• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2002

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2006

Purpose: To compare of health inequalities between rural and urban areas in term of health status, health behaviors and medical care utilization by using national-wide data. Method: The data came from the 2000 and 2005 census data, 2004 death certification statistics and 2001 national health and nutrition survey. The health indicators used in this study were mortality, perceived health status, health related behaviors, morbidity, accidents and suicides, mental health-related factors, health care accessibility. Korean rural areas have been experiencing a rapid aging process and there are demographic differences between rural and urban populations. Thus, both of crude rates and age-adjusted rates were compared. Result: Although the degrees decreased after adjustment for age, health inequalities between areas still existed. The people who lived in rural areas suffer from higher mortality, morbidity and unhealthy behavior compared to people in urban areas. Especially, regional health inequalities for women were significant. Health care accessibility in rural areas was also lower and medical indirect costs for rural residents were higher than those of urban residents. Conclusion: To reduce health inequalities between geographical areas, political efforts to tackle health inequalities in the rural areas are required.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.29-39
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• 2001

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate and compare the growth, blood pressure, and s-cholesterol of urban and rural students in Korea. Methods: April 1999, We examined the students' health of a boys high school and a girls high school in a urban area - Jeonju, Korea.(boys were 317, girls were 343). And we also examined the students' health of a high school in a rural area - Gimje, Korea.(boys were 33, girls wee 36). Height, body-weight, Body Mass Index(BMI)I, blood pressure, and s-cholesterole were checked and compared between two groups. Results and Conclusion: The mean of height in urban students was $165.25{\pm}7.79cm$, and that in rural students was $163.77{\pm}8.72cm$. There was no significant difference stastically between two groups. The mean of body-weight in urban students $(57.78{\pm}10.51kg)$ was significantly higher than that in rural students $(54.71{\pm}10.11kg)$)(p<0.05). The mean of body mass index(BMI) in urban students $(21.12{\pm}3.27kg/m2)$ was significantly higher than that in rural students $(20.30{\pm}2.69kg/m2)$(p<0.05). Obese students $(BMI{\geq}27)$ were 31(4.70%) in urban students, 3(4.35%) in rural students. The mean of systolic blood pressure in rural students $(114.99{\pm}9.50mmHg)$ was significantly higher than that in urban students $(111.89{\pm}12.42mmHg)$(p<0.05) The mean of diastolic blood pressure in rural students$(75.72{\pm}9.90mmHg)$ was very significantly higher than that of urban students $(68.45{\pm}9.40mmHg)$(p<0.001). Hypertensives (${\geq}138/86mmHg\;in\;boys,\;{\geq}130/83mmHg$ in girls) were 28(4.24%) in urban students, 13(18.84%) in rural students. The mean of s-cholesterol in urban students was $174.95{\pm}32.28mg/dL$, and that in rural students was $176.81{\pm}33.18mg/dL$. There was no significant difference stastically between two groups. Hypercholesterolemias (${\geq}198mg/dL$ in boys, ${\geq}212mg/dL$ in girls) were 130(19.70%) in urban students, 14(20.89%) in rural students. These results suggest that there are differences in body weight, BMI, and diastolic blood pressure between urban and rural students and that it is necessary to consider these differences in health examination.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 1998

Purpose : To assess knowledge levels of cancer warning signs, a descriptive study wad conducted in Chungju rural area. Materials and Methods : We conducted a population-based study of men women who were 30 years of age or older, living in a three myens of Chungju rural area. Of 8,026 residents in 3 Myens, 1,148 adults(30 years of age or older) were completed structured questionnaire survey from July 21, 1997 to July 26, 1997. 7 cancer warning signs were used to assess knowledge level of cancer warning signs. Results : Participants in this study were poorly informed about the cancer warning signs, and the 24.9% of participants and divided by two groups. The high level group was 19.3%, and the low 80.7%. In this initial univariate analysis, the following variables were significantly associated with knowledge levels of cancer warning signs: age, sex, education, living with parter, annual income, smoking status, hepatitis vaccination, perceived possibility of cancer, previous cancer-screening examinations. In multivariate logistic analysis, we found three variables, sex, education level, previous pap-smear test, are significantly associated with knowledge levels of cancer warning signs. The knowledge level was higher among women, people with higher education, and those who had previous pap-smear examination. Conclusion : This study demonstrates that cancer warning signs are not common knowledge among the rural public. It also indicates the need for cancer education to improve knowledge in the rural public and the develop education programmes targeted especially at the old, men, and those who had not cancer screening examination should be considered to plan.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2005

According to each developing type, we study a concept, contents and a consideration about in oriental medicine industry. The divisions of each developing speciality are followings: Urban industry type - The development of urban industry type has difficulties; The lack of technical development and social adaptation, etc. If it overcomes these difficulties, it will be activated in the oriental medicine industry. Rural industry type - The oriental medicine industry of rural type needs the model of rural oriental medicine industry which leads an activity and an independence of the rural region. Within the industrialization of the oriental medicine industry, if rural resource makes a specialized brand, it can have great effects in the future industry. Resort industry type - When The resort type is related the characters of natural circumstances, cultural industry and health management, it has many effects. If we gain the clear direction which is activated the regional specialities, the oriental medicine industry of resort type can estabilishs the high value industry. Event industry type - The event type is a festival, an exhibition, etc. Within this event, the promoter must provide visitors the specialized sights, the food things, the enjoyable things. And using traditional image, we have the regional resource is recognized good things and the nomination of open place can inform.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.167-177
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was performed to examine the clustering of lifestyle risk factors for chronic diseases in urban poor and rural adults. Methods: As a cross-sectional study, a questionnaire survey was conducted in 2003. Data was collected from 468 urban poor adults and 385 rural adults. And 848 persons data was used for final analysis. We surveyed their smoking habit alcohol consumption, exercise habit education and disease histories. Result: In mea about 25% of the urban poor subjects and about 20% of the rural subjects had three lifestyle risk factors(Prevalence ratio was 1.29). And, in women, about 1.5% of the urban poor subjects and about 0.5% of the rural subjects had three lifestyle risk factors(Prevalence ratio was 4.00). Especially in men, clustering of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption was strongest both the urban poor and rural subjects(Observed/Expected ratio(O/E): 1.4 in the urban poor subjects, 1.3 in the rural subjects). Conclusions: These findings show that the lifestyle risk factors cluster among the urban poor and rural adults. And the clustering is stronger in the urban poor adults than the rural adults. This tendency was important for health education and health promotion. We suggest that more intensive health promotion strategies for the urban poor adults are needed.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.124-132
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• 1987

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 1981

During 2 months from December 1979 to January 1980, Medical practitioners in Chonnam province were grouped into Si (city), Eup (town) and Myun (rural area) groups according to the locations of their clinic. 40 practitioners were randomly selected in each group and were asked their opinions about rural medical care in general. Total of 88 practitioners replied to the question as 73.9 percent of response rate in average. The most frequently mentioned advantages of rural practice were ease of clinic opening in Si-and Myun-group respondents and good social relationship in Eup-group respondents. The most frequently mentioned disadvantages were medical isolation in Si-group respondents and residents' ignorance in medicine in Eup-and Myun-group respondents. In all groups, most respondents thought that rural medical care should be delivered by and controlled by physician. Suggestions made by Eup-and Myun-group respondents for improving rural medical care by structural change focused on the regional medical insurance system, while Si-group respondents noted district hospital or hospital linkage as the most preferrable system.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.176-184
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• 2011

Objectives: Understanding recent trends in cigarette smoking among adolescents is important in order to develop strategies to prevent cigarette smoking. The aim of this study was to compare recent trends in cigarette smoking for adolescents living in rural areas, small towns and metropolitan cities in Korea. Methods: The raw data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS) from 2005 to 2009 were used. Data were analyzed by using the method of complex survey data analysis considering complex sampling design. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate significant linear time trends in cigarette smoking. The indicators of cigarette use behaviors were 'current smoking rate', 'frequent smoking rate', 'heavy smoking rate' and 'smoking experience rate before 13 years of age'. All analyses were conducted according to gender. Results: Statistically significant increasing trends in current smoking rate and frequent smoking rate were observed and borderline significant increasing trends in heavy smoking rate were shown among rural boys. Among metropolitan city boys, statistically significant increasing trends were also seen for frequent smoking. Statistically significant decreasing trends in current smoking rate were observed among small town and metropolitan city girls. Smoking experience rate before 13 years of age for rural girls decreased significantly. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking prevalence among adolescents in the rural areas has increased in the last five years especially among boys. Our findings suggest that anti-tobacco program for adolescents should be conducted primarily for those in rural areas.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.19-35
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• 2002

To know the differences between health concern, health behavior, and subjective health cognition in urban and rural area, author used the correlation analysis between variables and wanted to provide basic data for public health service to support appropriate health care, health maintenance, and health promotion in community. Data collection were done in JeonBuk area from September 10 to October 10, 2001, and subjects were above 20 years old adult. 350 and 250 subjects were from urban and rural area by random sampling, respectively. Questionnaire were completed by interview with direct or self-recording type. Research tool was questionnaire with health concern, health behavior, and subjective health cognition, and data collected were analyzed into descriptives, crosstabs, T-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient by SPSS 10.0 program. The results were as follows: 1. Health concern was 9.0% for upper group, 39.1% for middle group, 51.9% for lower group in urban area, and 10.1% for upper group, 41.0% for middle group, 48.8% for lower group in rural area. Health concern for middle and lower group was totally high percentage, and rural area had higher health concern than urban area. 2. Health behavior in both urban and rural area was statistically significant(p<0.01). Women who had higher age and with spouse had high degree of health behavior, and urban area had totally high score for health behavior compared to rural area. 3. Subjective health cognition was 71.0% for health, 29.0% for non-health in urban area, and 61.3% for health, 38.7% for non-health in rural area. Percentage of health group was higher in urban area than in rural area. 4. Degree of health behavior by health concern was statistically significant only in rural area. That is to say, the higher health concern had the higher degree of health behavior in rural area. Subjective health cognition by health behavior was totally significant correlation with health behavior in urban and rural area(p〈0.05). That is to say, the higher health behavior in urban and rural area had the higher subjective health cognition. 5. For correlations between 3 variables, there was significant correlation between health behavior and subjective health cognition in urban area (p<0.01). There were correlations between health concern and health behavior, health behavior and subjective health cognition(p<0.05). Considering above results, the higher health behavior had the higher subjective health cognition in urban area. The higher health concern had the higher behavior, and the higher health behavior had the higher subjective health cognition in rural area.