• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.141-150
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to comprehend the characteristics of Korean medicine patterns in relation to varying degrees of cognitive impairment in an elderly population. Methods: The dataset included 127 elderly individuals with cognitive impairment obtained from three Korean medicine hospitals between 2018 and 2021. The participants were categorized into two groups based on Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) scores: those with questionable impairment (QI) and those with very mild dementia (VMD). A diagnostic framework for Korean medicine patterns encompassing Qi deficiency, Yin deficiency, Phlegm dampness, and Heat-fire was employed. Liver blood markers, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and the AST/ALT ratio, were also analyzed. Results: The scores of the cognitive assessment tools (MoCA-K, MMSE-DS, and K-IADL) of the QI group significantly differed from those of the VMD group. CDR-SB exhibited a positive correlation with the scores of each pattern of Qi deficiency, Yin deficiency, Phlegm dampness, and Heat-fire, whereas ALT and AST values displayed negative correlations. Binomial logistic analysis, controlling for potential confounders, such as age, education years, body mass index, the presence of chronic disease, and the presence of medication, verified that the VMD group showed higher pattern scores and lower ALT and AST values than the QI group. Conclusions: Increases in pattern scores along with decreased AST and ALT levels might be indicative of more severe cognitive impairment.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.405-427
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• 2023

This study aimed to identify demographic variables(gender, age group, occupation, living arrangement, economic level, respiratory and chronic diseases, previous medical history), COVID-19 variables(COVID-19 prevention behavior, frequent use of media to obtain COVID-19 information), and psychological behavioral variables(depression, anxiety, loneliness, and increased drinking). From February to March 2021, an online survey of adults was conducted, and a total of 1,434 data were used for analysis. 260 out of 1,434 people were confirmed to have suicide ideation, the prevalence of suicide ideation among adults during the COVID-19 was 18.1%. Logistic regression analyses indicated elevated odds of suicidal ideation among individuals in their 20s and 30s, those living alone, exhibiting fewer COVID-19 preventive behaviors, consuming COVID-19 information more frequently through media, and reporting higher levels of loneliness. Furthermore, within the group experiencing depression, anxiety, and increased drinking, greater levels of these factors correlated with higher odds of suicidal ideation. Based on the results, implications and significance of the study were discussed.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.60-68
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• 2023

Purpose: For the dignity of patients nearing the end of their lives, it is essential to provide end-of-life (EoL) care in a separate, dedicated space. This study investigated the utilization of specialized rooms for dying patients within a hospice unit. Methods: This retrospective study examined patients who died in a single hospice unit between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021. Utilizing medical records, we analyzed the circumstances surrounding death, the employment of specialized rooms for terminally ill patients, and the characteristics of those who received EoL care in a shared room. Results: During the 1,825-day survey period, deaths occurred on 632 days, and 799 patients died. Of these patients, 496 (62.1%) received EoL care in a dedicated room. The average duration of using this dedicated space was 1.08 days. Meanwhile, 188 patients (23.5%) died in a shared room. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a longer stay in the hospice unit was associated with a lower risk of receiving EoL care in a shared room (odds ratio [OR]=0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97~0.99; P=0.002). Furthermore, a higher number of deaths on the day a patient died was associated with a greater risk of receiving EoL care in a shared room (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.33~2.08; P<0.001). Conclusion: To ensure that more patients receive EoL care for an adequate duration in a private setting, additional research is necessary to increase the number of dedicated rooms and incorporate them into the hospice unit at an early stage.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.71-82
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• 2023

Objectives: The existing reductionist approach has not reached complete understanding of the cause of schizophrenia. The objective of this study was to investigate yin-yang and five-element characteristics reflected on four time pillars of birth of patients with schizophrenia through comparison with the general population in the perspective of consilience-based holistic approach. Methods: This study was conducted using a random sequential recruitment method for the general population and individuals with schizophrenia aged 18 to 64 based on the exact date and time of birth using structured questionnaires. Relative positional relations of yin-yang and five-element with day master were primarily examined. In addition, the strength of day master with a score range of 0~100 points was assessed through operational score allocation. Results: Of 591 participants, 576 (346: general population, 230: individuals with schizophrenia) were analyzed. Between-group analyses showed no significant difference in the distribution of types of day master (χ²=10.41, df=9, p=0.318). However, significant between-group differences were shown in the distribution of the strength of day master (t=2.14, p=0.032) and frequency of restraining month branch (χ²=5.23, df=1, p=0.022). In logistic regression analysis, 10-point increase on the strength of day master decreased the probability of onset of schizophrenia over the age of 30 by 29.6% (p=0.002; 95% confidence interval, 0.566~0.876). Conclusions: Findings in this study suggest that four time pillars of birth might be associated with schizophrenia through yin-yang and five-element theory and synchronicity principle, implicating the plausibility of consilience-based holistic approach in the determination of risk factors or cause of schizophrenia.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.399-408
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to compare the usefulness of the lipid ratio indicators for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in the elderly aged 65 years or older. From January 2018 to December 2020, 1,464 people aged 65 years or older who underwent a health checkup at a general hospital in Seoul were included. Lipid ratio indicators were measured through blood tests. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to the quartiles of the lipid ratio index was confirmed by logistic regression analysis. In addition, the metabolic syndrome predictive ability and cutoff value of the lipid ratio indices were estimated with the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve. The correlation between atherogenic index of plasma(AIP) and waist circumference was the highest in both men and women(r=0.278, p<0.001 vs r=0.252, p<0.001). As for the lipid ratio indices, the incidence of metabolic syndrome was higher in the fourth quartile than in the first quartile. The area under the ROC curve(AUC) value of AIP was higher at 0.826(95% CI=0.799-0.850) and 0.852(95% CI=0.820-0.881) for men and women, respectively, compared to other lipid ratio indicators, and the optimal cutoff values for both men and women was 0.44(p<0.001). Therefore, the AIP among the lipid ratio indicators was found to be the most useful index for diagnosing metabolic syndrome in the elderly aged 65 years or older.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.288-299
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the weight fluctuations in college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and identify lifestyle and dietary changes related to weight gain. Methods: An online survey was conducted on 270 college students from September 22 to October 26, 2021. A logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship of weight gain with the general characteristics, lifestyle, and dietary changes of the students. Results: Among the respondents, 42.9% of men and 44.7% of women reported weight gain. The main reasons given for weight gain were reduced activities due to restrictions during lockdown and diet changes, mainly relating to delivered or fast foods. Among the general characteristics and lifestyle factors poor perceived health (odds ratio [OR], 3.97, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.98-7.96) and being underweight (OR, 0.19, 95% CI, 0.05-0.83) were significantly associated with weight gain. With respect to the diet, increased frequency of eating breakfasts (OR, 4.44, 95% CI, 1.76-11.21), decreased frequency of eating snacks (OR, 0.35, 95% CI, 0.16-0.77), decreased frequency of fruit intake (OR, 3.0, 95% CI, 1.32-6.80), increased frequency of carbonated and sweetened beverage intake (OR, 2.74, 95% CI, 1.26-5.99) and increased frequency of fast food consumption (OR, 2.32, 95% CI, 1.14-4.70) were significantly associated with weight gain. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic affected weight gain and caused lifestyle and dietary changes. Specific health and nutrition management plans should be prepared for handling future epidemics of infectious diseases based on the results of surveys conducted on larger sample size.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.4D
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• pp.323-330
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• 2010

The time in port for vessels is one of the important factors for analyzing the operation status and the capacity of ports. In addition, the time in port for vessels can be directly used for estimating the greenhouse gas emissions resulted from vessels in port. However, it is unclear which variables can affect the time in port for vessels and what the marginal effect of each variable is. With these challenges in mind, the study analyzes the time in port for vessels arriving and departing port of Busan by using a parametric survival model. The results show that the log-logistic accelerated failure time model is appropriate to explain the time in port for 19,167 vessels arriving and departing port of Busan in 2008, in which the time in port is significantly affected by gross tonnage of vessels, service capacity of terminal, and vessel type. This study also shows that the greenhouse gas emission resulted from full-container vessels, which accounted for about 61% of all vessels with loading/unloading purpose arriving and departing port of Busan in 2008, is about "17 ton/vessel" in the boundary of port of Busan. However, the hotelling greenhouse gas emissions resulted from non-container vessels (3,774 vessels; 20%) are greater than those from the full-container vessels. Hence, it is necessary to take into account more efficient port management polices and technologies to reduce the service time of non-container vessels in port of Busan.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.269-279
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between resistance exercise frequency, muscular strength, and health-related quality of life in Korean cancer patients. We performed complex sample general linear model and logistic regression analysis using data from a total of 647 cancer patients in the 2014~2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Participants who were participating in resistance exercise 0~1 day per week had lower EQ-5D index (0.852±0.016 vs. 0.890±0.020; p=0.006) and a significantly higher risk of having problems in mobility (Odd ratio[OR]=4.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.31-12.63) compared to those who were participating in resistance exercise ≥ 5 days per week. Participants with low hand-grip strength had lower EQ-5D index (0.850±0.018 vs. 0.911±0.016; p<0.001) and a significantly higher risk of having problems in mobility (OR=4.94, 95% CI=2.14-11.41), usual activities (OR=5.18, 95% CI=1.56-17.14), and pain/discomfort (OR=2.46, 95% CI=1.33-4.55) compared to those with high hand-grip strength. This study showed that resistance exercise frequency and muscular strength were associated with health-related quality of life in Korean cancer patients.

• 한국노년학
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.387-407
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• 2014

This study aims to identify the multiple trajectories of depressive symptoms and the characteristics of each trajectory group among the elderly. This study uses five waves of longitudinal data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KWPS, 2006-2010). Subjects were older adults aged 60 and over who had completed at least three waves between 2006 and 2010. A total of 4,181 respondents were analyzed. The latent growth mixture model and the multiple logistic regression model were mainly used for data analysis. The major findings were as follows: After controlling for the variables of gender, age, education, marital status, self-assessed health, and poverty, this study identified four different trajectory classes: stable low depressive symptoms (71.8%), high but decreased depressive symptoms (10.6%), moderate but increased depressive symptoms (7.9%), and an increased, then a decreased pattern of depressive symptoms (9.7%). The characteristics of theses trajectories as compared to previous studies were a lower percentage of 'stable low depressive symptoms', no 'persistently high depressive symptoms', and higher level of depressive symptoms. Also, the elderly in the stable low trajectory group had better health status, higher self-esteem and a good relationship with family members, having longer working periods, and more living in non-poverty. In addition, chronic health problems, loss of spouse, and household income differentiated the increased and then decreased pattern from the low stable pattern. Also, age and public pension differentiated the moderated but increased pattern from the low stable pattern. Based on the findings of this study, the researchers suggested political and practical implications for reducing depressive symptoms in later life.

• 한국노년학
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.409-425
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• 2007

The purposes of this study were to compare the disability prevalence and its related factors between men and women. The data used for the analysis was the National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2005, and the instrument of measuring disability was the K-ADL which had been developed by Won(2002). Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used to test the gender difference. In the bivariate analyses, women had more disabilities than men among the entire elderly and the young elderly. However, there was not gender difference of disability among the old elderly. After controlling for age and other factors related to disability, no gender differences in the prevalence of disability were found. However, in the same analyses for the individual activities of daily living, men had more disabilities than women for all the activities except bathing and incontinence control. In conclusion, women's higher prevalence of disability in the univariate and bivariate analyses were spurious, because it was disappeared when other related factors to disability were controled for and women's disability became lower than men for some activities of daily living.