• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권12호
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• pp.7065-7067
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• 2013

Background: Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable death across the world today and the smoking rates among men in the Arab world are amongst the highest in the world. Smoking of dokha, a traditional Arab tobacco is common in some of the Middle East countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Iran. This review focuses on the prevalence, pattern and health effects of dokha use in the Middle East. For this purpose an electronic search was performed in the following databases and websites: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Proquest and Google scholar up to December 2012. The search strategy was based on Internet search for the synonyms of dohka or midwakh. From the results of the review it emerged that younger people are the most common users of dokha. Hence effective outreach health education programs, targeting adolescents, especially school students before they take up the habit of smoking, may thus curb the emergence of the problem.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.74-79
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking prevention programs offered to primary and secondary school students in Seoul, and to analyze factors related to smoking for these students. A quasi-experimental study design was employed and a total of 8,717 students for pre-test and 7,925 students for post-test were participated in the study. The smoking prevention programs included poster and slogan contests. smoking cessation workshop. distribution of smoking prevention pamphlets, reinforcement of smoking regulations, and operation of mobile smoking cessation booth. The results indicated that smoking prevalence decreased after the intervention. However. despite the reinforcement of the regulation related to sales of tobacco to adolescents. more than $50\%$ of the participants still purchased tobacco from stores, while $20.8\%$ obtained tobacco through their friends. Stress, juvenile delinquency, and pocket money were identified as significant factors associated with tobacco use for these students. In conclusion, smoking prevention programs with multiple intervention strategies were effective in decreasing the smoking prevalence among adolescents. Further study is recommended to conduct an experimental study using comparison group to control the effect of other social influences such as national smoking cessation campaigns.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.139-146
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• 2013

Objectives: Cigarette smoking prevalence among adolescent males in rural areas of Korea has increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to explore the factors related to increasing trends in cigarette smoking among adolescent males living in rural areas. Methods: The raw data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey from 2006 to 2009 were used. Data were analyzed by using the method of complex survey data analysis considering complex sampling design. Multiple logistic regression models were used to explore the factors affecting cigarette smoking. We evaluated the linear time trends in the prevalence of factors that were related to current smoking status and the linear time trends in cigarette smoking in groups stratified by the exposure to each factor using logistic regression models. Finally, we examined the contributions of the factors to the time trends in cigarette smoking by adjusting for each of those factors in the baseline regression models and changes in the adjusted odds ratio by survey year. Results: A statistically significant increasing trend in smoking was observed after adjusting for the factors affecting cigarette smoking. Significant factors related to cigarette use were perceived stress, experience with depression, current alcohol drinking, exposure to secondhand smoke, and academic performance. The factor related to increasing trends in cigarette smoking was academic performance. Conclusions: Stress about academic performance is an important factor affecting the increase in cigarette smoking among adolescent males in a rural area of Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권18호
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• pp.7629-7634
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• 2014

Background: Cigarette smokers have their own motivation and justification to smoke. For example, smoking reduces their stress or enhances their pleasure. This study aimed to identify the (a) prevalence of cigarette smokers among undergraduates in Malaysia, (b) gender differences in nicotine dependence among current smokers, (c) differences in psychological problems (depression, anxiety and stress) based on the status of smoking cigarettes (current, former and non-smokers) and (d) extent to which precipitating factors (tension reduction, addiction, automatism, handling, social interaction, pleasure, and stimulation) predict the smoking behavior among current smokers. Materials and Methods: In this study 780 undergraduate students participated from a private university in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state in Malaysia. The Depression, Stress and Anxiety Scale, Modified Reason for Smoking Scale and Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test were used to measure psychological problems, predictors of smoking behavior and nicotine dependency among current smokers. Results: The results showed that 14.7%(n=106) of the students were smokers. Current smokers exhibited more psychological problems (depression, anxiety and stress) compared to former and non-smokers. Addiction, tension reduction, pleasure and automatism were predictors of smoking behavior among the current smoking students. Step wise regression analysis showed that smoking behavior was highly predicted by nicotine dependency or addiction. Smoking students were motivated to smoke cigarettes as they believed that it reduced their tension and enhance pleasure. Conclusions: Hence, there is a need for health promotion and anti-tobacco prevention as cigarette smokers experience more psychological problems. Nicotine dependency or addition was one of the major causes for smoking behavior among the student population in Malaysia.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.93-104
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• 2009

Objectives: Although Asian immigrants have lower rates of smoking and binge drinking than other ethnics in the US, Korean Americans have the highest rate of Asian immigrants. This study, therefore, compared with the rates and examined the predictors of smoking and binge drinking by gender and ethnicity among Asian immigrants in California. Methods: In 2001 and 2003, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) were conducted in English and their original languages with Asian immigrants residing in 58 Counties and 3 Cities, California. We performed analysis to find out the differences of smoking and binge drinking rates using the secondary data, CHIS 2001 and 2003. Multiple logistic regression analysis for survey data identified predictors of smoking and binge drinking behaviors by gender and ethnicity. Results: Korean American males (35.4%) and Japanese American females (15.4%) had higher rates of smoking prevalence compared with other Asian immigrants in California. In binge drinking, 26.5% of male and 8.1% of female among Korean Americans were binge drinker, and the rates were the top with Asian Americans who had lived in California. It showed the remarkable gap between gender of smoking and binge drinking among Vietnamese immigrants, whereas not the striking difference among Japanese Americans. In multiple regression models, age, educational level, occupation, marital status, English proficiency, and health insurance coverage remained significant for smoking and binge drinking behaviors(P<0.05). Even though the time in the US was not significant, it seemed to be related to educational level and English proficiency. In particular among female, smoking and binge drinking behaviors were associated with acculturation. Conclusion: Although Asian Americans had shared with American culture since they had immigrated in the US, they had significantly different prevalence rates of smoking and binge drinking based on gender and ethnicity. Therefore, future efforts should be focused on understanding differences by ethnicity and target at high-risk subgroups. To achieve this, it needs to develop the educational materials in Korean and their original languages.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권11호
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• pp.6797-6802
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• 2013

Background: Prevalence of tobacco use is higher in the rural than urban areas of India. Unlike tobacco cessation clinics located in urban areas, community-based smoking cessation intervention has the potential to reach a wider section of the community to assist in smoking cessation in the rural setting. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a cessation intervention in rural Kerala state, India. Materials and Methods: Current daily smoking resident males in the age group 18-60 years from four community development blocks in rural Kerala were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received multiple approaches in which priority was given to face-to-face interviews and telephone counselling. Initially educational materials on tobacco hazards were distributed. Further, four rounds of counselling sessions were conducted which included a group counselling with a medical camp as well as individual counselling by trained medical social workers. The control group received general awareness training on tobacco hazards along with an anti-tobacco leaflet. Self-reported smoking status was assessed after 6 and 12 months. Factors associated with tobacco cessation were estimated using binomial regression method. Results: Overall prevalence of smoking abstinence was 14.7% in the intervention and 6.8% in the control group (Relative risk: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.25). A total of 41.3% subjects in the intervention area and 13.6% in the control area had reduced smoking by 50% or more at the end of 12 months. Lower number of cigarettes/ bidi used, low nicotine dependence and consultation with a doctor for a medical ailment were the statistically significant predictors for smoking cessation. Conclusions: Rigorous approaches for smoking cessation programmes can enhance quit rates in smoking in rural areas of India.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.172-178
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• 2010

Purpose: We examined the relationship between the health-related issues of elderly women and bone density and identified specific factors that affect the prevalence of osteoporosis to provide basic data for developing a health care program on osteoporosis prevention. Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of 118,903 66-yr-old women who received a health examination conducted by the National Health Insurance Corporation in 2008. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting the prevalence of osteoporosis. Results: The prevalence of osteoporosis was 46.8%, whereas the prevalence of osteopenia was 38.4% among elderly women in this study. Statistically significant differences were observed between the osteoporosis and non-osteoporosis group in terms of smoking (p<.001), exercise (p<.001), obesity (p<.001), waist circumference (p<.001), depression (p<.001), falling experience (p<.05), and the cognitive function risk (p<.05). Based on the multiple logistic regression results, the risk for osteoporosis was high in those who were under-weight, smoked, or were depressed. In contrast, moderate or high level obesity showed a negative relationship with osteoporosis. Conclusion: The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis was 85.2%. Therefore, there is a need to develop health care programs pertaining to osteoporosis intervention and prevention for elderly women. Because smoking, non-exercise, and obesity are main osteoporosis risk factors, it is highly recommended that some sound practical life programs and psychological support programs be considered for this population.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.79-86
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• 2009

The study found out developmental factors of the liver diseases in 29, 531 cases of the healthy adults who were diagnosed by using ultrasound at domestic healthcare centers in 6 cities. The results are as follows. Based on the result of the study, the liver diseases diagnosed by using ultrasound was revealed to show 43.1% of prevalence, and the occurrence was significantly higher in male (23.3%) than in female (19.8%). The prevalence of hepatic diseases related to the BMI was revealed to show highest prevalence of the fatty liver in obese group (BMI $\geqq$ 25) by recording 44.3%. Smoking contributed to the high prevalence of all liver diseases. Although the fatty liver was the most frequently occurred form of liver diseases by recording the prevalence of 49.1% (22.2% in male, 26.9% in female), the significant difference was found only in female (p < 0.05), but male group did not show significant difference (p > 0.05). The prevalence of hepatic diseases related to the hypertension was revealed to show highest prevalence of the fatty liver in hypertension group by recording 67.7%. The prevalence of hepatic diseases related to the diabetes was revealed to show highest prevalence of the fatty liver in diabetes group by recording 66.2%. The high prevalence of all hepatic diseases was related to diabetes mellitus with statistical significance (p < 0.001). The multiple regression analysis for the related factors which affect the prevalence of the liver diseases showed the higher prevalence by age. Sex, obesity and diabetes mellitus were positively related to the prevalence (p < 0.05) while hypertension and smoking showed no significant relationship to the prevalence of the disease (p > 0.05).

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.136-142
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• 2015

Objective: Smoking has been reported to harm nearly every organ of the body, but conflicting results have been reported regarding the effects of smoking on assisted conception. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of positive urinary cotinine tests in infertile couples and whether cotinine positivity was associated with infertility treatment outcomes. Methods: A qualitative urinary cotinine test was administered to 127 couples who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF, n=92) or intrauterine insemination (IUI, n=35). Results: The overall prevalence of positive urinary cotinine test was 43.3% (55/127) in the male partners and 10.2% (13/127) in the female partners with similar prevalence rates in both genders in the IUI and IVF groups. Semen characteristics, serum markers of ovarian reserve, and number of retrieved oocytes were comparable among cotinine-positive and cotinine-negative men or women (with the exception of sperm count, which was higher among cotinine-positive men). The results of urinary cotinine tests in infertile couples were not associated with IVF and IUI outcomes. Conclusion: The presence of cotinine in the system, as indicated by a positive urinary cotinine test, was not associated with poorer outcomes of infertility treatment.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.825-833
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between smoking behavior and periodontitis in Korean adults. Methods: The study subjects were 4,896 from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data were analysed by chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis using SPSS 20.0 program. Results: The rate of periodontitis was 27.5%. The prevalence rate of periodontitis was closely related to socio-economic characteristics including gender, age, living area, household income, educational level, history of diabetes mellitus, and regular dental visit. The rate of periodontitis in non-smoker, ex-smoker, and current smoker were 56.7%, 19.5%, and 23.8%, respectively. Smoking behavior was significantly related to socio-economic characteristics. After adjusting for gender, age, household income, educational level, history of diabetes mellitus, and dental visit within 1 year, the risk of periodontitis in ex-smoker and current group were 1.31 (95% CI; 1.04-1.65) and 2.31 (95% CI; 1.87-2.85), respectively. Conclusions: Smoking behavior had a significant impact on periodontitis prevalence in Korean adults.