• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.103-117
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aims to reveal the relationship between social relations and physical activity in the young-old and old-old elderly. Methods: Data from 2020 National survey of Older Koreans were used, and a total of 10,097 subjects over the age of 65 were included in analysis. The dependent variable was physical activity, and the independent variables were social relations barrier and motivational factors. x²-test and binary logistic regression were performed for data analysis. Results: The physical activity rate in the elderly were 40.8% in the young-old and 29.2% in the old-old. The socio-demographic characteristics affecting physical activity were the young-old elderly were sex, residential area, employment status and household income, and the old-old elderly were sex, age, residential area, education level and household income. The social relations barrier factors affecting physical activity were the young-old elderly were number of close friends, family care, exercise information search and video viewing, and the old-old elderly were household type, number of close friends, participation in exercise education, exercise information search and video viewing. The social relations motivational factors affecting physical activity were the young-old elderly were call with children/relative/friend, participation in sports activity, access time from home to parks, and the old-old elderly were call with children/relative/friend, participation in sports activity, satisfaction with green spaces. Conclusions: It was found that social relations barrier and motivational factors of the elderly are important factors to consider when developing physical activity promotion strategy, and there are also difference between the age of the elderly.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.77-93
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• 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant social changes through government prevention and control measures, changes in people's risk perceptions, and lifestyle changes. In response, urban inhabitants changed their behaviors significantly, including their preferences for transportation modes and urban spaces in response to government quarantine policies and concerns over the potential risk of infection in urban spaces. These changes may have long-lasting effects on urban spaces beyond the COVID-19 pandemic or they may evolve and develop new forms. Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential for urban spaces to adapt to the present and future pandemics by examining changes in urban residents' preferences in travel modes and urban space use due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study found that overall preferences for travel modes and urban spaces significantly differ between the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. During the pandemic, preferences for travel modes and urban spaces has decreased, except for privately owned vehicles and green spaces, which are perceived to be safe from transmission, show more favorable than others. Post-pandemic preferences for travel modes and urban spaces are less favorable than pre-pandemic with urban spaces being five times less favorable than transportation. Although green spaces and medical facilities that were positively perceived during the pandemic are expected to return to the pre-pandemic preference level, other factors of urban spaces are facing a new-normal. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on urban residents' preferences for travel modes and urban space use. Understanding these changes is crucial for developing strategies to adapt to present and future pandemics and improve urban resilience.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.496-509
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the general characteristics, chronic diseases, health behavior, mental health, and nutritional status of young-old women based on their vitality. Methods: This study used data from the 2019 and 2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The subjects were 1,113 young-old women aged 65 to 74 years old. The health-related quality of life concept with an 8-item questionnaire was used to measure the quality of life. Subjects were categorized into 4 groups (always, often, sometimes, never) based on their vitality. General characteristics, chronic diseases, health behavior, dietary behavior, food intake, and nutrient intake were compared among the groups. Results: Age, education level, household income, employment, fruit intake, dietary supplements, abundance of food, and nutrition labeling recognition were associated with the vitality of the subjects. Young-old women with arthritis, diabetes, and osteoporosis displayed lower vitality. Moreover, subjective health status, exercise, activity restrictions, and average daily sitting hours were related to vitality, while no significant difference was found in vitality between smoking and drinking. In terms of mental health factors, higher vitality was associated with 6-8 hours of sleep, lower stress levels, and reduced depression. The high-vitality group exhibited a higher intake of potatoes, starch, mushrooms, fruits, meat, milk, animal oils, and beverages than the low-vitality group. Additionally, the group with higher levels of vitality showed a higher intake of protein, fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-6 fatty acids, dietary fiber, sugars, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and riboflavin. Conclusion: This study suggests that the vitality of young-old women is related to socioeconomic factors, health behavior, mental health, and food intake. To maintain a vibrant lifestyle in elderly women, it is necessary to have social and economic stability, prevent arthritis, diabetes, and osteoporosis, exercise regularly, get sufficient sleep, maintain mental health, and have a balanced diet.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.263-275
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• 2023

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) is a species which returns to Korea for spawning and was produced as seed production at the Fisheries Resources Agency located in Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do to preserve the species. However, farmed chum salmon showed symptoms of bacterial infection. Therefore, in this study, bacteria were isolated to identify the causative agent from chum salmon in October 2021. The isolated bacteria were identified based on the sequences of 16S rDNA, rpoD (RNA polymerase sigma factor σ⁷⁰), and vapA (A-layer) genes. Also, salinity-growth curve, biochemical characterization, antibiotic susceptibility test, and pathogenicity analysis were performed in four strains. As a result, four isolated strains were identified as Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. Additionally, the bacterial strains showed a decrease in growth as the salt concentration increased in the medium. All of the isolated strains exhibited γ-hemolysis, and the same biochemical properties. In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, all strains showed an inhibition zone of 40 to 44 mm for oxolinic acid, flumequine, and florfenicol. Pathogenic factors were assessed by RT-PCR at the mRNA level, and found that the four strains expresses the outer membrane ring of T3SS (ascV), inner membrane ring of T3SS (ascC), vapA, enterotoxin (act), and lipase (lip) genes which are well known to significantly contribute to the pathogenicity of A. salmonicida. The results of this study can be used as basic data to prevent A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida occurring in sea-chum salmon in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.141-155
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to identified the relationship between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, subjective health, and health-related quality of life among the middle-aged and elderly population in Korea. Methods: Adults aged 40 or older were extracted from the total 22,559 respondents to the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VIII, and secondary analysis was conducted on a total of 6,659 middle-aged and elderly people with no missing values. Logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea risk factors and subjective health as well as quality of life. Results: The subjective health status decline in the high-risk group compared to the non-risk group for obstructive sleep apnea was statistically significantly higher, with an odds ratio of 1.84 (p<0.001). The health-related quality of life was also statistically significantly lower by 0.02 points (β, -0.02; p<0.001). As a result of subgroup analysis on specific variables, the association between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea and subjective health and health-related quality of life was statistically significant depending on gender, sleep time, presence of depression, household income, and number of household members. Based on the obstructive sleep apnea risk group, women had a higher correlation with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life scores than men. Sleeping time of more than 8 hours or less than 6 hours was more associated with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life score than sleeping time of 6-8 hours. Patients with depression were more likely to have low subjective health than those without depression. The lower the household income level and the smaller the number of household members, the higher the association with low subjective health and the lower the health-related quality of life score. Conclusion: It is essential to recognize that the risk of obstructive sleep apnea not only directly affects sleep disorders but also impacts individuals' subjective health and quality of life. Consequently, social support and education should be provided to raise awareness of this issue. Particularly, programs for preventing and managing obstructive sleep apnea should target vulnerable groups such as women, individuals in single-person households, low household income, and those with depression, aiming to improve their subjective health and quality of life.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.196-210
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• 2024

Background: In January 2018, revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment for the elderly were implemented. When people ages 65 years and older receive outpatient treatment at clinic-level medical institutions (clinic, dental clinic, Korean medicine clinic), with medical expenses exceeding 15,000 won but not exceeding 25,000 won, their copayment rates have decreased differentially from 30%. This study aimed to examine the changes of health utilization of elderly after revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. Methods: We used Korea health panel data from 2016 to 2018. The time period is divided into before and after the revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. We conducted Poisson segmented regression to estimate the changes in outpatient utilization and inpatient utilization and conducted segmented regression to estimate the changes in medical expenses. Results: Immediately after the revised policy, the number of clinic and Korean medicine outpatient visits of medical expenses under 15,000 won decreased. But the number of clinic outpatient visits in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 won and Korean medicine clinic in the range of 20,000 to 25,000 won increased. Copayment in outpatient temporarily decreased. The inpatient admission rates and total medical expenses temporarily decreased but increased again. Conclusion: We confirmed the temporary increase in outpatient utilization in the medical expense segment with reduced copayment rates. And a temporary decrease in medical expenses followed by an increase again. To reduce the burden of medical expense among elderly in the long run, efforts to establish chronic disease management policies aimed at preventing disease occurrence and deterioration in advance need to continue.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.57 no.8
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• pp.509-518
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• 2024

Flash drought is a rapid-onset drought that occurs rapidly over a short period due to abrupt changes in meteorological and environmental factors. In this study, we utilized satellite-based soil moisture product from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2(AMSR2) ascending X-band to calculate the weekly Flash Drought Intensity Index (FDII). We also analyzed the characteristics of flash droughts on the Korean Peninsula over a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. The analysis of monthly spatial distribution patterns of the irrigation period across the Korean Peninsula revealed significant variations. In North Korea (NK), a substantial increase in the rate of intensification (FD_INT) was observed due to the rapid depletion of soil moisture, whereas South Korea (SK) experienced a significant increase in drought severity (DRO_SEV). Additionally, regional time series analysis revealed that both FD_INT and DRO_SEV were significantly high in the Gangwon province of both NK and SK. The estimation of probability density by region revealed a clear difference in FD_INT between NK and SK, with SK showing a higher probability of severe drought occurrence primarily due to the high values of DRO_SEV. As a result, it is inferred that the occurrence frequency and damage of flash droughts in NK are higher than those in SK, as indicated by the higher density of large FDII values in the NK region. We analyzed the correlation between DRO_SEV and the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) across the Korean Peninsula and confirmed a positive correlation ranging from 0.4 to 0.6. It is concluded that analyzing overall drought conditions through the average drought severity holds high utility. These findings are expected to contribute to understanding the characteristics of flash droughts on the Korean Peninsula and formulating post-event response plans.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1997

This study was carried out to reveal the status of health examination among farmers and to attract more attention to the health care system for farmers. Ten pre-trained medical students interviewed the rural residents 18 years of age and older in eight villages which were randomly selected from a county near Taegu city in Korea, in August 1996. Finally 751 persons were interviewed of whom the percentages of male and female were 41.8%, 58.2% respectively. Among the subjects, 361(48.3%) were fully engaged in farming, 184(24.4%) were partly engaged, and the remaining 206(27.3%) were not engaged in farming at all. The overall prevalence of farmer's disease was 23.0% and there was no significant difference between the group of fully engaged in farming(23.3%) and the group of not-fully engaged(22.9%). But the prevalence of farmer's disease in female subjects(27.8%) was significantly higher than that in male(16.2%)(p<0.01). Among the 288 farmer engaged in spraying pesticide, 113(39.2%) had experienced one or more pesticide related symptoms during last one year, but only 18(15.9%) of them had visited medical facilities due to their symptoms. The experience of receiving education about pesticide was significantly correlated with the degree of wearing protectors during pesticide spraying(p<0.001). Among the 736 persons excluding non-respondents, 281(38.2%) received health examination during last one year ; 176(62.6%) of them received free health examination, and 105(37.4%) received charged one. Among the 533 persons 40 years age and older, only 124(23.3%) had received the 'health examination for the elderly' during last one year, which is provided for the 40 years age and older by Korea medical insurance corporation and medical insurance societies. Most of all beneficiaries of self-employed medical insurance thought the imposed contributions as very expensive(77.4%) or moderately expensive(13.2%). The great majority of farmers are exposed to various health risk factors including pesticide, high temperature, overwork etc. comparable to industrial workers. But farmers are excluded from the regular yearly worker's health examination because of not belonging to a company despite they pay relatively more medical insurance contributions compared with the industrial workers and the urban self-employed medical insureds. It is necessary to develop special health management program for farmers such as the special health examination for the industrial workers exposed harmful agents.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1488-1496
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• 2016

The purposes of this study were to analyze mothers' eating, cooking, and exercise habits based on their demographic characteristics and to examine the relationship between those habits and their late school-aged children's Broca index. A total of 393 questionnaires were mailed to the mothers of late school-aged children who registered at four elementary schools in the Seoul area, of which 159 participants (40.0%) completed questionnaires. Statistical data analyses were performed using SPSS/Win 21.0 for descriptive statistics, t-test ANOVA, and Pearson's regression coefficient. There was a statistically significant difference in mothers' cooking habit (F=3.920, P=0.022) and exercise habit (F=3.211, P=0.043) according to their educational level. Interestingly, 82.4% of mothers had a Broca index of less than 90% of normal body mass level. A significant positive correlation of Broca index between mothers and their late school-aged children (r=0.345, P<0.001) indicated that children whose mothers had a low body mass level also tended to have a low body mass level. In this study, late school-aged children's Broca index was not significantly related with mother's eating (r=-0.072, P=0.367) or exercise habits (r=-0.010, P=0.897) but was significantly related with their mother's cooking habits (r=-0.157, P=0.048). Considering there are few studies examining the impacts of mother's cooking habits on their children's appropriate body mass, the results suggest that developing an effective educational program to cultivate mothers' healthy cooking habits to improve school-aged children's health status is very important. The findings of this study provide important data that could be used when developing health education programs tailored to the multi-dimensional impacts of mothers' life habits on their last school-aged children's developmental health status.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.349-355
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• 2016

This study was performed to investigate food safety of 18,446 distribution foods in the northern Gyeongii area from 2010 to 2014 year. Food safety analysis was conducted by using Korean food code and food additives code. Fail determination about standards and specifications was 184 cases of 18,446 distribution foods, which represented about 1.00% fail rate of total cases. In the case of collected by food sanitation inspector, fail determination was 124 cases of 13,706 foods and showed about 0.90% fail rate. In the case of requested for food safety inspection, fail determination was 42 cases of 3,419 foods and showed about 1.23% fail rate. Results of fail determination by years, 61 cases (about 1.66%) detected fail among 3,683 foods in 2010 year, 37 cases (about 0.96%) detected fail among 3,863 foods in 2011 year, 44 cases (about 1.18%) detected fail among 3,721 foods in 2012 year, 25 cases (about 0.68%) detected fail among 3,669 foods in 2013 year, and 17 cases (about 0.48%) detected fail among 3,510 foods in 2014 year. In distribution of fail rate by month, september was showed the highest fail rate at 2.54% compared with other months. Fail determination by type of foods showed that 23 cases of perilla oil detected fail in 204 foods (about 11.27%), 32 cases of sesame oil detected fail in 394 foods (about 8.12%), 9 cases of pickles detected fail in 177 foods (about 5.08%), and 10 cases of red pepper powder detected fail in 283 foods (about 3.53%). For analysis of fail determination by examination items, microorganism was 28 fail cases (15.22%) and that was the highest level among examination items, linolenic acid and acid value were 27 fail cases (14.67%), iodine value was 19 fail cases (10.33%), content amount was 16 fail cases (8.70%), and sulfur dioxide was 9 fail cases (4.89%). In conclusion, the result of this study indicate that various fail determination items were detected of distribution foods on the market during the past five years and it was showed to higher hazard occurrence potential due to food. Therefore, more strict food safety control will be need for improving human health by prevent food health problem and ensure food safety.