• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.776-780
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• 2007

Recently World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO/WPRO) has developed the WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region (IST), and is developing WHO International Classification of Traditional Medicine/Western Pacific Regional Office (ICTM/WPRO). Regarding ICTM, WHO/WPRO hoped that it will be incorporated to International Classification of Disease (ICD) 11$^{th}$ edition, published in 2015. The author reports the proceedings of these two standardizations on terminologies and diseases of traditional medicine in East Asia.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.41-57
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• 2019

Objective : The purpose of our study is to compare and analyze the standards for the 2nd cycle of Evaluation and Accreditation system on institute of Korean Medicine Education & Evaluation (2nd IKMEE standards) and WHO guidelines for quality assurance of Traditional Medicine Education in the Western Pacific Region (WHO/WPRO guidelines) around the global standards of World Federation for Medical Education for basic medical education (WFME standard) to identify the shortcomings and improvements of 2nd IKMEE standards. Method : Each article of 2015 revised WFME standard was translated and summarized with focus on its core content. The next step was to review and analyze the corresponding contents of 2nd IKMEE standards in 2016 and the WHO/WPRO guidelines in 2005 for each item, focusing on the WFME standards. Results : All items in the fields of 3. assessment of students and 7. program evaluation in the WFME domain were absent from the 2nd IKMEE standards, and almost none of the WHO/WPRO guidelines. Most items in 1. the mission and outcomes domain, except for some items in the 1.1 mission field, the items of 2.6~2.8 fields in 2. education program domain, the items of 4. student domain except for the items of 4.3 student counseling and support field, and almost all items about quality development in WFME standards did not have a corresponding item in both the 2nd IKMEE standards and the WHO/WPRO standards. Conclusion : 1. The WFME standards are applicable to the criteria development of IKMEE standards. Several items of the WFME standards may need to be modified to apply the educational characteristics of Korean medicine, but consensus or further study is required. 2. Both the 2nd IKMEE standards and the WHO/WPRO standards are very insufficient to meet the WFME standards. In particular, 3. assessment of students and 7. program evaluation in the WFME domain were not in the 2nd IKMEE standards. This standard needs to be supplemented.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.103-116
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• 2016

The location of BL61 has commonly known as directly under the BL60 (Gollyun) which is at the lateral side of the heel. SP2 is located at the front of the big toe joint and SP3 is located at the rear of the big toe joint. These locations are the same with the standard acupuncture points of the WHO/WPRO. However, according to Chimgeumdongin (鍼金銅人), BL61 is located at the center of calcaneal tuberosity, which is close to the bottom of the heel, not at the side. SP2 is located at the rear of the big toe joint, not at the front. SP3 is located at the rear of sesamoid bone, not at the rear of the big toe joint. These can be also found in Douningyou (銅人形) c-544 with the same locations. Moreover, these locations are precisely equal in reference to the acupuncture classics such as < Zhenjiujiayijing : 鍼灸甲乙經 >, < Buzhutongrenjing : 補註銅人經 >, whereas the descriptions of the standard acupuncture points of the WHO/WPRO and the locations of acupuncture points in Zhenjiutongren (鍼灸銅人), Zhinjiuxueweitongren (鍼灸穴位銅人) are totally different from the acupuncture classics. Therefore, there needs to be further examinations on WHO/WPRO Standard Acupuncture Point with various acupuncture bronze men.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.476-485
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• 2017

This study was analyzed obesity status by divided into six classification based on the body mass index(BMI) established by World Health Organization-Western Pacific Regional Office(WHO-WPRO) through National Health Insurance Service(NHIS). In the middle of process, problems of outlier solved by presenting the median repeated interpolation. Unlike linear and Lagrange interpolation, median repeated interpolation may be useful in multiple outlier contained dataset. As a result, we found that extreme low and obesity weight gradually increased and the frequency of normal body weight gradually decreased. Especially, the increase of obesity in men and women of lower age group is increasing. Overall, this study suggests that national measures need to be taken before health problems arising from obesity can spread to other social problems.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.264-271
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• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study was to redefine the location of acupoints in the lower abdomen by taking actual thoracic and abdominal measurements. Methods: Measurements of the length and height of the thorax, and both the upper and lower abdominal area were compared to standard values defined by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region (WHO/WPRO), and medical text books such as Miraculous Pivot, and A-B Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. These measurements were used to redefine the standard of 1 cun, and the cun value of the lower abdomen. Results: Of the 60 studies screened, all studies used the cun measurement system. Considerable variation in the localization of acupoints in the lower abdominal area were detected. The average measurement of a typical male lower abdomen was within 6.33 cun to 6.34 cun. From this data, 6.5 cun appears to be more accurate than the current standardized length of 5 cun. The standardized index values of the width of the 4 fingers, and the distance from the lateral prominence from the greater trochanter to the popliteal crease (Fm), appeared to apply to only males, as defined by the WHO/WPRO. Conclusion: Further studies on standardizing the index measurements for the lower abdominal area are necessary. For males, the more accurate standardized length of the lower abdomen was 6.5 cun, whereas for females, the measurement would typically be longer than 6.5 cun.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.299-311
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• 2013

Background: Environmental hazards are responsible for as much as a quarter of the total world-wide burden of disease. Therefore, appropriate management of environmental hazards is a critical part of the effort to improve human health. This review aims to summarize current issues, topics, and programs at international institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the area of environmental health. Results: The WHO European Center for Environmental Health (ECEH) plays a significant role in implementing environmental health policies and also takes the lead in related issues in Europe. It has developed an Environmental Health Information System and environmental health inequality indicators. In the environmental health area, the OECD focuses most on chemical management programs. It foresees that air pollution and chemical risk management will become the leading environmental health issues if appropriate measures are not taken. Several topics were identified that require greater effort in Korea, including cancer as an environment-related disease, an environmental health information system, and environmental health inequality issues. Conclusions: More active roles are expected from Korea in international societies, in part because of the introduction of the Environmental Health Act of 2008, and active involvement in related activities in WHO WPRO/SEARO. Understanding recent developments and concerns at major international organizations like WHO and the OECD will assist in the implementation of effective international collaboration and the identification of a better strategies for improving environmental health performances in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2010

Objectives : The aim of the study is to explain the general guidelines of the WHO standard acupuncture point locations (APLs). Understanding the general guidelines will enable experts to make the clear use of the standard APL for education, research and practice. Methods : In the beginning of development of the standard APL, experts made general guidelines to draw mutual agreements of the three nations (Korea, China, and Japan) on the standard APL. The guidelines include point locating methods, syntax of descriptive sentences, landmarks on body surface, reference acupuncture points, usage of anatomical terminology, and proportional bone measurements. Results : We found that there are some considerable problems in practical use of the APLs due to the strict application of anatomical terms, even on accessory phrases such as region of body in the sentence of each description. Conclusions : We hope that the study helps readers expand the understanding of the newly developed standard APLs resulting from increased application of acupuncture points. Also, it would be a reference to revise the WHO standard APLs in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.493-504
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• 2020

Background: There have been many studies on the associations between body mass index (BMI) and cognitive function. However, no study has ever compared the associations across the methods of categorizing BMI. In this study, we aimed to fill the gap in the previous studies and examine whether the obesity paradox is valid in the risk of cognitive function. Methods: Of the 10,254 people aged 45 and older from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing from 2006 to 2016, 8,970 people were finalized as the study population. The dependent variable was whether a person has a normal cognitive function or not, and the independent variables of interest were BMI categorized by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO-WPRO) method, the WHO method, and a 10-group method. Covariates included sociodemographic factors, health behavior factors, and health status factors. A generalized linear mixed model analysis with a logit link was used. Results: In the adjusted model with all covariates, first, in the case of BMI categories of the WHO-WPRO method, underweight (odds ratio [OR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.17), overweight (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.35-1.36), and obese (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.33-1.34) groups were more likely to have a normal cognitive function than a normal-weight group. Next, in the case of BMI categories of the WHO method, compared to a normal-weight group, underweight (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.14-1.16) and overweight (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.06-1.07) groups were more likely to have a normal cognitive function; however, obese (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.61-0.63) group was less likely to have it. Lastly, in the case of the 10-group method, as BMI increased, the likelihood to have a normal cognitive function changed like a wave, reaching a global top at group-7 (26.5 kg/㎡ ≤ BMI <28.0 kg/㎡). Conclusion: The associations between BMI and cognitive function differed according to how BMI was categorized among people aged 45 and older in Korea, which suggests that cognitive function may be positively associated with BMI in some categories of BMI but negatively in its other categories. Health policies to reduce cognitive impairment need to consider this association between BMI and cognitive function.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.117-129
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to introduce of the Urbani School Health Kit (USHK) and to investigate the adaptability to Korean situation. Methods: The authors analyzed the contents of USHK developed by the health promotion team at the Western Pacific Regional Office of World Health Organization (WHO WPRO) in collaboration with health promotion experts at University of the Philippine Open University, and by observing health classes using the USHK in Angono elementary school in Manila, Philippines. Results: The following are the characteristics of USHK: 1) The USHK was composed of a teacher's guide and six books targeted to two groups of children: ages 5~6 years and 10~12, and an integrated package containing materials that can be used to support health education and health promotion activities in elementary schools. 2) The USHK could be integrated in the curriculum to reduce the burden of teacher's class preparation time and help teachers conveying clear and accurate health messages in their classes. 3) Several evaluation tools such as pre-test post-test quizzes, self-evaluation tools, observer checklists, and evaluation interview protocols were developed to monitor and evaluate whether USHK was useful, helpful, and appropriate. Conclusions: We found that USHK was a practical tool for supporting health promotion in elementary schools and could be applicable to health promoting schools in Korea if it were modified to address Korean school health problems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6227-6231
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• 2013

In the past, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was endemic in the general Korean population. The association of HBV infection with the occurrence of liver cancer has been well demonstrated in several epidemiologic studies. While the mortality rates of liver cancer in Korea have decreased steadily over the last decade, the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in mothers remains high at 3-4%, and 25.5% of these HBsAg positive mothers are positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). HBV infection caused almost a quarter of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases and one-third of deaths from HCC. These aspects of HBV infection prompted the Korean government to create a vaccination program against HBV in the early 1980s. In 1995, the Communicable Disease Prevention Act (CDPA) was reformed, and the government increased the number of HBV vaccines in the National Immunization Program (NIP), driving the vaccination rate up to 95%. In 2000, the National Health Insurance Act (NHIA) was enacted, which provided increased resources for the prevention of perinatal HBV infection. Then in 2002, the Korean government, in conjunction with the Korean Medical Association (KMA), launched an HBV perinatal transmission prevention program. The prevalence of HBsAg in children had been high (4-5%) in the early 1980s, but had dropped to below 1% in 1995, and finally reached 0.2% in 2006 after the NIP had been implemented. After the success of the NIP, Korea finally obtained its first certification of achievement from the Western Pacific Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WPRO-WHO) for reaching its goal for HBV control. An age-period-cohort analysis showed a significant reduction in the liver cancer mortality rate in children and adolescents after the NIP had been implemented. In addition to its vaccination efforts, Korea launched the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) for 5 leading sites of cancer, including the liver, in 1999. As a consequence of this program, the 5-year liver cancer survival rate increased from 13.2% (1996-2000) to 23.3% (2003-2008). The development of both the primary and secondary prevention for liver cancer including HBV immunization and cancer screening has been of critical importance.