• Korean Public Health Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.87-97
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• 2018

Background: Recently, the prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ${\geq}25kg/m^2$) has been increasing rapidly worldwide over a short period. In Korea, the prevalence of obesity has also increased rapidly due to the rapid socio-economic development and lifestyle changes, with differing patterns according to gender. This study aimed to compare the change in obesity prevalence according to gender among the adult population in Korea using representative data, the National Health Check-up Database (NHCD), to follow-up individuals who had undergone checkups during both years in Korea (2011~2013). Methods: To analyze the changes in obesity prevalence in the recent two years, data regarding men and women who had undergone health check-ups in both two years (2011, 2013) were extracted. The final study population comprised 144,934 persons: 83,604 (58%) males and 61,330 (42%) females. Chi-square test within a univariate analysis, and the level of factor difference was verified with t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple comparison. Results: In 2011, one out of three participants was obese (BMI ${\geq}25kg/m^2$; male, 37.7%; female, 27.3%) and more than half of the subjects were overweight (BMI ${\geq}23kg/m^2$; male, 65.6%; female, 50.4%) requiring obesity management. For the two years, the BMI of the participants significantly increased (p < .0001) and the prevalence of obesity increased among both males and females. The prevalence of obesity was higher among both genders with a longer duration of smoking, more smoking, family history of hypertension, and family history of diabetes. However, residence, income level, drinking status, psychiatric disorder, disability status and severity of disability were the opposite gender. Conclusion: In the analysis of data, the prevalence of obesity among both men and women was increasing. The degree of change in the prevalence of obesity among men and women was different in each variable. Thus, it will need to consider gender in developing health policies for obesity mediation and to provide integrated healthcare and management for those people.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.76-85
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• 2002

Since the 1970s, the average life expectancy of Koreans has been increasing. Our concerns are not simply about longevity, but also about disability-free life. lately, Sasang constitutional medicine has attracted public attention, especially with respect to the elderly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the food habits, nutrients intake, and disease distribution among the elderly, according to their Sasang constitutions. The results are as follow : The distribution of constitutions of the subjects were Tae-eum 48.8%, So-yang 27.4%, So-eum 22.6%, and So-yang + So-eum 1.2%. In both elderly men and women, body weight, percent ideal body weight, and diastolic pressure of the Tae-eum were significantly higher than those of other constitutions. In both men and women, the level of hemoglobin in the Tae-eum was significantly higher than those of other constitutions. The level of LDL-cholesterol was higher, and the level of HDL-cholesterol was lower in the So-eum elderly women. Food habits of the So-eum were the most irregular, and nutrients intake of the So-eum was lower than that of other constitutions in both elderly men and women. In elderly men, the incidence of hypertension was the highest in the Tae-eum, and the incidence of gastritis was the highest in both So-yang and So-eum. In elderly women, the incidence of fatty liver was the highest in the Tae-eum and So-yang, and gastritis and hypertension were the highest in the So-eum. In the elderly, obese and anemic persons were significantly more in the Tae-eum and the So-eum, respectively. The results of this study showed that there were significant differences of physical, characeristics, food, habits, and distributions of disease for the subjects according to each Sasang constitutions. Intake of nutrient was poor, regardless of Sasang constitutions, in both men and women.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2011

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide and one of the most prevalent diseases in Korea. We examined trends and risk factors of health care utilization for COPD in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the database of Patient Surveys from 1990 through 2008, which were nationwide surveys of health services utilization through outpatient department (OPD) visits and hospitalization. Physician-diagnosed COPD patients whose ages were 45 years and older were included. Results: OPD visits and hospitalization of COPD patients between 1990 and 2008 were estimated to be 68,552 and 17,774 persons, respectively. Trends in OPD visits and hospitalization for COPD significantly increased from 1990 through 2008 (p=0.019, p=0.001, respectively). The increment rate for OPD visits was 2.0 fold over those years; for hospitalization it was 3.3 fold. Risk factors for OPD visits for COPD were male gender (odd ration [OR], 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39~1.43), those aged 65 years and older (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.47~1.53), residential area other than a metropolis (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.07~1.010) and access to a physician's office (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.14~1.21). Risk factors for hospitalization were male gender (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 2.07~2.23), those aged 65 year and older (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 2.72~3.00), residential area other than a metropolis (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.90~2.07) and access to a hospital (OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 2.59~3.22) (p<0.001, both). Conclusion: Health care utilization for COPD subjects increased from 1990 to 2008. Risk factors for the utilization were male gender, older age, and residential area other than a metropolis.

• 재활복지
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.47-70
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of the epidemiological factor (depression), the behavioral factor (activities of daily living), the predisposing factor (self-efficacy), reinforcing factors (family support, professional support), and enabling factor (resource availability, accessibility) on quality of life in home-dwelling disabled people in rural areas. The conceptual model for this study was established on the basis of the PRECEDE model which was developed by Green and Kreuter. Data were drawn from the "Preliminary Investigation for Community-centered rehabilitation" conducted by a public health center located in the O province in 2011 and 186 of 190 disabled people who participated in the survey were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed using Direct effects on quality of life arose from latent variables depicting the epidemiological factor (depression)and reinforcing factor (family support, professional support), while indirect effects arose from the behavioral factor (activities of daily living), the predisposing factor (self-efficacy), and enabling support (resource availability, accessibility). This model explained 85.5% of the variance in quality of life among rural disabled individuals. These findings may have shed some light on the necessity of including strategies to reduce depression and to strengthen supports from family and healthcare professionals when performing rehabilitation programs to improve quality of life in home-dwelling disabled people in rural areas. Furthermore, it suggested that it would be useful to develop specific strategies and tactics which might increase self-efficacy and to expand linkages between public health centers and other professional institutions such as hospitals for community-centered rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.63-74
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• 2005

Objectives: The present study aimed to provide the fundamental data for guiding establishment of measures among the rural elderly population with physical disabilities. The specific goals of this report are to reveal the prevalence of their disabilities, its tendency according to their increasing age, and to assess the background explanations. Methods: The self-administered questionnaires have been performed 432 persons of rural residents age 40 and greater in Kumsan-Gun and Chongyang-Gun, Chungchongnamdo Province. The questionnaire items included presence or not. of disabilities. specific causes for disabilities, anthropometric measures, and amount of physical activities. Results: The proportion of disabilities was higher in women than men, and the functional degree of their limbs decreased with the increasing age. The proportion of disabling extremities was higher in the lower extremities than in the upper ones. Joint diseases were the most prevalent causes for disabilities of extremities. Concerning the degree of depression, 41.2% of study subjects were normal, 47.5% had mild depression, 6.3% moderate, and 5.1% severe depression, with no statistical difference based on age and sex. The worse are the functional degree of both extremities, the greater the degree of depression the subjects had. The odds ratio for presence of disabilities of extremities was 2.6 times higher in women than in men for sex and for age, 50's were 3.5 times, 60's 4.3 times, 70's 4.9 times than 40's, respectively, with increasing tendency with increasing age. The odds ratio for depression was 1.2 times greater in subjects with disabilities than in normal population with no statistical difference. Conclusions: More efforts are needed to establish elderly specific measures for providing proper public health services centering on maintenance of physical functioning among elderly population.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

Objective : The purpose of this study is to present an analysis model in developing an inclusive response for safety hazards and disaster preventive information system for vulnerable people to the disaster including persons with disabilities, and those with specific needs. Methods : In this study, the persona analysis method is used to analyze fictitious characters that correspond to various characteristics such as age, disability, environment, occupation, etc. in terms of the scenario of some particular disaster subjects. Based on the user's communication problems derived from the persona analysis, focused group interview and ICF based analysis were implemented to identify needs and arbitration methods. Results : The needs from persona analysis and ICF-based communication items analysis identifies the factors that make each fictitious character difficult in terms of communication in obtaining the benefits consistent with the purpose of the service. The study derives service requirements that can provide arbitration or facilitation methods to increase communication ability of the users. Conclusion : Through the persona analysis method, difficulties that could occur when receiving disaster information using communication devices were identified and analyzed in conjunction with communication problems described in the ICF. In building information services for the prevention of safety hazards and disasters, this study presented a model that uses the persona analysis method and the ICF classification system to derive user requirements for accessible information system.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2011

Social welfare services for respiratory-disabled persons in Korea are offered based on the respiratory impairment grade, which is determined by 3 clinical parameters; dyspnea, forced expiratory volume in 1 second ($FEV_1$), and arterial oxygen tension. This grading system has several limitations in the objective assessment of respiratory impairment. We reviewed several guidelines for the evaluation of respiratory impairment and relevant articles. Then, we discussed a new grading system with respiratory physicians. Both researchers and respiratory physicians agreed that pulmonary function tests are essential in assessing the severity of respiratory impairment, forced vital capacity (FVC), $FEV_1$ and single breath diffusing capacity ($DL_{co}$) are the primarily recommended tests. In addition, we agreed that arterial blood gas analysis should be reserved for selected patients. In conclusion, we propose a new respiratory impairment grading system utilizing a combination FVC, $FEV_1$ and $DL_{co}$ scores, with more social discussion included.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.53-66
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• 2022

Aim : The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the awareness level of the mandatory employment system for the disabled and the help of the employment increase on the health status of the disabled. Based on this, the purpose of this study is to raise awareness of the compulsory employment system for the disabled and to suggest a way to improve the health of the disabled. Methods : In this study, the first data of the second wave of the 2016-2018 Employment Panel Survey for the Disabled was used to analyze the participation of the disabled in economic activities. a total of 1,648 subjects were analyzed using the chi-square test and generalized estimating equation (GEE). Results : Compared to the group knowing about the compulsory employment system for the disabled, in the group who did not know about the compulsory employment system, the cognitive level was significantly higher for subjective health status (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.573, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.252-1.977) and chronic diseases (OR: 1.407, 95% CI: 1.091-1.816), Compared to the group that the compulsory employment system for the disabled is helpful in increasing employment, the group that said it was not helpful at all had depression feel (OR: 2.330, 95% CI: 1.219-4.452) and subjective health status (OR: 2.052, 95% CI: 1.232. -3.416) significantly affected. Conclusion : It was found that the lower the level of awareness and help of the compulsory employment system for the disabled, the negative impact on their health status. Therefore, it is necessary to promote employment growth by raising awareness of the employment system for the disabled. Furthermore, in order to improve the health of the disabled, public relations plans to increase the understanding of the disabled on the system and policies to protect the disabled people who lose their will to work due to difficulties in accessing employment were enacted, and Changes to a disability-friendly working environment should be activated so that participants can participate.