• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.550-557
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of Bi-Su as a pattern identification (PI) index in stroke patients. Methods : The subjects were 424 hospitalized stroke patients within 1 month from onset and diagnosed with the same PI subtypes (dampness & phlegm, qi deficiency, fire & heat, eum deficiency, and blood stasis) by agreement of two clinical experts. Bi-Su type is a kind of body shape (Bi : fat, Su : lean). Bi-Su type and degree (Bi-Su score) were decided by clinical expert. Body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were used as an obesity index. Correlation analysis between Bi-Su score and obesity index (Spearman) and variance analysis for Bi-Su score, BMI, and WHR among PI subtypes (ANOVA) and sex were carried out. Results : While there was partial correlation between Bi-Su type and BMI($r^2$=0.634, p<0.001), the distribution of the BMI group based on the Bi-Su group showed the broadest range. The Bi-Su score in the dampness & phlegm group was higher than in the other groups (p<0.001). BMI in the dampness & phlegm groups was also higher but the BMI differences among PI subtypes was low (p=0.002). The Bi-Su score in the dampness & phlegm group was similar in both sexes, although the hand score in the eum deficiency group was the lowest, especially in males. Conclusions : Although BMI is not an objective enough tool for evaluating Bi-Su type, Bi-Su type is more appropriate than BMI as PI index. Therefore Bi-Su type could be used as one of the PI indices for dampness & phlegm or eum deficiency group in stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.85-96
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• 2016

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the effects of acupuncture treatment and heart rate variability (HRV) in pre-menopausal obese women. Methods Thirty-seven obese women who met the inclusion criteria were recruited. To estimate the effects of acupuncture, obesity indices, such as body weight (BW), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and the waist-hip ratio (WHR), were measured before and after the treatment. The HRV test was conducted before treatment and analyzed using the frequency domain method. Results The lnLF/HF ratio (natural logarithm of low frequency power/high frequency power ratio of the HRV value) before treatments was negatively correlated with differences in WC, HC, and WHR during treatment. The correlation coefficients between the lnLF/HF ratio and the differences in WC, HC, and WHR were r=-0.459 (p<0.01), r=-0.327 (p<0.05), and r=-0.339 (p<0.05) respectively. Conclusions As the baseline ratio of sympathetic activity to parasympathetic activity decreases, WC, HC, and WHR reduction significantly increased during treatment. Further study is needed to uncover the relationship between obesity-related variables and the autonomic nervous system to predict the effect of acupuncture.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.1 s.33
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• pp.57-69
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• 1991

This study examined the cross-sectional association of central body fat distribution with hypertension as well as the superiority of medial calf skinfold measured as peripheral fat distribution over the conventional triceps skinfold using 450 Korean Navy divers selected by authors' convenience in 1990. Their mean age was 27.9 and range of it was 19-51. The centrally located body fat was approximated by subscapular skinfold and peripherally located fat by triceps and medial calf skinfolds. Four indices were constructed from these skinfold measures to reflect central versus peripheral fat distribution pattern : 2 ratios and 2 differences. After controlling age and overall obesity (body mass index), prevalance odds ratios of the 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 quartiles of subscapular skinfold comparing with lowest 1/4 quartile were 2.05(95% confidence interval, CI 1.18-3.59), 2.02(95% CI 1.06-3.86), 4.00 (95% CI 1.99-8.06) respectively. The difference of subscapular and medial calf skinfolds was associated with hypertension (odds ratio 2.45, 95% CI 1.28-4.68 comparing highest with lowest quartiles). Triceps and medial calf skinfolds alone did not show any odds ratio not including unity. The adjusted odds ratios were generally reduced in small magnitude compared with crude odds ratios not adjusted for age and overall obesity. The medial calf skinfold appeared to be more representative of peripheral body fat distribution than triceps skinfold. These findings suggest that central fat distribution rather than peripheral distribution is associated with hypertension independent of age and overall level of obesity and medial calf skinfold may replace conventional triceps skinfold in predicting peripheral distribution of body fat.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.644-652
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• 2007

In this study, we examined family history of chronic diseases, food group intake and physical activity in $5^{th}\;and\; 6^{th}$ grade elementary school children. Food group intake was compared with the KDRI food guides for children. The measurements of daily physical activity, television viewing, computer use, and daily servings of five food groups, including grains, meats, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, were based on child and parent self-reports. As indices of obesity, the obesity index(%) and BMI(Body Mass Index) were used. The results were as follows. In boys, 83.2% were normal weight with 7.4% slightly obese, 7.4% moderately obese, and 2.0 were highly obese while the percentages of normal and slightly obese in girls were 89.9% and 6.2% respectively (p<0.05). The boys had more hours of daily physical activity(p<0.05) and more hours of computer usage(Internet searching or games)(p<0.05) than the girls. Slightly over 50% of the subjects met the daily recommended servings of grains, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables according to the KDRI food guides. However, only 26% of boys and 27% of girls met the recommended daily servings of protein foods such as meats, beans, and eggs. Thirty two percent(32%) of girls consumed high fat snacks everyday while 32% consumed high sugar snacks every day. The girls consumed more vegetables(p<0.05) and more high sugar snacks(p<0.05) than the boys. The children with family histories of obesity showed greater obesity rates(p<0.05) and sedentary lifestyles(p< 0.05) than those children without a family history of obesity. Children with family histories of high blood pressure consumed more sewings of vegetables and high fat snacks than the controls(p<0.05). The children with family histories of obesity consumed more high sugar or high fat snacks than the controls(p<0.05).

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.489-497
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• 2002

This study was conducted to determine if Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire could be effectively applied in predicting obesity and eating disorders among Korean college students by examining the correlations between eating-related characteristics and anthropometry, nutrient intakes, psychological aspects of depression, and personality dimensions. The data were collected from 151 female students in classes of nutrition or psychology in Kyungnam University. Measurements of height, weight and triceps skinfold thickness (TSf) were made by well-trained interviewers, and BMI was calculated. Daily nutrient intakes were obtained from the self-reported three-day dietary records for the kinds and the amounts of foods consumed by the student subjects. The students were also asked to complete three questionnaires : Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Berk Depression Inventory. The results of the study were as follows : 1) Reliability of factored homogeneous item dimensions (FHIDS) of the translated version of the eating-related characteristics questionnaire showed a similar profile compared with the original. Moreover, the loading values of Cronbach-$\alpha$ for some FHIDs, which were excluded in order to constitute primary-level factors (for example, 'predisposition to obesity' etc) with a high reliability, were much lower than Mehrabian's. Therefore the eating-related characteristics questionnaire could be effectively used for Korean students for predicting predisposition to obesity and eating disorders. 2) With regard to the relationship between anthropometric indices and eating-related characteristics, BMI measurements showed a high and a positive correlation with 'predisposition to obesity' and 'uncontrollable urges to eat', and a negative correlation with a 'predisposition to anorexia'. The heavier body weight and the more fat mass that the subjects had, the higher the probability that the subjects were overeating. 3) The intakes of some minerals (Fe, K, Na) and Vitamin C showed significantly negative correlations with a 'predisposition to obesity' and a 'predisposition to anorexia'. But the intakes of vitamin B$_2$, niacin, and retinol were positively correlated with'uncontrollable urges to eat'. 4) Among personality dimensions, neuroticism had a positive correlation with a 'predisposition to obesity', 'uncontrollable urges to eat', and 'predisposition to anorexia'. 5) Neuroticism was negatively correlated with intakes of calories, carbohydrates, K, Fe, Vitamin C, etc. On the contrary, all personality dimensions were positively correlated with intakes of retinol. In conclusion, the translated version of Mehrabian's eating-related characteristics questionnaire appears to be effective for nutritional or psychological assessments of any predisposition to eating disorders among Korean college students.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.575-586
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• 2006

This study was performed to compare nutrient intakes, diet quality and serum indices (TG, Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, RBC, Hb, Hct, Serum iron, ferritin, MCV) of obese and normal weight children. The subjects were 149 children living in the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. Each subject was assigned to one of such as normal weight group ($15th{\le}BMI$ percentile < 85th, n = 82) or obese children ($85th{\le}BMI$ percentile, n = 67) according to their percentile of BMI by The Korean Pediatric Society. Data on dietary intakes, body composition and serum indices were obtained. Differences of all the above variables were assessed. Energy, carbohydrate, fat, cholesterol, total fatty acid, SFA, MUFA, PUFA, phosphate, potassium, zinc, vitamin $B_1$ and vitamin $B_6$ intakes of girls in the obese group were higher than those of the normal weight group (p<0.05). The intake of fiber was as insufficient as below 50% of KDRIs in both groups. Nutrient adequacy ratio of calcium, iron, phosphate, zinc and folate in obese boys were lower than those of normal weight boys (p<0.05). Energy intakes of grain and milk and dairy food in the obese girl group ($905.9{\pm}344.5kcal,\;210.9{\pm}166.4kcal$) were higher than those of normal weight girls ($671.2{\pm}360.7kcal,\;184.0{\pm}103.5kcal$) (p<0.05). HDL-cholesterol level of obese boys ($52.7{\pm}6.3mg/dL$) was significantly lower than that of normal weight boys ($65.3{\pm}15.6mg/dL$). Serum iron level of obese boys and girls (boys: $79.4{\pm}32.6mg/dL$, girls: $98.3{\pm}16.2mg/dL$) was significantly lower than those of normal weight children (boys: $104.8{\pm}38.6mg/dL$, girls: $106.7{\pm}28.9mg/dL$) (p<0.05). These results suggest that there should be sensible food selection and more intakes of fruit and vegetable are needed to improve the nutritional status in obese children.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2017

A new body adiposity index (BAI) has been proposed that is expected to replace body mass index (BMI). We evaluated the correlations between metabolic syndrome risk factors and BAI, BMI, and other adiposity indices, such as waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), by sex in the Korean population. We also evaluated whether BAI would be useful to diagnose metabolic syndrome. A total of 20,961 Korean adults who underwent health examinations were included in this study. The metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria used in this study were those set by the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI). In men (12,719), BMI and WHtR were more strongly correlated to metabolic syndrome risk than BAI, and in women (8,242), WHtR showed the strongest association with metabolic syndrome risk. BAI (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.678) presented lower discriminatory capacity than that of BMI (AUC = 0.836) for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. Moreover, BAI underestimated fat levels in men and women when considering the ability to discriminate overweight and obese individuals. In conclusion, WHtR and BMI in men, and WHtR in women may be better candidates than BAI to evaluate metabolic risk factors in Korean adults.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.196-203
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• 2017

Objectives Childhood trauma increases substantial risks for later developing not only mental health issues including psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia but also physical illness. In this study, possible associations of childhood trauma with metabolic syndrome and physical heath indices were tested among outpatients with schizophrenia. Methods A final sample of 46 adult outpatients with schizophrenia was recruited from an outpatient psychiatric unit of Hanyang University Guri Hospital. Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), laboratory tests and physical measurement including Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist to hip ratio (WHR). The Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) were also administered. Results We did not find significant correlations between total scores of childhood trauma and any of these variables, but physical neglect was negatively associated with BMI (r = -0.329, p = 0.026) and waist circumference (r = -0.304, p = 0.040). Conclusions In this preliminary study, we noted that subtypes of childhood trauma could contribute to physical health status separately. Clinicians need to consider the possibility that childhood trauma may affect physical health as well as psychological aspect of schizophrenic illness.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 1979

This study was conducted to find out the most suitable weight-height index out of the $weight/height^{p}-type$ indices that could be used for the evaluation of nutritional status in an epidemiological survey and for the screening of the obesity. The subjects were chosen randomly, 2,182 males and 719 females from college students and office workers in Seoul districts. The 'best' power-type weight-height index for Korean men and women of all ages from 16 to 59 was found to be $weight/height^{1.54}$ for males and $weight/height^{1.42}$ for females. $Weight/height^2$ (Kaup index), however, was the best suited weight-height index for each age group of both sexes except that relative weight (weight/height) was considered to be desirable to apply for males of teen-aged and of over fifties and for females of over forties of age. Normal ranges of Kaup index values for males and females of each age group were presented in tables 5 and 6. These findings suggest that Koreans are generally leaner than other ethnic groups of the same sex and age.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.927-938
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• 1998

Epidemiological studies have indicated that a relationship between overweight and cardiovascular disease exists. To assess the relationship of unfavorable changes in serum lipid concentrations, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein(a), blood sugar and blood pressure to anthropometric variables, nutrient intakes and dietary behavior,64 obese children were chosen as subjects and 24-hour dietary intake, dietary behavior as well as blood pressure, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein(a), three kinds of cholesterol concentrations were measured in November 1976. More than half(57.8%) of the children had serum cholesterol concentrations over 175mg/d1, and 26.6% of them had over 200mg/d1 and this group could be classified as a high risk group. Abdominal obesity as measured with waist circumference and waist hip ratio was negatively co..elated to high density lipop개tein(HDL) cholesterol. Dietary behavior rather than nutrient intakes appeared to have associations with unfavorable lipid profiles. Total dietary behavior scores and fish and bean product consumption had strong correlations with potentially atherogenic lipoprotein concentrations. This study suggests that fir the early prevention of cardiovascular disease, waist hip ratio together with obese rate should be included in selective programs to identify risk group of children in Korea. furthermore, interventions in cardiovascular disease risk groups in obese children should emphasize maintenance of ideal body weight through reducing body fat and adopting desirable dietary behaviors such as increasing intake of fish or bean products. (Korean J Nutrition 31(5) : 927~938, 1998)