• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.218-225
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• 2016

Purpose: The recent increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases is hypothetically attributed to immune dysregulation in turn caused by a reduction in exposure to sunlight. We explored relationships between birth season, sunlight exposure, exercise duration, and an allergic disease. Methods: We performed a questionnaire-based survey on allergic diseases among elementary school students. Birth time was categorized according to the season (summer and winter). Results: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) "symptoms ever" was higher in the children born in winter than in those born in summer (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.49; P=0.024). Birth in winter was associated with an increase in the "symptoms in the past 12 months" prevalence of food allergy (FA) (aOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.09-2.24; P=0.015). The lifetime prevalence of allergic diseases except FA was higher in the children whose parents considered their sunlight exposure prior to 24 months of ageas inadequate than those who considered their exposure as adequate ("diagnosis ever" asthma: aOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.17-1.67; P<0.001; allergic rhinitis [AR]: aOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.17-1.67; P<0.001; AD: aOR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.06-1.51; P=0.01). Neither recent sunlight exposure nor exercise duration was associated with the prevalence of an allergic disease. Conclusion: Birth in winter may be associated with development of AD and FA. Inadequate sunlight exposure before the age of 24 months might possibly increase the risks of development of asthma, AR, and AD.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.189-230
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• 2020

The metabolic syndrome, by definition, is not a disease but is a clustering of individual metabolic risk factors including abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. These risk factors could dramatically increase the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The reported prevalence of the metabolic syndrome varies, greatly depending on the definition used, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and the ethnic background of study cohorts. Clinical and epidemiological studies have clearly demonstrated that the metabolic syndrome starts with central obesity. Because the prevalence of obesity has doubly increased worldwide over the past 30 years, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome has markedly boosted in parallel. Therefore, obesity has been recognized as the leading cause for the metabolic syndrome since it is strongly associated with all metabolic risk factors. High prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is not unique to the USA and Europe and it is also increasing in most Asian countries. Insulin resistance has elucidated most, if not all, of the pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome because it contributes to hyperglycemia. Furthermore, a major contributor to the development of insulin resistance is an overabundance of circulating fatty acids. Plasma fatty acids are derived mainly from the triglycerides stored in adipose tissues, which are released through the action of the cyclic AMP-dependent enzyme, hormone sensitive lipase. This review summarizes the latest concepts in the definition, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome, as well as its preventive measures and therapeutic strategies in children and adolescents.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.133-137
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• 2012

Brucellosis, a bacterial zoonoses caused by the genus Brucella is responsible for abortion and infertility in cow. Brucellosis is causing economic loss in dairy industries and prevalent worldwide including Bangladesh but limited studies are devoted to determine the prevalence and its association with reproductive factors of dairy cows in Bangladesh. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in dairy cattle using screening test Rose Bengal test (RBT) and the positive sera were further confirmed by indirect- ELISA. For this purpose, a total of 400 serum samples from dairy cows with history of abortion and various reproductive disorders were collected from the Kurigram district of Bangladesh for the detection of Brucella antibody. The overall prevalence of brucellosis in dairy cattle was 2.25%. Brucellosis in cases of abortion and repeat breeding was 8.3% and 2.8%, respectively. The results shows higher prevalence of brucellosis in cases of abortion followed by repeat breeding, while there was no seropositive cases from other reproductive disorders. Age-wise sero-prevalence was found 3.0% in 2~3 years age group and 2.0% in 4~8 years age group. The prevalence of brucellosis in indigenous and cross-bred cattle was 3.6% and 1.7%, respectively. All the animals detected positive to brucellosis by RBT were not found to be positive by i-ELISA. However, the RBT might be a suitable screening test for the diagnosis of Brucella infection in field condition in Bangladesh. These data will help to develop effective disease prevention strategies.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), metabolic abnormalities, and nutrient intakes in Korea children and adolescents using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008. Methods: A sample of 838 children and adolescent males (n=442) and females (n=396) aged 10-18 was used from the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. The diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome subjects was adapted from modified National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III by Ford. To compare nutrient intakes, we used a judgment sampling. The first group was composed of all children and adolescents (n=46) with MS. The second one along with the first group had children and adolescents with the same age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) but without MS (n=46). The control group like the first two had children and adolescents with same sex and same age but with normal BMI and without MS (n=46). Results: In this randomized controlled controlled trial, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 5.8%. The risk factors was associated with the MS were abdominal obesity 9.4%, hypertriglyceridemia 25.0%, low HDL-cholesterol 10.3%, hypertension 23.4%, and hyperglycemia 7.1%. Among metabolic abnormalities, blood pressure was significantly affected by sex, age and obesity. On the other hand, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and waist circumference were directly linked to obesity. There were no significant differences in nutrient intakes among the three groups. Conclusions: The prevalence of MS was higher in children (10-11 years old) than in adolescents (12-18 years old). There was a difference in hypertension among risk factors by gender, and there were no significant differences in nutrient intakes.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.79-83
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• 2018

Background: Lower-limb varicose veins (VVs) are common and known to have a higher prevalence among people who work in occupations requiring prolonged standing. In the Republic of Korea, however, VV-related occupational factors have seldom been examined. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of VVs among nurses, an occupational group considered to be at high risk of VVs, and determine the occupational risk factors of prolonged standing. Methods: Between March and August 2014, a questionnaire survey coupled with Doppler ultrasonography was conducted on the nurses working at a university hospital. Results: A total of 414 nurses participated in the survey and diagnostic testing. From the survey analysis and test results, the prevalence of VVs in nurses was estimated to be 16.18%. Significant factors for venous reflux were age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.10], pregnancy (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.17-3.94), and delivery (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.08-3.78). The statistical significance of these factors was verified after risk adjustment for sociodemographic factors (OR = 3.40, 95% CI = 1.27-9.09). Conclusion: Factors significantly associated with venous reflux were increasing age and prolonged working hours (${\geq}4hours$) in a standing position (OR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.08-7.25), even after risk adjustment for sociodemographic factors. This study is significant in that an objective diagnosis of VVs preceded the analysis of the risk factors for VV incidence, thus verifying objectively that VVs are associated with occupations requiring prolonged hours of working in a standing position.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.527-535
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• 2019

Purpose: There is increasing prevalence of psychiatric disorders among inflammatory bowel Disease (IBD) population. Further, presence of psychiatric disorders has been shown as an independent predictor of quality of life among patients with IBD. We intended to explore the prevalence of various psychiatric disorders among pediatric and young adult population with IBD as a population-based analysis. Methods: We did a retrospective case control analysis using a deidentified cloud-based database including health care data across 26 health care networks comprising of more than 360 hospitals across USA. Data collected across different hospitals were classified and stored according to Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms. We preidentified 10 psychiatric disorders and the queried the database for the presence of at least one of the ten psychiatric disorders among IBD patients between 5 and 24 years of age and compared with controls. Results: Total of 11,316,450 patients in the age group between 5 and 24 years and the number of patients with a diagnosis of IBD, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis were 58,020. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 21.6% among IBD mainly comprising of depression and anxiety disorder. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed, IBD is 5 times more likely associated with psychiatric disorders than controls, p<0.001). We showed a steady increasing trend in the incidence of psychiatric disorders among IBD patients (2% in 2006 to 15% in 2017). Conclusion: Largest population-based analysis demonstrated an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders among IBD patients. Our study emphasizes the need for psychological and mental health services to be incorporated as a part of the routine IBD clinic.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid nodules and malignant findings of thyroid nodules in 1,954 patients (654 males and 1,300 females) aged 20 years or older who underwent thyroid ultrasound from January 2018 to December 2018. Examination of the thyroid gland was performed, and fine needle aspiration cytology was performed on the thyroid nodule. As a result, 108 (16.5%) out of 654 males and 368 (28.3%) out of 1,300 females showed higher prevalence than males. The prevalence of single nodules and multiple nodules in gender and age groups was significantly higher for women and for ages (male p=.001, female p=.001). There was a significant difference in males in the nodule size (p=.001) and no significant difference in females (p=.069). Fine - needle aspiration cytology of 476 patients with nodules was diagnosed as malignant in 46 patients (9.6%). Based on pathologic results, 383 benign and 93 malignant groups were analyzed. Ultrasonographic findings were as follows single nodule (p=.000), solid(p=.004), hypoechoic (p=.000), ill-defined peripheral boundary (p=.000), and calcification (p=.000), respectively. In the diagnosis of thyroid nodule, primary ultrasonographic findings through morphological classification of the nodules may reduce indiscriminate fine needle aspiration cytology in benign and malignant nodules.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.427-436
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• 2001

Objective : To estimate the prevalence of congenital heart disease from the 1990 student heart disease screening program. Methods : The heart disease screening program for elementary students was conducted in Kyonggi-do, in 1998. The subjects of the present study comprised the 40,402 students who attended the schools in the catchment area of a collaborative university hospital and who participated in the primary examination. The congenital heart disease (CHD) patients were initially identified through a questionnaire about prior medical history, and further through diagnostic tests & medical examinations in the secondary & the tertiary examinations. Certain assumptions were used in the estimation of the number of CHD cases among non-participants of the secondary & tertiary examinations. The overall prevalence of CHD was estimated by adding the CHD detection rates of the participants and the estimated prevalence of the non-participants. Results : Among the 40,402 primary participants, 1,655 were referred further, of whom 79.1% (1,309) participated in the secondary examination. Of these, 121 were referred to the tertiary examination, with a participation rate at this last stage of 80.2%. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the screening tools was the highest when the results of both EKG and the questionnaire were positive. Because 85.9% of the detected cases had a past history of CHD, PPV was higher when the selection criteria in the questionnaire included past CHD history than when it didnt. The CHD defection rate among the participants was 1.76 cases/1,000 and the presumed number of cases among the non-participants was 31; giving an estimated final CHD prevalence of 2.52 cases/1,000 (95% CI : 2.06-3.06). Among the identified cases of CHD, VSD (52.8%) was the most common, followed by PDA (9.7%), TOF (9.7%) & PS (9.7%). Conclusion : Because the characteristics of the non-participants differed from those of the participants, the estimation of prevalence was influenced by the participation rate. Of the detected cases, 85.9% had a past history of diagnosis or operation for CMD. These findings suggested that the prevalence estimated in this study may be an underestimation of the actual condition. Therefore, a birth cohort study is required in order to more accurately estimate the prevalence and the effects of the program.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.501-510
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• 2019

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children. The global prevalence of pediatric NAFLD from general populations is 7.6%. In obese children, the prevalence is higher in Asia. NAFLD has a strong heritable component based on ethnic difference in the prevalence and clustering within families. Genetic polymorphisms of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3), transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2, and glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR) are associated with the risk of NAFLD in children. Variants of PNPLA3 and GCKR are more common in Asians. Alterations of the gut microbiome might contribute to the pathogenesis of NAFLD. High fructose intake increases the risk of NAFLD. Liver fibrosis is a poor prognostic factor for disease progression to cirrhosis. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and magnetic resonance proton density fat fraction are more accurate for steatosis quantification than ultrasound. Noninvasive imaging methods to assess liver fibrosis, such as transient elastography, shear-wave elastography, and magnetic resonance elastography are useful in predicting advanced fibrosis, but they need further validation. Longitudinal follow-up studies into adulthood are needed to better understand the natural history of pediatric NAFLD.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2015

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the differences in subjective symptoms, clinical characteristics, distribution according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) subgroup, psychological profile of TMD patients, and to identify the prevalence and trend according to age. Methods: A total of 1,052 patients (261 men and 791 women; mean age, $34.40{\pm}15.73$ years) who visited the Orofacial Pain Clinic of the Department of Oral Medicine, Seoul National University Dental Hospital complaining of TMD symptoms of were evaluated. All patients were questioned for medical history, clinical symptoms and contributing factors. Clinical examination and patient grouping based on RDC/TMD was conducted. Radiographies were taken. The Korean version of RDC/TMD axis II and Symptom Checklist-90-Revision (SCL-90-R) were administered to evaluate pain-related disability level and psychological status of the patients. Results: Prevalence peaked in the 20-year-old age group. There were more women than men in all groups. The highest T-score among SCL-90-R dimensions was somatization in each group, except for teenagers who showed the highest T-score in interpersonal sensitivity. The 30-year-old age group showed the highest distribution of high disability based on the graded chronic pain scale. Age was positively associated with pain intensity (r=0.100), number of positive muscles on palpation (r=0.137) and negatively associated with maximum mouth opening (r=-0.168). Conclusions: Subjective symptoms and clinical characteristics of TMD patients show distinct tendencies according to different age groups. Treatment should be customized and personalized according to age for efficient symptom resolution and patient satisfaction.