• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10091-10094
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• 2015

Easter Island is a small island of $180km^2$, located 3,800 km from the Chilean coast and one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. Since the mid-twentieth century, it has been undergoing an epidemiological transition in relation to the causes of death, from a predominance of infectious to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular ailments and cancer. The aim of this study is to describe the causes of death to Easter Island between 2000 and 2012, so the statistical records of Hanga Roa Hospital and death certificates were reviewed. The period under review of 13 years there was a total of 252 deaths, an average to 19.3 deaths per year. The most frequent causes of death found in the general population of Easter Island were cardiovascular diseases (25.4%), followed by neoplasms (23.4%), accidents (18.6%). Related to Rapa Nui people, cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases (both 26.7%) predominate, while in the population without belonging to the ethnic group the main causes were traumatic (25%) and cardiovascular (22.2%). Comparing the leading causes of death of Easter Island with mainland Chile, it can be seen how they resemble. Taking the island death profile, it is necessary to work on public health strategies aimed to this, considering that some of the causes are completely preventable.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3101-3103
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• 2013

In Easter Island, population is composed by original habitants, the Rapa Nui culture and introduced people, mainly from continental Chile, who have a different ethnic origin. The aim of this research was to describe cancer frequency in resident population in Easter Island, and secondarily compare the findings with other islands of Polynesia and continental Chile. We reviewed the statistics of patients treated in Hanga Roa Hospital during the period 2006-2010, finding a total of 49 patients with cancer during the study. The most frequent cancers in Easter Island's people were breast cancer (8 cases), skin (8 cases), cervical (8 cases), lung (5 cases) and gastric (4 cases). According to gender, in females the most frequent cancer was breast, followed by skin and cervical, while in men, lung, prostate and hematopoietic cancers were the most frequent. Most cases of cervical cancer occurred in women of Rapa Nui ethnicity, while most skin cancers were found in non-Rapa Nui people. In case of the most common cancer in Easter Island, education (e.g. Papanicolaou and mammography screening) and prevention in the community (e.g. use sun block, avoid cigarettes) should be useful tools to reduce incidence.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1485-1488
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• 2016

Background: Chile is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of cholelithiasis worldwide, considering the Mapuche ethnicity as a risk factor for developing this pathology. Moreover, cholelithiasis is the main risk factor for developing gallbladder cancer, being the fifth cause of cancer death in Chile. The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of cholelithiasis and biliary pathology among the population belonging to Rapanui ethnicity and non-Rapanui population living on Easter Island. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, a total of 609 abdominal ultrasonographs performed consecutively in Hanga Roa Hospital during the period August 2012 to January 2015 were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of cholelithiasis and biliary pathology, adjusting for age, gender and referral diagnostic hypothesis. Results: In the Rapanui population the frequency for cholelithiasis and biliary pathology was 6.4% and 13%, meanwhile for the non-Rapanui population it was 13% and 22% respectively. Compared to the non-Rapanui Chilean population, the Rapanui ethnicity presented an OR of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.29-0.95) for cholelithiasis and OR of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.33-0.82) for biliary pathology. Conclusions: We found statistically significant ethnic differences in the frequency of cholelithiasis and biliary disease among the population of Rapanui and non-Rapanui ethnicity, so that this could be a protective factor for the development of biliary pathology, given the Chilean population context. Other studies including community population to determine the real prevalence of cholelithiasis and analyze the protective role of Rapanui ethnicity on this disease are necessary.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.101-135
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• 1968

As physical fitness measured was muscle strength (hand grips, leg extention, back lift, and arm pull and thrust), skinfold thickness (5 different sites), circulatory function (resting heart rate and blood pressure), speed (kinesiological analysis during 100m sprint, record, maximal and final speed), motor function (50 meter dash, ball throwing, standing broad jump, and pull-ups), maximal aerobic power (maximum oxygen intake by field running method), muscle power (leg and arm by inertia ergometer), and general endurance (maximum endurance running time on the treadmill at the speed of 5 MPH and grade of 15.5%) of 1131 Korean children (boys 572, girls 559) aged of 6 to 17 years, who were randomly sampled from 24 primary, middle and high schools at the two districts of Seoul and KyungKi. The results are summarized as follows: 1) The status (height and weight) of the children was almost same as that of the previously reported Korean and Japanese children of same ages. 2) Muscle strength was a gained linearly with geting age in the boys and girls but there was a little improvement in girls aged of 13 years or more. 3) The mean skin fold thickness was increased linearly with geting ages in both sexes, but the girls from 12 to 17 years of age were increased rapidly, and maximum value was 17mm, while boys was 7.0 mm. 4) In the circulatory function, the resting heart rate was decreased, but the blood pressure was increased with ages in both sexes within the normal limits. 5) The maximum and final speed during 100 meter sprint increases with age in boys but girls who are 12 years old or older, were not improved any mere. The patterns of running were same in both sexes, and maximum speed reached at about 30 meters from starting line. 6) The motor function was increased with age in both sexes, but there was no improvement in 12 years of age or older girls. More over records of all functions except standing broad jump was less than those of Japanese in the same age, respectively. 7) The maximum oxygen intake (MOI) was increased considerably with ages and maximum values were 2.93 L/min (boys) and 2.09 L/min (girls) at the age of 17years. This result was almost same as that of the Japanese and Easter Island population, but the value was lower than that of Europe. The average of the maximum oxygen intake per kg body weight per minute from 9 to 17 years of age were around 53 ml in the boys and 42 ml in the girls. 8) Muscle power was increased linearly with ages in boys while there was relatively a little increment in girls. The maximum values of leg muscle in boys and girls at the 17 years of age were 0.168 and 0.088 horse power, respectively. 9) The maximum endurance running time was increased considerably from the age of 9 in boys, while there was no improvement in girls. The maximum values were 6.0 min and 1.8 min, respectively.