• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4517-4525
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• 2016

Background: Sperm DNA damage is underlying aetiology of poor implantation and pregnancy rates but also affects health of offspring and may also result in denovo mutations in germ line and post fertilization. This may result in complex diseases, polygenic disorders and childhood cancers. Childhood cancer like retinoblastoma (RB) is more prevalent in developing countries and the incidence of RB has increased more than three fold in India in the last decade. Recent studies have documented increased incidence of cancers in children born to fathers who consume alcohol in excess and tobacco or who were conceived by assisted conception. The aetiology of childhood cancer and increased disease burden in these children is lin ked to oxidative stress (OS) and oxidative DNA damage( ODD) in sperm of their fathers. Though several antioxidants are in use to combat oxidative stress, the effect of majority of these formulations on DNA is not known. Yoga and meditation cause significant decline in OS and ODD and aid in regulating OS levels such that reactive oxygen speues meditated signal transduction, gene expression and several other physiological functions are not disrupted. Thus, this study aimed to analyze sperm ODD as a possible etiological factor in childhood cancer and role of simple life style interventions like yoga and meditation in significantly decreasing seminal oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage and thereby decreasing incidence of childhood cancers. Materials and Methods: A total of 131 fathers of children with RB (non-familial sporadic heritable) and 50 controls (fathers of healthy children) were recruited at a tertiary center in India. Sperm parameters as per WHO 2010 guidelines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA fragmentation index (DFI), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) and telomere length were estimated at day 0, and after 3 and 6 months of intervention. We also examined the compliance with yoga and meditation practice and smoking status at each follow-up. Results: The seminal mean ROS levels (p<0.05), sperm DFI (p<0.001), 8-OHdG (p<0.01) levels were significantly higher in fathers of children with RB, as compared to controls and the relative mean telomere length in the sperm was shorter. Levels of ROS were significantly reduced in tobacco users (p<0.05) as well as in alcoholics (p<0.05) after intervention. DFI reduced significantly (p<0.05) after 6 months of yoga and meditation practice in all groups. The levels of oxidative DNA damage marker 8-OHdG were reduced significantly after 3 months (p<0.05) and 6 months (p<0.05) of practice. Conclusions: Our results suggest that OS and ODD DNA may contribute to the development of childhood cancer. This may be due to accumulation of oxidized mutagenic base 8OHdG, and elevated MDA levels which results in MDA dimers which are also mutagenic, aberrant methylation pattern, altered gene expression which affect cell proliferation and survival through activation of transcription factors. Increased mt DNA mutations and aberrant repair of mt and nuclear DNA due to highly truncatred DNA repair mechanisms all contribute to sperm genome hypermutability and persistant oxidative DNA damage. Oxidative stress is also associated with genome wide hypomethylation, telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to genome hypermutability and instability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report decline in OS and ODD and improvement in sperm DNA integrity following adoption of meditation and yoga based life style modification.This may reduce disease burden in next generation and reduce incidence of childhood cancers.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 2008

Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and the metabolic syndrome. Method : We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1204 adults(males: 364 females: 840) in a general hospital health promotion center. They were grouped into the normal and lower BMD group according to bone loss(osteopenia, osteoporosis), as determined by duel energy X-ray absorptiometery(DEXA). We analyzed the association between BMD and metabolic syndrome by multiple logistic regression analysis. After adjustment for age, weight, alcohol intake, smoking, regular exercise, regular intake of meals, and menopausal status, odds ratios for the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome by gender were calculated for lower BMD. Results : After adjustment for the effect of potential covariates, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was associated with bone loss in men(p<0.001). If the odds ratio of normal group is 1.00, then that of the lower BMD group is 3.07(95% CI=1.83-5.16). The prevalence of metabolic alterations fitting the criteria of metabolic syndrome was significantly decreased in High BMI, Low HDL in men and in High BMI in women(p<0.05). Conclusions : This study shows that BMD was associated with metabolic syndrome. Further studies needed to obtain evidence concerning the association between BMD and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.131-144
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to identify the associations of empowerment and social capital (such as social participation and trust) with self-rated health in Korean communities with poor health. Methods: This study used the data from community health interviews conducted at 29 administrative sections (dong, eup, or myeon) with high mortality from August to October in both 2010 and 2011 as part of the Health Plus Happiness Plus Projects in Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The study subjects comprised 6,383 individuals composed of approximately 220 adults randomly sampled from each administrative section. The empowerment was measured with five-point Likert scale responses to seven perceived control questions (two at the individual level, five at the community level). The social participation was measured with 'participation in formal and/or informal group' and trust using responses to three questions about trust of others. Results: The high empowerment scores at both individual and community levels, social participation in informal groups, and high trust level had independent and significant associations with good self-rated health after adjusting for socio-demographic factors (sex, age, marital status, occupation, and food affordability) and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise) in the logistic regressions. There were weak but significant associations among empowerment, social participation, and trust levels. Conclusions: Empowerment, social participation, and trust were weakly inter-related and significantly associated with self-rated health. More studies are warranted for empowerment and other social capital indices in health promotion.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.277-286
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of nutrition-related knowledge, dietary habits, and nutrient intakes of alcoholic patients and how nutrition education affects these nutritional behaviors. Methods: Subjects included 37 adult male alcoholic patients who were hospitalized. The nutrition education program consisted of five lessons over a five-week period. An each 80-minute nutrition education program per week was implemented for the alcoholic patients over a five-week period. Both before and after the implementation of nutrition education, their nutrition-related knowledge and dietary habits were assessed and nutrient intakes were investigated. Results: The subjects showed drinking habits of considerably high frequency, a large quantity of alcohol consumption, and preference for soju (a liquor) over beer. They had proper weight, height, and BMI, and came from relatively poor socioeconomic backgrounds with a low-level of self-rated health status and a comparatively high rate of suffering from disease. Mean score of their nutrition-related knowledge and dietary habits was quite low. They consumed less energy, dietary fiber, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, Ca, and K, but more Na compared to each Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). After implementing the nutrition education, mean score of nutrition-related knowledge and dietary habits showed significant improvement. In addition, the meeting rate of each DRI of several nutrients was increased significantly, including energy, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and $B_6$, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, Ca, P, K, Fe, and Zn, while that of Na decreased. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that alcoholic patients had various nutritional problems, such as lack of nutrition-related knowledge, bad dietary habits, and insufficient nutrient intakes, however, these problems can be positively modified by implementation of a relatively short-term nutrition education program.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.247-257
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between instant noodle intake and metabolic factors in Korean adults. Methods: Study subjects were 5,894 (male 2,293, female 3,601) aged 19~64 years who participated in the 2013~2014 KNHANES. Information on frequency and consumption of instant noodles was obtained by the food frequency questionnaires method in KNHANES (Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), and subjects were classified according to age, sex, and instant noodle consumption (INC). Results: The frequency and consumption of instant noodles was 1.2 times/week and 1.2 servings in subjects. High INC group (${\geq}1$ serving/week) was significantly younger in age compared with the low INC group (< 1 serving/week). However, the high INC group had significantly higher waist circumference, metabolic factors (triglyceride, cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol), and dietary intake (energy intake, fat, and sodium density) compared with the low INC group. Hyperglycemia showed association with higher risk of highest quartile of INC after adjustments for multiple confounding factors, including age, gender, household income, education, smoking, and alcohol compared with the lowest quartile (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.8). In female, abdominal obesity showed association with higher risk of highest quartile of INC after adjustments for multiple confounding factors compared with the lowest quartile (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.2). Conclusion: Consumption of instant noodles was associated with increased prevalence of abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia in women. These findings suggest an association of instant noodle consumption status with metabolic risk.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics and the psychosocial factors associated to the referral to psychiatric care in the suicide attempters visiting emergency center. Methods: We conducted a systematic chart review of 377 suicidal attempters visiting emergency center of the Korea University Ansan Hospital between January 2008 and December 2011. We gathered a data contain 20 items including psychosocial characteristics and factors related to suicide and factors related to psychiatric treatment. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to data to estimate the unique effects of sex, drunken status, companion, suicidal methods, place of suicide and current use of psychiatric medication on the referral to psychiatric care. Results: The female gender(OR=1.63, 95% CI=0.99-2.69), suicidal attempts at home(OR=3.40, 95% I= 1.21-9.56) and drunken state at visit(OR=2.34, 95% CI=1.10-5.01) are the factors that predict the risk of the non-referral of the patients to psychiatric intervention. Place of suicidal attempt was the most important factor do play a role in determining whether referral to psychiatric care will take place or not. Current use of psychiatric medication showed a trend toward significance(p=0.08, OR=1.67, 95% CI=0.95-2.95). Conclusions: These results suggest that when deciding whether to adapt or to refuse the referral to psychiatric care, the factors such as suicidal intent, lethality of suicide methods, familiar factors and alcohol may contribute onto the referral to psychiatric care. Additional research is required to investigate an association of these factors with referral to psychiatric care.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.336-349
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• 2017

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to describe changes in weight, waist circumference (WC), and prevalence of obesity over 8 years as well as investigate demographic and dietary factors associated with weight gain in Korean adults. Methods: The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study is an ongoing community-based longitudinal study, which was started in 2001~2002 and repeated every 2 years. Height, weight, and WC were measured, and demographic data and food intake information using the food frequency questionnaire were collected from 10,038 adults aged 40~69 years at baseline. Among those individuals, 3,506 healthy individuals without chronic diseases completed the 4th follow-up survey in 2009~2010. Results: Mean weight decreased by 0.35 kg and 0.65 kg in men and women, respectively, whereas mean WC increased by 1.71 cm and 1.85 cm during the 8-year period. Prevalence of obesity based on body mass index (BMI) decreased from 34.5% to 33.5% in men and from 38.0% to 36.7% in women, whereas abdominal obesity increased from 14.8% to 22.2% in men and from 28.8% to 35.4% in women. Weight change was associated with age and smoking status in men, and residence area, age, education, income, and alcohol drinking in women. Approximately 57.5% maintained their BMI over 8 years (<${\pm}1kg/m^2$, stable weight group), 19.5% showed a BMI increase of ${\geq}1kg/m^2$ (weight gain group), and 23.0% showed a BMI decrease of more than $1kg/m^2$ (weight loss group). There was no significant difference in energy intake calculated as the percentage of estimated energy requirements among the three weight change groups. Intakes of coffee mix and milk were significantly higher in the weight gain group than in the weight loss group in men after controlling for confounding factors. Conclusion: Our results show that higher consumption of coffee mix and milk was associated with weight gain in Korean healthy men.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2003

To investigate the relationship between dietary attitude and healthy status of office workers in Seoul was to be researched for 389 subjects (male: 224 and female: 165). As a result showed 69.4% of them moderately healthy state and 55.0% had a great interest in health. About 41.6% of the respondents was nonsmoker and 74.8% of them drunk alcohol once or twice a week. Only 28.0% of them responded to have breakfast three to four times a week. About 71.0% responded to skip breakfast'. The main reasons for it were 'the lack of time'(46.5%) and 'habitually'(22.6%). The usually preferred taste of food was showed to be 'hot' for 40.3%, the highest percentage. An attempt of supplemental food was 66.0%. The reason for it was shown to be 'for relaxation'(51.7%), followed by 'for prevention and treatment of diseases (23.1%). On dietary habit showed the groups of married and professional people won the hish scores on it. And the groups of those doing exercise once or twice a week, those having a sufficient sleep and those kept in a good food habit showed the high scores on it. The older age group showed the good dietary attitude regardless of occupation.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.5159-5168
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• 2014

The study examined the relationship among metal health, metabolic syndrome and nutrient acceptance according to gender. Implemented until 2010-2012, the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as an original document, was used for the study. The target was problem drinkers with more than 12 points under AUDIT. Regarding mental health, it was classified into stress, depression and suicidal impulse. Metabolic syndrome was defined when three causes of BMI, waist circumference, FBS, HDL and BP were out of the normal range. The nutrient intake was obtained to confirm the energy intake of nine non-nutrients (Nutrient adequacy ratio: NAR) and the proper intake of the average non-nutrient (Mean adequacy ratio: MAR). These variables were analyzed by frequency, cross analysis and multiple regression analysis through SPSS18.0. In the general features, there was a significant difference according to age, occupation and marital status. In mental health, stress, depression and suicidal impulse were examined. Metabolic syndrome was dependant on FBS, HDL and BP. The nutrient acceptance depended on calcium, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, and MAR. Logistic regression analysis performed on the variables showed significant differences. Stress, depression, and thoughts of suicide was significantly higher in men aged 19-29 years, and women aged 30-49 years. In the case of the male, those who employed have metabolic syndrome more than those who unemployed. In terms of female, those who were belonged into the middle - low economic level have undergone with metabolic syndrome. In the part of a Mean adequacy ratio(MAR), the male who unmarried, employed, were in the middle low economic levelwere higher. In the case of the female, it was higher for those who were in the middle - low economic level. Overall, an effective way of planning the solution regarding mental health, metabolic syndrome and nutrient intake can be found by considering these features.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.733-741
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• 2008

In the present study, we comprehensively examined the associations of plasma levels of total adiponectin and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin with the features of cardiometabolic risks including body fat distribution, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers in a cross-sectional study of 110 treated hypertensive patients. Blood lipid profiles, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA- IR) derived from fasting glucose and insulin concentrations were determined. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were analyzed using ELISA. The results showed that plasma levels of HMW-adiponectin were negatively associated with body mass index (BMI, r = - 0.203, p < 0.05) and waist circumference (r = -0.307, p < 0.01), which was not shown in total adiponectin. Plasma levels of HMW-adiponectin were negatively associated with triglyceride (r = -0.223, p < 0.05) and positively associated with HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.228, p < 0.05). Plasma levels of adiponectin were positively associated with HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.224, p < 0.05). Plasma levels of HMW-adiponectin were negatively associated with hsCRP (r = -0.276, p < 0.01) and IL-6 (r = -0.272, p < 0.01). In addition, there were weak associations between plasma levels of HMWadiponectin and TNF-${\alpha}$ (r = -0.163, p = 0.07) and ICAM-1 (r = -0.158, p = 0.09). However, there were no significant associations of total adiponectin with inflammatory markers except hsCRP (r = -0.203, p < 0.05). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that only plasma levels of HMW-adiponectin was an independent factor influencing serum levels of hsCRP, a marker of systemic low grade inflammation, after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, waist circumference, alcohol intake, smoking status, blood lipids, total adiponectin and drug use (p < 0.01). These results suggest that HMW-adiponectin, rather than total adiponectin, is likely to be closely associated with the features of cardiometabolic risks in treated hypertensive patients and might be effective biomarker for the prediction of cardiovascular disease.