• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.231-238
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• 2016

Purpose: Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) is a 65-kDa acute phase protein, derived from the liver, which is present in high concentrations in plasma. Data regarding the association between circulating plasma LBP levels and obesity-related biomarkers in the pediatric population are scarce. We aimed to determine whether there was a difference in plasma LBP levels between overweight/obese and normal-weight adolescents and to assess the correlation of circulating LBP levels with anthropometric measures and obesity-related biomarkers, including insulin resistance, liver enzyme levels, and lipid profiles. Methods: The study included 87 adolescents aged 12-13 years; 44 were overweight/obese and 43 were of normal-weight. We assessed anthropometric and laboratory measures, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, insulin resistance, liver enzyme levels, and lipid profiles. Plasma LBP levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The mean age of the participants was $12.9{\pm}0.3$ years. Circulating plasma LBP levels were significantly increased in overweight/obese participants compared with those in normal-weight participants ($7.8{\pm}1.9{\mu}g/mL$ vs. $6.0{\pm}1.6{\mu}g/mL$, P<0.001). LBP levels were significantly and positively associated with BMI, systolic blood pressure, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, fasting glucose and insulin, and insulin resistance as indicated by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (all P<0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, BMI and HOMA-IR were independently and positively associated with plasma LBP levels. Conclusion: LBP is an inflammatory biomarker associated with BMI and obesity-related insulin resistance in adolescents. The positive correlation between these parameters suggests a potentially relevant pathophysiological mechanism linking LBP to obesity-related insulin resistance in adolescents.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.126-134
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• 2016

The aim of this cross sectional study was to examine the prevalence of sarcopenia in association with ADL, nutritional status and depression among community dwelling elderly women. The study subjects were 90 elderly women, 65 years and over, who were living in the communities of B and D metropolitan cities from May to July, 2014. The measurements were anthropometric measures, The mini-nutritional assessment instrument (MNA), ADL, IADL, MMSE, and SGDS-K were used. The mean age of the subjects was 74.7(8.22), the prevalence of sarcopenia of this population was 37.8%, almost none of them (94.4%) required assistance in ADL, 15.6% had a risk of undernutrition, and 12.2% had the symptom of depression. The sarcopenic subjects were characterized as low income, low education, living alone, and had more co-morbidity than those of the non-sarcopenic subjects. The sarcopenic subjects were undernourished, and had higher depression scores (SGDS-K), but not in the ADL, than those of the non-sarcopenic subjects. The calf and thigh circumferences, and cognitive ability were the best predictors of sarcopenia, In conclusion, low calf and thigh circumferences and low cognitive ability will increase the risk of sarcopenia in those 65 and over in community dwelling facilities and those three predictors will be useful in the early detection of sarcopenia in the future.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.533-544
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• 2016

Objectives: We aimed to examine levels of physical activity, anthropometric features, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Korean breast cancer survivors who reported changes in their diet after diagnosis. Methods: A total of 380 women who had been diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancer and had breast cancer surgery at least six months before the interview were included. Participants provided information on dietary change after diagnosis, post-diagnostic diet, physical activity, anthropometric measures, and HRQoL through face-to-face interview. We assessed HRQoL levels of breast cancer survivors using a validated Korean version of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Breast Cancer Module (BR23). We used the logistic regression and generalized linear models to identify the associations of dietary changes in relation with physical activity, anthropometry, and HRQoL. Results: The majority of participants (72.6%) reported that they have changed their diet to a healthier diet after diagnosis. Breast cancer survivors who reported to have change to a healthy diet had higher intakes of vegetables and fruits and lower intakes of red and processed meats, and refined grains than those who did not. Also, survivors with a healthy change in their diet were more likely to engage in physical activity (top vs. bottom tertile: odds ratio [OR], 1.85; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.02-3.36) and have lower body mass index (BMI) (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.98 for one $kg/m^2$ increment in BMI) compared to those who did not. We found that a healthy change in diet was associated with higher scores of physical functioning (p=0.02) and lower scores of constipation (p=0.04) and diarrhea (p=0.006) compared to those who did not. Conclusions: Healthy changes in diet after breast cancer diagnosis may be associated with lower levels of BMI, and higher levels of physical activity and HRQoL.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.275-283
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• 2010

There are few studies reporting optimal waist circumference that can be utilized to prevent the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated the association of waist circumference and waist and hip circumference ratio (WHR) with incident cases of CVD developed over 6 years in a population-based prospective study including Korean adults. Analyses for receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve were performed with data for 1,733 men and 1,579 women who were aged 40 to 69 years and were free of a physician-diagnosis of CVD at baseline. Information on the diagnosis of CVD was periodically reported using interviewer-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measures were obtained by biennial health examinations. We newly identified 77 cases of CVD during a follow-up period between 2003 and 2008. On the basis of measures of diagnostic accuracy including minimum distance to ROC curve and Youden index, waist circumference of 85 cm for men, in particular for male nonsmokers, and of 80 cm for women and WHR of 0.88 to 0.90 for men and of 0.83 for women were found to be optimal cutoff points to identify individuals at CVD risks. The study also found that the use of the suggested optimal values for waist circumference show higher sensitivity and lower specificity compared with 90 cm for men and 85 cm for women, which are waist cutoff points given by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity to define abdominal obesity for Korean adults. Although lower cutoff points of waist circumference (83 cm) and WHR (0.87) were observed to be optimal for male smokers compared with male nonsmokers, whether suggesting waist cutoff points specific to smokers is needed warrants further studies. After taking into account other cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, men with waist circumference of 85 cm or greater and women with 80 cm or greater were at an increased risk of CVD. Thus, these cutoff points of waist circumference may be able to capture more individuals at CVD risks contributing to the prevention of future development of CVD.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.111-127
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• 1995

This study was designed to investigate the relationships between children's physical growth and health and their raising conditions and to find out the important conditions to improve their physical growth and health. The rasing conditions were classified into three major parts; i. e., family conditions, conditions of nutrition up-taking, and conditions of rest or sleep and exercise or play. Then, the questionnaire including the items to survey these three areas of raising condition and the items to evaluate the health status were given to children' mothers or fathers and filled up by them. The data of their 4 anthropometric measures; body weight, stature, sitting height and chest girth, were also collected from their latest records of health examination. The data of health status were converted to health scores representing 6 domains of health; digestive organs, respiratory organs, auto-nerve systems, fatigue, others and health as a whole. Then, correlations of raising conditions were determined with four antropometric measures and 6 health scores as criterion variables. Then, number of families to live together, and child's birth order in the domain of family conditions, habits of unbalanced diet, eating frequency of eggs, fruits, green and yellow vegetables, light colored vegetables, milk products in the domain of nutrition up-take, and the time for study at home, the place for play, the number of friends to play with together, the hours for playing out of door, the hours for playing sports, and the hours to move their body for assisting house keeping were picked out to investigate their relationships with physical growth and health status. Then, their habits of unbalanced diet and eating frequency of eggs, green or yellow colored vegetables, and milk products were found more influential conditions and more over, birth order, the time for study at home, the time to play out of door showed moderate degree of connection with physical growth and health status in early childhood.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2008

The present study was conducted to develop a Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale for Malaysian female adolescents. Data were collected among 328 female adolescents from a secondary school in Kuantan district, state of Pahang, Malaysia by using a self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. The self-administered questionnaire comprised multiple measures of body image, Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26; Gamer & Garfinkel, 1979) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory (Rosenberg, 1965). The 152 items from selected multiple measures of body image were examined through factor analysis and for internal consistency. Correlations between Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale and body mass index (BMI), risk of eating disorders and self-esteem were assessed for construct validity. A seven factor model of a 62-item Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale for Malaysian female adolescents with construct validity and good internal consistency was developed. The scale encompasses 1) preoccupation with thinness and dieting behavior, 2) appearance and body satisfaction, 3) body importance, 4) muscle increasing behavior, 5) extreme dieting behavior, 6) appearance importance, and 7) perception of size and shape dimensions. Besides, a multidimensional body image composite score was proposed to screen negative body image risk in female adolescents. The result found body image was correlated with BMI, risk of eating disorders and self-esteem in female adolescents. In short, the present study supports a multi-dimensional concept for body image and provides a new insight into its multi-dimensionality in Malaysian female adolescents with preliminary validity and reliability of the scale. The Multi-dimensional Body Image Scale can be used to identify female adolescents who are potentially at risk of developing body image disturbance through future intervention programs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

This study quantified 7 trunk muscles' physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSAs) and developed prediction equations for the physiological cross-sectional area as a function of anthropometic variables for Korean people. Nine females and nine males were participated in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans approximately from S1 through T8. Muscle fiber angle corrected cross-sectional areas (anatomical cross sectional areas: ACSAs) were recorded at each vertebral level and maximum value of ACSAs were determined as physiological cross sectional area (PCSA). There was a significant gender difference in PCSAs of all muscles (p<0.05). Stepwise linear regression techniques using anthropometric measures (e.g., height, weight, trunk depths and widths) as independent variables were conducted to develop prediction equations for the PCSA for each muscle. For males, six muscles' significant prediction equations (p<0.05) were developed except quadratus lumborum. For females, three prediction equations were developed for psoas, quadratus lumborum, and erector spinae muscles (p<0.05).

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.387-397
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate nutritional status and fatigue, and to identify the relationship between nutritional status and fatigue in gynecological cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: Participants were 106 outpatients who had uterine, ovary, or breast cancer and a descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Nutritional indicators including biochemical and anthropometric measures, the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) scale, and the Piper's Revised Fatigue Scale were completed. Results: About thirty-nine percent of the patients were malnourished based on the SGA. Serum hemoglobin and total lymphocyte levels were less than the normal ranges, although anthropometrics were normal. The women experienced moderate fatigue with a mean score of $5.84{\pm}2.00$. Nutritional status was significantly different by age, education, employment status, and monthly income. The women also had different nutritional status and fatigue depending on the type of cancer and chemotherapy. Fatigue was significantly related to SGA scores, serum hemoglobin, triceps skinfold thickness and mid-arm muscle circumference. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight an urgent need to provide adequate nutritional support and fatigue management with individualized strategies for gynecological cancer patients on chemotherapy.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.155-164
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• 2002

This study was conducted to investigate the differences in environmental and psychological factors in children with obesity and to offer useful information for obesity treatment and prevention. 123 children of 5-6th grade in elementary school and their mothers were included in this study and divided into either the obese group and normal group(obese group: 61, normal group: 62) according to the Weight-Length Index(WLI). Results showed that between the two groups there no significant differences in family income, mother's occupation status, educational level, and anthropometric measurement. Nutritional knowledge in the obese group was significantly higher than that of the normal group(p<0.05). The mothers of children with obesity had a higher level of nutritional knowledge than the mothers of normal children(p<0.05). There were no significant differences in food behavior between the obese and normal groups. There were no significant differences in maternal child-rearing practices and in maternal attitude on flood behavior of children. Considering psychological factors ; 72.1% of the children with obesity appraised their body image as obese(p<0.05), and 54.1% of the mothers in obese group perceived their child's body shape as obese(p<0.05). The level of self-esteem were not significantly different when compared between the obese and normal groups. From these results, it was suggested that effective measures for obesity treatment and prevention should include nutritional monitoring, and such efforts need to be maintained in order to help the obese children and their mothers.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.291-301
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• 2004

We studied the effects of soy isoflavones supplementation with exercise on bone mineral density and the urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline as an index of bone resorption rates in postmenopausal women. A total of 67 postmen-opausal women were assigned to Isoflavone (90 mg/day) or placebo groups. These group were further divided into groups that undergone a regular exercise or a rather sedentary state performing daily activity only. Four groups were Placebo-control group (n = 16), Placebo-exercise group (n = 16), Isoflavone-sedentary group (n = 19) and Isofla-vone-exercise group (n = 16). After the intervention, we compared anthropometric mesurement, dietary recall, bone mineral density (femoral neck, lumbar spine), urinary deoxypyridinoline between the groups and between the pre and post studies. There were no significant differences between the four groups in terms of average age, height, weight, period after menopause at the baseline. The average age of the subjects were 55.2 yrs, average height, weight, period after menopause were 154.7 cm, 59.3 kg, 5.58 yrs, respectively. After eight week intervention period, there were no significant differences between the four groups in bone mineral density, but urinary deoxypyridinoline excretion was significantly decreased both in Isoflavone-sedentary and Isoflavone-Exercise groups. These results suggest that Isofla-vone supplementation alone or with exercise may be preventive measures through the decrease of bone reabsorption rate in post-menopausal subjects. Whereas exercise alone did not appear to be an effective measure in bone loss with these subjects.