• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of falls, the fear of falling and fall efficacy and identify the predictors of falls in the elderly at senior citizens' centers. Method: The subjects of this study were 106 elders who used senior citizens' centers in Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Data were collected from May to June, 2006 through a survey using a structured questionnaire. Result: Of the elderly sampled, 35.8% experienced falls during the last 1 year. Of falls experienced by the elderly, 53% occurred indoors, 47% outdoors, 15.8% in the bathroom or toilet. In addition, 57.8% of the elderly had injuries on the hip and waist related with falls. The fear of falling was higher in those with experience in falls than in those without. Factors affecting the elders' falls were age (OR=1.113, 95% CI=1.012-1.224), the number of chronic disease (OR=2.342, 95% CI=1.365-4.019) and the fear of falling (OR=4.279, 95% CI=1.901-9.634). The predictor of the frequency of falls was fall efficacy ($R^2=24.9$). Conclusion: As a result, it is essential to develop fall prevention programs based on the fear of falling, fall efficacy, chronic diseases and medication state. And in senior citizens' centers, fall prevention safety education should be activated as a health promotion program.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between metabolic syndrome factor diseases and falls in the elderly aged 65 years or older and use them as basic data to reduce the risk of falls. Methods: The method of this study was to compare the injury-related characteristics of the fall and non-fall groups with a factor disease of metabolic syndrome in Korea over 65 years of age. Data from the 14th National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey in 2018 were used to conduct the study. A total of 7,991 data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0. Results: Among the total injuries, the fall group with metabolic syndrome factor disease accounted for 69.0% and the non-fall group 31.0%. Falls occurred in 86.3% of households. In the fall group with metabolic syndrome factor disease, the number of females was 1.9~2.1 times higher than that of males. Compared to 65~69 years of age, the incidence of falls was 1.4~1.5 times higher in 70~79 years, 1.7~2.2 times higher in 80~89 years, and 2.5~3.6 times higher in 90-year-olds and older. In NISS, the incidence of falls was 1.7 times higher in moderate compared to mild. In principle diagnosis, the incidence of falls was 2.2 times higher in S40-S99 compared to S00-S19. Conclusion: The elderly with metabolic syndrome factor disease should continue to promote health through light exercise that can strengthen muscle strength to prevent falls.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.84-92
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• 2010

Objectives: To investigate the patterns of unintentional home injuries in Korea. Methods: The study population was 12,382,088 people who utilized National Health Insurance services due to injuries (main diagnosis codes S00 to T28) during 2006. Stratified samples(n=459,501) were randomly selected by sex, age group and severity of injury. A questionnaire was developed based on the International Classification of External Causes of Injury and 18,000 cases surveyed by telephone were analyzed after being projected into population proportionately according to the response rates of their strata. Domestic injury cases were finally included. Results: Domestic injuries (n=3,804) comprised 21.1% of total daily life injuries during 2006. Women were vulnerable to home injuries, with the elderly and those of lower income (medical-aid users) tending to suffer more severe injuries. Injury occurred most often due to a slipping fall (33.9%), overexertion (15.3%), falling (9.5%) and stumbling (9.4%), with severe injury most often resulting from slipping falls, falls and stumbles. Increasing age correlated with domestic injury-related disability. Conclusions: The present findings provide basic information for development of home injury prevention strategies, with focus on the elderly.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.243-255
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• 2019

Objective : Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs in people of all age groups, the elderly population is at a particular risk. The proportion of elderly population in the society is markedly increasing and Korea is one of the most rapidly aging societies. Here, we analyzed the data from 904 patients older over 65 years who were registered in the Korean Neuro-Trauma Data Bank System (KNTDBS). Methods : The Korean Society of Neurotraumatology recorded data from 20 institutions between September 2010 and March 2014. This retrospective study examined the clinical epidemiology, sex difference, outcome epidemiology, sociodemographic variables, and outcomes in the geriatric population related to TBI based on data from the KNTDBS. Results : The study included 540 men and 364 women. The age distributions in the male and female groups were statistically significantly different. The most common cause of trauma was a fall and diagnosis was acute subdural hematoma. The incidence was the highest in men aged 80-84 years and in women aged 75-79 years. The most common time of arrival to hospital after TBI was within 1 hour and 119 rescue team provided first aid earliest to patients with TBI. The mortality rate stratified according to the cause of trauma was significantly different, with mortality rates of 3.77% in fall and 11.65% in traffic accident. The mortality rates according the severity of brain injury, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and treatment were statistically significant. Conclusion : To our knowledge, this study is the first to focus on elderly patients with TBI in Korea and particularly investigate mortality and characteristics related to TBI-related death based on data from the KNTDBS. Although the study has some limitations, our results may be used to obtain useful information to study targeted prevention and more effective treatment options for older TBI patients and establish novel treatment guidelines and health polish for the geriatric population.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1690-1698
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• 2012

As alcohol use is one of the most important risk factors for injuries, this study was intended to clarify and evaluate any relationship between drinking patterns and the incidence rates/specific characteristics of injuries in adult populations, using a widely accepted tool, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (chronic alcohol drinking behaviors measurement, hereinafter the AUDIT) developed by the World Health Organization to help to assess the behaviors in a more accurate and reliable manner. This study used the data collected from the 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), in which 7,511 of 7,893 adult participants aged ${\geq}19$ years answered the questions about injuries, and excluding 104 non-respondents, 6,258 of participants in the questionnaire survey of drinking patterns were finally analyzed. The incidence rates and specific characteristics of injuries as classified by the AUDIT categories (i.e., body regions, types and mechanisms) were assessed and estimated in terms of their relative risk using t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression. SPSS 19.0 statistical package software was employed for statistical analyses. These analyses indicate that the incidence rates of overall injuries were significantly higher in male respondents than in female respondents. The risks of alcohol use related injuries were 8.3 times higher in male respondents than in female ones. Regarding educational background, high school graduates showed the highest rates in the AUDIT with significant difference from the other groups. The married group and the group of respondents having monthly income estimated at KRW 2.01 to 3 million also showed the highest rates in the AUDIT compared to the other groups, indicating statistically significant difference. Significantly increased in problematic drinkers and those with alcohol dependence, the incidence rate of injuries body regions was 0.0371 in the head/neck, and with respect to the AUDIT and the mechanisms of external causes of injuries, transport accidents ranked first, followed by slippage, others, crash and fall. In regard to the classified types of injuries, it was statistically significant in others (e.g., laceration, contusion, addiction, or penetrating wound). In conclusion, the mechanisms of external causes of injuries as well as injuries attributed to alcohol use are very important, and a strategy is required to reduce such the injuries in the manner of decreasing the frequency of drinking after motivation by professional counsellors.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.510-516
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• 2020

This study investigated the characteristics and factors affecting inpatient infants, children, and adolescents who experienced falling, using NHDIS data from 2008 through 2017, The study analyzed data of 116 patients who were under 18 and who experienced injuries (KSCD, S00-S99) by falling (KSCD, W00-W19). Frequency analysis, cross-tabulations, and multiple regression analysis were conducted, using SPSS 23. There were more boys than girls, and most of the falls occurred at the ages of over one to under six years old. Most of the children had respiratory diseases, and most had open wounds or bruises due to falling. Also, most of the falls were related to the bed. In the factor analysis, age (β=.318), the main diagnosis (β=.231), and injury (β=.169) except gender affected falling. This suggests that it is necessary to conduct fall prevention education for children, considering the developmental stage characteristics and age group. It is necessary to screen the risk group such as children with a disease with relatively less restriction of activities or with a hyperactive disorder, and to develop a related manual. Hopefully, the results will be used as the basic data for fall prevention education and creating a fall prevention manual according to the characteristics of children's developmental stage for patients who need hospitalization, their caregivers, and the relevant medical team.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.39-43
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effects of unilateral muscle fatigue in knee and ankle joints on balance and gait in healthy adults. Methods: Exercise inducing muscle fatigue in the knee joint consisted of concentric and eccentric contraction of dominant knee extensors in healthy adults by using the Leg Extension Rehap exercise machine (HUR, Finland). Exercise inducing muscle fatigue in the ankle joint was composed of voluntary contractions and forced contractions of the dominant plantar flexors in healthy adults. Exercises to induce muscle fatigue in the knee and ankle joints were performed until the subject complained of fatigue or pain, the occurrence of muscle fatigue was confirmed by electromyography. We measured static and dynamic balance using the Good Balance system and gait performance by RS-scan. Results: Static and dynamic balance ability and spatial-temporal gait decreased significantly after muscle fatigue in knee and ankle joint. Conclusion: These results show that unilateral muscle fatigue of the lower extremities affected postural control and gait. Therefore, therapists and sport trainers should minimize the risks of fall and injuries related to unilateral muscle fatigue.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.17-24
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• 2018

Objectives: After many national physical activity guidelines have established, recent changes are deep and rapid. So the major features and implication to reverse worsening Korean physical activity indicator is desprate but related knowledge and informations are few. So review of recent features and implications of new physical activity guidelines have made. Methods: National physical activity guidelines of advanced countries were searched through snowballing methods. Major features were described according to the nation. Implication were drew through discussion for Korean realitiy. Results: New Australian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guideline explicitly included sedentary behaviour. The age in the guideline expanded to early years. Canada also presented 24-hour movement guidelines to early years. The second generation of the physical activity guidelines reflects the extensive amount of new knowledge. New aspects include discussions of additional health benefits related to brain health, additional cancer sites, and fall-related injuries; immediate and longer term benefits for how people feel, function, and sleep; further benefits among older adults and people with additional chronic conditions; risks of sedentary behavior and their relationship with physical activity; elimination of the requirement for physical activity benefits to occur in bouts of at least 10 minutes; and tested strategies that can be used to get the population more active. Conclusions: The most important message from the new guidelines is that the greatest health benefits accrue by moving from no, to even small amounts of, physical activity. Multiple studies demonstrate that the steepest reduction in disease risk occurs at the lowest levels of physical activity. People need to understand that even small amounts of physical activity are beneficial and that reductions in the risk of disease and disability occur by simply getting moving. So various evidence based proven strstegies are needed in Korea including workforce training.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.117-127
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to find out the characteristics of patients who admitted due to industrial accident and to promote the superiority of oriental medical treatment on the sequelae of industrial accident. Methods : We analyzed the medical charts of 51 inpatients in a local oriental medicine hospital. The patients had been hospitalized from May 1, 2003 to October 31, 2010. Results : 1. By gender, males accounted for 78.4%, while females 21.6%. By age, most incidences occurred in the forties(29.4%), fifties(23.5%) and thirties(19.6%) in order. 2. Most causes of accident was carelessness(27.5%) and fall down(21.6%) was the next. 3. With regard to the interval from occurrence of accidents to hospitalization, 20 cases(39.2%) were found to be hospitalized 31～90 days after the accidents, followed by 11 cases(21.6%) in 91～180 days and 7 cases(13.7%) in 181～360 days. 4. Most cases turned out to be injuries with 40 patients from Sequelae of intracerebral hemorrhage (23.5%) and Lumbar and other intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy(13.7%). The mean duration of hospitalization was $209.03{\pm}346.04$ days. Inpatients of Organic brain syndrome NOS numbered the longest stay($676{\pm}86.26$days), Sequelae of intracerebral hemorrhage recorded $541.91{\pm}541.83$ days hospitalized. 5. Most of inpatients were treated with acupuncture(100%), herbal medication(98.0%), oriental physiological therapy(82.3%), and moxibustion(76.4%). Conclusions : This article will help the researchers related to Oriental medicine establish basic source of Oriental medicine approach for inpatients due to industrial accident.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.654-670
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• 2020

Workers at construction sites are easily exposed to many dangers and accidents involving falls, tripping, and missteps on stairs. However, researches on construction site monitoring system to prevent work-related injuries are still insufficient. The purpose of this study was to develop a wearable textile pressure insole sensor and examine its effectiveness in managing the real-time safety of construction workers. The sensor was designed based on the principles of parallel capacitance measurement using conductive textile and the monitoring system was developed by C# language. Three separate experiments were carried out for performance evaluation of the proposed sensor: (1) varying the distance between two capacitance plates to examine changes in capacitance charges, (2) repeatedly applying 1 N of pressure for 5,000 times to evaluate consistency, and (3) gradually increasing force by 1 N (from 1 N to 46 N) to test the linearity of the sensor value. Five subjects participated in our pilot test, which examined whether ascending and descending the stairs can be distinguished by our sensor and by weka assessment tool using k-NN algorithm. The 10-fold cross-validation method was used for analysis and the results of accuracy in identifying stair ascending and descending were 87.2% and 90.9%, respectively. By applying our sensor, the type of activity, weight-shifting patterns for balance control, and plantar pressure distribution for postural changes of the construction workers can be detected. The results of this study can be the basis for future sensor-based monitoring device development studies and fall prediction researches for construction workers.