• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7981-7986
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• 2015

Background: As coverage of public insurance is not sufficient to cover diagnosis or treatment of cancer, having private health insurance is important to prepare for unexpected expenses of cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with having private cancer insurance, considering gender among the socio-demographic factors and health behavior. Materials and Methods: We used data from the 2011 Korea Health Panel, which included 10,871 participants aged 20 years and older. Socio-demographics, health behavior, and perceived cancer risk were the independent variables and having private cancer insurance was the dependent variable. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with having private cancer insurance. Results: The variables relating to middle age, higher education, higher household income, married men, and the perceived cancer risk groups of 1-10% and 11-30% were significantly associated with having private cancer insurance. Additionally, females who had private non-cancer health insurance were positively associated with the dependent variables (OR=1.36; 95% CI=1.17-1.57). Education, smoking status, exercise, and perceived cancer risk possibility were significantly associated with having private cancer insurance only among women. The men lowered the overall percentages of those having private cancer insurance (OR=0.53, 95% CI=0.45-0.63). Conclusions: We found that there were significant differences between men and women who had private cancer insurance. Women with private cancer insurance are more likely to follow precautionary health behavior than men. This could be interpreted as resulting from masculine ideologies. It is important to make males recognize the seriousness of the cancer risk. In general, household income was highly associated with private cancer insurance. These results reveal an inequity among the buyers of private cancer insurance in terms of economic status level, education level, and health condition.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.527-536
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• 2014

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess how nutrient intakes are related to risk factors for metabolic syndrome according to dietary patterns in the middle-aged adults. Methods: The subjects (n = 187; 47 men, 140 women) consisted of middle-aged adults over 30 years old in Ilsan area. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the data collected from each subject, including anthropometric measurements and blood analyses. The dietary patterns were derived from the average of two-day dietary intake data. Results: Factor analysis identified three major dietary patterns which were "Meats and alcohol", "Mixed grains, vegetables and fruits", and "Rice, Kimchi and fish & shellfish". The daily intakes of energy, protein, and sodium increased across quartiles of "Meats and alcohol" pattern scores (p < 0.05), whereas the intakes of carbohydrates, potassium, calcium, and fiber increased across quartiles of "Mixed grains, vegetables and fruits" pattern scores (p < 0.001). The "Meats and alcohol" pattern scores were positively correlated with protein and sodium intakes but inversely correlated with carbohydrates, fiber and potassium intakes which were adjusted for age, sex and energy (p < 0.05). The highest quartile pattern score of "Meats and alcohol" pattern had elevated odds ratio of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome (p < 0.05). The risk of hypertriglyceridemia decreased in the highest quartile of "Mixed grains, vegetables and fruits" pattern (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.12-1.00). Conclusions: Our results suggested that reducing the consumption of meat and alcohol along with increasing fruits, vegetables and mixed grains would be helpful for preventing the metabolic syndrome and chronic diseases.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.88-105
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• 2016

This study investigated anthropometric and biochemical characteristics, food and nutrient intakes, and changes in body mass index (BMI) of Korean middle age men (40~49 yrs). Data on BMI, anthropometric (height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure), and biochemical (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, hemoglobin, GOT, GPT) characteristics, food and nutrients intakes, nutrient density, and index of nutrient quality were obtained from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2001, 2005, 2011). Subjects were divided into three groups by year. Weight, BMI, and hemoglobin increased significantly by year. All anthropometric factors except height showed a positive relation with BMI by year. Consumption of barley, chinese noodle, confections, soybean milk, egg, ice cream, pizza, fried foods, banana, coffee, and raw rice wine increased significantly by year. Intake ratios of nutrients except water and fiber were over 100% of KDRI generally. INQ according to intakes of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin per 1,000 kcal increased significantly by year. Distribution of BMI status of subjects showed a significant difference by exercise. The findings of the present study show that BMI of subjects increased by year, and intakes of all nutrients except calcium and riboflavin showed aspects of overnutrition by year. Intakes of fruits decreased while intakes of raw rice wine and coffee increased by year. Therefore, practical and systematic nutrition programs are required to maintain optimum BMI and appropriate intakes of nutrients to maintain a desirable lifestyle and improve dietary life.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.547-558
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• 1996

A rapid increase in urbanization and industrialization brings about a change in economic status which results in considerable changes in lifestyle including food habits and disease and mortality patterns. The purpose of the present study was to investigate recent food habit changes if any, reasons for food habit change, current food consumption patterns, and breakfast practices among urban adults with middle and upper income levels. Three hundred men and women, aged 20-60 years, were randomly selected and interviewed individually by trained interviewers. Among the twenty food groups studied, subjects reported that, compared to two years ago, they are now eating more fast foods, meats, fish, vegetables and fruits, and less rice, noodles, pastries, and salt. The changes in fast foods, fruits, and rice consumption patterns varied significantly between age, sex, income level, and BMI groups. The two most primary reasons for food habit changes were 'for my own health' and 'for my family's health', which shows that health seems to be the major concern in changing food habits. Among meals, the breakfast meal was rated as the most important one, and was not affected by the sociodemographic variables. However, the average rate of skipping breakfast was found to be as high as 33% with a greater rate in younger age groups. The rats of breakfast skipping was found to vary between different income, education, and BMI groups. Among the subjects who eat breakfast meals daily, a traditional Korean breakfast of rice and soup was found to be still a predominant choice, although younger age groups, upper income groups, and people with more education choice, although younger age groups, upper income groups, and people with more education tended to eat a western-style breakfast more frequently. These findings are applicable at the planning and implementation stages of various nutritional improvement projects as a part of the National health Promotion Law.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.132-137
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• 2001

Objective: The aim of our study was to describe and compare the radiologic findings of esophageal leiomyomas. Materials and Methods: The chest radiographic (n = 12), esophagographic (n = 12), CT (n = 12), and MR (n = 1) findings of surgically proven esophageal leiomyomas in 12 consecutive patients [ten men and two women aged 34 - 47 (mean, 39) years] were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The tumors, surgical specimens of which ranged from 9 to 90 mm in diameter, were located in the upper (n = 1), middle (n = 5), or lower esophagus (n = 6). In ten of the 12 patients, chest radiography revealed the tumors as mediastinal masses. Esophagography showed them as eccentric, smoothly elevated filling defects in 11 patients and a multilobulated encircling filling defect in one. In 11 of the 12 patients, enhanced CT scans revealed a smooth (n = 9) or lobulated (n = 2) tumor margin, and attenuation was homogeneously low (n = 7) or iso (n = 4). In one patient, the tumor signal seen on T2-weighted MR images was slightly high. Conclusion: Esophageal leiomyomas, located mainly in the middle or distal esophagus, are consistently shown by esophagography to be mainly eccentrically elevated filling defects and at CT, lesions showing homogeneous low or isoattenuation are demonstrated.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.4 s.63
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• pp.604-615
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• 1998

Although previous studies revealed the association of physical activity with mortality rate, it is unclear whether there is a linear trend between physical activity and mortality rate. In this study, the association of physical activity with the risk of all-cause mortality was analysed using Cox's proportional hazard model for a cohort of 14,204 healthy Korean men aged 40-59 years followed up for 4 years(Jan. 1993-Dec. 1996). Physical activity and other life style were surveyed by a postal questionnaire in December 1992. Total of 14,204 subjects were grouped into quartiles by physical activity. Using death certificate data, 123 deaths were identified. The second most active quartile had a lowest mortality .ate with relative risk of 0.44(95% C.I. : 0.23-0.84) compared with most sedentary quartile, showing a J-shape pattern of physical activity-mortality curve. By examining the difference in proportion of cause of the death between most active quartile and the other quartiles, there was no significant difference of proportional mortality from cardiovascular deaths, cerebrovascular deaths or deaths from trauma. The covariates were stratified into two group between which the trend of RR was compared to test the effect modification. There was no remarkable effect modification by alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index, calorie consumption, percent fat consumption. In conclusion, moderate activity was found to have more protective effect on all-cause mortality than vigorous activity and that the J-shape pattern of physical activity-mortality curve was not due to the difference of mortality pattern or effect modification by alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index, calorie consumption and percent fat consumption.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.449-455
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was found the risk factors of cataract by gender in elder and older Korean adults. Methods: We investigated the data for 5,024 (men 2,163 people, women 2,861 people) people, aged 40-95 years, from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We divided into two groups (group 1: 40-64 years, group 2: 65-94 years). We divided into two groups (group 1: 40-64 years, group 2: 65-94 years). Cataract was decided in case of at least one eye with lens opacity. We presented significant odds ratio (OR) increase of cataract according to the obesity and socioeconomic information including house income and education level after adjusting for diabetes, hypertension, high triglyceride, outside active, smoking and drinking habits in two groups with distinction of sex. Results: House income (or education) was strongly related to the prevalence of agerelated cataract in all groups. In models adjusting for all other related factors, cataract patients with lower income and education had a higher prevalence of cataract (group1: OR, 1.84[1.17-2.91], OR, 3.00[1.90-4.74], group 2: OR, 3.47[2.53-4.74], OR, 7.44[5.41-10.23] for men. In comparison, for women, cataract patients with lower income, lower education and obesity had a higher prevalence of cataract (group1: OR, 1.72[1.14-2.60], OR, 4.48[2.72-7.38], OR, 1.40[1.10-1.82], group 2: OR, 2.32[1.70-3.16], OR, 29.99[20.31-44.28], OR, 1.27[1.04-1.54]). Conclusions: Factors of low socioeconomic status were associated with age-related cataract in Korean. Obesity-cataract association was stronger in women.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.2 s.57
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• pp.293-307
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• 1997

In Korea, sudden deaths of middle-aged and older male workers who are the responsible persons at home as well as workplace, have aroused social concern. Besides, U. N. has reported recently that mortality of Korea male in 40-50's was one of the highest among newly developed countries in 1992. Not much is, however, known about the nature of the work contributing to the mortality of different groups of workers. Therefore, this study was done to examine mortality of public servants, comprising about 5% of all the employed in Korea, according to their job titles and grades. The datas of 1753 official deaths, comprised 323 (only disease-oriented deaths) applicants of survivors' compensation, were used to examine age-adjusted Standardized Mortality Ratios(SMRs) according to their job titles, grades, tenures and cause of deaths. Controlling age and sex difference was conducted using 26,950,481 general population, 95,340 general deaths and 864,560 working public servants. All the groups were aged 20-64, who were being observed January - December in 1993, at the same time. Results and discussions are as follows. 1. SMRs standardized by general population was significantly low (SMR 44.9 CI 42.8-52.7) for all job titlses. Of public servants, 90.0% was graduated from high school, although 17.5% in general population. The distinction of social status such a education may produce a strong healthy worker effect. Besides, SMRs for different tenure groups showed a steady increase as tenure increases. This suggests that the magnitude of healthy-worker effect may be greater with increasing tenures. 2. SMRs standardized by own public servants was significantly elevated for work-men(SMR 121.0, CI 110.2-132.6) in solitue. When SMRs for different grade, of work-men was examined, 9th(SMR 124.2, CI 104.4-146.7) and 10th(SMR 137.9 CI 120.8-156.8)grade, lower grade in workmen, showed significantly elevated SMRs. Of workmen, 57.0% were graduated from high school and 50.1% in 9th grade, as well. These mean that low economic states made up social class, education may increase mortality rate. 3. Of SMRs according to all causes of death, only policemen on 'cause of death related hypertensive disease'(SMR 282.5, CI 121.6-556.7) was significantly high except for' cause of death related other signs, symptoms and ill-defined conditions'. 4. When SMRs on cause of death related hypertensive disease for different grade of policemen was examined, senior policemen(SMR 241.9), in charge of the front service, showed elevated SMR, in spite of statistical no significance. Especially, the working hour of senior policemen is quite long and also the work schedule is even more irregular for policemen. The results of this study showed that mortality for different jobs differed, and it differed also for different grades in the same job. This difference in mortality may reflect the difference in the nature of job contents, and further studies are warranted to elucidate which job characteristics are responsible.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.16 no.3 s.43
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• pp.181-195
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• 1992

The purposes of this study were to investigate 1) the effect of body exposure and color of a woman's suit on the perception of modesty, and 2) the effect of perceiver's sex and age on impression formed by the function of clothing variables. The instrument of this study consisted of a response scale and stimuli. Thirteen items of 7-point semantic differential scales were developed to measure the perceiver's impression on wearer's modesty. Stimuli were color pictures of a model wearing one of 8 types of suit constructed by a 2 $\times$ 2 $\times$ 2 factorial design. The manipulation of each level of the clothing variables were: color of the suit by black and red, leg exposure by varying skirt lengths to a Chanel-line and mini skirt, and neck exposure by shirt collar blouse and scarf. Two models, representing typical female college students living in Seoul, were selected to eliminate model effect. The sample include 384 subjects, consisting of 4 groups of male and female college students and middle aged men and women. Eight experimental groups were randomly assigned to one of eight stimuli based on between-subject design. One half of each group responded to model 1 and the other half to model 2 of same stimulus. Responses to the semantic differential scales were factor analyzed (pc model, Varimax rotation) to identify factors constructing impression of modesty. Two factors emerged regard­less of subgroups; Elegance and Extroversion factor. The first factor was found to be dominant, accounting for 60 percent of the total variance. The other accounted for just 11 percent. Multidimensional ANOVA (5-way, 3-way) was conducted to test the effect of the clothing variables against two factors identified from the factor analysis. Leg exposure was the most powerful variable affecting the impression of Elegance and Extroversion factor for all per. ceiver subgroups. Neck exposure had primary effect on the impression of Elegance, whereas it partially influenced that of Extroversion. Color of suit had only partial effect on the impression of Extroversion. Hypothesis I was partially supported from the findings above. The effect of perceiver's age and sex on impression by the function of clothing variables was tested by comparing the result between four subgroups. In forming an impression of the wearer's modesty, male college students were least affected by the manipulation of clothing variables, while middle aged males were affected most. In the female groups, there was no age difference and they fell between the male groups in the degree to which they were affected. Hypothesis II was supported only by age difference in two male groups, and by sex difference in two student groups.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.141-155
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to identified the relationship between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, subjective health, and health-related quality of life among the middle-aged and elderly population in Korea. Methods: Adults aged 40 or older were extracted from the total 22,559 respondents to the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VIII, and secondary analysis was conducted on a total of 6,659 middle-aged and elderly people with no missing values. Logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea risk factors and subjective health as well as quality of life. Results: The subjective health status decline in the high-risk group compared to the non-risk group for obstructive sleep apnea was statistically significantly higher, with an odds ratio of 1.84 (p<0.001). The health-related quality of life was also statistically significantly lower by 0.02 points (β, -0.02; p<0.001). As a result of subgroup analysis on specific variables, the association between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea and subjective health and health-related quality of life was statistically significant depending on gender, sleep time, presence of depression, household income, and number of household members. Based on the obstructive sleep apnea risk group, women had a higher correlation with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life scores than men. Sleeping time of more than 8 hours or less than 6 hours was more associated with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life score than sleeping time of 6-8 hours. Patients with depression were more likely to have low subjective health than those without depression. The lower the household income level and the smaller the number of household members, the higher the association with low subjective health and the lower the health-related quality of life score. Conclusion: It is essential to recognize that the risk of obstructive sleep apnea not only directly affects sleep disorders but also impacts individuals' subjective health and quality of life. Consequently, social support and education should be provided to raise awareness of this issue. Particularly, programs for preventing and managing obstructive sleep apnea should target vulnerable groups such as women, individuals in single-person households, low household income, and those with depression, aiming to improve their subjective health and quality of life.