• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.25-29
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• 2012

Objectives : This article reviews a solution preventing the illegal distribution of herbal medicine in common use for food and medicine and risks on public health by conducting safety management of food and medicine. Also, this article would like to contribute to improvement of public health treating diseases in compliance with accurate diagnosis and prescription of Oriental Medicine Doctor("OMD")'s. Methods : An approach in this research can be categorized into two : first, to examine the current administrative situation and problems of herbal medicine in common use for food and medicine based on policy documents of Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Food and Drug Adminstration("KFDA") and academic articles of the herbal medicine;second, to find reasonable administrative solutions to solve the problems. Solutions : A solution is to strengthen the management level of herbal medicine in common use for food and medicine by selecting 117 items as target items requiring concentrated management. In case herbal medicine is imported for food, KFDA strengthens the quality management level of herbal medicine by making use of inspection frequency at random, collecting and verifying herbal medicine on the market. However, KFDA decides to maintain current different quality specification system of food and medicine reflecting a civil complaint that quality specification of food and medicine should separately managed according to the purpose of use. Herbal medicine as medicine that is functioned as treating diseases and alleviating symptoms, unlike herbal medicine for food, can cure all kinds of diseases by recovering inner balance of human body, making use of other properties of herbal medicine. Medicine has its own properties. If a doctor uses properties of medicine appropriately, he cures diseases. If a doctor uses herbal medicine inappropriately. he may damage human body. Thus, whether side effects of medicine depend on a doctor who uses herbal medicine. Conclusions : All herbal medicine will be supplied into the market after strict safety control of manufacturers of herbal medicine according to the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, beginning in April, 2012. Thus, people can take safer and more reliable herbal medicine through strengthening safety management of herbal medicine and improving quality and transparency in the distribution system. Herbal medicine should appropriately be prescribed by licensed OMD because herbal medicine is used to treat diseases and alleviate symptoms, unlike herbal medicine for food.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.236-243
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• 2014

Objectives: Despite the recent emphasis on a patient-centered chronic care model, few studies have investigated its use in older adults in South Korea. We explored how older Korean adults perceive and cope with their chronic illness. Methods: We conducted focus group interviews in Seoul, Korea in January 2010. Focus groups were formed by disease type (hypertension and type 2 diabetes) and gender using purposive sampling. Inclusion criteria were patients aged 60 and over who had been diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension and received care at a community health center for at least six months prior to participation. Interview data were analyzed through descriptive content analysis. Results: Among personal factors, most participants felt overwhelmed when they received their diagnosis. However, with time and control of their acute symptoms using medication, their worry diminished and participants tended to denying being identified as a patient or sick person. Among socio-familial factors, participants reported experiencing stigma with their chronic illness and feeling it was a symbol of weakness. Instead of modifying their lifestyles, which might interfere with their social relationships, they resorted to only following their medicine regime prescribed by their doctor. Participants also reported feeling that their doctor only prescribed medications and acted in an authoritative and threatening manner to induce and reinforce participants' compliance with treatment. Conclusions: For successful patient-centered management of chronic illnesses, supportive environments that include family, friends, and healthcare providers should be established.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.8
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• pp.408-414
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• 2021

Background: Complementary food in infancy is necessary for human growth, neurodevelopment, and health. However, the role of allergen consumption in early infancy and its effects on the development of food allergy or tolerance remain unclear. Purpose: To investigate the influence of age at the time of complementary food introduction on the development of asthma and atopic dermatitis in Korean children aged 1-3 years. Methods: We combined data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected from 2010 to 2014 and analyzed 1619 children aged 1-3 years who were included in the survey. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify associations among type of feeding, age at the time of complementary food introduction, and doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and asthma. Results: Age at the time of complementary food introduction was not significantly associated with doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and asthma in children aged 1-3 years. In the univariate analysis, children with asthma showed higher water and sodium intake levels than nonasthmatic children. However, this relationship was not significant in the multivariate regression analysis. Conclusion: The present study revealed no statistically significant relationship between age at the time of complementary food introduction and the risk of atopic dermatitis and asthma in young Korean children. A national prospective study is needed to clarify the influence of age at the time of complementary food introduction on the development of allergic diseases.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.408-417
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) using Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII (2017~2018). Methods: DM was defined as in two ways; 1) doctor's diagnosis (Group 1, n=549), 2) one of doctor's diagnosis, medication, or hyperglycemia (Group 2, n=849). The DR prevalence was measured as the prevalence proportion (%). Risk factors for developing DR were analyzed using multiple logistic regression, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: The prevalence of DR was 25.87% in Group 1 and 20.14% in Group 2. Risk factors for DR were identified as insulin therapy (Group 1: OR=5.31, Group 2: OR=5.27), DM duration ≥10 years (Group 1: OR=2.20, Group 2: OR=3.10), and systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg (Group 1: OR=2.26, Group 2: OR=2.23) for both groups. Conclusion: Considering the DR prevalence, eye examinations education is highly recommended as part of a diabetes management programs in the community. It is also proposed to shorten the eye examination cycle for people with risk factors and establish a referral system to link between screening to treatment.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.81-99
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• 1993

The purpose of this research is to assess the geographical distribution of physicians and dentists and the degree of maldistribution of the physician. Data were obtained form the Korean Medical Association's report on physicians registry and census for 1990. To assess the degree of disparity in the rural-urban distribution of physician manpower and to identify changes in the distribution pattern, the Gini index of concentration was used. Major findings are as follows; 1. Urban-rural disparity in the distribution of physician manpower exists in all categories of manpower, i.e. physician, dentist, oriental medical doctor, general practitioner, medical specialist, practitioner, public health physician and public health dentist. Urban area which had 74.4% of nation's population, accounted for over 90% of all physician manpower. 2. In terms of the ration of physician manpower per 10, 000 population, in urban area, they were 8.2 physicians, 2.7 general practitioners, 5.5 specialists, 3.0 practitioners, 1.8 dentists and 1.3 oriental medical doctors. In rural area, the ratios were 1.4 physicians, 0.6 general practitioners, 0.9 specialists, 1.0 practitioners, 0.4 dentists and 0.4 oriental medical doctors. 3. Gini indicies computed to measure inequality of physician manpower distribution were 0. 3675 for physicians, 0.3372 for general practitioners, 0.3338 for specialists, 0.2263 for practitioners, 0.3132 for dentists and 0.3293 for oriental medical doctors. 4. Inspite of increase in the number of physician manpower, urban concentration of physician manpower intensified from 1980 to 1990. However, the Gini index for all physician manpower fell by 18.3~36.7% from 1980 to 1990, indicating more even distribution. 5. In rural area, the public health physicians and dentists had increased the ratios of physicians, general practitioners, practitioners and dentists per 10, 000 population remarkebly, and had decreased the Gini indicies of physicians, general practitioners, practitioners and dentists. Thus, public health physicians and dentists contributed to improve the distribution of physician manpower in rural area. Based on the results of this study, long-term and rational manpower policies should be developed to solve the problem of geographical maldistribution of physician manpower as well as short-term policy for inducing physicians to the rural areas.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.119-130
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of individual patient behavior regarding health and medical care level on doctor's diagnoses of hypertension. A X2-test was used to compare therapeutic compliance in individual characteristics and two-stage multilevel logistic regression to identify community variance of the related index of high blood pressure therapeutic compliance using data from 229,229 adults over the age of 19 in a community health survey conducted in 2010. The experience rate of doctors' diagnoses of hypertension was higher for people of older age, higher level of education, higher BMI, and among heavy drinkers (no recipients of basic living). Furthermore, there was a higher rate for those visiting health and medical institutions, having more frequent checks of blood pressure in a month, having a higher stress level, and having depression. Among paid workers, the ratio was lower for employers and owner/operators with more daily exercise (such as walking), infrequent smokers, and private health insurance holders. Doctor's diagnoses of hypertension was affected by individual health behavior and health and medical care level. Further studies employing multilevel analyses considering regional level data should be conducted in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.103-113
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• 2017

There have been many achievements for 40 years since the introduction of compulsory health insurance. Despite many achievements, it has many challenges in health insurance. Aging, non-communicable disease, and low growth economy are threatening the sustainability of health insurance, and it is time to reform the health insurance. A long-term reform plan will be an absolute necessity for reform of health insurance and health care system. Health insurance and health care reform should be an extremely revolutionary content that completely changes the framework. This reform should deal with the philosophy of health, approach of medical education and doctor training, changing supply of medical service, the innovation of primary medical care, reform of public health system, the management of medical utilization, the integration of medical cure and care services, enhancing the benefit coverage, prohibition of covered and non-covered services, etc. Therefore, it is urgent to form a consensus on the necessity of reform, to establish the health insurance plan on this consensus, and to make efforts to make health insurance sustainable.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.951-960
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• 2015

The smart screening in the medical field as diffusion of smart devices and development of communication technologies is emerging some medical security concerns. Among of them its necessary to taking risk management measures to identify, evaluate and control of the security risks that can occur in Telemedicine because of the Medical information interchanges as Doctor to Doctor (D2D), Doctor to Patient (D2P). This research paper studies and suggests the risk analysis and evaluation methods of risk security that can occur in Telemedicine based on the verified results of Telemedicine system and equipment from the direct site which operating in primary clinics, public health centers and it's branches, etc.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.213-219
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• 2004

Objective: We investigated the actual condition of oriental medical office in Sub-health Center. Method: We classified patients who visited an oriental medical office in a sub-health center of Jeollanam-do during recent 3 years, according to age, time(year), sex, disease, medical instruments, insurance, living condition... etc and studied statistical researches. Result: Almost all patients who visited an oriental medical office in a sub-health center were in 50, 60s. The number of patients were on the decrease. The number of female patients was 2.4 times more than the number of male patients. The most diseases of patients in sub-health center were diseases in connection with bones and sinews system. Generally, medical instruments depended on acupuncture. Conclusion; These results provide actual informations about condition of oriental medical office in Sub-health Center. Oriental medical doctors and offices of sub-health center are supposed to contribute to society, however essentially many problems exist. Public medical doctors of oriental medicine and local administration must renew their efforts for health of people in farming and fishing villages.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.276-285
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to help in explaining the necessity of education on complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) and opening relevant curriculums in nursing education by grasping the kinds of CAM in which nursing students want to be opened. Data were collected from September 27, 2003 through October 20, 2003. A group of 865 nursing students were surveyed using questionnaires in seven universities whose curriculums on CAM have not been available. Collected data were statistically analyzed by using SAS 8.02 system, and the study results are as follows: 1. The average of subjects' behavior toward CAM was 3.52 of the total 5 with practical affairs 3.79. medical treatment 3.79, social concerns 3.84, and communication 3.78. 2. Most nursing students $(90.6\%)$ did not precisely understand the meaning of CAM although they had heard of it. Most of them $(85.5\%)$ had no experience of applying CAM. The study also revealed that more qualified CAM lecturers in the future are needed: specialist in the relevant field $(83.2\%)$, doctor and herb doctor $(6.5\%)$, clinical nurse $(6.0\%)$ and professor of the department of nursing science $(4.3\%)$. 3. Concerning students' behavior toward CAM, there were statistically significant difference between students from agrarian and fishing villages (F=4.91. p=.007) and the others. 4. CAM courses that students want were therapeutic touch (massage) $(22.9\%)$. aroma therapy $(14.8\%)$, manual healing methods $(14.7\%)$, treatment of blood vessel $(8.3\%)$, foot reflexology $(7.9\%)$, and heart remedy $(6.8\%)$. In conclusion, the study indicated that nursing students had positive attitudes toward CAM and for this. healers should have a frank talk with patients in order to maximize symptom-relieving effects. However, the study showed that most nursing students did not understand the exact meaning of CAM. Considered the fact that improvement of both health status and quality of life will be an important issue in the future, active introduction and education of CAM in nursing curriculum are a matter of necessity.