• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.3 no.2 s.5
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• pp.23-41
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• 1988

Two hundred and eighty-six strains of Salmonella species were isolated from the twelve provincial institutes of health and 19 general hospitals of urban and rural areas in Korea from January to December in 1986. The antimicrobial susceptibility test of these cultures was done by the method of agar diluton. The resistance frequency of Salmonella cultures was $29.7\%$. Among these resistant cultures, the most provalent resistance pattern of Salmonella was ampicillin, carbenicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, streptomycin, and its resistance frequency was $15\%$. In plasmid profile of resistance strains, average number of plasmid harboring in Salmonella was 1-4 and molecular weight of plasmid ranged 1.6 to 70 megadalton (Md.). Plasmid pattern of strains isolated from Seoul and Kang-won showed the same or similar profiles. Plasmid pattern was identical in the same resistance pattern.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2004

Acute poisoning is one of the diseases which need the most fastest emergency measures at the very beginning. However, at present, The Korea doesn't manage the toxication all over the country, and in particular, there is no guide to medical cure paying due regard to the traits of each area. This paper focused on the issue that the necessary data in preparing the facilities for the treatment of the poisoned patients and materials for medical treatment including antidote would have to be collected, after finding the special features of the symptoms by searching the present conditions of the poisoning in small towns next to farm villages in the North area of Youngseo, Kangwon province. This study was based on the questionnaires from 111 patients who were carried into the emergency room by the poisoning in two university hospitals of the North area of Youngseo, Kangwon, for one year, 2002. Upon investigation, the patients(111) visiting emergency room by the acute poisoning during the research period was found to be 0.37 percent of all patients(30,085) visiting emergency room. Among them, the most high percentage was given in their twenties and thirties at the rate of $39.6\%$, and the ratio($40.5\%$) of the poisoned patients after their fifties was much higher than a research($10\%$) of other areas. Many poisoned patients came to their rescue in an emergency room generally in spring and in winter, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Agricultural chemical of the toxic materials had a majority at a ratio of $57.7\%$, and paraquat of the agricultural chemicals was found to have a lot of toxicity by $31.7\%$. As the trace of the toxication, the oral poisoning was common by $89.2\%$, and $55.9\%$ in the case of operating gastric lavage and nasogastric irrigation, but only $14.4\%$ for prescribing antidote. The mortality of the acute poisoned patients was $17.2\%$, and the toxication by paraquat held a majority. As a result, the acute poisoning of the North area in Youngseo, Kangwon had both of the characteristics of the rural and the city, and the patients over their fifties by the population aging had more attack of the disease than other regions. Also, with the high ratio of the toxication by the agricultural chemicals, especially, the lethal agricultural chemical was used frequently. Therefore, these dangerous situations need to find the ways to cope with.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 1986

This study was aimed at investigating the health seeking behaviors of patients; For the purpose of analyzing the research theme we classified the study into two phase. First, the types of patients' health seeking behavior were categorized into a scheme according to what medical care resources were utilized in patients' coping process. Second, from patients' first visits to third visits to medical resources, we analyzed variations of factors which noted as crucial elements in constituting the patients' sickness career. To grasp the generalized characteristics from complicated empirical data, we limited the scope of our analysis to third stage of health seeking. A total of 121 persons who had beer suffering from chronic diseases more than 3 months was sampled among the residents of Banwol-Eup, the target Area of Korea University Health Project. The findings are as follows ; 1) In the course of visiting medical care resources, 34 different types of health seeking Behavior were found. From this result we inferred the idea that patients in Banwol-Eup had not any stable norms to cope with their pains. Clinics, hospital, pharmacy, Herb-doctors', folkways (self-treatment) were accessed by patients in orders. But more than half of patients who had utilized clinics or hospitals from their first to third visits, changed medical care resources to others, for example herb doctors or folkways, which had fundamentally different treatment models. Upon these two facts, the diversified types and capricious patterns in the health seeking behavior of Banwol patients, we observed a typical Shopping-Around phenomenon. 2) Factors which influenced patients' to their sickness career were changed along the courses of health seeking, from first to third visits as follows ; $\cdot$ Perceived seriousness of diseases were tended to decrease. $\cdot$ Professional medical personnel tended to be influencial in the patients' sickness career, (5.0%, 25.0% and 65.7%). The influence of the primary interaction groups such as parents, friends, neighbours, tended to decrease ; (90.9%, 71.2% and 30.0%). $\cdot$ The subjective reasons why to choose such a medical care resource were related to economic affordability and disease-itself as main motives. Credibility of health resources tended to increase 14.9%, 24.0% and 31.4 sequently. $\cdot$ Geographic accessibility factors did not change significantly. Most of patients had utilized health resources in Banwol and Anyang area. 3) Cultural inclination in the shopping-around phenomenon has shown difference among age groups. The age group' over 50 years' preferred traditional health resources to modern health resources. 4) Consistency of health seeking behavior on the shopping around phenomenon has shown difference according to the degrees of patients' economic affordability and those of psychological satisfaction toward modern health services. However, there were some restrictions in this thesis ; a) the study was limited to the 3rd health seeking career so it did not allow us to collect more informations after that, b) the study was not able to carry out causal analysis on patients health behavior determinated by explanatory model of health resources, and c) the study was not able to take into consideration of factors connected with social structural circumstances. Despite of restrictions described above, we are sure that this thesis would promote health providers' understanding toward patients' inclinations, through which they could provide efficient and accurate medical service.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.229-242
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• 2013

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the influence of shift work on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and perceived errors during nursing work among hospital nurses. Methods: The study subjects were 209 hospital nurses working in two general hospitals in South Korea. The data were collected through self-administered questionnaires in May 2013. Sleep quality was measured using Korea Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K), daytime sleepiness was measured using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and perceived errors in past 6 months during nursing duty hours with the tool developed in this study. Results: The sleep quality was significantly worse among rotating shift nurses when compared to fixed day duty nurses. However, the odds ratio (OR) of 1.92 [95% confidence interval(CI): 0.58-6.37] adjusted for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors, and working environment in logistic regression was not significant. There was no significant difference in the daytime sleepiness between rotating shift nurses and fixed day duty nurses in both simple and multivariable analyses. There were significantly more perceived errors in rotating shift nurses than fixed day duty nurses. However, the OR of 1.26 (95% CI: 0.38-4.21) adjusted for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors, working environment, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness in logistic regression was not significant. Depression (OR=3.31, 95% CI: 1.11-9.84) and daytime sleepiness(OR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.30) were significantly associated with perceived errors in logistic regression. Conclusion: This study suggested shift work among hospital nurses had no independent influence of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and perceived errors. However, daytime sleepiness had independent influence of perceived errors. More studies are warranted to achieve more reliable conclusion.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.155-169
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• 2003

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide data for the improvement of hypertension management of community health practitioner posts through the study on hypertension management in community health practitioner posts. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 700 community health practitioners and 205 of them responded during the period from March 13, 2003 to May 13. The survey results were analyzed using SPSS program, version 11. Results: The results are as follows; 1. There are two major activities in a hypertension prevention project for community: health education and early detection. About 57% of community health care practitioners perform a health education for community people four times a year. The 64.5% of them used the materials for health education provided from a community health center and 22.1% of them performed a post-evaluation. The main method of early detection of hypertension was measurement of blood pressure of person to visit, which was 96.1%. Other methods included home visiting(89.3%), a referral from community hospitals and other resources(49.1%), health promotion events(39.5%), and a review of medical records(35.7%). 2. For the registration and management of patients with hypertension, about 36% of community health centers used a special form and more than 50% of them have registered patients who were managed by other health care institutions in the community. A computerized program was used for the management of patients with hypertension in 68.5% of them. More than 60% of them responded that it was used for report, treatment, and follow-up of patients with hypertension.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.84-95
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• 2012

Background: In Korea, private health insurance has neglected to induce externality on national health insurance by moral hazard. Therefore, we conducted this study in order to explore the influence of private health insurance on unnecessary medical utilization among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Method: The study examined a population of 449 patients (admission, 384; out-patient; 85) diagnosed with simple cervical or lumbar sprain without neurological symptoms at 20 small hospitals or clinics in Gwangju and Jeollanam provinces from Jul. 1 to Aug. 31 2008. The data were collected using structured, self-administrated questionnaire which collected information such as whether or not the patient was admitted (as a dependent variable), whether or not they had private health insurance (as a independent variable), and covariates such as socio-demographic characteristics, the factors related to the sprain, and characteristics of the insurance provider. Results: From hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that the admission rate of patient with private health insurance was higher than that those without it (Odds ratio=3.31, 95% Confidence interval; 1.14-9.58), meaning that private health insurance was an independent factor influencing the admission of patients with these conditions. Other determinants of admission were patient age and physician referral. Conclusions: This study is the first empirical study to explore the influence of private health insurance on inducing moral hazard in admission services, specifically among patients with cervical or lumbar sprain. Regulation of benefits provided by private health insurance may be necessary, as the effect of this moral hazard may mean existence of externality.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.89-100
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was to find the effected factors on customer satisfaction for medical service and the willingness to revisit among hospital users Methods: The data was collected by a questionnaire survey from February 1 to April 30, 2004, and 600 samples have been analysed among users of university hospital, private hospital and public hospital in a local city. Results and Conclusions: The satisfaction total score to use hospital was 113.54 points(out of 175 point), these scores were constituted 39.10 points(out of 55 point) on satisfaction score for kindness of hospital employee, 36.28 points(out of 60 point) for equipment utilization and service formality, 18.59 points(out of 30 point) for environmental status and 19.57 points(out of 30 points) for reliability in medical examination and treatment service. The factors effected on satisfaction total score to use hospital were type of visiting hospital, age of customer, convenience to visit the hospital, experience of using other hospitals(R2=0.171). The effected factors of willingness to revisit scores were such as satisfaction score in medical examination and treatment service, satisfaction score of kindness hospital employee, experience of health examination and age of customer($R^2=0.370$). In conclusion, to raise the response's willingness to revisit. This must be reinforced by employee's kindness education and medical service quality.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.130-141
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to reconsider the necessity of stroke-related educational programs by investigating early symptoms of stroke that emergency medical technicians (EMTs) may experience. Methods: An interview survey was carried out, targeting all EMTs 298 people who were working at 119 fire safety centers and local units in Jeollabuk-do province, from April 1 to 30, 2011. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on ETMs' demographic characteristics, educational level on stroke, and awareness level about early symptoms of stroke and treatment-related characteristics of stroke patients. Results: The results showed that 63.2% of those surveyed had completed the required educational programs on stroke during the past year. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patients' condition was relatively high for women, those who were 30 years under, low position people, emergency service practitioners, emergency medical technicians, and people who have completed education, respectively. It was also turned out that 82.8% of those surveyed took stroke patients to the nearest hospitals first so that they could receive appropriate treatment. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patients' condition in people who have completed education were higher than non-complete. The level of awareness about early symptoms of stroke was positively correlated with confidence, satisfaction and appropriateness in treatment of stroke patients. Conclusions: These results strongly suggest that it is necessary to operate specialized educational programs to enhance EMTs' appropriate awareness of the early symptoms of stroke and assessment of stroke patient's condition.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.211-219
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the awareness of work-related disease prevention of farmers. Method: As a research method, a qualitative focus group interview was conducted in 18 participants. Results: Prevention and management services for work-related diseases of farmers mostly are based on research from other fields and so are not highly effective because their content is not relevant to agricultural work. It has been suggested that such program designers be required to have some appropriate related knowledge, and that incentives and a certification system for participation in such education be established. To analyze work-related diseases of farmers, fields of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation should be created. They demanded the designation of hospitals and the actualization of compensation for farmers' safety insurance. The work-related diseases to address were include musculoskeletal diseases, pesticide poisoning-related diseases (cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease), psychiatric diseases such as depression, and allergic diseases. However, this must have been the result of the harmful factors they felt during agricultural work. And for farmer patients diagnosed with work-related diseases, it was said to strengthen farmer safety insurance. Conclusion: In order to increase the safely and health effects of agricultural work, it is necessary to prevent and manage work-related diseases of farmers. Projects should be developed in consideration of cultural and economic barriers of farmers and the characteristics of the work.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.185-195
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• 2024

Background: Disabled people have particularly restricted access to health care. In response to this, the pilot project for the general physician (GP) system for disabled people was implemented in 2018, based on the rights of people with disability to the Health Act in South Korea. However, its participants were 0.2% among the total of those with severe disabilities in 2021. Therefore, this study examined the factors related to registering with a GP and the access level to its services to suggest implications for activating the participation of disabled people. Methods: We analyzed factors affecting the registration with a GP and the number of using the services among the participants of the GP system during May 2018 and December 2021 by conducting hierarchical logistic regression and hierarchical regression. The data were linked with the national health insurance data to examine various predictors, including disability types, socioeconomic status, health status, and GP registration. Results: As a result of analyzing the factors affecting whether or not to register for the pilot project, those with disabilities (physical disabilities, brain lesions, visual, intellectual, mental, and autistic disability) eligible for disability care (odds ratio [OR], 4.157) than other disability, and those living in metropolitan (OR, 4.330) or cities (OR, 3.332) than rural residences were highly likely to enroll the pilot study. Health-related variables also predicted the registration status of the pilot project. The predictors related to GP enrollment types (membership type: general health or disability care, GP's affiliation: clinics or hospitals) significantly influenced levels of access to services. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop the GP project for disabled people by considering the variation in types of disability, residences, and health. Further study will be needed to investigate the impact of GPs on the level of participation among disabled people.