• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.514-528
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• 2014

This study examined the actual state and future improvement of food allergies in adolescents and adults in order to prevent damage. In this survey, proportions of females, people in their 40s, college graduates, and office workers and housewives with allergies were higher than other groups. Exactly 41.1% of participants responded that they had experienced food allergies while 58.9% responded that they had not. According to their responses, the most common food allergy symptom involved the skin while whole-body allergic reactions were rare. Most respondents answered that frequency of their food allergies was two or three times. There was a variety of allergenic foods, including fast food, eggs, mackerel and milk, and instant food was ranked as the most allergenic food. Therefore, in order to protect consumers from damage caused by food allergens, the food allergen labeling system must be improved. A better food allergen labeling system should be implemented to avoid potential risks of allergic reactions and ensure national food safety.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was conducted to understand the recognition on brucellosis in rural communities and to apply the results to counterplan for brucellosis control and prevention. Methods: The authors conducted a questionnaire survey from September 8 to 13, 2004 among the residents in 2 rural communities: 507 people at Gigye-myeon and 521 people at Buk-myeon. The authors developed a questionnaire which investigated age, gender, general recognition of brucellosis, status of cattle breeding, compensation for loss due to brucellosis and so on. Results: The study group contained 195 (19.0%) stock breeders (veterinarians and cattle merchants were included) and 833 (81.0%) non-stock breeders. For the question, 'Have you ever heard about brucellosis or do you know about brucellosis?', 283 respondents (27.5%) replied affirmatively. For the question, 'Do you know that pregnant women who suffer brucellosis may have a miscarriage?', 98 respondents (35.1%) replied affirmatively. For the question, 'Have your cattle ever aborted or calved a premature calf?', 28 respondents (14.9%) replied affirmatively. For the question, 'Have you ever handled an abortus or a premature calf with your bare hands?', 10 respondents (5.3%) replied affirmatively. For the question, 'Do you know that the government compensates for slaughter loss due to brucellosis?', 46 respondents (25.0%) replied affirmatively. Conclusions: Many people were ignorant about brucellosis. Therefore, their ignorance must be corrected by a publicity campaign. Some stock breeders handled the cattle abortus with their bare hand. Stock breeders must wear protective equipment during working. The authors expect that this study will assist in establishing both a safe cattle breeding environment and preventive strategies for diminishing the incidence of brucellosis.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 2006

Objectives: This study was carried out with 31, 519(16,653 boys, 14,857 girls) of elementary school students to investigate the prevalence of obesity at a district in Gwangju City. It can be applied to develope an educational program of the obesity control as basic data in this local area Methods: The data collected from May, 2004 to July, 2004 were analyzed by SAS PC+ 8.0 program. Children were selected depending on criteria from obesity index (%) by using physical index (height, body weight), and then subjects were classified into one of three groups according to the degree of obesity: mild(20~29.9%), moderate(30~49.9%), and severe($?50%{\cdot}$) obesity. Results: It showed that male elementary school students were higher and heavier than female elementary school students(p< .001) in every grade except the 4th grade(height) and the 6th grade ( body weight). The obesity rates of male students(11.6%) showed higher(p< .001) than those of female students(8.8%). Specially the 4th grade elementary school boys were higher than any other groups in obesity(13.7%). As a whole, the prevalence of obestiy showed mild(5.9%), moderate(3.8%), and severe(0.6%). Male students showed higher rate of obesity than those of female students. The obesity of male students showed higher rate than that of female students except 2-3rd grade elementary school students(p< .001). The obesity of 4~6th grade elementary school students showed higher rate than those of 1~3rd grade students(p< .001). Conclusions: The obesity rates of male students are higher than that of female students, and the obesity rates of 4~6th grade students are higher than those of 1-3rd grade students in the elementary school. Additionally, these results suggest that the program may be needed to prevent obesity of children.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.65-79
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• 2001

Cerebrovascular disease(CVD) is one of the major causes of death in Korea as well as most countries in the world and the disease gives great burden to humans socio-economically due to its high fatality and common occurrence of disability as the sequelae. This study was performed to investigate the utilization of western hospital(WH) or oriental hospital(OH) due to CVD and compare the type and the clinical characteristics of patients with CVD between WH and OH located in Kwangju City, Chonnam Province and Chonbuk Province. We reviewed the medical records of 1,070 patients who were discharged from 12 WIT and 6 OH from January to March, 2000 and confirmed for the diagnosis of CVD. Fifty-one percent of the subjects were treated at WH and forty-nine percent at OH. Females were more prevalent than males. As well, the most common age group among these subjects was found to be 70 years and older. About 92% in W~H and 80% in OH received brain imaging diagnostic procedures such as CT or MRI. The cerebral infarction was the most common type of CVD when compared by the kind of utilized hospitals, sex, age group except patient Group who was treated at WH and whose age was lower than 50 years old. The cerebral hemorrhage was more frequent than cerebral infarction among this group. The proportion of cerebral hemorrhage was decreasing and that of cerebral infarction was increasing with age. The most common clinical manifestations of undetermined type of CVD was paralysis of lower extremity in WIT and paralysis of upper extremity in OH. In cerebral hemorrhage loss of consciousness in WIT and dysarthria in OH were most frequently manifested, while in the case of cerebral infarction hemiplegia in WIT and dysarthria in OH were the most common complaints. The interval from the onset of disease to admission to the hospital was 5.5 days in WH arid 31.4 days in OH and the difference was statistically significant. Average admission duration of patients at OH was longer than WH, but it was not statistically significant. In conclusion these results suggest that the effort for systematic and efficient management of CVD patients was necessary for close co-operation and role arrangement between WH and OH considering the positive and negative points of western and oriental medicines.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.133-147
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• 2000

To provide data for the improvement of primary health care through the study on the utilization rate of community health practitioner(CHP) post and its related factors toward some rural residents in Mooan County Chollanamdo, a questionnaire survey was made from 382 persons during August 1999. Comparison was made between persons at the seaside area under difficult transportation and persons at the railroad area under convenient transportation. The results are as follows: 1. For the last one year, 83.3% of seaside area residents and 67.0% of railroad area residents used CHP post. As the purpose of visit to CHP post at seaside area, 94.3% visited for medical care, 25.3% for chronic disease control and 22.2% for health counselling and 14.1% for chronic disease control. 2. By simple analysis, sex, age, marital status, educational level, residence area, distance from living village to CHP post, presence of chronic diseases, satisfaction with CHP and confidence on CHP were related significantly with the utilization of CHP post for the last one year. 3. By multiple logistic regression, statistically significant variables related with the utilization rate of CHP post for the last one year were analyzed as age, sex, residence area and distance from living village to CHP post.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.223-232
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• 2012

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between fish consumption and blood mercury levels in a sample of adult Koreans. Methods: The study subjects were 299 residents of Busan (male: 65, female: 234) and 185 residents of Namhae (male: 69, female: 116), South Korea. Demographic characteristics, current smoking, current drinking, fish consumption per week, past history of amalgam treatment, and residential district were recorded by trained interviewers in June and July, 2009. We considered a portion of fish to be equivalent to 70 gm weight, and calculated amounts of fish consumed per week. Using chi-square tests, t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis, we estimated the relationships between blood mercury levels and amount of fish consumed per week and other factors. Results: The mean blood mercury level of our subjects was 6.61 ${\mu}g/L$, higher than the criterion defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (5.8 ${\mu}g/L$). In multiple linear regression analysis, residential district and amount of fish consumed per week were associated with blood mercury levels. However, marital status, current drinking, and gender, and age were not associated with blood mercury levels. Conclusions: In conclusion, we suggest the implementation of systematic and periodic population-based studies to decrease the risks of mercury poisoning among South Koreans who consume fish as a regular part of the diet.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.101-112
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• 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine arterial stiffness levels as measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and to identify the association between arterial stiffness and inflammatory markers, in healthy adults over 50 years old. Methods: The study population consisted of 4617 persons over the age of 50 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Dong-gu Study, which was conducted in 2007 and 2008. Arterial stiffness was measured using baPWV. A multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between conventional cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers, including white blood cell (WBC) counts, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT). Results: After adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors including sex, age, smoking status, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, hypertension or diabetic medication, total cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, and alanine aminotransferase, baPWV was significantly associated with WBC counts (${\beta}$=0.158, p<0.0001), hs-CRP (${\beta}$=0.244, p=0.026), and GGT (${\beta}$=0.003, p<0.0001). Conclusion: This study shows that arterial stiffness correlates with inflammatory markers. Arterial stiffness may be used as a composite risk factor to identify persons with higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, arterial stiffness may be a marker for future cardiovascular disease and a target for prevention.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.155-167
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate healthy city project related characteristics to members of the Korea Healthy Cities Partnership(KHCP). Methods: This study analyzed general characteristics of healthy city, characteristics of healthy city(political support, collaboration & citizen participation, healthy city project, infrastructure development, capacity building), self-evaluation of healthy city and etc by self-questionnaires from February to December, 2007, which were distributed to government workers who were in charged in health city project of 23 membership cities of KHCP. Results: The number of urban city was 11(47.8%) and that of rural municipality was 12(52.5%). Public health center was almost in charge of healthy city project(73.9%). As for the characteristics of healthy city, healthy city municipal budget(91.3%), city health profile(91.3%), technical support of cooperative university(82.6%), healthy city regulation(78.3%), citizen participation(78.3%), committee(73.9%), setting approach(69.9%) and healthy city network(69.6%) were good. But intersectoral collaboration(34.8%), long-term healthy city plan(39.1%), administrative policy or campaign promise(43.5%), programs to the vulnerable population(47.8%), department in charge(47.8%) and seminar(47.8%) were not good. Especially, characteristics of healthy city according to the existence of department in charge were significantly different in intersectoral collaboration, citizen participation, setting approach and healthy city network. Conclusions: In spite of rapid expansion in healthy cities, there were great difficulty in political support, collaboration, department in charge and programs of health equity. So we need to go a long way to achieve the vision of healthy cites by its principles and characteristics.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.130-141
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to reconsider the necessity of stroke-related educational programs by investigating early symptoms of stroke that emergency medical technicians (EMTs) may experience. Methods: An interview survey was carried out, targeting all EMTs 298 people who were working at 119 fire safety centers and local units in Jeollabuk-do province, from April 1 to 30, 2011. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on ETMs' demographic characteristics, educational level on stroke, and awareness level about early symptoms of stroke and treatment-related characteristics of stroke patients. Results: The results showed that 63.2% of those surveyed had completed the required educational programs on stroke during the past year. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patients' condition was relatively high for women, those who were 30 years under, low position people, emergency service practitioners, emergency medical technicians, and people who have completed education, respectively. It was also turned out that 82.8% of those surveyed took stroke patients to the nearest hospitals first so that they could receive appropriate treatment. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patients' condition in people who have completed education were higher than non-complete. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke was positively correlated with confidence, satisfaction and appropriateness in treatment of stroke patients. Conclusions: These results strongly suggest that it is necessary to operate specialized educational programs to enhance EMTs' appropriate awareness of the early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patient's condition.

• Korean Journal of Cleft Lip And Palate
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2004

The present study was carried out to investigate the change of the palatal length after palatoplasty in congenital cleft palate. With the data from one hundred and twelve patients with cleft palate who had been treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Chonnam University Hospital over a period of 10 years(April 1995 to April 2004). The epidemiological characteristics, the method of palate repair, the postoperative complications and the extent of palatal lengthening were investigated and analyzed statistically. Incomplete cleft palate occurs more frequently than complete cleft palate. Male were affected 2.1 times more than female in complete cleft palate, and female were affected 1.2 times more than male in incomplete cleft palate. Dorrance method and Wardill V-Y method were frequently used in repair of incomplete cleft palate. Wardill V-Y method, Furlow double opposing Z-plasty, two flap method, and Perko method were widely used in repair of complete cleft palate. The extent of palatal lengthening was greater in the incomplete cleft palate group(5.84 mm) than in the complete cleft palate group(4.71 mm), and in the Furlow double opposing Z-plasty group(5.70 mm) than in the push back palatoplasty group(5.33 mm). But no significant difference was noted. Palatal fistula and wound dehiscence were popular postoperative complications in cleft palate. These results indicate that the extent of palatal lengthening, which contributing to speech function, is a range of 3.5% to 24.0%(average 10.8%) after palatoplasty in cleft palate patients.