• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.455-460
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of the present study was to determine geographic clustering of breast cancer incidence in Kanagawa Prefecture, using cancer registry data. The study also aimed at examining the association between socio-economic factors and any identified cluster. Materials and Methods: Incidence data were collected for women who were first diagnosed with breast cancer during the period from January to December 2006 in Kanagawa. The data consisted of 2,326 incidence cases extracted from the total of 34,323 Kanagawa Cancer Registration data issued in 2011. To adjust for differences in age distribution, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of breast cancer were calculated for each of 56 municipalities (e.g., city, special ward, town, and village) in Kanagawa by an indirect method using Kanagawa female population data. Spatial scan statistics were used to detect any area of elevated risk as a cluster for breast cancer deaths and/or incidences. The Student t-test was performed to examine differences in socio-economic variables, viz, persons per household, total fertility rate, age at first marriage for women, and marriage rate, between cluster and other regions. Results: There was a statistically significant cluster of breast cancer incidence (p=0.001) composed of 11 municipalities in southeastern area of Kanagawa Prefecture, whose SIR was 35 percent higher than that of the remainder of Kanagawa Prefecture. In this cluster, average value of age at first-marriage for women was significantly higher than in the rest of Kanagawa (p=0.017). No statistically significant clusters of breast cancer deaths were detected (p=0.53). Conclusions: There was a statistically significant cluster of high breast cancer incidence in southeastern area of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was suggested that the cluster region was related to the tendency to marry later. This study methodology will be helpful in the analysis of geographical disparities in cancer deaths and incidence.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.75-89
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to explore whether the phenomenon of both married and unmarried adults' cohabiting with their parents in Korean society is "unilaterally parasitic" on the child's side, or is "interdependent", characterized by expectation and dependence from the parent's side. As a result of this study possessing the characteristics of theoretic research, the following propensities of parent-dependent adults have been discussed. First of all, it was discovered that the ratio of adult children dependent on and cohabiting with their parents is considerable. Second, parents cohabiting with their adult children have unfavorable sociological features, such as high age, low level of education and income, and lower standards of education and income, compared to parents in normal households. Third, it was found that parent-dependent adults in Korean society maintain a relatively high rate of financial activity and stable employment-based occupation status. Fourth, it was shown that the level of satisfaction on the relationship between parent-dependent adults and their parents was discovered to be high, which is contrastive to the prediction of negative results based on some previous researches. Single adult children's age, their level of education and financial activity status, and their parents' age and level of education were deducted as variables related to the level of satisfaction of the relationship between parents and their children. It seems that the issue of married and unmarried adults' cohabiting with their parents in Korean society should be approached from various perspectives such as political, economic, socio-cultural and developmental aspects. On the basis of this fundamental awareness and several of the materials, it is pertinent that approaches to both married and unmarried adults' cohabiting with parents in Korean society should be distinguished from approaches to those in Japanese or Western society because it reflects the uniqueness of Korean society. In the phenomenon of married and unmarried adults' cohabiting with their parents in Korean society, there are several factors besides the economic factor, especially the socio-cultural factor that have the characteristics of mutual dependence between parents and their children rather than those of unilateral parasitism, in contrast with the phenomenon in Japanese or Western society. This research was aimed to contribute by establishing basic data for policy making by providing necessary information to treat the issues of instability and anxiety related to families and reflection on the matters of generations and parent-child relationships in current Korean society.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.338-350
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• 2007

The objectives of this study were to analyze nutrition-related problems and to develop the nutrition education programs for high school students A survey was conducted with 500 students in the second grade level at high schools in Daegu who differed in socio-economic characteristics. In addition, body composition analysis was accomplished by the Inbody 3.0. The developed questionnaires were distributed and 481 questionnaires were collected with a 96.2% of response rate. Statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS WIN(ver.12.0) for descriptive analysis, reliability analysis, factor analysis, t-tests and $X^2$-tests. We first analyzed students' problems related to nutrition and environmental factors. In a question addressing skipping breakfast, only 11.5% answered they "do not eat" breakfast. In regards to BMI, the male students' degree of obesity was higher. Second, we analyzed living environments, which greatly influence dietary behavior. For the snacks-related categories, most of the students liked bread, cake and other snacks. When they chose the snacks, they mainly considered taste. There were significant difference among the males and females(p<.01) in terms of snacks intake habits, where 43.1 % of the males answered they snack "occasionally" and 43.4% of the females answered they snack "according to how they feel". In the case of beverages, the males consumed significantly more(p<.001). Based on their regional groups, the area A group preferred milk and milk products, and the area B group preferred soft drinks. As for the time of beverage intake, 77.6% of the females answered "with snacks", which was significantly higher than 61.4% of the males(p<.001), 12.2% of the males drank beverages after exercise. For late snacking, 68.0% of the male students and 71.1 % of the female students consumed late snacks. Most of them preferred bread, cake and other snacks. The reasons for taking a late snack were "when I feel hungry" by 61.8% of the males which was higher than the females(p<.001), 23.6% of the females consumed late snacks "impulsively". Ideally, in order to improve the food habits of high school students effective and practical nutrition education programs that consider gender and regional school group, should be carried out.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.89-107
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• 2004

This study was conducted to analyze community residents' behavior of Oriental medicine utilization and its related factors in order to provide basic data for formulation of policies on Oriental medicine. The subjects of this study was 500 residents who lived in big or medium sized cities and towns or villages Data were collected from March, 2002 to June, 2002. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. 1) According to socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, female was 50.3%; 'over 50 years old' 29.9%, 'over college graduate' 39.7%, 'housewife' 23.0%, 'having spouse' 62.1%, 'Buddhist' 50.8%, 'living in big cities' 59.0%, 'middle economic class' 88.1%. 2) The highest proportion of frequency of Oriental medicine utilization was over 10 times(32.5%). The respondents visited Oriental medicine institutions for taking invigorant(51.1%), treatment of diseases in muscle or bone system(30.8%), treatment of diseases in digestive system(6.3%), etc. 3) According to the reasons of utilizing Oriental medicine, the proportion of good effect was highest(36.3%). 66.8% of the respondents replied that Oriental medical fee was expensive, while 0.8% of them replied that it was not expensive. 33.3% of them thought it was proper. 4) 35.5% of the respondents replied that treatment by Oriental medicine could cause side effect and 40.3% of them replied that the side effect could be caused by taking herb medicine. 5) 62.8% of the respondents replied that they would continuously receive opinions on Oriental medicine. The score of knowledge level of treatment by Oriental medicine $6.25{\pm}2.82$ points on the basis of 14 points. 6) The variables significantly influencing utilization of Oriental medicine includes taking diseases, living in big cities, male, upper (economic class, having religion, and effect of Oriental medicine. 7) The factors affecting effect of herb medicine were effect of treatment by Oriental medicine, marital status, knowledge level of Oriental medicine, having diseases, and frequency of receiving the treatment.

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.659-667
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• 2019

The study examined the effects of individual, family, and environmental factors on adolescents' self-esteem. Individual factors were the adolescents' health status and their leisure activity experiences, while the family factors were families' socio-economic status(SES) and parenting styles. Three environmental factors focusing on the adolescents' school environment were studied, and they consisted of academic attachment, peer attachment, and teacher attachment. The study inquiries were as follows: which individual factors had an effect on the adolescents' self-esteem? Which family factors had an effect on the adolescents' self-esteem? Which environmental factors had an effect on the adolescents' self-esteem? Of all the factors considered in this study, which factors had the greatest effect on adolescents' self-esteem? This study used data from the 3rd Korean Child and Youth Panel survey of Korean students in the first grade of middle school, and the data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis using SPSS 18.0. The results were as follows: the most important factor that have an effect on adolescents' self-esteem was parenting style, while peer attachment, health status, and academic attachment were also found to significantly affect adolescents' self-esteem. In the conclusion, the researchers suggest various strategies based on results of the analysis to improve adolescents' self-esteem.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.927-932
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• 2018

The demand for beef as a protein source is increasing worldwide, although in most countries beef accounts for considerably less than half of total meat consumption. Beef also provides a highly desirable eating experience in developed countries and, increasingly, in developing countries. The sustainability of beef production has different meanings in the various geographical and socio-economic regions of the world. Natural resources including land mass and uses, rainfall and access to livestock feed, and the robustness of the economy are major determinants of the perception of beef sustainability. In this overview of the 2016 International Symposium on "Future Beef in Asia" and this subsequent Special Edition of the Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences on "Current Situation and Future Prospects for Global Beef Production", the contributions have been grouped into the following categories: Countries in Southeast Asia; Europe; and Countries producing highly marbled beef for export and/or domestic consumption. They also include reference to Special Topics including marbled beef production, and use of "omics" technologies to enhance beef quality assurance. Among these broad categories, notable differences exist across countries in the production and marketing of beef. These reflect differences in factors including natural resource availability and climate, population size, traditional culture and degree of economic development including industrial and technological developments. We trust that the International Symposium and this Special Edition on Current Situation and Future Prospects for Global Beef Production, the contents of which that are briefly summarized in this paper, will serve as a valuable resource for the livestock industries, researchers and students with an interest in enhancing the prospects for sustainable, efficient beef production that satisfies the growing size and complexity of consumer demands and markets for beef.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.49-61
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• 2013

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to analyze difference in quality of life related to health according to our country's social stratification. Methods. This study had analytical subjects as 7,992 adults(4,557 men, 3,435 women), who are included in a variable by social stratification among 15,691 people in the age group of 20~69 years old as examinees, based on the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results. This study obtained the following results. First, seeing the score of health-related life quality by social stratification, namely, the distribution of EQ-5D index, the new middle class(class II) was the highest(men with 0.966 point, women with 0.955 point). The agricultural self-employed class(class V) was indicated to be the lowest(men with 0.918 point, women with 0.866 point). In general, the more belonging to low social stratification led to having shown the lower aspect in EQ-5D index value. Second, as for the results of the hierarchical regression analysis, the factors of contributing to difference by social stratification in health-related quality of life were chronic disease, job stress, education, and income level in both men and women. The health behavior was grasped to be a factor of contributing only to women. Conclusions. To reduce difference in health-related quality of life according to social stratification in the future, the continuous investment is needed for supporting socially high-quality education and economic stability. The sphere of health will need to be given priority to the prevention of chronic disease and the development in effective management policy for the lower classes.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 2006

Objectives: As the number of people with disabilities is increasing and their needs for care are varied, the continuum and comprehensiveness of their rehabilitative care are getting more important. This study was performed to understand the utilization of rehabilitation services and requirements of care among the people with severe disabilities in Korea. Methods: We interviewed 578 disabled persons who had severe extremity and cerebral impairment in the urban and rural areas of Korea. The questionnaire included questions on their general characteristics, the type of disability, their physical function (ADL, IADL), their use of rehabilitation services after discharge and their requirements for rehabilitation care Results: Only 12.6% of people with disability in the community continuously used the available medical rehabilitation care. The associated factors for utilization of rehabilitation services were pain and admission for rehabilitative treatment in the acute phase. There was a great need for rehabilitation services in community and this varied according to gender, the socio-economic status, the functional status and the geographic region. The gap between utilization and need for rehabilitation services was largest in the economic support. The gap of primary health care was larger in the rural area than in the urban area. Conclusions: The needs for rehabilitation service were diverse according to the individual functional status, the regional characteristics and other general characteristics of people with disability. Strategies should be considered to eliminate the barriers to obtain rehabilitation services for the people with disability in the community.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.308-316
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• 2010

The present study set out to explore the acculturative stress and mental health(depression) of Korean women living in Britain according to socio-demographic factors, social relations and social supports level. 152 Korean women's data were collected and analyzed with frequency, correlation, ANOVA. Analysis revealed that women's acculturative stress and depression level was 2.50(moderate) and 1.66(slightly low) respectively. Acculturative stress level showed correlation with depression level. Among demographic variables, acculturative stress was significantly different from residence period in Britain, marriage and economic state and the level of depression was also different from job and economic state. The group which has frequent relationships with British and high level of social supports showed low acculturative stress. The group has high level of social supports also showed low depression. These findings highlight the importance of concerns and interventions about acculturation and mental health of Korean immigrant women and community services for the new immigrant women to improve their acculturation and mental health.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.47-60
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• 2006

BACKGROUND: Social, legal, and economic factors have changed the delivery of care to elderly who are frail and/or chronically ill. Increasing number of the elderly are now treated in the community, while living with or in close proximity to their family. It is evident that families play a major role of support for elderly persons in our society. This paper provides a review and analysis of studies that have investigated informal caregiving issues encompassing physical, psychological, emotional, and social domains. RESULTS OF THE REVIEW: Family caregiving often interfered with workplace and other responsibilities, creating physical, emotional, and financial stress for caregivers. Relatively high volumes of research addressed caregiving issues in the families of Alzheimer patients and in the areas of emotional and psychological impact of caregiving. Few studies explicitly investigated the role of informal caregivers in the management of other chronic conditions such as stroke or depression or physical consequences of long-term caregiving. While most studies were focused on negative aspects of caregiving, a few studies found it rewarding. Often the burden, stress, and socio-economic effects on the family caregiving for an elderly person were not sufficiently appreciated. CONCLUSIONS: Positive outcomes for both the caregiver and the care recipient are more likely to occur when effective levels of collaboration exist between health professionals and caregivers. As a first step, a better understanding of the caregiving experience such as caregiver characteristics, care recipient characteristics, and social stigma is important for nurses to minimize the burden of care so that appropriate interventions can be developed. In addition, further studies are needed to examine the role and needs of informal caregivers in the care of increasing number of frail and/or chronic ill elderly treated in the community.