• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.411-422
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• 2010

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the factors related to Korean physicians' trust in the government. Methods: We used structured questionnaires that were composed of multidimensional scales for each of the various categories. Results: The recognition levels of trust of the government by Korean physicians were not high, and they ranged from 3.6 to 4.8 for ten scales. The factors related to trust in the government were categorized into seven factors on the basis of a factor analysis. On the regression analysis, a positive relationship was found between "the individual propensity to trust" and trust in the government, while a negative relationship was found between "the recognition level regarding the government as an authoritarian power" and trust in the government. "Confidence about participation in the policy process" as internal efficacy and "belief in governmental ability and motivation toward public demand" as external efficacy also showed a strong positive relationship with trust in the government. Conclusions: From these results, we can draw the conclusion that making efforts to improve the recognition level of trust in the government among physicians is an important policy task. To increase the trust level, participation of physicians in the policy process in various ways and open communication between the physicians' associations and the government should be facilitated.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.151-157
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• 2020

Objectives: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the main public health challenges currently facing the world. Because of its high transmissibility, COVID-19 has already caused extensive morbidity and mortality in many countries throughout the world. An accurate estimation of the basic reproduction number (R₀) of COVID-19 would be beneficial for prevention programs. In light of discrepancies in original research on this issue, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled R₀ for COVID-19 in the current outbreak. Methods: International databases (including Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, and Scopus) were searched to identify studies conducted regarding the R₀ of COVID-19. Articles were searched using the following keywords: "COVID-19" and "basic reproduction number" or "R₀." The heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I² index, the Cochran Q test, and T². A random-effects model was used to estimate R₀ in this study. Results: The mean reported R₀ in the identified articles was 3.38±1.40, with a range of 1.90 to 6.49. According to the results of the random-effects model, the pooled R₀ for COVID-19 was estimated as 3.32 (95% confidence interval, 2.81 to 3.82). According to the results of the meta-regression analysis, the type of model used to estimate R₀ did not have a significant effect on heterogeneity among studies (p=0.81). Conclusions: Considering the estimated R₀ for COVID-19, reducing the number of contacts within the population is a necessary step to control the epidemic. The estimated overall R₀ was higher than the World Health Organization estimate.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.192-202
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• 2018

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are accumulative disorders that are most frequently found in agricultural farmers. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that affect symptoms resulting from work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Cambodian farm workers working in fruit plantations in the eastern region of Thailand. Methods: The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, and Hazard Zone Jobs Checklist techniques were used to interview 861 farmers who participated in the study. Results: The data showed that men who had been working for >10 years were more at risk of neck pain than those working for <1 year with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.90, 14.5). Among women those who had been working for >10 years experienced lower back pain with aOR 8.13, 95% CI (1.04, 63.74), compared with those who had been working for <1 year. Men whose tasks required raising the arms above shoulder height had a risk factor contributing to neck pain of aOR 1.68, 95% CI (1.08, 2.61) when compared with those who did not work with this posture, and women had aOR 1.82, 95% CI (1.07, 3.12) when compared with those who did not work with this posture. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that work-related health conditions are monitored in migrant plantation workers to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.27-31
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• 2014

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common work-related peripheral neuropathy. In addition to grip force and repetitive hand exertions, wrist posture (hyperextension and hyperflexion) may be a risk factor for CTS among workers. However, findings of studies evaluating the relationship between wrist posture and CTS are inconsistent. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a meta-analysis of existing studies to evaluate the evidence of the relationship between wrist posture at work and risk of CTS. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify relevant studies published between 1980 and 2012. The following search terms were used: "work related", "carpal tunnel syndrome", "wrist posture", and "epidemiology". The studies defined wrist posture as the deviation of the wrist in extension or flexion from a neutral wrist posture. Relative risk (RR) of individual studies for postural risk was pooled to evaluate the overall risk of wrist posture on CTS. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. All were cross-sectional or case-control designs and relied on self-report or observer's estimates for wrist posture assessment. The pooled RR of work-related CTS increased with increasing hours of exposure to wrist deviation or extension/flexion [RR = 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.646-2.43; p < 0.01: Shore-adjusted 95% CI: 1.32-2.97]. Conclusion: We found evidence that prolonged exposure to non-neutral wrist postures is associated with a twofold increased risk for CTS compared with low hours of exposure to non-neutral wrist postures. Workplace interventions to prevent CTS should incorporate training and engineering interventions that reduce sustained non-neutral wrist postures.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제49권3호
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• pp.143-152
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• 2016

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Associations between metabolic syndrome and several types of cancer have recently been documented. Methods: We analyzed the sample cohort data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2002, with a follow-up period extending to 2013. The cohort data included 99 565 individuals who participated in the health examination program and whose data were therefore present in the cohort database. The metabolic risk profile of each participant was assessed based on obesity, high serum glucose and total cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. The occurrence of cancer was identified using Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age group, smoking status, alcohol intake, and regular exercise. Results: A total of 5937 cases of cancer occurred during a mean follow-up period of 10.4 years. In men with a high-risk metabolic profile, the risk of colon cancer was elevated (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.71). In women, a high-risk metabolic profile was associated with a significantly increased risk of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.24 to 3.42). Non-significantly increased risks were observed in men for pharynx, larynx, rectum, and kidney cancer, and in women for colon, liver, breast, and ovarian cancer. Conclusions: The findings of this study support the previously suggested association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of several cancers. A high-risk metabolic profile may be an important risk factor for colon cancer in Korean men and gallbladder and biliary tract cancer in Korean women.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• 제33권51호
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• pp.332.1-332.8
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• 2018

Background: The trend of aging society is occurring globally, and with it, one of the health problems that is emerging is frailty. Efforts are being made to account for the increasing prevalence of frailty, and various modifiable factors are being considered in regards to frailty. Because social contact has shown beneficial effects in terms of health in previous studies, it is increasingly being considered in relation to frailty. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of different types of social contact with frailty status. Methods: A total of 1,200 Korean elders aged 70-84 years old were included in the study. Using Fried's Cardiovascular Health Study index to categorize the frailty status, the relationship between frailty status and frequency of contact (i.e., with family members, friends, or neighbors) was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression accounting for confounders. Results: Adjusting for all covariates, frequency of contact with friends was the most statistically significant. Less frequent contact was associated with a significantly higher odds of pre-frailty: monthly (odds ratio [OR], 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27-3.20), and rarely (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.17-2.99), with daily contact group as reference. Also, those contacting friends monthly (OR, 5.04; 95% CI, 2.29-11.08) or rarely (OR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.58-6.61) were more likely to be frail compared to the daily group. Conclusion: Frequency of social contact, especially with friends, is strongly associated with frailty.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제54권5호
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• pp.309-316
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• 2021

Objectives: This study examined stunting at birth and its associations with physical factors of parents and children in Indonesia. Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from the national cross-sectional Indonesian Basic Health Survey 2018, conducted across 34 provinces and 514 districts/cities. Birth length data were available for 756 newborns. Univariable, bivariable, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations between the physical factors of parents and children and stunting at birth. Results: In total, 10.2% of children aged 0 months were stunted at birth (10.7% of males and 9.5% of females). Stunting at birth was associated with the mother's age at first pregnancy, parity, parents' heights, parents' ages, and gestational age. Children from mothers with short statures (height <145.0 cm) and fathers with short statures (height <161.9 cm) had an almost 6 times higher likelihood of being stunted at birth (adjusted odds ratio, 5.93; 95% confidence interval, 5.53 to 6.36). A higher maternal age at first pregnancy had a protective effect against stunting. However, other variables (firstborn child, preterm birth, and both parents' ages being <20 or >35 years) corresponded to a 2-fold higher likelihood of stunting at birth compared to the reference. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that interventions to reduce stunting aimed at pregnant females should also consider the parents' stature, age, and parity, particularly if it is the first pregnancy and if the parents are short in stature or young. Robust programs to support pregnant females and monitor children's heights from birth will help prevent intergenerational stunting.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.206-214
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the intake of semi-solid yogurt and periodontitis in Korean adults using a national database. Methods: The data analyzed in this study are a subset of the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2015 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The sample size for this study was 4,727. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, oral health-related variables, oral and general health status, and intake of semi-solid yogurt. Semi-solid yogurt intake (YI) was calculated by multiplying the frequency of YI over the previous week by the average intake per serving. We assessed periodontal conditions using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and defined periodontitis as a CPI score ${\geq}3$. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, and oral and general health behaviors and status. Results: The mean weekly YI among those without periodontitis ($1.03{\pm}0.06cups$) was significantly higher than among those with periodontitis ($0.77{\pm}0.08cups$) (P<0.001). Individuals who consumed more than 2 cups of yogurt per day were 76% less likely to have periodontitis than those who consumed less than 1 cup of yogurt per week after adjusting for all covariates (odds ratio, 0.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.60). Conclusions: We found a significant association between increased intake of semi-solid yogurt and periodontal health. We therefore recommend daily consumption of semi-solid yogurt as a probiotic to improve periodontal health. Further longitudinal studies are required to elucidate plausible mechanisms through which probiotics impact periodontal disease, considering both periodontal pathogens and clinical periodontal parameters.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.51-56
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• 2021

Background: Neck pain is a major public health problem among sewing machine operators working in textile factories. Even though the textile industries are growing in number in Ethiopia, but there is a dearth of published studies on the prevalence of neck pain. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of neck pain among sewing machine operators of garment factories in Mekelle city. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was implemented among 297 sewing machine operators' working in garment factories in Mekelle city. A systematic random sampling technique was used. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 23. Finally, variables with 95% confidence interval (CI): p < 0.05 in the multivariate analysis were significantly declared. Results: Two hundred ninety-seven sewing machine operators were enrolled, with 98.7% response rates. In this study, the 12-month prevalence rate of neck pain was found to be 42.3% (95% CI: 36.6%-47.9%), and variables like such as break time [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 5.888, 95% CI: (2.775-12.493)], working hours per day [AOR: 6.495, 95% CI: (2.216-19.038)], static posture [AOR: 4.487, 95% CI (1.640-12.275)], and repetitive activity [AOR: 4.519, 95% CI:(2.057-9.924)] were associated with neck pain. Conclusion: In this study, neck pain is a major public health problem. Continuous work without break time, working greater than 8 hours per day, sitting in the same position for greater than 2 hours, and high repetitive activities were found significantly associated with neck pain. Owners and governmental bodies need to focus on developing preventive strategies and safety guidelines.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.70-78
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• 2022

Purpose: Cholestasis resulting from cytomegalovirus (CMV)-induced hepatitis manifests in 40% of patients with a CMV infection. Ganciclovir treatment in children with CMV infections has proven to be highly effective. Until now, there are very few studies have identified predictive factors for liver biochemistry improvement after ganciclovir therapy. This study aimed to identify the predictors of liver biochemistry improvement in patients with CMV cholestasis after ganciclovir treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records from Dr. Sardjito General Hospital Yogyakarta, Indonesia from 2013 to 2018. CMV cholestasis was confirmed based on serum CMV IgG and IgM positivity and/or blood and urine CMV antigenemia positivity. Incomplete medical records and other etiologies for cholestasis, such as biliary atresia, choledochal cyst, metabolic diseases, and Alagille syndrome, were excluded. Patient age at cholestasis diagnosis and ganciclovir treatment, duration of CMV cholestasis, history of prematurity, central nervous system involvement, and nutritional status were analyzed and presented as an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: CMV cholestasis with ganciclovir therapy was found in 41 of 54 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a shorter duration of CMV cholestasis (OR: 4.6, 95% CI: 1.00-21.07, p=0.04) was statistically significant for liver biochemistry improvement after 1 month of ganciclovir treatment. The remaining factors that were analyzed were not significant predictors of liver biochemistry improvement in patients with CMV cholestasis after ganciclovir treatment. Conclusion: A shorter duration of CMV cholestasis is the predictor of liver biochemistry improvement after 1 month gancyclovir treatment.