• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.505-512
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• 2020

Background: In monitoring exposure to environmental smoke (ETS), biomarkers can overcome the subjectivity and inaccuracy of self-reporting measurements, and have the advantage of reflecting ETS exposure in all places. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ETS exposure measurement using biomarkers such as urine cotinine. Methods: This study used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey data from 2009 to 2018. A total of 28,574 non-smokers with urine cotinine data were selected for the study. The cotinine concentration and ETS exposure rate using urine cotinine was estimated and then compared with the self-reporting measurements. The degree of agreement among measurements of ETS exposure was confirmed. Results: As a result of measuring ETS exposure with urine cotinine, 23,594 (83.8%) out of 28,574 subjects were classified as to exposure groups. This estimate differs significantly from measurements made by self-reporting. In addition, the average concentration of cotinine in non-smokers has decreased to a 10th level over the past 10 years. Based on the biomarker, the sensitivity of the self-reporting was 8.5%-29.0%, the specificity was 16.4%-19.5%, and the kappa value was 2.0%-5.8%. Conclusion: The findings of our study show that self-reporting measurement does not well reflect the extent to which non-smoker's exposure to smoking materials. Whereas cotinine concentration has decreased significantly over the past 10 years, the ETS exposure rate has not reduced. It strongly suggests the need for intervention in the group of non-smokers exposed to low concentrations of smoke. Therefore, an assessment using biomarkers such as cotinine-based measurement should be made in the Health Plan 2030.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.185-226
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• 2015

As in some developing countries and more recently some developed countries worldwide and in the Asian region, Australia has faced significant internal opposition and public debate especially over treaty-based investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). As outlined in Part II(1), concerns have re-emerged and escalated since the first-ever claim was brought against Australia regarding its tobacco plain packaging legislation, in 2011 by Philip Morris Asia under an old BIT with Hong Kong. However, Australia signed bilateral FTAs with Korea in 2014 and with China in 2015, including ISDS protections, prompting several sets of parliamentary inquiries (Part II(2)). Australia's close trading partner, New Zealand, had already concluded an FTA with China in 2008 that included more expansive ISDS-backed investor protections. In 2015, the New Zealand Parliament has been debating ratification of its own FTA with Korea, with ISDS also now attracting growing scrutiny, as elaborated in Part III below. In both bilateral FTA negotiations, the present Korean government seems to have reverted to a strong preference for concluding investment agreements with extensive ISDS protections, despite public and parliamentary debate around 2011 in the context of ratifying its FTA with the United States. As mentioned briefly in the concluding Part IV, Korea's stance has significant implications for the future trajectory of treaty-based ISDS - and indeed international arbitration more generally - in the Asia-Pacific region, and perhaps even globally.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.79-93
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a smoking cessation education program and to provide basic data for evaluating program for university students majoring in health sciences. Methods: The education program was developed based on the instructional system design model(ADDIE), that was based on literature review, brainstorming, and interviews of related experts. Education program was implemented for 2 sessions of 3 hours to the 82 university students majoring in health science. Knowledge, competency, and self-efficacy for performance of smoking cessation were analyzed. One group pre- & post-test design was used for evaluation of this program. Results: In the analysis stage, a total of 5 duties, 16 tasks, and 55 task elements were derived. In the design and development stage, based on job analysis, education program contents were composed of understanding tobacco, planning and implementation of smoking cessation program, smoking cessation counseling and drug treatment. After this education program, students achieved remarkable improvement in increasing knowledge, competency, and self-efficacy for smoking cessation counselling and program. Conclusions: It is needed to be included the smoking cessation education in department related to health science regular course.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.147-160
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• 2022

This study aim to use the GTAP model to analyze the impact of RCEP Fermentation in the Korean manufacturing industry by quantifying the RCEP tariff commitment table. The research results show RCEP has boosted output in all sub-manufactures except wood and printed matter due to increased export volumes. Wood products, on the other hand, are more reliant on imports due to lower production due to lower domestic sales or overall exports. After RCEP came into effect, the import and export scale of Korea's manufacturing industry expanded effectively. Among them, the positive impact on the intensive low-tech manufacturing industries such as clothing and leather products, wood products and printing products, and food, beverage and tobacco products is greater than the positive impact on the technology-intensive medium and high-tech and high-tech manufacturing industries. And found that the growth rate of Korea's manufacturing trade is basically proportional to the tax reduction rate of RCEP. Finally, in order to promote the development of the manufacturing industry, some suggestions are put forward that need the government's policy support and strengthen the regional cooperation with RCEP member countries.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.127-153
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• 2009

There is a growing concern about potential harmful effect of second-hand or environmental tobacco smoking. As a result, smoking bans in workplace become more prevalent worldwide. In Korea, workplace smoking ban policy become more restrictive in 2003 when National health enhancing law was amended. The new law requires all office buildings larger than 3,000 square meters (multi-purpose buildings larger than 2,000 square meters) should be smoke free. Therefore, a lot of indoor office became non smoking area. Previous studies in other counties often found contradicting answers for the effects of workplace smoking ban on smoking behavior. In addition, there was no study in Korea yet that examines the causal impacts of smoking ban on smoking behavior. The situation in Korea might be different from other countries. Using 2001 and 2005 Korea National Health and Nutrition surveys which are representative for population in Korea we try to examine the impacts of law change on current smoker and cigarettes smoked per day. The amended law impacted the whole country at the same time and there was a declining trend in smoking rate even before the legislation update. So, the challenge here is to tease out the true impact only. We compare indoor working occupations which are constrained by the law change with outdoor working occupations which are less impacted. Since the data has been collected before (2001) and after (2005) the law change for treated (indoor working occupations) and control (outdoor working occupations) groups we will use difference in difference method. We restrict our sample to working age (between 20 and 65) since these are the relevant population by the workplace smoking ban policy. We also restrict the sample to indoor occupations (executive or administrative and administrative support) and outdoor occupations (sales and low skilled worker) after dropping unemployed and someone working for military since it is not clear whether these occupations are treated group or control group. This classification was supported when we examined the answers for workplace smoking ban policy existing only in 2005 survey. Sixty eight percent of indoor occupations reported having an office smoking ban policy compared to forty percent of outdoor occupation answering workplace smoking ban policy. The estimated impacts on current smoker are 4.1 percentage point decline and cigarettes per day show statistically significant decline of 2.5 cigarettes per day. Taking into account consumption of average sixteen cigarettes per day among smokers it is sixteen percent decline in smoking rate which is substantial. We tested robustness using the same sample across two surveys and also using tobit model. Our results are robust against both concerns. It is possible that our measure of treated and control group have measurement error which will lead to attenuation bias. However, we are finding statistically significant impacts which might be a lower bound of the true estimates. The magnitude of our finding is not much different from previous finding of significant impacts. For cigarettes per day previous estimates varied from 1.37 to 3.9 and for current smoker it showed between 1%p and 7.8%p.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2001

Objective : To estimate the annual economic costs attributable to cigarette smoking in Korea. Methods : The costs were classified as being direct medical and non-medical costs, indirect costs and others. We focused on those costs related that are incurred in the treatment of selected diseases (cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and cancers), which have been proven to be caused by smoking. In addition to the basic costs of treatment, the additional amount of costs occurred due to smoking was obtained by computing the population attributable risk (PAR%) caused by smoking. To compute the PAR%, relative risks of smoking to the number of outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and the death were estimated using the Cox proportional hazard model, respectively. Our major data source was the 'Korea Medical Insurance Corporation (KMIC) cohort study,' which was composed of a total of 115,682 male and 67,932 female beneficiaries who had complete records of their smoking histories in the year of 1992. Results : The annual costs that could be attributable to smoking were estimated to be in the range of 2,847,500 million Won to 3,959,100 million Won. The maximum estimate of 3,959,100 million Won includes 233,100 million Won for medical costs, 5,100 million Won for transportation costs, 27,600 million Won for care giver's economic costs, 69,100 million Won in productivity loss, 3,435,000 million Won lost because of premature death, 172,100 million Won in costs resulting from passive smoke inhalation and 17,100 million Won for costs that resulted from fires that were caused by careless smoking. Conclusion : Our study confirms that the magnitude of the economic burden of smoking to Korean society is substantial. Therefore, this study provides strong evidence that there is a strong need for a national policy of tobacco control in Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.621-626
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• 2015

Background: Smokefree laws aim to protect employees and the public from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Waterpipe premises have significantly increased in number in the last decade, with anecdotal reports of poor compliance with the smokefree law. The literature is bereft of information pertaining to waterpipe premise employees. This study aimed to opportunistically gather knowledge about the occupational health hazards associated with working in waterpipe premises in London, England. Materials and Methods: Employees from seven convenience-sampled, smokefree-compliant waterpipe premises in London were observed for occupational activities. Opportunistic carbon monoxide (CO) measurements were made among those with whom a rapport had developed. Observations were thematically coded and analysed. Results: Occupational hazards mainly included environmental smoke exposure. Waterpipe-serving employees were required to draw several puffs soon after igniting the coals, thereby providing quality assurance of the product. Median CO levels were 27.5ppm (range 21-55ppm) among these employees. Self-reported employee health was poor, with some suggestion that working patterns and smoke exposure was a contributory factor. Conclusions: The smokefree law in England does not appear to protect waterpipe premise employees from high levels of CO. Continued concerns surrounding chronic smoke exposure may contribute to poor self-reported physical and mental wellbeing.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.845-852
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• 2015

Cancer illness representations and screening history among residents of Kolkata, India, were investigated along with socio-demographic characteristics in an effort to understand possible motivations for health behavior. A total of 106 participants were recruited from community locations in Kolkata, India and completed surveys including demographics, the illness perception questionnaire-revised (IPQ-R), and previous experience with cancer and screening practices. Participants were 51.5% college educated, 57% female, 51.5% full-time employed with average age of 32.7 years (R: 18-60 years). Descriptive statistics were generated for the subscales of the IPQ-R, cancer-screening practices and cancer experience. Correlation analyses were conducted to investigate associations between cancer representations and socio-demographic variables. Univariate ANOVAs were calculated to determine gender differences in IPQ-R subscales and differences between participants who knew someone diagnosed with cancer versus those who did not. While 76% of participants knew someone with cancer, only 5% of the sample engaged in cancer screening. Participants perceived cancer as a serious illness with negative emotional valence. Younger age (r(100)=-.36, p<0.001) and male gender (F(1, 98)=5.22, p=0.01, ${\eta}_2$=0.05) were associated with better illness coherence. Males also reported greater personal control (F(1, 98)=5.34, p=0.02, ${\eta}_2$=0.05) were associated with better illness coherence. Low screening rates precluded analyses of the relationship between illness representations and cancer screening. Cancer was viewed as a threatening and uncontrollable disease among this sample of educated, middle class Kolkata residents. This view may act as a barrier to seeking cancer screening. Public awareness campaigns aimed at improving understanding of the causes, symptoms and consequences of cancer might reduce misunderstandings and fear, especially among women and older populations, who report less comprehension of cancer.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.137-154
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• 2005

Objectives: This study aims to examine the positive effects of developmental assets on the prevention of health risk behaviors among Korean adolescents. The framework of developmental assets was introduced as building blocks for healthy child and adolescent development by Benson and his colleagues. These assets represent positive external environmental factors and internal personal qualities which strongly influence the quality of life of adolescents. Methods: In 2001, we administered self-reported questionnaires to 3,739 girls and boys in grade 9 at eight schools in two cities, Chinju and Suwon in South Korea. The data was compiled into a 'Korean Youth Health Related Behaviors and Developmental Assets Survey' and then analyzed Youth health risk behaviors, which we measured in terms of their frequency, included tobacco, alcohol, and substance use, sexual intercourse, anti-social behaviors, violence, feelings of social isolation at school, depression or attempted suicide, absenteeism from school, gambling. Results: Overall, with respect to developmental assets, the Korean adolescents surveyed only 12.6 of the 40 assets, and 88 percent of adolescents had 20 or fewer of the assets. Based on their number of developmental assets(DA), adolescents were categorized into four groups: Group I(DA 0-10): Group II(DA 11-20): Group III(DA 21-30): Group IV(DA 31-40). We examined the differences in the frequency of each health risk behavior across the four groups, Group I-IV, and found that the frequency of most health risk behaviors decreased as the number of developmental assets increased. Conclusion: We therefore concluded that in order to make effective approaches for the prevention of health risk behaviors among adolescents, we should consider and develop more comprehensive and adolescents-based policy and programs to promote various aspects of adolescents' health and quality of life.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.127-134
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• 2016

This study aims to investigate the factors affecting tooth loss and the association between smoking and tooth loss, by using the forth Korea National Health and National Examination Survey(2007-2009) of 1,565 elderly people over 65 years old. In terms of the characteristics, as age increases, tooth loss increases. In particular, according to the results of the analysis that identify the correlation between smoking to gender, socio-economic status and dental visiting patterns after correcting socio-economic factors and behavior, it is clear that male's tooth loss is higher than female's in current smoking and tooth loss is caused highly in the lower socio-economic status. In the dental visiting patterns, tooth loss is high when visiting more than twice a year. Therefore, it seems to need a preventive non-smoking policy at the level of dental services through further studies.