• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2006

Objectives: We examined whether the neighborhood socioeconomic position predicts the smoking rates after adjusting for individual socioeconomic position indicators. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2001 Seoul Health Indicators Survey. The neighborhood socioeconomic position was the residential distribution of the high class (power elites), as measured by the location quotients (LQ) for each administrative dong (district). A high LQ denotes a high neighborhood socioeconomic status. The individual socioeconomic position included education, occupation and income. Age-adjusted smoking rates according to the LQ level were computed with the direct method. The total number of subjects in this study (26,022 men and 28,007 women) was the reference. A multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted with the individuals at the first level and the neighborhoods at the second level to estimate the odds ratios of smoking with 95% confidence intervals. Results: For men, the age-adjusted smoking rates increased with a decrease in the LQ. For women, the relationship between the age-adjusted smoking rate and the LQ was not clear. The odds of smoking for both genders were greater among those subjects with lower incomes and lower education. The manual occupational class had greater odds of smoking than the non-manual class for the males, while the odds ratio of smoking among females with a manual occupation tended to be lower than those females with a non-manual occupation. For the males, the LQ levels independently predicted smoking after adjustment for individual income. However, this relation between the LQ and smoking in males was explained by full adjustment for the individual socioeconomic position indicators (education, occupation and income). Conclusions: A low level of neighborhood socioeconomic position was associated with higher smoking rates among the men residing in Seoul. This association between the neighborhood socioeconomic position and smoking in men was explained by the individual socioeconomic position. Anti-smoking efforts to reduce geographical inequality in smoking should be directed at reducing the smoking rates between the individuals with different socioeconomic backgrounds in the metropolitan city of Seoul, South Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.251-258
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• 2019

Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitations associated with chronic inflammatory response due to noxious particles or gases in the lung. Inflammation and oxidative stress are associated with COPD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship among inflammation, oxidative stress, and airflow limitation severity in retired miners with COPD. Methods: The levels of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hsCRP) as a biomarker for inflammation, degree of reactive oxygen metabolites(dROMs) and biological antioxidants potential(BAP) in plasma as biomarkers for oxidative stress were measured in 211 male subjects with COPD. Degree of airflow limitation severity as determined by spirometry was divided into three grades grouped according to the classification of the Global Initiatives for Obstructive Lung Disease(GOLD)(1, mild; 2, moderate; $3{\leq}$, severe or more) using a fixed ratio, post- bronchodilator $FEV_1/FVC$ < 0.7. Results: Mean levels of dROMs significantly increased in relation to airflow limitation severity(GOLD 1, 317.8 U.CARR vs. GOLD 2, 320.3 U.CARR vs. GOLD $3{\leq}$, 350.9 U.CARR, p=0.047) and dROMs levels were correlated with serum hsCRP levels(r=0.514, p<0.001). Mean levels of hsCRP were higher in current smokers(non-smoker, 1.47 mg/L vs. smoker, 2.34 mg/L, p=0.006), and tended to increase with degree of airflow limitation severity(p=0.071). Mean levels of BAP were lower in current smokers(non-smoker, $1873{\mu}mol/L$ vs. smoker, $1754{\mu}mol/L$, p=0.006). Conclusions: These results suggest that inflammation and oxidative stress are related to airflow limitation severity in retired miners with COPD, and there was a correlation between inflammation and oxidative stress.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 1978

To try to determine the type of medical service wanted by the rural population, in Chungnam Province, a survey amongst the populations of 6 counties was conducted; Within the 6 counties, 2 local communities, which had no access to local medical services, were surveyed. The 12 communities were actively involved in Sae-maul activities, and total number of households surveyed, was 822. The survey was conducted over a 1 month period, from July 16th, 1976, thru August 20th, and the followings are the results, summarised. 1. The largest number of respondents desired a combination of Public Health Center and Country Hospital, followed in order by Private Clinic and Modern Medical Facility. 2. The respondents, aged under 40 years, desired the Private Clinic type medical service, whilst those over 40 years of age, wanted the County Hospital, and as the numbers in this age bracket, were larger, so the ratio was much higher. 3. Sex, educational background, and occupation did not play any particular emphasis in the decisions. 4. Monthly income affected the responses to the survey. These in the lower-income bracket, wanted the County Hospital, and the ratio was high. These in the high income bracket desired the Modern Medical Service, accordingly. Those with an income of 50,000 won or less, amongst the low-income bracket, favored the Public Health Sub-center type of service. The ratio for this service was very high.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.182-196
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• 2010

Purpose: This study examined potential determinants of gender differences in utilization of health care services among Korean adults. Methods: The study population was 21,647 adults ${\geq}$25-years-of-age who had responded to a health interview survey conducted as part of the 2005 National Health and Nutrition Surveys. Relative gender differences in the use of each health service were assessed using chi-square test and sex ratios. The contribution of potential factors of sex differences in the use of health services was evaluated by comparing the odds ratio and sex ratio before and after adjustment for such variables. Results & Conclusions: More females had visited a physician and been admitted to hospital, but hospitalization time was longer for males. Adjustment for poor self-rated health, number of chronic disease and limit of full term for ADL led to a reduction in the odds ratio of females compared to males for health service utilization. However, adjustment for socioeconomic factors (household income, education, occupation, and health insurance) magnified the gender difference concerning length of hospitalization. Factors that explain gender-related differences in utilization of health care services are concluded to be different health needs and socioeconomic status.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.24-44
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• 2020

Objective : To develop an occupation-based bilateral upper extremity training protocol that can be effectively applied in a medical setting Methods : The research process using the delphi technique was carried out in 3 stages. The first stage was an open questionnaire development stage, The first draft is prepared through literature review and open questions were developed through preliminary research based on the draft. The second stage was the delphi survey. Based on the responses of the experts obtained through the open Delphi survey, the adequacy of the training protocol was shown on a Likert 5 point scale. The items were edited and deleted, reconstructed by analyzing the mean and standard deviation, stability, convergence degree, consensus, and content validity ratio through the questionnaire. The third step was the completion of the protocol. After discussions between researchers, the finalized protocol contents were reorganized to complete the occupation-based bilateral upper extremity training protocol for medical setting. Results : The final protocol consisted of 9 items across 3 areas in the occupation-based intervention selection domain and 81 items across 4 areas in the bilateral upper extremity training domain, intervention period, and evaluation. Conclusions : This study suggests an evidence-based method that collects the opinions of occupational therapists in order to use occupation-based activities as interventions in a situation that currently sees occupational therapy primarily performed in hospitals. It is also meaningful that the bilateral upper extremity training can be applied effectively in clinical situations by concretely presenting.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.505-512
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• 1999

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between job strains and absenteeism from work. Methods : The study design was cross-sectional, and the study subjects consisted of 1,166 workers who were employed in the small-sized industries. A self administered questionnaire was used to measure the general characteristics, job characteristics(job demand, job control), and social support(coworker support, supervisor support) at work. The Job Content Questionnaire(JCQ) was used to assess job demand(2 items) and decision lattitude(10 items). Social support at work (10 items) was measured using JCQ. Sick absence was collected using self-report and were rechecked by the attendance record of their company. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between job strain and sick absence were estimated. The modifying effect of social support was evaluated by stratification. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between job strain and sick absence. Results : In the bivariate analysis, the variables related to sick absence were age, marital status, occupation, job demand. Four distinctly different kinds of level of job strain were generated by the combination of job demand and job control: low strain group, high strain group, active group, and passive group. The crude odds ratio of high job strain was 1.78(95% CI: 1.26-2.53), and those of active group and passive group were 1.33(95% CI: 1.07-1.66) and 1.13 (95% CI: 0.88-1.47), respectively. The odds ratio of high job strain after adjusting for age and occupation were still significant The odds ratio of high job strain in low social support was 5.96(95% CI: 2.45-14.51), but that in high social support was 0.73(95% CI: 0.26-2.01). Conclusions : Job strain was associated with increased risk of absenteeism from work, and social support at work modified the association between job strain and sick absence.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.177-187
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• 2002

This study was done to determine the factors associated with childhood overweight in 721 sixth grade elementary school students, in Busan. The students' heights, weights, waist circumferences and triceps-skinfold thicknesses were measured using standard techniques. Other data were collected using a questionnaire that included information about physical activity, television watching, and the amount of exorcise taken during leisure times, family history of diseases related to obesity: social data including family income, parents'education and occupations, eating behaviors; parental weights and heights; and parental activity levels. Childhood overweight was defined as a body mass index at or above the 85th percentile for age and sex. The prevalence of overweight revealed no significant difference between sexes, (24.2% in boys and 22.03% in girls). The risk of childhood overweight was significantly greater if either the mother or the father were overweight. The odds ratio for childhood overweight associated with maternal overweight was 5.045 (94% CI : 3.262-7.801), and 2.727 (95% CI : 1.764-4.218) was the case for parental overweight. Children having a history of hear diseases had higher odds ratios than those who did not. The odds ratios for overweight associated with income were not different. However, a higher odds ratio for overweight was observed in children whose fathers had only an elementary or middle school education than those whore fathers had a high school or college education. Children whose fathers' occupations were service workers or shopkeepers (OR : 3.314, 95% C = 1.851-5.934) or had no occupation (OR = 3.756, 95% CI : 1.898-7.430) had a treater risk of overweight than those whose fathers'were professionals or once workers. The risk of overweight increased in children having more irregular meal times and faster eating times, rather than those having an intake pattern of high energy and sugar containing floods. The amount of exercise taken during leisure times, and daily physical activity showed no difference between overweight and non-overweight children. However, television watching time, especially on weekends, was greater in overweight children than in non-overweight children. Television watching time was positively correlated with BMI, triceps-skin(31d thickness, waist circumference and waist/height ratio. Therefore, television watching was found to be a useful predictor of overweight in children. Television watching in children was negatively related to paternal activity levels, and positively related to parental television watching time. In fact, fathers whose children were overweight were physically less active than fathers whose children were non-overweight. Parents appeared to be a strong influence on their children's physical activity levels. In conclusion, a low family social class, defined on the basis of the father's occupation or education, parental overweight, increased television watching, and unhealthy physical activity levels in parents were all considered risk factors for childhood overweight. Among these, television watching time and lack of physical activity were considered to be the most important risk factors that could be easily modified for the prevention of and intervention in, overweight in children.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of the present study was undertaken to investigate the association between communication for chemical hazard information and characteristics of occupational safety and health managers. Subjects and Methods: We surveyed 78 occupational safety and health managers(64 male and 14 female) in 78 chemical manufacturing plants. Data were obtained using a self-reported questionnaire about size and type of company, products, communication system for chemicals and work-related characteristics of occupational safety and health managers. All analyses in this study were performed using SPSS program 12.0. Results: 64.1% of the study participants were occupational health managers aged 39.3 years on average and were graduated from college and university around 90%. 30.0% and of them were majoring in chemistry (engineering chemistry), 18.0% occupational health, 16% nursing and 30.0% others. Occupational safety managers were aged 39.4 years on average, 42.9% of them were majoring in chemistry (engineering chemistry), 21.4% environmental engineering, 10.7% occupational safety and 25% others. 86% of occupational health managers and 71.4% of occupational safety managers were classified as office job. Over 94% of the hazards information for chemicals were delivered by occupational safety and health managers, but about 28.2% workers preferred outside experts who have a profound knowledge about occupational safety and health and understandable. Occupational safety and health managers and workers had difficulties in understanding toxicological information, hazards identification, stability/reactivity, composition/information on ingredients, physical/chemical properties and ecological information. On multiple logistic regression analysis for the 16 heading of material safety data sheet, content of material safety data sheet was significantly associated with education level (odds ratio=0.286, 95% confidence interval=0.105-0.780). The hazard identification (odds ratio=3.947, 95% confidence interval=1.092-14.271) and toxicological information (odds ratio=0.841, 95% confidence interval=0.705-0.998) were significantly associated with type of occupation. Conclusions: This finding implies that the education level, type of occupation and speciality of occupational safety and health managers may affects hazards information delivery.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.371-380
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• 2020

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of socio-demographic factors on the decreasing trend in the sex ratio at birth from 1997 to 2017 in Korea. Methods: Data from 10 349 602 live births registered with Statistics Korea from 1997 to 2017 were analyzed. The secondary sex ratio (SSR), defined as the ratio of male to female live births, during the study period (1997-1999 [phase I], 2000-2002 [phase II], 2003-2005 [phase III], 2006-2008 [phase IV], 2009-2011 [phase V], 2012-2014 [phase VI], and 2015-2017 [phase VII]) was calculated according to selected socio-demographic factors, such as parental age, education, occupation, and birth order. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for a male birth after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: The SSR gradually decreased from 1.10 (in 1998-2000 and 2002) to 1.05 (in 2013-2016). While a decreasing trend in the SSR was not noted among first births, male-biased sex ratios were prominent among third and higher-order births, for which the highest SSR was 1.46 in 1998. Higher birth order was significantly associated with an excess of male births in phases I-VI (≥third vs. first, OR range, 1.03 to 1.35). Advanced maternal age was significantly associated with an excess of female births in phases II, III, and V (≥40 vs. 20-24 years, OR range, 0.92 to 0.95). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that advanced maternal age and reduction of the artificially-biased SSR among third and higher-order births may partially explain the decreasing trend in the SSR from 1997 to 2017 in Korea.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2015

When patients have acute cardiac arrest before they are hospitalized, the ratio of CPR done by the general public is directly related to patient survival ratio. However, compared with that of advanced nations, our nation has low patient survival ratio due to its low ratio of CPR done by the general public. To improve this situation, the current study conducted a pre-survey targeting 3,800 general public to find how to apply an emergent medical system using smart phone location-based service. According to its outcome, first, they have a high level of CPR experience while their recognition of CPR generality is low. Second, their self-confidence in doing CPR significantly differ according to their age, academic achievement and occupation yet with generally low self-confidence. Third, their participation in the emergent medical system using location-based service APPs is high, and has co-relation to their will for CPR, self-confidence in CPR and experience in CPR training.