• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.2 s.26
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• pp.290-301
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• 1989

This is preliminary report on anthrax epidemic occurred in an island with about 100 residents. Since 1982 there had been sudden deaths among all kinds of domestic animals including cattle, dogs, ducks, chicken and goat but only a few among cats in an isolated island about three hours distance away by ferry boat from Mokpo city. From 1986 through 1988 nine human deaths and four patients occurred, which made the government intervene for investigation on June 25 1988. The epidemiological investigation consisted of interview survey and medical examination, medical record analysis, laboratory work to isolate the pathogens under the direction of hypothesis derived from the study and further confirmation of the pathogens by international institute. The summarized results are as followings: 1. According to the interview survey there were many deaths among domestic animals usually in cold and dry season such as January through March and September through November; 36 heads of cattle leaving one head, more than 40 hogs(all), hundreds of chicken leaving few alive, goats that had taken home from mountain and two or three cats out of around 40 had sudden deaths from 1982 till 1985, when the residents stopped to purchase and take them into the island anymore. Also there were eleven persons who had experienced the similar syndrome complex to those of admitted and expired patients and four of them revealed typical chest X-ray findings; from one of these four patients(Rho) B. anthracis is isolated. 2. Medical record on patients who had been admitted, showed common characteristics of the disease course. On admission they had either gastrointestinal or upper respiratory infection symptoms which invariably progressed to septicemic nature with pulmonary interstitial infiltration and mediastinal widening/bulging, and then to deadly acute respiratory distress syndrome. At the end stage chest X-ray revealed multiple bullous emphysema. One of another characteristics was oral ulceration with bleeding occurred in about 50% of the patients. Laboratory test results in common were leukocytosis with left shift and abnormal liver and kidney functions, particularly at the later stage of the illness. 3. Epidemiological characteristics was striking in that both mortality and incidence rates were high: the mortality rate was 8.7% average, male being three times higher than females but there was no distictive clustering by age group. The incidence rate for both sexes was 28.2% and there was no sex difference although a tendency of higher incidence among older ages was noticed. The highest mortality and incidence were observed in Won village where the first death of animal occurred and with the highest frequency among three villages of the island. 4. Among twelve bacilli species isolated from various specimens, two strains, one from patient and the other from soil where the recently died cow is hurried, were confirmed as B. anthracis by Pasteur Institute and CDC of USA(strain from soil). CDC reported that the strain did not produce capsule in bicarbonate media but reacted with the bacteriophage and one of five sera taken from the patients. Mode of transmission as well as incubation period of the agent has not been established yet, which needs further investigation in relation to the antigenic structure of the variant when it is confirmed.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-35
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• 2002

This study was conducted to provide basic data for policy of Oriental medicine by analyzing community resident's consciousness of taking herb medicine and its related factors. Data were collected from 1478 residents from March 2, 2001 to May 31, 2001. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1) The rate of experience of taking herb medicine was 85.2%(88.2% of 'male'; 82.5% of 'female'). It appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'the married', 'housewife', and 'Buddhist'. As the age increased, so the rate of experience of taking herb medicine was significantly high. 2) In case of purpose of taking herb medicine, taking herb medicine as a restorative(66.8%) was much higher than taking it as a curative medicine. 3) 52.1% of the respondents satisfied with the effect of herb medicine. The groups of 'male', 'older age', 'residents in a big city', 'insurant in company', and 'the employed' showed significantly high rate in satisfying with herb medicine than the other groups. 4) According to the reason for preferring herb medicine, 36.7% of the respondents preferred herb medicine because the herb medicine was effective, while 27.8% preferred it because its side effect was low. 16.7% preferred it because persons around them recommended it. 5) 42.6% of the respondents did not want to take the herb medicine because the price of the herb medicine was high. Also 20.6% of the respondents did not want to take herb medicine because it is uneasy to take herb medicine. 15.8% did not want to take it because certain food should not be taken during the period of taking it. 9.4% did not want to take it because it tasted bitter. 6) In case of opinions on side effects of herb medicine, 40.8% of the respondents thinks that herb medicine is free from side effects, while 37.5% thinks that it causes side effects. There were significant difference in the opinions on side effects by sex, age, marital status, resident area, education level, occupation, and type of health insurance. 7) 60.7% of the respondents thinks the price of herb medicine is not resonable, while only 10.9% thinks it is resonable. 8) 45.2% of the respondents uses packs of decocted herbs although they think the packs of decocted herb are a little low effective because decocting herbs in home is bothersome. 45.2% uses packs of decocted herbs because they are convenient, being not related to the effect. 7.6% takes medicinal herbs after decocting them in a clay pot because they think the packs of decocted herbs have low effect. 51.9% does not know whether taking herb medicine in summer is effective or not because the effect is different according to their physical constitutions. 35.5% thinks that taking herb medicine is summer is effective because their physical stamina is weakened after sweated a lot, while 12.6% thinks that it is not effective because the effect of herb medicine disappears with sweat. 9) According to the level of satisfaction with Oriental medical care, the respondents marked $3.47{\pm}0.64$ points on the base of 5 points. It was significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'the married, resident in a big city', 'highschool graduate', 'the unemployed', 'office clerk', 'growing up in a big city', 'insurant in region', and 'the middle class'. 10) According to the result of a regression analysis of factors influencing preference for herb medicine, the factors displayed significant difference by sex, age, education level, health status, and times of receiving Oriental medical care. As shown in the above results, the community residents satisfy with the effect of herb medicine. Therefore, the method of taking herb medicine without difficulty must be devised. The medicinal herbs in packages need to be included in health insurance coverage and resonable price of herb medicine must be set. Also, education program for community residents must be developed in order to provide right information in herb medicine. Therefore, related public authority, associations, and professionals must make efforts, forming organic cooperative system.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.185-195
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• 2006

Purpose: This study investigated the status of radiation exposure doses since the establishment of the "Regulations on Safety Management of Diagnostic Radiation Generation Device" in January 6, 1995. Method: The level of radiation exposure in people engaged or having been engaged in radiation-related industries of inspection organizations, educational organizations, military units, hospitals, public health centers, businesses, research organizations or clinics over a 5 year period from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2004 was measured. The 149,205 measurement data of 57,136 workers registered in a measurement organization were analysed in this study. Frequency analysis, a Chi-square test, Chi-square trend test, and ANOVA was used for data analysis. Results: Among 57,136, men were 40,870(71.5%). 50.3% of them were radiologic technologists, otherwise medical doctors(22.7%), nurse(2.9%) and others(24.1%). The average of depth radiation and surface radiation during the 5-year period were found to decrease each year. Both the depth radiation and surface radiation exposure were significantly higher in males, in older age groups, in radiological technologists of occupation. The departments of nuclear medicine had the highest exposure of both depth and surface radiation of the divisions of labor. There were 1.98 and 2.57 per 1,000 person-year were exposed more than 20 mSv(limit recommended by International Commission on Radiological Protection) in depth and surface radiation consequently. Conclusion: The total exposure per worker was siginifcantly decreased by year. But Careful awareness is needed for the workers who exposed over 20 mSv per year. In order to minimize exposure to radiation, each person engaged in a radiation-related industry must adhere to the individual safety management guidelines more thoroughly. In addition, systematic education and continuous guidance aimed at increasing the awareness of safety must be provided.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.25-53
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• 1999

This study was conducted to provide basic data for policy of Oriental medicine by analyzing community residents' consciousness of taking herb medicine and its related factors. Data were collected from 1478 residents from March 2, 1999 to May 31, 1999. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. According to general characteristics of the subjects, 52.3% of the subjects was 'female'; 25.0% 'fifties of age'; 21.4% 'forties of age'; 20.9% 'thirties of ages'; 69.1% 'married'; 60.1% 'resident in a big city'; 12.1% 'residents in a small town or village'; 39.0% 'highschool graduate'; 35.9% 'above college graduate'; 23.4% 'housewife'; 23.4% 'professional' 34.1% 'Buddhist'; 81.1% 'middle class'. 2. The rate of experience of taking herb medicine was 85.2%(88.2% of 'male'; 82.5% of 'female'). It appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'the married', 'housewife', and 'Buddhist'. As the age increased, so the rate of experience of taking herb medicine was significantly high. 3. In case of purpose of taking herb medicine, taking herb medicine as a restorative(66.8%) was much higher than taking it as a curative medicine. Taking herb medicine as a curative medicine appeared to be significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'thirties of age', 'resident in a town or village', 'above college graduate', 'professional technician', 'Christian', and 'the upper class'. 4. 52.1% of the respondents satisfied with the effect of herb medicine. The groups of 'male', 'older age', 'residents in a big city', 'insurant in company', and 'the employed' showed significantly high rate in satisfying with herb medicine than the other groups. 5. According to the reason for preferring herb medicine, 36.7% of the respondents preferred herb medicine because the herb medicine was effective, while 27.8% preferred it because its side effect was low. 16.7% preferred it. because persons around them recommended it. The preference for the herb medicine displayed significantly higher rate in the groups 'sixties of age', 'the unmarried', 'resident in a big city', 'office clerk', and 'the lower class'. 6. 42.6% of the respondents did not want to take the herb medicine because the price of the herb medicine was high. Also 20.6% of the respondents did not want to take herb medicine because it is uneasy to take herb medicine. 15.8% did not want to take it because certain foods should not be taken during the period of taking it. 9.4% did not want to take it because it tasted bitter. 7. In case of opinions on side effects of herb medicine, 40.8% of the respondents thinks that herb medicine is free from side effects, while 37.5% thinks that it causes side effects. There were significant difference in the opinions on side effects by sex, age, marital status, resident area, education level, occupation, and type of health insurance. 8. 60.7% of the respondents thinks the price of herb medicine is not resonable, while only 10.9% thinks it is resonable. 9. 14.2% of the respondents thinks health foods which contain herbs are good, while 16.8% thinks it is bad. 76.7% thinks that medicinal herbs in packages must be included in health insurance coverage, while only 3.0% thinks it needs not be included in health insurance coverage. 10. 45.2% of the respondents uses packs of decocted herbs although they think the packs of decocted herb are a little low effective because decocting herbs in home is bothersome. 45.2% uses packs of decocted herbs because they are convenient, being not related to the effect. 7.6% takes medicinal herbs after decocting them in a clay pot because they think the packs of decocted herbs have low effect. 11. According to the level of satisfaction with Oriental medical care, the respondents marked $3.47{\pm}0.64$ points on the base of 5 points. It was significantly higher in the groups of 'male', 'the married, resident in a big city', 'highschool graduate', 'the unemployed', 'office clerk', 'growing up in a big city', 'insurant in region', and 'the middle class'. 12. According to the result of a regression analysis of factors influencing preference for herb medicine, the factors displayed significant difference by sex, age, education level, health status, and times of receiving Oriental medical care. As shown in the above results, the community residents satisfy with the effect of herb medicine. Therefore, the method of taking herb medicine without difficulty must be devised. The medicinal herbs in packages need to be included in health insurance coverage and resonable price of herb medicine must be set. Also, education program for community residents must be developed in order to provide right information in herb medicine. Therefore, related public authority, associations, and professionals must make efforts, forming organic cooperative system.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2014

Objective: The objectives were to estimate the rate of the injury in the elderly over the past year and to identify factors related to injury in the elderly in South Korea. Method: Using data from the 2008 Community Health Survey, 43,049 elderly persons, aged 65 years and older, were selected as study subjects. Their experience of injury during the past year and other variables, including socio-demographic factors, health-related factors, and diagnosed chronic diseases, were used. The chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression analysis with weighted analysis were conducted and statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Result: The rate of injury in the elderly during the past year was 5.1%. The most common types of the injury were falling/slipping down and traffic accidents. Factors related to injury in the elderly were living alone, current drinking, depression, poor self-rated health, stroke, and osteoporosis. Living alone (odds ratio 1.23, 95% CI: 1.05-1.45), current drinkers (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05-1.35), poor self-rated health (OR 1.72, 95% CI: 1.43-2.08), depression (OR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.17-1.68), and history of stroke (OR 1.40, 95% CI: 1.17-1.68), and history of osteoporosis (OR 1.45, 95% CI: 1.26-1.66) were related to an increased risk of injury. Conclusions: Intervention programs that consider the risk factors related to injury should be developed and implemented to decrease and prevent injuries in the elderly.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-21
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• 1989

For the analysis of mortality differentials by socioeconomic factors based on death registration data, we have considered four variables : place of residence, educational attainment, marital status and occupation. The age range adopted were 5 to 64 years of age for place of residence, and 25 to 64 years of age for the other factors. The mortality differentials by socioeconomic variables were clear and in the expected direction: mortality levels among urban residents, better educated groups, and non- agricultural workers were lower than among the other sub- groups. The average mortality level in rural areas is much higher than in urban areas : the rural mortality levels were at least double the urban levels at ages below 40 years, but became smaller after age 40, and no clear differentials by urban I rural residence increased until 1974~76 for the both sexes, but since the then differentials have declined slowley for both sexes. This changing pattern of mortality differentials by place of residence can be explained by historical socioeconomic development : the development generally started in urban areas, and rural areas followed : in the course of socioeconomic development the differences between the death rates in the two areas became smaller and finally the mortality levels in the two areas became nearly the same, as is found in the developed countries nowadays. The inverse relationships between mortality and educational level became stronger between the periods 1970~72 and 1984~86, but showed the same atterns of mortality differentials in both period : larger differences among the younger age groups, and for males, than among the older age groups, and for females. The increasing mortality differentials in the fourteen-year period between 1970~72 and 1984~86 were caused by inadequate living standards of the non- educated, whose proportion in the total population, however, dropped sharply during that period. Also, the much lower proportions of low - educated groups or of persons with no formal education among males than females helped to establish the clearly pronounced differentials. The mortality differentials by marital status in Korea showed the usual pattern : the mortality rates of the married in each age and sex group were clearly lower than those of others during the fourteen-year period between 1970~72 and 1984~86. In Korean society which remotes universal marriage, the never married recorded especially high death rates, presumably mainly because of ill - health, but also possibly because of the stigma attached to celibacy. However, the mortality differentials by marital status changed with the changes in the proportionate distribution by marital status during the period : the differences between the death rates of the married and never married groups became smaller, the proportion of the never married group increased : in contrast, the differences between mortalities of the married and widowed / divorced / separated groups widened, with the decrease in the proportion of the later group ; this tendency was perticularly marked for females. Occupational groups also showed clear mortality differences : among four occupational groups mortality of males was highest among agricultural workers and lowest among 'professional, admi-nistrative and clerical workers, However, when the death rates were standardized by educational level, the death rates by occupation in age group 45~64 years were nearly the same (excet for the mixed group consisting of unemployed, students, military servicemen and unknown). Therefore, the clear mortality dfferentials by occupation in Korea resulted mainly from the differences in educational level between different occupation groups. Since socioeconomic characteristics are related to each other, the net effect of each variable was examined. Each of the three variables - ducational level, marital status and urban / rural residence affected significantly Korean adult mortality when the effects of the other variables were controlled. Among the three variables educational level was the most important factor for the determination of the adult mortality level. When male's occupation was added to the above three variables, the effects of occupation on adult mortality were notably smaller after control for the effects of the other three variables while the net effects of these three variables were nearly the same irrespectively whether occupation was included or not. Thus, the differences in educational level (mainly), place of residence and marital status bring out the clear differences in observed mortality levels by occupation.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.49-59
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• 2003

Objectives: This study was intended to provide basic data available for the establishment of comprehensive and systematic public medical service for older persons about their concurrent pathology and time span for their bedridden state, and thereby, the medical service, and individual cares they have received. Methods: The study subjects included 207 elderly residents of men and women aged over 65, who were in the bedridden state at home at the time of investigation in September of 2002 at 11 'Myon' in Kongju city, Chungchongnamdo Province. They were asked to respond to the questionnaires by using interviews at their homes. Results: Of the elderly population studied, the overall rate of bedridden states was 1.61%(1.46% in men and 1.71% in women) and there was an increasing tendency with age in both sexes. The causes for bedridden states indicated that hypertension and atherosclerosis accounted for 43.6 % of them in men, and lumbago neuralgia spinal disease 40.3% in women as the most frequent cause, respectively. The mean years of bedridden states were greater in men(4.81${\pm}$2.89) than women(4.98${\pm}$2.89). By age groups, both sexes showed an increasing tendency of time span with age. The items of care required for the bedridden showed that bathing was the most frequent and it was followed by toileting, dressing and feeding in a decreasing order of frequency. The number of care per one patient was 3.4 in men and 3.5 in women with the increased tendency with decreasing age Ain both sexes. Conclusions: Though the proportion of bed-ridden patients increased according to the increasing age, there are substantial limitations in reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is required to establish the appropriate measures, such as various resources of health care services for dealing with the steadily increasing rate of bed-ridden patients.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.238-272
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• 2002

This study was intended to find out the factors affecting to the IADL, allowing objective assessment of physical function status of increasing elderly populations. The subjects of 635 elderly persons aged over 65 years old who live in Taejon metropolitan city were interviewed during the two-month period from June to July of 2000. The IADL of Older American Resources and Services(OARS), developed in Duke medical college of USA, was interpreted for use. The study results were statistically processed using SPSSWIN(ver 10.0) and conferred the following results: 1. Among the seven items of IADL, the women showed higher rates of 'yes' in items about using the telephone, getting to the places out of walking distance, going shopping for groceries, taking their own medicine while outnumbered by the men only in the item about managing their own money, without significant differences between them in items about preparing their own meals and doing their own housework. 2. In terms of IADL scores, $82.0\%$ of subjects showed the normal range of scores and $18.0\%$ were under the normal range, meaning dysfunction IADL. Specifications of general characteristics revealed that more dysfunctional were the male subjects, the higher age groups who are more than 75 years old, the higher educated groups, the groups who live in nursing homes, the groups without a spouse. 3. Based on daily activities, lower scores of IADL were found in the subjects who don't go out, who don't have recreational activities, who don't attend elderly gatherings in their neighborhood, who don't hold social meetings. Specifications of psychological traits revealed that more dysfunctional were IADL in the subjects who don't feel satisfied with their lives of the past or the present, who have a deep feeling of isolation, and who don't have the will to live. 4. Among 7 items of health habits, only the subjects who don't regular exercise had lower scores of IADL than those who do. According to HPI, the lower HPI, the more dysfunctional. 5. Based on the factors associated with IADL, the odds ratio of the subjects who don't live together with their families were 1.53 times that of the ones who do, who are educated 3.22 times that of the ones who are not, who don't have spouses 2.09 times that of the ones who do, who don't go out 4.35 times that of the ones who frequently go out, who don't recreational activities for an interest 2.64 times that of the ones who do, who don't attend elderly gatherings in their neighborhood 1.47 times that of the ones who do, who don't hold social meetings 2.23 times that of the ones who do, who don't feel satisfied with their present living 1.43 times that of the ones who do, who have a feeling of isolation 1.53times that of the ones who don'1, who have the weak will to live 3.21 times that of the ones who have the strong one, and who don't regular exercise 2.45 times that of the ones who do. 6. Logistic regression analysis of the study results found that such factors are significantly related as the degree of education, with/without spouse, social meetings, the will to live, and regular exercise, and that higher rates of dysfunctional subjects were in the more educated group, in the group without spouse, in the group who don't frequently go out, who don't have social meetings, who have the weak will to live, and who don't exercise.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2006

Purpose : We investigated whether there had been any change in the epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Korea before and after introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine(PCV7). Methods : Between September 2001 and August 2006, clinical isolates were collected from patients with pneumococcal infection in Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. We analyzed trends in serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance before and after the introduction of PCV7. Results : There were 363 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens; 143 before and 220 after PCV7 introduction. The predominant serotypes, in order of decreasing frequency, were 19F, 19A, 23F, 6B, 6A, 3, 9V, 14, 11A, 4, 29, and 18C; 152 isolates(41.9%) belonged to types included in PCV7. The proportion of clinical isolates that were nonsusceptible to penicillin increased from 58.8% in 2001 to 83.6% in 2006(P=0.046). There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7. In children younger than age 2 years, the proportion of clinical isolates that were vaccine serotypes was higher than in persons older than age 15 years (59.3% vs 37.8%, P=0.004). Conclusions : There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7, therefore more universal pneumococcal immunization program is recommended especially for children younger than age 2 years.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.499-510
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• 2017

Traffic accident fatalities in Korea in 2016 was 4,292 and 1,732 cases were deaths of elderly people. In spite of this, the researches on behaviors of the elderly when crossing roads, are rather limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze road crossing behavior characteristics of the elderly, when crossing roads, especially focusing on the characteristics of pedestrians and vehicles. Cross-sectional data was collected from six different sites in two regions and the following results was identified. First, at road crossings, 528 cases(84.3%) out of 626 conflict situations of the elderly and 303 cases(63.3%) out of 478 conflict situations of the non-elderly pedestrians were found to be dangerous, respectively. The elderly tend to face a statistically significant risk of 3.11 times higher than that of non-elderly people. Second, 519 cases(82.9%) of jaywalking occurred in 626 conflict cases of the elderly and 375 cases(78.5%) of jaywalking in 478 conflict events of non-elderly persons, which indicates the elderly's 1.34 times higher trend compared with the non-elderly's. Third, the pedestrian safety margin (PSM) analysis showed that the PSM of the elderly and the non-elderly were 3.33 seconds and 4.04 seconds respectively, which is 17.5% high. Fourth, the difference in pedestrian safety interval was examined by dividing the speed of approaching vehicle into less than 30km/h, above 30km/h and less than 50km/h, and over 50km/h. There was no significant difference between the PSM of coming vehicles with the speed less than 30km/h and the PSM of approaching with the speed 30km/h~50km/h, but the conflicts with vehicle of the speed above 50km/h show significantly lower PSM than with vehicle speed of 30km/h~50km/h. Finally, when the risk threshold is set to less than 2.5 seconds, the analysis shows that older pedestrians tend to cross roads dangerously 1.59~2.53 times than younger pedestrians. The results set forth here can be used as a basis for constructing the elderly safety measures at present and a potential basis for autonomous vehicle safety application in the future for solving the issue of the difference in crossing behavior between elderly and non-elderly pedestrians.