• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2751-2755
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• 2016

Background: Melanoma, the most life-threatening type of skin cancer, is a malignant tumor initiating in melanocytes that rapidly metastasizes and causes death. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, samples were selected from patients' information files in our Cancer Institute in Tehran with a designed checklist. A total of 322 files were found from 2003 until 2012. Then the raw data were transferred to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16 and additional analysis was performed by Students t-test. The important variables were considered according to the available information from history of pathology including age, gender, occupation, stage and location of tumor. Results: Our data showed that incidence of melanoma has been different in the studied 10-year period according to age. Also, incidence of melanoma was higher in men than women. It was more common in lower limbs. More commonly housewives among women and farmers among men were affected by melanoma. Conclusions: Taken together the descriptive data clarified general aspects of this disease for further screening and interventions.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.202-221
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• 2022

The media has depicted an abrupt socio-technological change in the Republic of Korea with the 4th Industrial Revolution. Because technologies cannot realize their potential without social acceptance, studying conflicts incurred by such a change is imperative. However, little literature has focused on conflicts caused by technologies. Therefore, the current study investigated media coverage regarding conflicts related to the 4th Industrial Revolution from 2016 to 2020 in the Republic of Korea, applying text-mining techniques. We found that the overall amount and coverage pattern conforms to the issue attention cycle. Also, the three major topics ("SMEs & Startups," "Mobility Conflict," and "Human & Technology") indicate quarrels between conflicting social entities. Moreover, the temporal change in media coverage implies the political use of the term rather than technological. However, we also found the media's deliberative discussion on the socio-technological impact. This study is significant because we expanded the discussion on media coverage of technologies to the realm of social conflicts. Furthermore, we explored the news articles of the recent five years with a text-mining approach that enhanced the objectivity of the research.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.336-345
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• 2013

Objectives: Research has shown that obesity appears to spread through social ties. However, the association between other characteristics of social networks and obesity is unclear. This study aimed to identify the association between social network characteristics and body mass index (BMI, $kg/m^2$) in an elderly Korean population. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 657 Koreans (273 men, 384 women) aged 60 years or older who participated in the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Network size is a count of the number of friends. Density of communication network is the number of connections in the social network reported as a fraction of the total links possible in the personal (ego-centric) network. Average frequency of communication (or meeting) measures how often network members communicate (or meet) each other. The association of each social network measure with BMI was investigated by multiple linear regression analysis. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, the men with lower density (<0.71) and higher network size (4-6) had the higher BMI (${\beta}$=1.089, p=0.037) compared to the men with higher density (>0.83) and lower size (1-2), but not in the women (p=0.393). The lowest tertile of communication frequency was associated with higher BMI in the women (${\beta}$=0.885, p=0.049), but not in the men (p=0.140). Conclusions: Our study suggests that social network structure (network size and density) and activation (communication frequency and meeting frequency) are associated with obesity among the elderly. There may also be gender differences in this association.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.117-129
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of the authentic leadership of social enterprise leaders on the happiness and job crafting of employees, the mediation effect of job crafting in the authentic leadership of the leader and the happiness of the employees, and the coordination effect by the Grit of the employees. For verification, the relationship between authentic leadership and job crafting, happiness and grit and seven research theories were established. In addition, 47 questionnaires were drawn through prior research on happiness, authentic leadership, job crafting, and grit, and five executives and workers of social enterprises in Chungcheongbuk-do(Province) were surveyed on a five-point Likert scale. The collected survey data were conducted through the SPSS and AMOS for basic statistical analysis. The Macro Process of the bootstrap method was used to verify the mediation effects, the regulated effects. This study has conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural model analysis through the survey results and the analysis results verify the hypothesizes. The study found that authentic leadership affects the happiness and job crafting of employees, and that job crafting affects the happiness of employees, and the relationship between authentic leaders and employees affects job crafting. It has also been shown that the Grit of its employees affects their job crafting and happiness and also has a mediation effect on job crafting and happiness. In the policy environment of the changing rural development project, the social economy establishment plan for the virtuous circle of resources in the region should be considered, and education programs should be introduced to improve the authentic leadership of the leaders.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.137-164
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• 2009

As a means to address the modes of developing institutional evaluation system aimed at improving performances of GRIs, this study looked into the influential relations where institutional evaluation system has an impact on receptivity of evaluation outcomes and performances of institutes optimize their performances. After making analysis, it was confirmed that the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences' institutional evaluation system for GRIs had a positive (+) influence on performances of research institutes, and receptivity of evaluation outcomes is related to performances of research institutes. In addition, it was also confirmed that institutes with high performances, in general, have high level of receptivity of evaluation outcomes along with positive recognition of institutional evaluation system. However, weaknesses of the Council's institutional evaluation system for GRIs resulted in low level of receptivity amongst GRIs, and thus there is limitation on the government and the Council in the active utilization of evaluation outcomes. Finally, it addressed the limitations and areas for improvement in relation to research outcomes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7309-7316
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• 2014

Background: While many researchers often use a theoretical framework for mammogram repeat interventions, it seems they do not apply an identified mediation analysis method. The aim of this study was to determine the mediators of mammogram replication behavior in two tailored interventions for non-adherent Iranian women. Materials and Methods: A sample population of 184 women over 50 years old in Sanandaj, Iran, was selected for an experiment. Participants were randomly allocated into one of the three conditions: 1) an intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) 2) an intervention based on an integration of the HBM and selected constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and 3) a control group. Constructs were measured before the intervention, and after a 6-month follow-up. Results: Perceived self-efficacy, behavioral control, and subjective norms were recognized as mediators in the HBM and selected constructs from the TPB intervention. Perceived susceptibility, severity, barriers, self-efficacy and behavioral control met the criteria for mediation in the HBM intervention. Conclusions: This study was successful in establishing mediation in a sample of women. Our findings enrich the literature on mammography repeat, indicating key intervention factors, and relegating redundant ones in the Iranian populations. The use of strategies to increase mammography repeat, such HBM and TPB constructs is suggested to be important for maintaining a screening behavior, once the behavior has been adopted.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.135-141
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• 2016

Since the mean age of breast cancer in women living in developing countries, compared with those in developed countries, is lower by about 10 years, repetition of mammography can play an important role in reducing morbidity and mortality. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between family history of breast cancer and risk perception and its impact on repetition of mammography. In this cross-sectional study, 1,507 women aged 50 years and older, referred to the mammography center of Regions 1 and 6 in Tehran, Iran, were enrolled. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS and LISREL. According to our findings, knowledge about the time interval of mammography was found to have the highest correlation with repetition of mammography (r=0.4). Among the demographic variables, marital status (${\beta}$= -0.1) and family history of breast cancer (${\beta}$=0.1) had the most direct and significant impact on repetition of mammography (P <0.05). Among the other variables studied, knowledge (${\beta}$=-0.5) had the highest direct and significant impact on repetition of mammography (P <0.05). Family history of breast cancer was one of the predictors of repetition of mammography, but the results did not prove any relationship with risk perception. Further studies are needed to assess the effect of risk perception and knowledge about time interval on the initiation and continuation of mammography.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.297-306
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• 2022

Objectives: The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is increasing in developing countries. This study aimed to decompose the socioeconomic inequality of CVD in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional population-based study was conducted on 20 519 adults who enrolled in the Ardabil Non-Communicable Disease cohort study. Principal component analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used, respectively, to estimate socioeconomic status and to describe the relationships between CVD prevalence and the explanatory variables. The relative concentration index, concentration curve, and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition model were used to measure and decompose the socioeconomic inequality. Results: The overall age-adjusted prevalence of CVD was 8.4% in northwest Iran. Multivariable logistic regression showed that older adults, overweight or obese adults, and people with hypertension and diabetes were more likely to have CVD. Moreover, people with low economic status were 38% more likely to have CVD than people with high economic status. The prevalence of CVD was mainly concentrated among the poor (concentration index, -0.077: 95% confidence interval, -0.103 to -0.060), and 78.66% of the gap between the poorest and richest groups was attributed to differences in the distribution of the explanatory variables included in the model. Conclusions: The most important factors affecting inequality in CVD were old age, chronic illness (hypertension and diabetes), marital status, and socioeconomic status. This study documented stark inequality in the prevalence of CVD, wherein the poor were more affected than the rich. Therefore, it is necessary to implement policies to monitor, screen, and control CVD in poor people living in northwest Iran.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.275-284
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• 2020

Objectives: Police officers may be at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than the general population due to their highstress occupation. This study evaluated how an educational program based on the health belief model (HBM) may protect police officers from developing CVD. Methods: In this single-group experimental study, 58 police officers in Iran participated in a 5-week intervention based on HBM principles. Outcomes included changes in scores on an HBM scale, time spent on moderate to vigorous physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), body mass index (BMI), blood lipid profile, blood glucose, and blood pressure. The intervention consisted of 5 HBM-based educational sessions. Follow-up was conducted at 3 months post-intervention. The paired t-test was used to examine differences between baseline and follow-up scores. Results: All aspects of the HBM scale improved between baseline and follow-up (p<0.05), except the cues to action subscale. Self-efficacy and preventive behaviors improved the most. BMI decreased from 26.7±2.9 kg/㎡ at baseline to 25.8±2.4 kg/㎡ at follow-up. All components of the lipid profile, including triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein, showed significant improvements post-intervention. Blood glucose and blood pressure also decreased, but not significantly. Nearly 25% of participants who were not physically active at baseline increased their physical activity above or beyond the healthy threshold. Conclusions: A relatively brief educational intervention based on HBM principles led to a significant improvement in CVD risk factors among police officers. Further research is needed to corroborate the effectiveness of this intervention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2725-2729
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• 2015

Background: Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and prostate cancer are the most frequent cancers in the male genitourinary tract. Measurement of biological biomarkers may facilitate clinical monitoring and aid early diagnosis of TCC. The aim of the present investigation was to detect the mRNA levels of S100A12 and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) in patients suffering from bladder TCC. Materials and Methods: To explore the involvement of S100A12 and RAGE genes, total RNA was harvested from cancer tissues and samples obtained from normal non-tumorized urothelium of the same patients. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was subsequently employed to determine the mRNA levels of S100A12 and RAGE. Results: The results showed that mRNA expression of S100A12 and RAGE was significantly up-regulated in the cancer tissue. Conclusions: According to the results presented in the current study, mRNA expression of S100A12 and RAGE might be as a useful biomarker for TCC. Therefore, this ligand-receptor axis possibly plays important roles in the development of TCC and may serve either as an early diagnostic marker or as a key factor in monitoring of response to treatment. More research is required concerning inhibition of the S100A12-RAGE axis in different cancer models.