasites. Further studies and development of this kind of measures are needed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.502-517
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• 1998

This research intends to survey family environment, health behavior and health status of the students in urban-rural elementary schools and analyze those factors comparatively, and use the result as basic material for school health teacher to teach health education in connection with family and regional areas. It also intends to improve a pupil's self-abilitiy in health care. The subjects involve 2,774 students of urban elementary schools and 583 student in rural ones, who were selected by means of a multi -stage probability sampling. Using the questionnaire and school documents, we collected data on family environment, health behavior and health status for 19 days. Feb. 2nd 1998 through Feb. 20th 1998. The R -form of Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974) was used in the analysis of family environment(Cronbach's Alpha =0.80). Questionnaires of Health Behavior in School-aged children used by the WHO in Europe(Aaro et al., 1986) and the ones developed by the Health Promotion Committee of the Western Pacific(WHO, 1995)(adapted by long Young-suk and Moon Young-hee(1996)) were used in the analysis of health behavior, as well documents on absences due to sickness, school health room-visits, levels of physical strength, height, weight and degree of obesity were used to determine health status. In next step, We used them with an $X^2$-test, t-test, Odds Ratio, and a 95% Confidence Interval. 1. In two dimensions of three, family-relationship (t=3.41, p=0.001) and system -maintenances(t= 2.41, p=0.0l6) the mean score of urban children were significantly higher than those of rural ones. In the personal development dimension however, there was little significant difference. Assorting family environment into 10 sub-fields and analyzing them, we recognized that urban children were superior to rural children in the sub-fields of expressiveness (t =3.47, p=0.001), conflict (t=0.48, p=0.001), active-recreational orientation (t = 1.97, p=0.049) and organization (t=4.33, p=0.000). 2. Referring to the Odds Ratios of urban-rural children's health behaviors, urban children set up more desirable behavior than rural children wear ing safety belts (Odds Ratio =0.32, p=0.000), washing hands after meals(Odds Ratio = 0.43, p= 0.000), washing hands after excreting (Odds Ratio = 0.39, p=O.OOO), washing hands after coming - home ( Odds Ratio = 0.75, p = 0.003), brushing teeth before sleeping(Odds Ratio =0.45, p=0.000), brushing teeth more than once a day (Odds Ratio =0.73, p=0.0l2), drinking boiled water (Odds Ratio = 0.49, p=0.000), collecting garbage at home(Odds Ratio=0.31, p=0.000) and in the school(Odds Ratio =0. 67, p=0.000). All these led to significant differences. As to taking milk(Odds Ratio = 1.50, p=0.000), taking care of eyesight(Odds Ratio=1.41, p=0.001) and getting physical exercise in(Odds Ratio = 1.33, p=0.0l9) and outside the school(Odds Ratio = 1.32, p=0.005), rural children had more desirable behavior which also revealed a significant difference. There was little significant difference in smoking, but the smoking rate of rural children(5.5%) was larger than that of urban children(3.9%). 3. Health status was analyzed in terms of absences, school health room-visits, levels of physical strength, and the degree of obesity, height and weight. Considering Odds Ratios of the health status of urban-rural children, the health status of rural children was significantly better than that of the urban ones in the level of physical strength(t=1.51, p=0.000) and the degree of obesity(t=1.84, p=0.000). The mean height of urban children ($150.4{\pm}7.5cm$) is taller than that of their counterparts($149.5{\pm}7.9$), which revealed a significant difference (t =2.47, p=0.0l4). The mean weight of urban children($42.9{\pm}8.6kg$) is larger than that of their counterparts($41.8{\pm}9.0kg$), which was also a significant difference(t=2.81, p=0.005). Considering the results above, we can recognize that there are significant differences in family environment, health behavior, and health status in urban-rural children. These results also suggestion ideas for health education. What we would suggest for the health program of elementary schools is that school health teachers should play an active role in promoting the need and importance of health education, develop the appropriate programs which correspond to the regional characteristics, and incorporate them into schools to improve children's ability to manage their own health management.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.163-173
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• 2013

Objectives: There has been an increase in the use of mind-body therapies to control cardiovascular risk factors recently. This trial was designed to determine whether the 'jeol'(Korean Buddhists' prostration) meditation program, as a new mind-body intervention, was effective in managing stress, depression and controlling cardiovascular risk factors in women working at a geriatric hospital. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine whether the 'jeol' meditation program could improve stress, anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular risk factors in women. We randomly assigned 57 participants to the intervention(29 participants) or control(28 participants) group. The subjects in the intervention group participated in a group Jeol meditation program once weekly, and practiced at home. The following variables were assessed: stress(Psychosocial Wellbeing Index), depression(Beck's Depression Inventory), body mass index(BMI), waist circumference, hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c), homeostasis model assessment(HOMA), low-density lipoprotein(LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein(HDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride were assessed. Results: After the 8-week program, 2 participants from the intervention group and 1 from the control group dropped out. The subjects in the intervention group exhibited decreased scores for stress(t=5.102, p<0.01), depression(t=5.259, p<0.01), BMI(t=2.942, p=0.007), and waist circumference(t=2.582, p=0.016); however these scores did not demonstrate a significant decrease in participants of the control group. The other variables showed no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: The 'jeol' meditation program evidently reduced stress, anxiety, depression, body weight, and waist circumference in women, which suggests that this program could be employed as a mind-body therapies.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 1999

Objectives. The purpose of this investigation was to study the correlation between cognitive impairment and activities of daily living(ADL) In the elderly of rural area. Methods. The study population consisted of 210 elderly people aged 65 years and older, living in a district of Kyongju City. The cognitive impairment was measured with the Korean version of mini-mental state examination(MMSE-K) and newly constructed the Korean version of mini-mental state examination (K-MMSE). Bristol activities of dally living scale developed specifically to be used with people with dementia was used to measure ADL Results. The mean scores of both MMSE-K and K-MMSE were significantly different by sex groups and by .age groups, respectively(p<0.05). The mean scores of ADL were significantly different by age groups(p<0.01) not by sex groups. Among the 4 components of ADL(instrumental activities of daily living(IADL), self care, orientation, and mobility), the mean score of the orientation was significantly higher in men(p<0.01); and IADL, orientation and mobility components were significantly different by age groups(p<0.01). ADL correlated well with MMSE-K (r=0.54) and K-MMSE(r=0.52) and showed higher correlation in female (r=0.73, 0.71) than male(r=0.27, 0.29). IADL and orientation showed significant correlation with MMSE-K(r=0.52, 0.62) and K-MMSE(r=0.50, 0.63), respectively(p<0.01). Conclusions. In developing and establishing a care model for people with dementia in the community, both cognitive impairment and the activities of daily living(ADL) need to be considered.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2015

Objective: This study was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with diabetes in Korea and to compare them with the HRQoL of individuals without diabetes history. Methods: The study subjects were 17,655 adults aged over 19 who participated in the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2012). The EuroQoL-5Dimension was used to evaluate HRQoL. Chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis were performed to test the difference of HRQoL in diabetic subjects and controls. Results: The mobility dimension was the highest reported problem: 36.4% for diabetic subjects. The proportion of any reported problem was significantly high among diabetic subjects compared with two controls in terms of mobility [reference group: diabetic subjects, chronic controls: adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=0.77, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=0.66-0.91, healthy controls: aOR=0.61, 95% CI=0.50-0.75], self-care [reference group: diabetic subjects, chronic controls: aOR=0.68, 95% CI=0.55-0.83, healthy controls: OR=0.69, 95% CI=0.51-0.94]. and usual activities [reference group: diabetic subjects, chronic controls: aOR=0.85, 95% CI=0.72-0.99, healthy controls: OR=0.79, 95% CI=0.62-0.98]. Also, EQ-5D index were significantly low in subjects with diabetes compared to two controls. Conclusions: Subjects with diabetes had a significantly lower HRQoL compared with two controls. To improve the quality of life of diabetics, it is necessary to study various variables related to the quality of life, and develop and manage various health programs or welfare policies reflecting socio-demographic characteristics and health related features that affect the quality of life.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.240-255
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• 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the correlates of bone mineral density of Korean adults. Methods: This study was based on the data from the 2010-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2010~2011) V. Among 8,473 subjects of the survey, who were adults 19 years old or over with bone mineral density data, the current study excluded those whose data include a missing study variable or the response of 'I don't know', and finally analyzed the data of 5,986 subjects (2,692 males and 3,294 females). This study employed the following statistical methods of analysis: t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and hierarchical multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: In multivariate analysis, in the case of men, the significant associated factors in bone mineral density were age, education level, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, total muscle mass, exercise, and weight control; in the case of women, the significant associated factors in bone mineral density were age, education level, economic activity, BMI, total muscle mass, exercise, weight control. fat intake, uptake female hormone, menopause, and age of menarche. Conclusion: For both sexes, the strongest modifiable factor in influencing bone mineral density was total muscle mass. Therefore, to prevent osteoporosis and promote health, active health education and interventions such as regular exercise for total muscle mass increase should be implemented from an early growth period.