• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.411-417
• /
• 2007

Objectives: Although risk factors for coronary artery disease are also associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), there is little information available on the asymptomatic, young adult population. We examined the association between multiple cardiovascular risk factors and the common carotid IMT in 280 young Korean adults. Methods: The data used for this study was obtained from 280 subjects (130 men and 150 women) aged 25 years who participated in the Kangwha Study follow-up examination in 2005. We measured cardiovascular risk factors, including anthropometries, blood pressure, blood chemistry, carotid ultrasonography, and reviewed questionnaires on health behaviors. Risk factors were defined as values above the sex-specific 75th percentile of systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol/ high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, fasting blood glucose and smoking status. Results: The mean carotid IMT${\pm}$standard deviation observed was $0.683{\pm}0.079mm$ in men and $0.678{\pm}0.067mm$ in women (p=0.567) and the evidence of plaque was not observed in any individuals. Mean carotid IMT increased with an increasing number of risk factors(p for trend <0.001) and carotid IMT values were 0.665 mm, 0.674 mm, 0.686 mm, 0.702 mm, and 0.748 mm for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 to 5 risk factors, respectively. The odds ratio for having the top quartile carotid IMT in men with 3 or more risk factors versus 0-2 risk factors was 5.09 (95% CI, 2.05-12.64). Conclusions: Current findings indicate the need for prevention and control of cardiovascular risk factors in young adults and more focus on those with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.8
• /
• pp.3675-3679
• /
• 2014

We assessed the association between frequency of heavy binge drinking and mortality from oropharynx and esophagus cancer after controlling for the total volume of alcohol intake among Korean men. The cohort comprised 2,677 male residents in Kangwha County, aged 55 or older in March 1985, for their upper digestive tract cancer mortality for 20.8 years up to December 31, 2005. For daily binge drinkers versus non-drinkers, the hazard ratios (95% Cls) for mortality were 4.82 (1.36, 17.1) and 6.75 (1.45, 31.4) for oropharyngeal and esophageal cancers, respectively. Even after adjusting for the volume of alcohol intake, we found the hazard ratios for frequency of binge drinking and mortality of oropharyngeal or esophageal cancer to not change appreciably: the hazard ratios were 4.90 (1.00, 27.0) and 7.17 (1.02, 50.6), respectively. For esophageal cancer, there was a strong dose-response relationship. The frequency of heavy binge drinking and not just the volume of alcohol intake may increase the risk of mortality from upper digestive tract cancer, particularly esophageal cancer in Korean men. These findings need to be confirmed in further studies with a larger sample size.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 1994

In order to investigate the regional level of air pollutants at Kangwha island situated on the western coast in Korea, the suspended particulate matter samples were collected by using the low volume air sampler on ten interval from March 1992 to February 1993 and the mass concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and the chemical composition of water-soluble major ionic components in SPM samples were measured. During the sampling period, the average concentration of SPM under diameter 10 $\mu$m was found to be 48 $\mu$g/m$^3$ (+ 12). The seasonal concentration of SPM was showed in order of spring>fall>winter>summer. It was considered that higher concentration on spring than other season was affected by the long-range transport of Yellow sand particulate from China continent and lower concentration on summer by the washout and rainout effect of large rainfall. The content of water-soluble component in SPM samples was founded to be about 31% (14.69 $\mu$g/m$^3$) and 65% was unknown or unanalyzed. The content of cationic component showed in order of NH$_4^+$ (44.6%)>Na$^+$ (21.2%)>K$^+$ (14.7%)>Ca$^{2+}$ (13.6%)>Mg$^{2+}$ (5.9 %) and the content of anionic component SO$_4^{2-}$ (62.5%)>NO$_3^-$ (22.3%)>Cl$^-$ (15.2%), respectively. This fact indicates that ammonium and sulfate ion of water-soluble component in SPM sample were dominant in this region. From the chemical composition of water-soluble component, the most of Na$^+$, Mg$^{2+}$ and Cl$^-$ were originated from seawater source but K$^+$, Ca$^{2+}$ and SO$_4^{2-}$ were originated from other non-marine source. The contribution of seasalt to the composition of precipitation was 23%.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.57-68
• /
• 1995

Precipitation samples were collected by a wet-only automatic acid precipitation sampler at Kangwha island on the western coast in Korea, through January until December 1992. pH, electric conductivity and the concentrations of major water-soluble ion components such as N $H_{4}$$^{+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $K^{+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, N $a^{+}$, N $O_{3}$$^{[-10]}$ , S $O_{4}$$^{2-}$ and C $l^{[-10]}$ were measured. From the result of checking the validity for assesment of pollution level of precipitation samples by pH using correlation analysis between pH and major components, and t-test of chemical composition between acid rain and non-acid rain, pH proved to be not satisfactory for its pillution level. A more comprehensive method is therefore required. In order to estimate the monthly analytical result of chemical composition of precipitation samples comprehensively, a cluster analysis was used among the various multivariate statistical analysis. As a result of making a cluster analysis for separating the monthly precipitation samples into homogeneous patterns by setting the concentrations of nine major water-soluble ion components as a variable, three homogeneous patterns were obtained. The first pattern was a group of months having average ion concentrations, the second a guoup of months having low ion concentration, and the third a group of months having high ion concentrations. Thus, it was indicated that the pollution level of precipitation was higher on February and lower on May, June, August and September than the other months. As a result, this analysis method could be estimated the chemical coposition of precipitation regionally as well as monthly.monthly.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.20 no.E1
• /
• pp.15-28
• /
• 2004

To study the characteristics of ammonia and the related compounds, atmospheric aerosols and gases were collected using a triple filter pack sampler, a low volume air sampler, and a three-stage Anderson air sampler in Seoul and Kangwha Island, Korea from Dec. 1996 to Oct. 1997. Ammonia concentrations showed approximately two times higher in summer than in winter at both sites. The highest $HNO_3$ levels were generally observed in summertime at two sampling sites. The average mass concentration of $PM_{2.5}$ in heavily industrialized Seoul was about three times higher than that of Kangwha. In winter, the sum of $NH_4^+$ and its counter ions (such as $Cl^-,\;NO_3^-$, and $SO_4^{2-}$) comprised $30-41\%$ of $PM_{2.5}$ mass concentration at each sampling site. Temperature dependence of particulate nitrate was examined at the urban sampling site. The formation of the nitrate in the fine mode was dependent not only on the amount of precursors but also on the variation of temperature. $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ and $NH_4HSO_4$ coexisted with $NH_4NO_3$ and $NH_4Cl$ at each site. According to the summertime backward trajectory analysis, $NO_3^-$ showed higher level with air parcels transported from northeast Asian continent. On the other hand, the concentration of $SO_4^{2-}$ showed significantly higher level when air masses originated from Pacific Ocean, southern part of Japan, and Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.455-461
• /
• 2006

Objectives : Prolongation of the heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, few studies have examined the relationship between the QTc interval and cardiovascular risk factors in young healthy people, The aim of this study was to examine the associations between the QTc interval and cardiovascular risk factors in young healthy adults. Methods : This study was performed as part of the Kangwha study, which started in 1986, and is an on-going follow-up study on blood pressure and related cardiovascular risk factors. In follow-up examinations during 2005, cardiovascular risk factors, including anthropometrics, blood pressure, blood chemistry and carotid ultrasonography, were measured, and questionnaires on health behaviors completed by 127 men and 149 women aged 25 years. The QTc interval was measured on the resting 12-lead electrocardiogram using an automatic analysis program. Results : The mean QTc interval was significantly longer in women $(419{\pm}17ms)$ than in men $(405{\pm}17ms)$ (p<0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between the QTc interval and waist-hip ratio (p=0.030) in men. Women showed a positive correlation between the QTc interval and systolic blood pressure (p=0.017). On a multiple regression analysis, the QTc interval was positively associated with the waist-hip ratio in men (p=0.012) and with the systolic blood pressure (p=0.020) in women. Conclusions : In young healthy Korean adults, the QTc interval was independently associated with the waist-hip ratio in men and with the systolic blood pressure in women.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.24-32
• /
• 2002

Objective : Few studies have examined the relationship between the risk of cancer and exposure to pesticides in Korea or in other East Asian that have until recently used chlorophenoxy herbicides. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the exposure to pesticides and cancer incidence. Methods : We conducted a prospective cohort study with a follow-up period of 13 years (1985-1998). The subjects included 2,687 male and 3,589 female Kangwha Island residents, Koreans aged fifty-five or more as of March 1985, who received a personal health interview and completed a health examination survey. A Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks(RR). Results : At baseline, the mean age of the study participants in 1985 was 66.4 for males and 67.1 for females. During the 13 years follow-up, a total of 300 incidents of cancer in males and 140 in females developed. In males, the total cancer incidence in the highest group was RR, 1.4 (95%. CI=1.0-1.9), p for trend=0.041, for digestive organ cancer Incidence in the highest group, RR, 1.5 (95% CI=1.0-2.3), p for trend=0.057, for stomach cancer, incidence in the highest group, RR, 1.6 (95% CI=0.9-2.8), p for trend=0.094, for gallbladder cancer incidence in the highest group, RR, 9.1 (95% CI=1.1-77.0), p for trend=0.014 were elevated according to the higher frequency of pesticide use per year. In particular, the risk of gallbladder cancer was very high. Although not significant, the risk of liver cancer was higher than in the non-exposed group (in the highest group, RR, 2.0(95% CI=0.7-5.9)). In females, although not significant, breast cancer incidence in the highest exposure group was higher than in the non-exposed group (in the highest group, RR, 4.7 (95% CI=0.5-27.9)). Conclusions : This study demonstrates that Korean farmers who use pesticides, particularly males, have a significantly higher total cancer incidence, particularly from digestive organ cancers such as, stomach, gallbladder, and liver cancer. In particular, the risk of gallbladder cancer was very high.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1998.10b
• /
• pp.101-102
• /
• 1998

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.66-74
• /
• 1989

The purpose of this study was to determine appropriate training content and methods for a health educational program for rural people by analysing data collected through a structured interview survey with the rural people of Kangwha county in June, 1987, The variables analyzed for the educational content were the diseases of greatest concern and the most urgent health problems, and for the educational methods, the health educator, place of education and types of educational media were analyzed. The results are as follows: 1. The disease of greatest concerned was gastroenteritis(22.6%), followed by diabetes(13.7%), and hepatitis (10.2%). The respondents with old age and less education were more concerned with arthritis, and those with higher education were more concerned with diabetes. 2. The most urgent health problem was agricultural chemical poisoning(46%), followed by smoking(12.8%), and the lack of balance between meals and nutrition(8.8%). The people with less education and with higher income were less concerned with agricultural chemical poisoning and smoking. 3. Of the respondents, 77.4% wanted to be educated by physicians and the village auditorium was the most preferred place of education. Education in a lecture format was desired by 36.3% of respondents. Personal counselling was more preferred by old and less educated people, and people with higher education preferred printed matters.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 1998.06a
• /
• pp.174-181
• /
• 1998

A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the preventive effect of Korean ginseng against cancer in the population residing ginseng cultivation area, Kangwha-eup from August 1987 to December 1997. The participants consisted of 4,553 adults over 40 years old who completed a questionare on ginseng intake. During the surveillance period, 14.4% (656 of 4,553) of subjects had died, cancer accounting for 23.9% (157) of total deaths. The proportional hazard model of Cox was used to estimate relative risks when controlling simultaneously for covariates. Ginseng intakers had a decreased risk (relative risk(RR) =0.48, 95% confidence interval (Cl) : 0.34-0.66) for cancer compared with non-intakers. The RRs of cancer were 0.36 (95% Cl: 0.24-0.56) for multiple combination intakers. Among 24 red ginseng intakers, there were no cancer deaths. The RRs of ginseng intakers were 0.38 (95% Cl: 0.20-0.71) in gastric cancer and 0.29 (95% Cl: 0.15- 0.57) in lung cancer. These findings strongly suggested Korean ginseng have non-organ specific cancer preventive effects against cancer. Further research for clarifying the mechanisms of prevention and clinical trials on Korean ginseng must be conducted with worldwide collaborations