• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.495-511
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• 2016

Purpose: The present study was performed to describe the prevalence of various types of smoking statuses and to identify factors associated with different types among Korean wageworkers. Methods: The prevalence of hardcore smoking, daily smoking, and intermittent smoking was assessed in 2,126 wage workers from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The associations of these three types of smoking statuses with sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, and occupation-related characteristics were also examined in a multinomial logistic regression. Results: In men, the prevalence of hardcore smoking and daily smoking were 11.4% and 30.2%, respectively; and in women, the daily smoking prevalence was 5.6%. The education level was strongly associated with men's hardcore smoking and women's daily smoking. The household income and marital status were associated with women's daily smoking. Among occupation-related characteristics, the regularity of work and night work were associated with men's intermittent smoking. Night work was also associated with women's daily smoking. Employment condition was associated with women's intermittent smoking. Conclusion: The socioeconomic status and health conditions, compared with occupation-related factors, were found to have more influence on smoking. Therefore, antismoking programs that focus on individual characteristics should be developed for Korean wageworkers.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.234-242
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• 2019

Purpose: This study tries to comprehend older adults' perspectives of community supports and health services in a South Korean city and identify important sociodemographic and health characteristics that affect their perspectives. Methods: 166 older adults were involved in this cross-sectional study. Questions on background characteristics and community supports and health services criteria (categorized as service accessibility, offer of services, voluntary support, or emergency care planning) based upon the WHO's Age-Friendly Cities Guide were used. The data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results: emergency care planning was rated as the most important by the participants (mean age=76.24 years, 22.9% male), while its current level of performance was lowly appraised (p<.001). The rated importance for each category differed based on individual characteristics. Depression (p=.016), older age (p=.012), and restricted network type (p=.039) were significantly related to ascribing a higher degree of importance to community services. Conclusion: Community initiatives are warranted to optimize emergency care for older adults. This planning must be based on the unique characteristics of older adults in coordination with supportive resources. In addition, comprehensive assessments are warranted before implementing action plans to ensure that the multi-dimensional problems of older adults are incorporated.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4025-4035
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• 2012

This study was performed to determine the musculoskeletal symptoms and its association with sociodemographic and health related characteristics, job-related characteristics and occupational stress among manufacturing workers. The self-administered questionnaires were given to 856 male workers in randomly selected 62 work places with 50 or less employees in manufacturing industries during the period from October 1st, 2011 to November 30th, 2011. Complaint rates of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms was 82%. In logistic regression analysis, significant factors related with musculoskeletal symptoms were marital status, BMI, subjective health status, alcohol drinking, job position, job tenure, experience of sick absence and visiting out-patient department. In conclusion, the study results suggested that the complain rates of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms of workers in work places of manufacturing industries with 50 or less employees were higher than workers in a large enterprise or the small and medium enterprises and it was related with sociodemographic and health related characteristics, job-related characteristics and occupational stress.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.364-372
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• 2000

Objectives : Cancer is the second most frequent cause of death in Korea. Cancer screening tests can save lives through early detection. Enhancing the cancer screening rate is an important strategy for reducing cancer mortality. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the screening rate and related factors in a rural area. The study investigated relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, several preventive behaviors, and the experience of several cancer screening behaviors. Materials and Methods : The study population was recruited voluntarily from the three rural areas(Myen) in Chungju city. The participants completed structured questionnaire from July 21, 1990 to July 26, 1998. Results : The proportions of the study population who had previously received stomach, liver, breast, or cervix cancer screening tests were 24.5%, 18.5%, 27.0%, 59.2% respectively. The 1-year screening rates of stomach, liver, breast, and cervix cancer were 7.4%, 6.8%, 8.6%, 15.6% respectively. In multivariate logistic analysis, some sociodemographic variables, preventive behaviors, or psychological variables were significantly associated with several cancer screening tests. Those who had previously received a stomach cancer screening test were significantly associated with the presence of chronic disease, physician's recommendation, use of alcohol family history of cancer, or previous liver cancer screening test. Those who had previously received a liver cancer screening test were associated with education level, physician's recommendation and previous stomach cancer screening test. Those who had received a cervix cancer screening test were significantly associated with education level, presence of a transportation vehicle, physician's recommendation use of alcohol and previous breast cancer screening test. And those who had received a previous breast cancer screening test were significantly associated with age, marital status, and earlier cervix cancer screening test. Conclusion : Based on the results of this study a strategy to promote cancer screening and health objectives at the district level can be made.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.475-479
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• 2013

Background: In this study we aimed to determine the rate and habitual patterns of smoking, intentions of cessation, dependence levels and sociodemographic characteristics of relatives of patients with a diagnosis of cancer. Materials and Methods: This study was designed by the Turkish Oncology Group, Epidemiology and Prevention Subgroup. The relatives of cancer patients were asked to fill a questionnaire and Fagerstrom test of nicotine dependence. Results: The median ages of those with lower and higher Fagerstrom scores were 40 years and 42 years, respectively. We found no evidence of variation between the two groups for the remaining sociodemographic variables, including the subject's medical status, gender, living in the same house with the patient, their educational status, their family income, closeness to their cancer patients or spending time with them or getting any help or wanting to get some help. Only 2% of the subjects started smoking after cancer was diagnosed in their loved ones and almost 20% of subjects had quit smoking during the previous year. Conclusions: The Fagerstrom score is helpful in determining who would be the most likely to benefit from a cigarette smoking cessation program. Identification of these people with proper screening methods might help us to pinpoint who would benefit most from these programs.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.63-80
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• 2009

Objectives: This study identified how personal characteristics, healthy behavior and social capital might influence on physical activity of adults. Methods: This study used data from the health survey of a city of Korea. We surveyed 1,000 adults sampled by stratified sampling methods from 67,889 households. Outcome variable was the stage of physical activity which was broken into 5 categories. Sociodemographic factors, healthy behavior, self-rated health status and social capital were used as control variables. Sociodemographic factors included age, sex, educational status, economic status measured by deprivation score, residential period within survey city. Social capital was measured by Integrated Questionnaire for the Measurement of Social Capital (SC-IQ). This study used chi-square test and ordered logistic regression models to examine the associations between independent variables and physical activity. Variables were added to the regression model in three groups using a hierarchical approach. Results: Physical activity was significantly more likely to become active if they have higher educational status, healthier behavior. Among the six dimensions of SC-IQ, only "groups and networks" that is structural dimensions of social capital and "trust and solidarity" that is cognitive dimensions of social capital were significantly related to physical activity of adults. We found that a person having higher density of membership and having larger size of networks showed the high possibility of active physical activity. A person having high solidarity was significantly associated with physical activity, but general trust was inversely related to physical activity. Output dimensions of social capital did not show significant relationship to physical activity. Conclusion: We found that social capital is useful concept to explain health behaviors like physical activity. However we must consider social, cultural and political context of the study to evaluate the effect of social capital to health status and health determinants and to capture the exact meaning of relationship between them. We suggest further researches to refine the concept of social capital and to explain the relationship of social capital to diverse health determinants.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.349-361
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• 2014

This study was examined the general trends in social activity participation, the flow degree, and the psychological well-being of middle-aged women in Korea and explored how psychological well-being varies according to various sociodemographic variables, social activity participation, and the flow degree. This study provided practical insights into how the psychological well-being of middle-aged women can be enhanced. Data were gathered from 302 middle-aged women between the ages of 40 and 60 by using a structural questionnaire. The statistical methods included a descriptive analysis, a t-test, and a regression analysis using SPSS WIN 18.0. According to the results of the hierarchical regression analysis, the key variables influencing the psychological well-being of middle-aged women included the flow degree in terms of social activity participation and the education level. These variables explained 30% of the psychological well-being of middle-aged women. The higher the education level and the flow degree, the stronger the psychological well-being was. Social activity participation and the flow degree had greater effects on psychological well-being than sociodemographic characteristics. In particular, an increase in the flow of social activities increased psychological well-being. This suggests a need to improve the psychological well-being of middle-aged women by providing them with an environment where they can play social roles. One way to accomplish this is by linking retraining and life-long education-related activities to employment or volunteer activities. This study demonstrates the importance of the flow degree for the psychological well-being of middle-aged women. The results have important policy and theoretical implications.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1141-1145
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• 2013

Delay in seeking treatment for breast cancer is a barrier to the early diagnosis and management of the disease, resulting in a poorer prognosis. We here estimated the prevalence of delayed presentation for breast cancer and identified possible influential sociodemographic factors in a cross-sectional study of 250 patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer at the Radiotherapy and Oncology Clinic in Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire and from medical records. We examined associations between delayed presentation (presenting to a physician more than 3 months after self-discovery of a symptom) and sociodemographic characteristics, practice of breast self examination (BSE), history of benign breast disease, family history of breast cancer and type of symptom, symptom disclosure and advice from others to seek treatment using multiple logistic regression. Time from self-discovery of symptom to presentation ranged from tghe same day to 5 years. Prevalence of delayed presentation was 33.1% (95%CI: 27.4, 39.3). A significantly higher proportion of delayers presented with late stages (stage III/IV) (58.3% vs. 26.9%, p<0.001). Divorced or widowed women (OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.11, 4.47) had a higher risk of delayed presentation than married women and women who never performed breast self examination were more likely to delay presentation compared to those who regularly performed BSE (OR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.33, 5.64). Our findings indicate that delayed presentation for breast cancer symptoms among Malaysian women is high and that marital status and breast self examination play major roles in treatment-seeking for breast cancer symptoms.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.392-399
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• 2016

This study examined the distribution of metabolic syndrome according to the age groups among the elderly people to reveal the sociodemographic and health related factors. The survey in 2011~2014 from the National Health Insurance Corporation under regular medical check-ups, which received a recognition survey targeted 1,756 people aged over 70. Multiple logistic regression was performed on the relation metabolic syndrome and its related factors. As a result, the risk ratio for metabolic syndrome increased significantly in females than in males, living with a family than living alone, high economic status than in the low group, obese than in the normal weight group, have a history of stroke group than the no history group, smoking group than the non-smoking group, and drinking group than the non-drinking group. The distribution of metabolic syndrome differed significantly according to the sociodemographic characteristics and health-related variables.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 1998

To evaluate food consumption patterns of first generation Korean-American in Hawaii, questionnaires were developed using sociodemographic questions and food frequency questionnaire, which included 139 food items most often consumed among Korean foods and American foods. The questionnaires surveyed 157 first generation Korean-Americans in Hawaii. Mean daily servings for the first generation Korean-Americans were calculated for 139 food items combined into 41 food groups based on similarity in nutrient composition and serving size. The food groups which were consumed in amounts over one serving per day for all subjects were rice, Kimchi , non-citrus fruit , vegetables, organge/green vegetables. oil. margarine and coffee/tea. All subjects consumed less than one serving of hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza and pancakes per week(0.14 serving per day). The most notable characteristic of food consumption for first generation Korean-Americans was that they consumed more Korean food such as rice, Kimchi, soybean paste(Deenjang), soybean curd and seaweed than American foods. Compared with other groups based on age and gender, younger men showed significantly(p<0.05) more frequent consumption of beef/pork, sausages /hams /bacons and hambergers. Older men were significantly(p<0.05) more likely to consume Doenjang and less likely to consume pizza and hamburgers. Daily servings were below the recommended level for thegrains /bread/cereals group and fats/oils/sweets group for all subjects . Fruits/vegetables group servings exceeded the recommeded 5 daily servings for younger men. In correlations of daily servings of selected foods among Korean foods and American food with sociodemographic characteristics, this study showed that the older the subjects and the shorter the stay in Hawaii, subjects were more likely to consume Kroean foods.