• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.116-126
• /
• 1984

The present study was designed to elucidate the recent prevalence of the intestinal protozoa and to demonstrate the relationship on prevalence of the surveyed population with their academic career and living conditions. During the period from May to July 1981, total 2, 735 fecal specimens were collected from the inhabitants of 11 areas in Gyeong-gi Do(province) near by Seoul City, and 6 areas in Jeonra Bug Do, southwestern part of Korea. The samples were fixed with SAF solution and were examined by formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The results are summarised as follows: 1, Overall positive rate of intestinal protozoa was 11. l% : Gyeong-gi Do, 10.7%; Jeonra Bug Do, 11.7%. 2. Five species of intestinal protozoa were detected: Entamoeba histolytica 0.69% : Entamoeba cali 5.52%; Endolimax nana 2.71%, Giardia lamblia 2.23%; lodamoeba biitschlii 0.18%. 3. Highest positive rates among the examined areas were recognized: Incheon City of Gyeong-gi Do, 26.7%; Im-sil Gun(county) of Jeonra Bug Do, 19.9%. 4. By species, E. nana showed the highest prevalence rate (13.74%) in Incheon City, and E. histolytica (2.37%) and E. coli (9.95%) in Im-sil Gun. 5. Prevalence of E. histolytica in rural areas was higher than in urban areas. 6. No significant difference in the prevalence rate by sect and age was recognized, although the group under 10 years and over 60 years were lower than in other age groups. 7, The highest positive rate of E. histolytica was observed in pauper group and significant linearity of prevalence rate of E. histozytica by monthly income was observed. 8. The inhabitants who used conventional latrine showed higher prevalence, 11.5%, than the group of inhabitants who used modified privy. 9. Although no significant difference of positive rate was recognized by academic career, but the lowest prevalence rate was observed in college graduates. 10. Over half of the surveyed population, 64.8% has no experience on anthelmintic practice. Number of anthelmintic application resulted no difference in prevalence. In conclusion, prevalences of intestinal protozoa in Gyeong-gi Do and Jeonra Bug Do decreased remarkably in comparison with those of one decade before. However, economic level, academic career and anthelmintic administration seemed no essential reasons for such declination.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.95-105
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study examined the characteristics differences associated with 1-year continuous smoking abstinence in Korean young adult and middle-aged male workers. Methods: 'Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)' is an ongoing surveillance system that assesses the health and nutritional status of Koreans. For a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from KNHANES VI-1, this study selected 683 Korean male workers as a subpopulation, who were young adult or middle-aged. The subpopulation was composed of success or failure group of 1-year continuous smoking abstinence. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Success group was more likely to be older, live in urban areas, rate their health status as excellent or good, and have ever been diagnosed with hypertension than failure group. Additionally, Success group was less likely to have used electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), drink more than once a month, and have been exposed to secondhand smoking in workplace within a week. Conclusion: Developing smoking cessation programs requires consideration of resources in rural areas, promoting self-efficacy, restricting e-cigarettes and drinking, and promoting a smoke-free workplace.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.65-75
• /
• 2005

This study aims to explore the difference in life satisfaction and daily activities of elderly solitaries through a survey conducted from May to June 2004 to 152 who hare moi the criteria set forth for this study. Used for the survey were such tools as 11 items of questions concerning characters of the subjects, Life Satisfaction and Daily activities(K-ADL). The outcomes could be summarized as follows: 1. The majority of 152 subjects are females, aged $70{\sim}79$, living in the urban areas, non-educated with miscellaneous religions(including non-believers), jobless, self-dependent (or living expenses, without leisure, with disease, suffering from sickness despite of treatment and, thus not self-confident in health. 2. The Life Satisfaction and K-ADL of all subjects appear in general to be good with $20.03{\pm}9.74$ and $8.25{\pm}2.74$, respectively. 3. The difference in Life Satisfaction by characters of the subjects is found significantly high in those who are females, living in rural area, educated, with religions and jobs, have diseases treated and currently confident in health. 4. The difference in K-ADL by characters of the subjects is significantly high for those who are older than 80, Buddhists, jobless, affordable with living expenses by themselves, sick currently and not confident in health. Thus, it is thought vastly important to help the elderly solitaries to realize quality of life by social (including family) assistance, economic self-reliance and health promotion and prevention. Measures drawn from the analysis into issues of the elderly solitaries from various aspects may definitely contribute to avoiding and complimenting the causes of various issues relating to the elderly people and to assisting them to cope with the problems in the highly geriatric society to come.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.355-366
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This study seeks to evaluate the vulnerability assessment of the human health sector for $PM_{10}$, which is reflected in the regional characteristics and related disease mortality rates for $PM_{10}$ in Busan over the period of 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ is comprised of the categories of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indexes of the exposure and sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on vulnerability to $PM_{10}$. Variables of each category were standardized by the rescaling method, and each regional relative vulnerability was computed through the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The regions with a high exposure index are Jung-Gu (transportation region) and Saha-Gu (industrial region). Major factors determining the exposure index are the $PM_{10}$ concentration, days of $PM_{10}{\geq}50$, ${\mu}g/m^3$, and $PM_{10}$ emissions. The regions that show a high sensitivity index are urban and rural regions; these commonly have a high mortality rate for related disease and vulnerable populations. The regions that have a high adaptive capacity index are Jung-Gu, Gangseo-Gu, and Busanjin-Gu, all of which have a high level of economic/welfare/health care factors. The high-vulnerability synthesis of the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indexes show that Dong-Gu and Seo-Gu have a risk for $PM_{10}$ potential effects and a low adaptive capacity. Conclusions: This study presents the vulnerability index to $PM_{10}$ through a relative comparison using quantitative evaluation to draw regional priorities. Therefore, it provides basic data to reflect environmental health influences in favor of an adaptive policy limiting damage to human health caused by vulnerability to $PM_{10}$.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.66-94
• /
• 2004

The objective of this study is to examine how to maximize the efficiency of hospital management by minimizing the unit cost of hospital operation. For this purpose, this paper proposes to develop a model of the profit maximization based on the cost minimization dictum using the statistical tools of arriving at the maximum likelihood values. The preliminary survey data are collected from the annual statistics and their analyses published by Korea Health Industry Development Institute and Korean Hospital Association. The maximum likelihood value statistical analyses are conducted from the information on the cost (function) of each of 36 hospitals selected by the random stratified sampling method according to the size and location (urban or rural) of hospitals. We believe that, although the size of sample is relatively small, because of the sampling method used and the high response rate, the power of estimation of the results of the statistical analyses of the sample hospitals is acceptable. The conceptual framework of analyses is adopted from the various models of the determinants of hospital costs used by the previous studies. According to this framework, the study postulates that the unit cost of hospital operation is determined by the size, scope of service, technology (production function) as measured by capacity utilization, labor capital ratio and labor input-mix variables, and by exogeneous variables. The variables to represent the above cost determinants are selected by using the step-wise regression so that only the statistically significant variables may be utilized in analyzing how these variables impact on the hospital unit cost. The results of the analyses show that the models of hospital cost determinants adopted are well chosen. The various models analyzed have the (goodness of fit) overall determination (R2) which all turned out to be significant, regardless of the variables put in to represent the cost determinants. Specifically, the size and scope of service, no matter how it is measured, i. e., number of admissions per bed, number of ambulatory visits per bed, adjusted inpatient days and adjusted outpatients, have overall effects of reducing the hospital unit costs as measured by the cost per admission, per inpatient day, or office visit implying the existence of the economy of scale in the hospital operation. Thirdly, the technology used in operating a hospital has turned out to have its ramifications on the hospital unit cost similar to those postulated in the static theory of the firm. For example, the capacity utilization as represented by the inpatient days per employee tuned out to have statistically significant negative impacts on the unit cost of hospital operation, while payroll expenses per inpatient cost has a positive effect. The input-mix of hospital operation, as represented by the ratio of the number of doctor, nurse or medical staff per general employee, supports the known thesis that the specialized manpower costs more than the general employees. The labor/capital ratio as represented by the employees per 100 beds is shown to have a positive effect on the cost as expected. As for the exogeneous variable's impacts on the cost, when this variable is represented by the percent of urban 100 population at the location where the hospital is located, the regression analysis shows that the hospitals located in the urban area have a higher cost than those in the rural area. Finally, the case study of the sample hospitals offers a specific information to hospital administrators about how they share in terms of the cost they are incurring in comparison to other hospitals. For example, if his/her hospital is of small size and located in a city, he/she can compare the various costs of his/her hospital operation with those of other similar hospitals. Therefore, he/she may be able to find the reasons why the cost of his/her hospital operation has a higher or lower cost than other similar hospitals in what factors of the hospital cost determinants.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.1895-1899
• /
• 2012

Background and Aims: Liver cancer is a major health problem in low-resource countries. Approximately 55% of all liver cancer occurs in China. Hebei Province is one of the important covering nearly 6% of the population of China. The aim of this paper was to explore liver cancer mortality trends during past 30 years, and provide basic information on prevention strategies. Methods: Hebei was covered covered all the three national surveys during 1973-1975, 1990-1992, and 2004-2005 and one provincial survey during 1984-1986. Subjects included all cases dying from liver cancer in Hebei Province. Liver cancer mortality trend and geographic differences across cities and counties were analyzed. Results: There were 82,878 deaths in Hebei Province during 2004-2005 with an average mortality rate was 600.9/10,000, and an age-adjusted rate of 552.3/10,000. Those dying of cancer were 18,424 cases, accounting for 22.2% of all deaths, second only to cerebrovascular disease as a cause of death. Cancer mortality was 133.6/100,000 (age-adjusted rate was 119.2/100,000). Liver cancer ranked fourth in this survey with a mortality rate of 21.0/100,000, 28.4/100,000 in males and 13.35/10,000 in females, accounting for 15.7%, 17.1% and 13.4% of the total number of cancer deaths and in males and females, respectively. The sex ratio was 2.13. Since the 1970s, liver cancer deaths of Hebei province have been increasing slightly. The crude mortality rates in the four surveys were 11.3, 16.0, 17.4, 21.0 per 100,000, respectively, with age-adjusted rates fluctuating during the past 30 years, but the trend also being upwards. There is a tendency for the mortality rates to be higher in coastal than mountain areas, and is relative lower in the plain area, with crude mortality rates of 25.3, 22.1, and 19.1 per 100,000, respectively. There were no notable differences in cride data between urban and rural, but the age-adjusted mortality rate in rural was much higher. Conclusion: Our study indicated that the mortality of liver cancer in Hebei Province is lower than the national average level. There is a slightly increase trend, especially in some counties. Liver cancer is a major health problem and it is necessary to further promote prevention strategies in Hebei province.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.53-63
• /
• 2024

Biodiversity holds significant importance within the framework of environmental impact assessment, being utilized in site selection for development, understanding the surrounding environment, and assessing the impact on species due to disturbances. The field of environmental impact assessment has seen substantial research exploring new technologies and models to evaluate and predict biodiversity more accurately. While current assessments rely on data from fieldwork and literature surveys to gauge species richness indices, limitations in spatial and temporal coverage underscore the need for high-resolution biodiversity assessments through species richness mapping. In this study, leveraging data from the 4th National Ecosystem Survey and environmental variables, we developed a species distribution model using Random Forest. This model yielded mapping results of 24 mammalian species' distribution, utilizing the species richness index to generate a 100-meter resolution map of species richness. The research findings exhibited a notably high predictive accuracy, with the species distribution model demonstrating an average AUC value of 0.82. In addition, the comparison with National Ecosystem Survey data reveals that the species richness distribution in the high-resolution species richness mapping results conforms to a normal distribution. Hence, it stands as highly reliable foundational data for environmental impact assessment. Such research and analytical outcomes could serve as pivotal new reference materials for future urban development projects, offering insights for biodiversity assessment and habitat preservation endeavors.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.54-65
• /
• 1995

Commissary school foodservice system has been expanded rapidly in elementary foodservices in Korea. Therefore, it is essential that cost effectiveness should be assessed by comparing between alternative systems. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects on meal costs of foodservice systems and other school characteristics in terms of meal costs/day per 1 person ; to examine financial management practices and dietitians' perception concerning importance of school foodservices financial management. A total of 16 commissary schools in nationwide and 102 conventional schools at Chungnam province and Seoul were participated in this survey by mails. The results are as follows 1. Average meal costs per one person was 1,232.6 won evaluated on the standards of monthly budget basis on June, 1994. Average food costs per one person was 836.1 won(67.83%), average labor cost was 320.1 won(25.97 %) and operation costs was 76.3 won(6.2 %). 2. Average meal costs per one person did not show any significant difference between commissary and conventional foodservice schools. Meal costs of the island type and the rural type were significantly higher than those of the urban type. Meal costs of schools in Chungnam and other province were higher than schools in Seoul. The schools with less than 200 feeding numbers were higher than the schools more than 201 in meal costs per one person. 3. Food costs per one person were higher in the urban type, especially in Seoul, as the scale of feeding number increased. Labor costs and operational costs were increased in island type as well as in the schools of small feeding numbers. 4. Foodservice teachers, not dietitians were in charge of foodservice duties at the 75 % of satellites. Dietitians participated in the satellite foodservice duties were only averaged at 2.19 visits per month of 20 feeding days. 5. Items which influenced by food costs per person at the step of foodservice production were purchasing method, the perception of inventory, the distributor for foodservice, and usage of standardized recipes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.266-279
• /
• 2014

For the evaluation of roadway safety, diverse methods, including before-after studies, simple comparison using historic traffic accident data, methods based on experts' opinion or literature, have been applied. Especially, many research efforts have developed traffic accident prediction models in order to identify critical elements causing accidents and evaluate the level of safety. A traffic accident prediction model must secure predictability and transferability. By acquiring the predictability, the model can increase the accuracy in predicting the frequency of accidents qualitatively and quantitatively. By guaranteeing the transferability, the model can be used for other locations with acceptable accuracy. To this end, traffic accident prediction models using non-linear regression, artificial neural network, and structural equation were developed in this study. The predictability and transferability of three models were compared using a model development data set collected from 90 signalized intersections and a model validation data set from other 33 signalized intersections based on mean absolute deviation and mean squared prediction error. As a result of the comparison using the model development data set, the artificial neural network showed the highest predictability. However, the non-linear regression model was found out to be most appropriate in the comparison using the model validation data set. Conclusively, the artificial neural network has a strong ability in representing the relationship between the frequency of traffic accidents and traffic and road design elements. However, the predictability of the artificial neural network significantly decreased when the artificial neural network was applied to a new data which was not used in the model developing.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.91-101
• /
• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate dietary intakes and nutritional status among Uganda primary school children from two selected schools in urban and rural areas. Methods: Data were collected from 350 pupils (6-14 years) in Mpigi district, Uganda. All participants were offered a school lunch meal (usually maize porridge and boiled beans). Dietary survey was conducted in October 2016. Data for dietary intake levels were collected by the 24-hour recall method with trained school staffs. The data were converted into nutrient intakes using the CAN-Pro 5.0 Program and compared with KDRIs to evaluate the nutritional status of the subjects. Diet quality indexes such as nutrient density, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of nutritional quality (INQ) and a diet diversity index such as diet diversity score (DDS) were calculated to evaluate nutritional status among subjects. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical programs. Results: Results show that the intakes of most nutrients were significantly different by schools. The nutritional status of micro-nutrients was very low in both schools according to analysis of nutritional indexes such as NARs and INQs. Students from both schools should improve intakes of micro-nutrients related to child growth such as calcium, Vitamin B₆, zinc and folate. According to the analysis of dietary diversity, there was difference in dietary patterns by schools presumably due to their locations. Conclusions: This suggests that current meals could not provide adequate nutrients for the subjects and urgent nutrition interventions for school food services are needed to improve their nutritional well-being. New foods supplements based on local cuisine are also needed to ensure dietary diversity and sustainable development plans.