• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 1997

This study was conducted to observe the relationship between diet and blood pressure for Korean(kangwha) and Nepali adolescents. 542 middle school students in Korea and 159 students in Nepal in the same age(14-15yr) group were investigated as the study subjects. Data for blood pressure as well as weight and diet were collected for the analysis. multiple regression analysis was employed to identify the influencing factors among the variables considered. As the results, the mean body weight of body weight of boys and girls in Kangwha was 54.5Kg, 50.6Kg which was 17Kg and 10Kg heavier than the weight of the Nepal students. Dietary survey result showed that there was no big difference in energy intake in Kangwha and Nepal students., Mean energy intake of Kangwha boys was 2, 848kcal and that of Nepal boys was 2, 720 kcal. The similar result showed significantly lower intake in other nutreints than that of Kangwha subjects whose consumption level was close to the Korean Recommended Dietary Allowances. The result of multiple regression analysis showed that weight was the greatest influencing factor on blood pressure both in Kangwha and in Nepal subjects. Nevertheless, after controlling the weight factor, there were axxociations observed between diet and blood pressure. And the relationship was stronger in case of Nepal than in Kangwha.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.93-94
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• 1995

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 1992

In order to investigate the chemical components of acid precipitation at Kangwha near the Yellow Sea and Seoul in Korea, the precipitation samples were collected by wetonly precipitation sampler from February 1991 to January 1992, and pH, electric conductivity(E. C.) and major water-soluble ionic components were analyzed. Strong negative linear correlations were observed between the rainfall amount and the sum of major ionic components in $\mu eq/\ell$ at two sites. The sum of major ionic components also correlated negatively with rain intensity. The analytical results of precipitation samples at two sites were compared each other. Average values of volume-weighted pH were found to be 5.21 at Kangwha and 5.09 at Seoul. The cationic abundance($\mu eq/\ell$) in rainwater showed the general trend $NH_4^+ > Na^+ > Ca^{2+} > Mg^{2-+} > H^+ > K^+$ at Kangwah and $NH_4^+ > Ca^{2+} > Na^+ > H^+ > Mg^{2+} > K^+$ at Seoul. The anionic abundance showed the general trend $SO_4^{2-} > Cl^- > NO_3^-$ at Kangwha and $SO_4^{2-} > NO_3^- > Cl^-$ at Seoul. The concentrations of seasalt such as $Na^+ and Cl^-$ were higher at Kangwha than Seoul. The concentrations of $nss-SO_4^{2-}, nss-Cl^- and NO_3^-$ which are acid composition were higher at Seoul(96.3 $\mu eq/\ell$) than Kangwha(69.0 $\mu eq/\ell$). The contribution of seasalt to the composition of precipitation were higher at Kangwha(34.1%) than Seoul(15.7%). Ammonia and calcium species in rainwater at Kangwha and Seoul are interpreted to have 91% of neutralizing capacity of the original sulfuric and nitric acids. Provided that the precipitation acidity originates primarily from sulfate and nitrate, sulfate was found to contribute about 73-75% of the free precipitation acidity.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 2006

Objectives : In this study we examined the association between the genetic markers ACE (A-240T, C-93T, I/D, A2350G), AGT (M235T), AT1R (A1166C), CYP11B2 (T344C, V386A), REN (G2646A), ADRB2 (G46A, C79G, T47C, T1641), GNB3 (C825T) and ADD1 (G460W) and the presence of essential hypertension in adolescents. Methods : The Kangwha Study is an 18-year prospective study that is aimed at elucidating the determinants of the blood pressure level from childhood to early adulthood. For this study, we constructed a case-control dataset of size of 277 and 40 family trios data from the Kangwha Study. For this purpose, we perform a single locus-based case-control association study and a single locus-based TDT (transmission/disequilibrium test) study. Results : In the case-control study, the single locus-based association study indicated that the ADD1 (G460W) (p=0.0403), AGT (M235T) (p=0.0002), and REN (G2646A) (p=0.0101) markers were significantly associated with the risk of hypertension. These results were not confirmed on the TDT study. This study showed that genetic polymorphisms of the ADD1, AGT and REN genes might be related to the hypertension in Korean adolescents. Conclusions : This study provided useful information on genetics markers related to blood pressure. Further study will be needed to confirm the effect of the alpha adducin gene, the angiotensinogen gene and the renin gene on essential hypertension.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate the association between obesity indices(body mass index, weight, waist-hip ratio and waist circumference) in adolescents and the carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) in early adulthood. We also wanted to identify the best predictor for C-IMT among these obesity indices. Methods : This study used community-based prospective cohort study, known as the Kangwha Study, and the data we used were from subjects who were 16-years old in 1996 (defined as "adolescence") and 25 years-old in 2005 (defined as "early adulthood"). The 256 subjects (113 men and 143 women) who were used for analysis participated in both follow-ups, and they underwent B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries at the early adulthood follow-up. Obesity indices were defined as the body mass index, weight, waist-hip ratio and waist circumference. The C-IMT was defined as the mean of the maximal IMT of each common carotid artery. The C-IMT and obesity indices associations were evaluated via multivariable regression, logistic regression and the receiver-operator characteristic curve analyses. Results : In men, all the obesity indices in adolescence were showed to have statistically significant positive association with C-IMT in early adulthood. However, no such relationship was showed in women. On multiple regression and logistic regression analysis, the waist-hip ratio showed the biggest relationship with the C-IMT among the 4 obesity indices. However, there were no statistical significant differences and no best predictor was found. For the women, the obesity incidences and C-IMT showed no relationships. Conclusions : This study suggested that obesity in adolescence was related to an increase C-IMT in healthy young Korean men.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.521-529
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• 2000

Objectives : To assess height, weight and body mass index from childhood to adolescence according to the age at menarche and hence to study the influence of childhood growth on the menarche age. Methods : $\lceil$The Kangwha Study$\rfloor$was a community-based prospective cohort study which included the entire population of 219 female first graders in Kangwha county in 1986. Among the 219 girls, 119 girls who had received complete follow up checks during the study period$(1986\sim1997)$, were included in this study, except one for whom menarche age information was unavailable. The remaining 118 girls were divided into three groups according to the timing of menarche : early(<25 percentile), intermediate and late($\geq75$ percentile) maturers. Results : The average age at menarche was 12.7 years . early 11.3 years, intermediate 12.6 years and late 13.7 years. The early maturers were taller and heavier between $6\sim8$ years. But, the mean weight and body mass index at the menarche age did not differ statistically among the three groups. The weight and body mass index of the early maturers were consistently higher than those of the late maturers over the entire period of the study. Conclusions : Critical body weight and body mass index must be attained for menstruation to be attained and the age at menarche is largely determined by the childhood growth. In addition, it seems that childhood growth and age at menarche are associated with adolescent weight and body mass index.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 2001

Objective : To examine the association between age at menopause and mortality in a population-based sample of women in Kangwha, Korea. Methods : From the Kangwha Cohort, followed-up from 1985 to 1999, the data of the over 55 year old female group(n=3,596) was used in this study to examine the association between age at menopause and mortality. We calculated the all causes mortality risk ratio and the cancer mortality risk ratio by age at menopause grouping using the Cox Proportional Hazards Model with adjustments for age, BMI, smoking, education, chronic disease, self-rated health status, alcohol consumption and age at first birth. Result and conclusion : Compared to women who had menopause at 45-49 years, the all causes mortality risk ratio was 1.24 for women with menopause at less than 40 years(95% CI=1.01-1.53) and 1.05 for women with menopause at over 50 years(95% CI=0.92-1.20). Also, compared to women who had menopause at 45-49 years, the cancer mortality risk ratio was 1.53 for women with menopause at less than 40 years(95% CI=0.78-2.98) and 1.17 for women with menopause at over 50 years(95% CI=0.77-1.80).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.459-468
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• 2000

Objectives : To investigate the association between BMI and Mortality. Methods : This study was based on the analysis and assembly of the 'Kangwha Cohort Study', previously conducted by the Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University. A total of 2,696 males and 3,595 females were followed for almost ten years and ten months from March 1985 to January 1996, a total of whom 2,420 died during this period. The Cox's proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze this data. Results : We found a U-shaped relationship between BMI and mortality among the aged men in the Kangwha cohort. The hazard ratio of dying was adjusted for age, marital status, occupation, self cognitive health level, chronic disease, smoking, and alcohol frequency, then sorted by body mass index into the following groups; less than 10.5, 18.5 to less than 21.0, 21.0 to less than 23.5, 23.5 to less than 26.0 and greater than or equal to 26. The corresponding ratios for men were 1.81(1.50-2.19, 95%CI), 1.31(1.14-1.51, 95%CI), 1.0(referent), 1.05(0.87-1.26, 95%CI) and 1.39(1.09-1.76, 95%CI), respectively. And for women, 1.46(1.19-1.78), 1.12(0.95-1.31, 95%CI), 1.0(referent), 1.00(0.84-1.20, 95%CI) and 1.09(0.89-1.34, 95%CI), respectively. Conclusions : The risk of death among aged men in Kangwha increased in the under and overweight groups. The relationship between BMl and mortality has been well studied in Western populations, but little is known about the association between BMI and mortality in our country. So, on the basis of this study, it is apparent that more studies of the relationship between BMI and mortality will be needed for future work.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.158-164
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• 2003

Recently, there are much concerns about ginseng as disease therapeutics. There are no epidemiologic study on relationship between ginseng intake and all cause mortality based from general population Cohort. This study sought to examine relationships between ginseng intake and all cause mortality from Kangwha Cohort data. From March 1985 through December 1999, 2696 males and 3595 females who were aged 55 or over as of 1985 were followed up. We calculate the mortality rate, standardized mortality ratio and risk ratios by ginseng intake. Cox proportional hazard model was used to adjust various confounding factors. Ginseng intake group had the lower all cause mortality(Risk ratio(RR)=0.88, 95%Confidence Interval(CI)=0.79-0.97) among males. Increasing ginseng intake, lower all cause mortality(Low ginseng intake: RR=0.88, 95%CI=0.79-0.98; high ginseng intake : RR=0.87, 95%CI=0.75-1.00) among males. There is no statistically significant difference between ginseng intake and mortality among females. The results of this study suggests that ginseng intake may prolong the human life among males.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2002

Objective : To examine the relationship between cigarette smoking, alcohol and cancer mortality in men in the Kangwha cohort after 12 years and 10 months of follow up. Methods : The subjects consisted of 2,681 men in the Kangwha cohort aged over 55 in 1985. Number of deaths and the time to death front all cancers and other cause were measured and the data for the smoking and drinking habits were obtained from the baseline survey data in 1985. All subjects were categorized into four groups according to their smoking habits: non-smokers, ex-smokers, mode(ate-smokers (1-19 cigarettes per day), heavy-smokers ($\geq$20 cigarettes per day). In addition, they were also categorized according to their drinking habits: non-drinkers, light-drinkers ($\leq$1 drink per week), moderate-drinkers (<3 drinks per day), heavy-drinkers ($\geq$3 drinks per day). The cancer specific death rates were calculated according to their smoking and drinking status. The adjusted risk ratio for all cancer deaths according to their smoking and drinking status were estimated using the Cox's proportional hazard regression model. Results : Using nonsmokers as the reference category, the adjusted risk ratio for all cancer deaths were 1.573(95% CI=1.003-2.468) for heavy-smokers. For lung cancer deaths, the adjusted risk ratios were 3.540(95% CI=1.251-10.018) for moderate-smoker and 4.114(95% CI=1.275-13.271) for heavy-smokers. Compared to non-drinkers, the adjusted risk ratio for stomach cancer was 2.204(95% CI=1.114-4.361) for light-drinkers. Conclusion : Smoking is the most significant risk factor for cancer deaths particularly lung cancer.