• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.103-113
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• 2011

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the degree of stress and social support among residents in a rural area. Methods: We used the baseline data of the Korean Genomic Rural Cohort (KGRC), a sub-cohort of the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (KOGES) that collected data about relationships among environmental, genetic risk factors, and chronic illness in Korean adults since November 2005. The cases chosen for the study included 1737 men and women, aged 40 to 70, living in a rural area of Wonju-city, South Korea. A questionnaire interviewing method was addressed in 2006. The final participants consisted of 1349 participants, of which 589 were male (43.7%) and 760 were female (56.3%). We applied the hierarchical multiple regression analysis with three stages. The first and second stages include socio-demographic and health-related behaviour factors and the third stage includes more social support factors. Results: The main findings revealed that the amount of social support and health-related behaviour significantly influenced the level of stress the subjects reported. The degree of stress was shown to be significantly higher for the following individuals: females, those who were divorced, the bereaved, participants who suffer from chronic disease, and non-exercisers. Low social support was shown to be negatively associated with stress. Conclusion: Social support factors along with socio-demographic and health-related behavior had an influence on stress levels in Korean rural adults. It is necessary to relieve residents from stress through diverse social support programs and healthy living initiatives.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2008

Objectives : The purposes of this study were to examine the health-related quality of life(HRQoL) and to identify its related factors for a group of rural adults. Methods : The study subjects were 1,901 adults who were aged 40-70 years and who were living in Naju City, Jeollanamdo. The sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behavior, health status and global self-rated health were collected for statistical analysis. The health-related quality of life was measured by the Euroqol EQ-5D instrument. The differences on the EQ-5D index between the groups were assessed with t-test, ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results : Overall, the mean value of the EQ-5D index was $0.884{\pm}0.140$ and this score was significantly different according to the socioeconomic characteristics, the health-related behavior, the health status and the global self-rated health. According to the results from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the HRQoL was significantly reduced for females, older subjects, and other subjects with no spouse and the subjects with osteoporosis, obesity, mental distress or poorer global self-rated health. Conclusions : The HRQoL for rural adults was related to the socioeconomic characteristics, the health status and the global self-rated health, A better understanding of the factors related to the HRQoL would help to improve the rural adults' quality of life.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.79-81
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• 1988

최근의 경제성장과 생활수준의 향상은 농촌주민의 보건 형태에도 큰 변화를 유발하고 있다. 10여년전과 달리 산전관리나 영유아 예방접종은 거의 대부분의 농촌주민들도 자발적으로 시행하고 있다. 본 연구에 의하면 일차보건사업지역이나 대조 지역간에 이측면에서 큰 차이가 없다. 따라서 일차보건사업은 과거의 알차적인 보건써어비스의 확대라는 고전적 목표에서 써비스의 향상과 써비스 조직의 개선으로서의 새로운 사업전개가 필요하다.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.74-83
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• 2011

Objectives: This study aimed to identify and assess the factors related to the awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension based on jurisdictional areas of primary health care posts in a rural community of Korea. Methods: This study was performed on 4598 adults aged over 30 years in a rural community and we measured their blood pressure (BP) from October. 2007 to August. 2009. Hypertension is defined as a condition characterized by a systolic BP ${\geq}$ 140 mmHg, a diastolic BP ${\geq}$ 90 mmHg or reported treatment with antihypertensive medications. We analyzed the factors related with the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension using chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension was 34.7%. The age-adjusted rates of hypertension awareness, treatment and control were 50.6%, 93.9% and 64.1%, respectively. Awareness of hypertension was related with increasing age. Higher awareness was found among men who were felt more stress, were obese and had hypercholesterolemia, and among women who were regulary taking medicine for hypertension, were obese and had diabetes mellitus. In women, the hypertension treatment was related a Medical aid and education for hypertension management. Controlled hypertension was more common among men who were educated about the management of hypertension and among women who had hypercholesterolemia. Conclusions: The awareness of hypertension was low and the control of hypertension was high compared with the nationwide data (KNHANES 2005). The results suggest that understanding the characteristics of hypertension in a community is important to perform a community based hypertension control program.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.472-478
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of blood lead and cadmium in urban and rural populations. Blood samples were collected from 100 urban (Busan) residents and 150 rural residents (Jinju-84, Gijang-66) from July 1 to August 30, 2007. The blood lead and cadmium levels were analyzed using flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry and were compared by age, gender and smoking status. The mean levels of blood lead in urban-Busan, rural-Jinju and rural-Gijang residents were $6.38{\pm}2.86{\mu}g/dl$, $5.41{\pm}2.16{\mu}g/dl$ and $4.50{\pm}2.87{\mu}g/dl$, respectively. There was a significant difference in the level of blood lead between urban-Busan residents and rural-Gijang residents. The mean levels of blood cadmium in urban-Busan, rural-Jinju and rural-Gijang residents were $0.85{\pm}0.44{\mu}g/l$, $1.57{\pm}0.78{\mu}g/l$ and $0.95{\pm}0.54{\mu}g/l$, respectively. There was a significant difference in the level of blood cadmium between urban-Busan residents and rural-Jinju residents. This study showed that the levels of blood lead and cadmium were significantly different between urban and rural populations. The level of blood lead was highest in urban-Busan residents, but the level of blood cadmium was highest in rural-Jinju residents. Further studies are needed to define the cause of high levels of blood lead and cadmium related to area of residence and personal habits.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.188-195
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the level of dementia knowledge of older Korean adults living alone in rural areas and to identify related factors. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was applied. The participants were 231 older adults living alone who were recruited from 12 of the 13 primary health care posts in the rural area of Chuncheon. Participants' level of dementia knowledge was assessed using the Dementia Knowledge Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the t-test, analysis of variance, chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney test were applied. Results: Participants' mean age was $77.3{\pm}5.4$ years, and women comprised 79.7% of the sample. Over half of the participants (61.9%) had no formal education, and all the participants were enrolled in Medical Aid. The participants' average percentage of correct answers was 61.6%. The highest rate (94.4%) was for the item "Dementia can change one's personal character." The item with the lowest proportion of correct answers was "Dementia is not treatable" (23.4%). Dementia knowledge was significantly associated with age, education, health coverage, source of living expenses, and dementia risk. Conclusions: Dementia knowledge among Korean rural older adults living alone was relatively low. Participants' misconceptions about symptoms and treatment could hinder them from seeking early treatment. The results of this study suggest the need for active outreach and health care delivery for rural older adults living alone in South Korea.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 1982

It is discussed in a social epidemiology that a symptom would be regarded as an illness or not by the inhabitants' socio-economic status, ages and races, and the aspects of health care seeking are various according to the above-mentioned characteristics. This paper surveyed the symptom recognition and health care seeking following a questionnaire that, of 14 symptom groups presented, which symptom would be regarded an illness necessary for medical treatment, and if it is regarded as an illness, which kind of medical treatment would be thought to be reasonable. As a result, differently from the general theory of social epidemiology, statistical differences according to independent variables was not found in symptom recognition, which indicates that Korean medical culture is similar between urban and rural areas. But in anticipatory health care seeking, various health care seekings were performed following the symptoms. Especially, general hospitals' medical care was thought to be more desirable by the inhabitants in city area than in rural area ; youngers than olders; high-incomers than low-incomers ; new or old middle class or urban laborers than rural farmers ; and the highly educated than the low educated. Conversely, the latters seeked some treatments by pharmacy.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.328-335
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Studies conducted in Western populations have suggested that dietary calcium may protect against metabolic abnormalities, but there is little evidence of this effect in Asians, who have relatively low calcium intake. We evaluated the cross-sectional relationship between dietary calcium and metabolic syndrome among Korean men and women aged 40 years and over. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 6,375 subjects aged 40 years and over and were recruited between January 2005 and February 2010 from the baseline study of the Multi-Rural Communities Cohort Study in Rural Communities (MRCohort). A food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary information. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the modified criteria published in the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel. RESULTS: Calcium intake was related inversely to metabolic syndrome in women (P-value = 0.0091), but not in men (P = 0.1842). Among metabolic components, high waist circumference (WC) (P = 0.0426) and high blood glucose (P = 0.0027) in women and hypertriglyceridemia (P = 0.0017) in men were inversely correlated with calcium intake. Excluding those who used calcium or multinutrient supplements did not attenuate the relationship between dietary calcium and metabolic abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Dietary calcium intake from foods may be inversely related to metabolic syndrome, WC, and blood glucose among women in rural areas of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.227-231
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• 1998

A 2-year-old male pseudohermaphrodite in Korean native cattle was observed macroscopically and microscopically. The results were summarized as follows. In the female reproductive organs, the vulva and vestibule were normal size, but the vagina and uterus were shorter and smaller abnormally. The uterine tube and ovary were absent, but the small testes was located in the abdominal cavity.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.107-115
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of growth exercise program based on Korean medicine. Methods : We recruited fifty two elementary students in a rural area, and measured height, weight, BMI, WHR, and bone age. Questionnaire on sleep, exercise, symptoms based on Korean medicine was performed. Students exercised TaeGuk(太極) Health Gigong(氣功), a growth exercise program 11 times in 6 weeks. Results : Height, weight, BMI and WHR of the subject students were lower than those in the Korean CDC(Center for Disease Control and Prevention) growth chart. There was significantly negative correlation between time of sleep and bone age(p=0.028), but no correlation between time of exercise and bone age(p=0.668). According to diagnosis based on Korean medicine, many students were in weakness of spleen and lung, and bone age according to deficiency of organ showed no significant difference(p=0.774). Satisfaction, impact on time of exercise after program, ideal time for program and impact on reparticipation of program were strong in the questionnaire after growth exercise program(TaeGuk(太極) Health Gigong(氣功)). Conclusions : Korean medicine promotion of health has a salutary effect on elementary school students in rural area by collecting growth and health data and educating easy exercise based on Taichi.