• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.519-531
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Regional disparities in dietary factors might be related to regional disparities in cardiometabolic health. Therefore, this study investigated the associations of cardiometabolic risk factors and dietary factors with regional types in Korean adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Based on data from the 2007-2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the study included 39,781 adults aged ≥ 19 years who completed the dietary survey and a health examination. Healthy and unhealthy dietary factors (fat, sodium, fruit, and vegetable intakes) were evaluated using 1-day 24-h dietary recall method, as well as the use of nutrition labels with a questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the participants, 48.7%, 36.0%, and 15.2% lived in metropolitan, urban, and rural areas, respectively. Adults living in urban and rural had higher odds ratios (ORs) for obesity (OR for urban, 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.14; OR for rural, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.24) than adults living in metropolitan areas; these associations were significantly observed in middle-aged adults. Compared to metropolitan residents, rural residents had lower ORs for hypertension in middle-aged (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76-0.96) and metabolic syndrome in older adults (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.91). Regarding urban residents, a lower OR for diabetes in middle-aged adults (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.97) and a higher OR for hypertension in older adults (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.39) were observed. Overall rural residents had higher ORs of excessive carbohydrate, low fruit, and high salted-vegetable intakes than metropolitan residents. Low fruit intake was positively associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension, after adjustment for regional type and other confounders in total participants. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that cardiometabolic risk and unhealthy dietary factors differ among regional types and age groups within Korea. Nutritional policy and interventions should consider regional types for prevention and management of cardiometabolic risk factors.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2016

Background: Many studies have explained regional disparities in health by socioeconomic status and healthcare resources, focusing on differences between urban and rural area. However some cities in Korea have the highest cardiovascular mortality, even though they have sufficient healthcare resources. So this study aims to confirm three hypotheses. (1) There are also regional health disparities between cities not only between urban and rural area. (2) It has different regional risk factors affecting cardiovascular mortality whether it is urban or rural area. (3) Besides socioeconomic and healthcare resources factors, there are remnant factors that affect regional cardiovascular mortality such as health behavior and physical environment. Methods: The subject of this study is 227 local authorities (si, gun, and gu). They were categorized into city (gu and si consisting of urban area) and non-city (gun consisting of rural area), and the city group was subdivided into 3 parts to reflect relative different city status: city 1 (Seoul, Gyeonggi cities), city 2 (Gwangyeoksi cities), and city 3 (other cities). We compared their mortalities among four groups by using analysis of variance analysis. And we explored what had contributed to it in whole authorities, city and non-city group by using multiple regression analysis. Results: Cardiovascular mortality is highest in city 2 group, lowest in city 1 group and middle in non-city group. Socioeconomic status and current smoking significantly increase mortality regardless of group. Other than those things, in city, there are some factors associated with cardiovascular mortality: walking practice(-), weight control attempt(-), deficiency of sports facilities(+), and high rate of factory lot(+). In non-city, there are other factors different from those of city: obesity prevalence(+), self-perceiving obesity(-), number of public health institutions(-), and road ratio(-). Conclusion: To reduce cardiovascular mortality and it's regional disparities, we need to consider differentiated approach, respecting regional character and different risk factors. Also, it is crucial to strengthen local government's capacity for practicing community health policy.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.53-71
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• 2023

This study aims to identify the contribution of factors to employment growth over the past 20 years (1996-2016) for seven metropolitan areas in Korea. For this purpose, we performed a multifactor partitioning (MFP) analysis based on the business survey data provided by Statistics Korea. The key findings of the analysis are as follows. First, over the long run, the region effect is dominant in metropolitan employment growth, followed by the industry mix effect. On the other hand, the dynamic MFP findings suggests that future regional employment disparities are likely to be explained by industry structure. Second, the gender mix and decent job mix effect do not significantly contribute to regional employment growth. However, the contributions of individual factors are not invalid, and it is possible to infer a pattern of declining employment for men-permanent workers and increasing employment for women-contingent workers. These results indicate the importance and necessity of employment policies that can promote structural transition in regional industries and qualitative growth accompanied by employment stability.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2012

This study was carried out to analyze the disparities of basic living infrastructure between Guns(rural counties), and between Eups/Myuns(rural districts) in Jeollanam-do province. For the purpose of this study, dimensions of regional disparity in basic living structure were measured by 3 components ; road, public water service and sewage disposal. By utilizing the published statistics, this study has examined 8 Guns(counties) containing Eup and Myon in Jeollanam-do province which can represent 4 different rural areal types, respectively, i,e. mountainous, semi-mountainous, flat and seashore areas. The data acquisition time of this study is fixed on end of 2009 year in order for possible collections of the most recent published statistics. It presents evidence on the magnitude and evolution of discussion of regional disparities between Guns(counties), and between Eup & Myon, and between Myons in Jeollanam-do province even though infrastructure provision level of Jeollanam-do rural areas are much more improved than the past. Concludingly, the existing disparities in this area is meaningful and so, it should be seriously reconsidered when deciding local government's budget allocation priority.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.111-129
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• 2008

This study discusses the paradigm shifts in the regional policies of national governments which many countries have witnessed since the 1990s. Particularly, the study examines the historical trajectory which the regional policy of the UK national government has experienced until the 2000s since 1928 when the regional policy was implemented for the first time in the world, focusing on the recent trends after the mid-1990s. In the recent decade, the UK national government has shifted the focus of its regional policy towards the regional competitiveness and the devolved approach to regional development, from the interventionist top-down transformation of the spatial distribution of businesses and population via regulations and incentives for reducing regional disparities. Even in the midst of such a shift, the government has constantly sought to lessen the regional disparities in UK. Additionally, our work presents the policy implications for the future direction of regional policy which the national government of Korea should set in the face of the changing context.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.679-690
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Concerns about regional disparities in heathy eating and nutritional status among South Korean adults are increasing. This study aims to identify the magnitude of regional disparities in diet and nutritional status among Korean adults who completed the 2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). SUBJECTS/METHODS: The participants were a nationally representative sample of Korean adults aged 19 years and older from the 2017 KNHANES (n = 6,126). We employed the svy commands in STATA to accommodate the complex survey design. The relative concentration index (RCI), absolute concentration index (ACI) and index of disparity were used to measure regional nutritional inequalities. RESULTS: Overweight and obese adults were more prevalent among the poor than among the rich in urban areas (RCI = -0.041; P < 0.05), while overweight and obese adults were more prevalent among the rich than among the poor in rural areas of South Korea (RCI = 0.084; P < 0.05). Economic inequality in fruit and vegetable intake ≥ 500 g per day was greater in rural areas than in urban areas in both relative size (RCI = 0.228 vs. 0.091, difference in equality = 0.137; P < 0.05) and absolute size (ACI = 0.055 vs. 0.023, difference in equality = 0.032; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides useful information identifying opposite directions in the relative concentration curves between urban and rural areas. Adult overweight/obesity was more prevalent among the poor in urban areas, while adult overweight/obesity was more prevalent among the rich in rural areas. Public health nutrition systems should be implemented to identify nutritional inequalities that should be targeted across regions in South Korea.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2015

In order to minimize regional disparities between the North and the South, it is very important to reduce shortages of food and energy in North Korea in the short and mid-term. In the long term, it is important to reduce not only regional disparities between two Koreas but also regional disparities in North Korea. It is important to consider national policies of the North, the South and other countries in Northeast Asia in the process of building regional development policies for North Korea because the future of regional development in North Korea depends on policies of stakeholder in Northeast Asia. This study suggest some policy directions for regional development in North Korea. At first, building new industries, such as hi-tech industries and MICE, is important for regional development potentials in North Korea. Also, we should take some special development strategies according to regional potentials in North Korea. For example, Nampo region should be specialized through hi-tech industries. Wonsan region should be specialized through MICE. Finally, this study suggests some policy issues to the South Korean government. Financial support from South Korean government about inter-Korean economic cooperation should have priorities on the regions where have potentials of hi-tech industries and MICE. Also, we should implement inter-Korean economic cooperation policies under consideration about spatial aspects.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 2023

Background: Personal socio-economic abilities are crucial as it affects health inequalities. These multidimensional inequalities across the regions have been structured and fixed. This study aimed to analyze health vulnerabilities by regional cluster and identify regional health disparities of self-rated health, using nationally representative cross-sectional data. Methods: This study used personal and regional data. Data from the Community Health Survey 2021 were analyzed. K-means cluster analysis was applied to 250 si-gun-gu using administrative regional data. The clusters were based on three areas: physical environment, health-related behaviors and biological factors, and the psychosocial environment through the conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. And binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the differences in self-rated health status by the regional clusters, controlling human biology, environment, lifestyle, and healthcare organization factors. Results: The most vulnerable group was group 3, the moderate vulnerable group was group 1, and the least vulnerable group was group 2. The group 2 was more likely to have high self-rated health status than the moderate vulnerable group (odds ratio [OR], 1.023; p<0.001). And the group 3 showed low self-rated health status than the moderate vulnerable group (OR, 0.775; p<0.001). However, the moderate vulnerable group had significantly higher self-rated health status than the most vulnerable group (group 2: OR, 1.023; p<0.001; group 3: OR, 0.775; p<0.001). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that community members' health status is influenced by regional determinants of health and individual levels. And these contribute to understanding the importance of specific and differentiated interventions like locally tailored support programs considering both individual and regional health determinants.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.201-230
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• 2017

This paper studies the long-run behavior of relative price dispersion among cities in Korea with a special emphasis on heterogeneous transitional patterns of price level dynamics. Formal statistical tests indicate considerable evidence for rejecting the null of relative price level convergence among the majority of cities over the sample period of 1985-2015. The analysis of gravity model suggests that the effect of transportation costs on intercity price level differentials is limited, while other socioeconomic factors, such as income, input factor prices, demographic structure, and housing price growth, play key roles in accounting for persistent regional price level disparities. Individual price levels are found to be better explained by a multiple-component model, and the deviations from PPP may be attributed to distinct stochastic common trends that are characterized by income and demographic structure.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.324-329
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• 2006

The silicone rubber implants are widely used in plastic surgery because of various advantages; however, calcification in surface of implant(as a chemical resistance) may transform or destroy the high molecular biomaterial when it stays too long within the human body. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between calcification and the histological disparities of the tissues surrounding the area adjoining the silicone nasal implant by examining the regional characteristics of calcium deposits in the silicone nasal implant via elemental analyses using EDX(energy-dispersive X-ray analysis) and ultrastructural analyses using SEM(scanning electron microscopy). The subjects of the study were 19 silicone nasal implants removed by revision rhinoplasty, all displaying calcification. According to the tissue characters, the implant surface was divided into 4 zones with the rhinion as the basis. For each zone, elemental and ultrastructural analyses were performed. Elemental analysis revealed that the calcium deposits consisted of Ca and P only. There were no statistically significant disparities among the ratios between Ca and P according to the zones. Ultrastructural analysis showed acellular mineral-like deposits coalesced to create amorphous deposits in all zones; however, in zones 1 and 3(more pressurized zones by periosteum or nasal bone), additional flaky cylinder-shaped calcium deposits were detected. Thus, it seems that the histological disparities in the surrounding tissues do not affect the components and their proportions in the calcification process. However, it can be inferred that the physical environment due to the histological disparities in the surrounding tissues affects the ultrastructures of calcium deposits.