• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1247-1263
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• 2011

The rapidly aging society entails the increases of medical service utilizations among the elderly. Medical services utilized by the elderly influence their life satisfaction. However, little is known about the effects of medical service utilizations on life satisfaction. Much less is known about whether the effects of medical service utilizations on life satisfaction tend to vary by the presence of chronic health conditions. Including 3,944 individuals aged 65 and over who participated in the 3rd wave of Korean Welfare Panel Study, the current study aims to examine (1) the relationships between medical service utilizations and life satisfaction and (2) whether the effects of medical service utilizations on life satisfaction vary by the presence of chronic health conditions. Data were processed through structural equation modeling(SEM) and multi-group SEM. Results indicate that (1) levels of both outpatient and inpatient service utilizations are related to life satisfaction, whereas levels of health monitoring service utilizations are not and (2) the effects of medical service utilizations varied by the chronic health condition status of the elderly. These results indicate that, in order to enhance levels of life satisfaction, medical services should be strategically utilized by the elderly depending on their chronic health condition status. Based on the findings, we discussed implications for practice and policy, suggesting future research directions based on the limitations of the current study.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2018

Background: Prostatitis, one of the most common diseases of the prostate, is a complex disease with various clinical features. This study aims to analyze the utilization and prescribing patterns of antibiotics in Korean patients with prostatitis between 2008 and 2015. Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Database complied from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). The outcomes included the number of claims, number of patients, medical cost, and length of stay for each year. In addition, the prescribing patterns of antibiotics, including fluoroquinolone, and low-dose use of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were investigated. Results: The total number of patients and medical cost increased by 9.5% and 51.7% from 2008 to 2015, respectively. Most prostatitis patients were classified as chronic prostatitis patients. The prescribing proportion of antibiotics for chronic prostatitis outpatients decreased from 71.0% to 66.9% from 2008 to 2015, and fluoroquinolone accounted for more than half of the total antibiotics. Over 80% of prescription of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin was identified to be for low-dose use. Conclusion: Most of the patients with prostatitis experienced pain relief and condition improvement after antibiotic treatment; however, chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome recur easily. Therefore, active disease management and further studies are needed to enhance our understanding of effective treatment for prostatitis.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2012

Lead poisoning is one of the earliest identified and most known occupational disease. Its acute effects have been recognized from antiquity when this condition principally afflicted manual workers and slaves, actually scarcely considered by the medicine of that time. The Industrial Revolution caused an epidemic of metal intoxication, urging scientists and physician of that period to study and identify specific symptoms and organ alterations related to chronic lead poisoning. During the 20th century, the acknowledgment of occupational and environmental toxicity of lead fostered public awareness and legislation to protect health. More recently, the identification of sub-clinical effects have greatly modified the concept of lead poisoning and the approaches of medicine towards this condition. Nowadays, lead poisoning is rarely seen in developed countries, but it still represents a major environmental problem in certain areas. Consequently, it may appear as a paradigm of "occupational and environmental disease," and the history of this condition seems to parallel the historical development of modern "Occupational and Environmental Health" as a more complete medical discipline.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.39-47
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of depression and dysphagia among the community-dwelling older adults and to find the relationships between depression and dysphagia. The study was cross-sectional survey and participants were 159 older adults above 65 years of age recruited by convenience sampling in two cities. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Stepwise multiple regression. According to results, the average score of participant's depression were 4.56. There was a significant correlation between depression and dysphagia. Multiple regression analysis showed that self-rated health status(𝛽=-.210, p=.019), dysphagia(𝛽=.202, p=.006), number of chronic diseases(𝛽=.188, p=.015), and oral condition(𝛽=-.174, p=.041) were significant factors of depression. These variables explained 23.9% of depression. Therefore, effective health management strategies considering self-rated health status, dysphagia, chronic diseases, and oral condition should be established to reduce depression in the elderly.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.362-369
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• 2019

Background: Chronic nonspecific symptoms attributed to indoor nonindustrial work environments are common and may cause disability, but the medical nature of this disability is unclear. The aim was to medically characterize the disability manifested by chronic, recurrent symptoms and restrictions to work participation attributed to low-level indoor pollutants at workplace and whether the condition shares features with idiopathic environmental intolerance. Methods: We investigated 12 patients with indoor aire-related work disability. The examinations included somatic, psychological, and psychiatric evaluations as well as investigations of the autonomic nervous system, cortisol measurements, lung function, and allergy tests. We evaluated well-being, health, disability, insomnia, pain, anxiety, depression, and burnout via questionnaires. Results: The mean symptom history was 10.5 years; for disabling symptoms, 2.7 years. Eleven patients reported reactions triggered mainly by indoor molds, one by fragrances only. Ten reported sensitivity to odorous chemicals, and three, electric devices. Nearly all had co-occurrent somatic and psychiatric diagnoses and signs of pain, insomnia, burnout, and/or elevated sympathetic responses. Avoiding certain environments had led to restrictions in several life areas. On self-assessment scales, disability showed higher severity and anxiety showed lower severity than in physician assessments. Conclusion: No medical cause was found to explain the disability. Findings support that the condition is a form of idiopathic environmental intolerance and belongs to functional somatic syndromes. Instead of endless avoidance, rehabilitation approaches of functional somatic syndromes are applicable.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2000

The study was curried out to collect information to establish a framework for nutrition education for the prevention of chronic degenerative disease. We analyzed differences in diet quality, food habits and health status of workers by work condition. Anthrometric parameters of height, weight and body fat were measured and biochemical parameters including glucose, total cholesterol, GOT, GPT and hemoglobin were determinded for 194 subjects. To assess the nutrient intake and diet quality of workers, dietary intake was measured by the day 24-hour recall method, Average daily nutrient intake, except for phos-phorous and vitamin C was lower than Korean RDA. The obesity related behavior score was significantly better in laborers than in office workers, while chronic degenerative diseases related to food habit score was significantly better in laborers than in office workers, while chronic degenerative diseases related to the food habit score was beet in offices workers than in laborers. Blood pressure, blood glucose levels were significantly higher in laborer than in office workers. Dietary variety score (DVS) food composition group score(FCGS), mean adequacy ratio(MAR) of office worker were better than those of labor workers. When diet quality was evaluated by FCGS(food composition group score) 16.0% of the subjects acquired 5 points and 14.4% of the subjects acquired 2 points.　MAR and INQ showed a significantly positive correlation with DVS and FCGS . This results indicated that the onset possibility of hypertension and diabetes mellitus among chronic degenerative disease was higher in laborers than in office workers, while the onset possibility of obesity was higher in office workers than in laborers. In conclusion the overall diet quality of office workers is betters than that of laborers, therefore, nutrition education for prevention of chronic degenerative disease of industrial workers needs to be more focused on the improvement of the health status of laborers.

• CELLMED
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.5.1-5.6
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• 2020

In the present highly changing era, every dimension from Technology to Education, Environment to Sanitation and from Agriculture to our Food basket is getting changed. Our experiences say that the most affected ethnic group from this rapidly changing pattern of our food intake, lifestyle are our adolescent. This is also a fact that our adolescent passes their 2/3 of time of a day in their schools. In this regard our school system needs to formulate their comprehensive approach to Health for our adolescents. On other hand Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of Medicine had expressed views on a concept of Holistic Health thousand years ago. This research article is an attempt of borrowing this valuable concept from Ayurveda and suggesting to introduce them into our comprehensive school health programme such as concept of wellness, quality of life, Holistic Health and measures related to diet and lifestyle for preservation, promotion of health and prevention of disorders etc. This manuscript also evaluates the existing approaches of school health programmes towards current scenario. Now a day's our food habits, dietary intake and the life style are not at the level of satisfactory condition this lead to early onset of metabolic chronic disorder especially in our adolescents because on the basis of age-immunity relationship they are easily targeted. The chronic metabolic disorders results into overweight, obesity, anxiety, mental trauma, distress, over- fatigued, incapable for physical work, getting tired soon. This article provides a space to rethink and reformulate our school health programmes in light of our ancient tradition of medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 2011

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the utilization of Oriental medical services and its determinants among the elderly. Method: Data from a Korean longitudinal study of aging was used. Regression analysis was used to find the determinants of the utilization of medical care. Results: People with low education and low income were more likely to use Oriental medical services. Determinants of using Oriental health service were sex, marriage, income, subjective health condition, activity restriction due to pain, and chronic disease. Among them, only subjective health condition and activity restriction due to pain were significant determinants of frequency of and expenditure on Oriental medical services. Especially, activity restriction due to pain was a significant factor in the use of Oriental medical services, but not in the use of Western medical services. Conclusion: Treatment related to pain was closely associated with Oriental medical services. These treatments need to be developed with scientific and clinical evidence.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.28-39
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI), urologic symptoms, chronic health problems they have, and to explore whether the differences in incidence of UI ware by age, sex, voiding pattern, and chronic health problems. Method: 298 subject were selected, age range from 60 to 94 years residing in one city, in republic of Korea. Data was collected presence of UI, urologic symptoms, chronic health problems, knowledge, and the discomfort with incontinent. Collected data was analyzed with frequency, percentage, t-test, and $\chi$2-test. Result: The results of this study are as follows: 1. Mean age was 71.4 years. Prevalent rate of UI was 17.0%, woman showed more than man. 2. UI incidence was significant in age (t=7.84, p=.000), sex ($\chi$2 =9.47, p=.002), and voiding frequency ($\chi$2=18.34, p=.000). Also, UI incidence was significant relationship with chronic health problem of heart disease ($\chi$2 =10.65, p=0.001), hypertension ($\chi$2=4.04, p= 0.046) and respiratory problem ($\chi$2=9.67, p=0.002). 3. The UI was grouped into urgent incontinence (45%), stress incontinence (33%), and combined (22%). UI occurred during the daytime 48% and 17% at night. 4. Only 9.8 % of the UI seek advice and/or treatment for their symptoms, almost 90 % remained untreated due to lack of knowledge or improper information. 5. The discomforts due to their UI was no significant difference in their condition, the urgent use of the rest room, leaking urine, and nocturia. Conclusion: This study suggests that 1 year and 3 year follow-up study is needed to compare health status of UI. Also suggests intervention study for urologic discomfort of incontinent and behavioral education for the elderly are needed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.81 no.2
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• pp.116-122
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• 2018

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious chronic condition with a global impact. Symptoms of COPD include progressive dyspnea, breathlessness, cough, and sputum production, which have a considerable impact on the lives of patients. In addition to the human cost of living with COPD and the resulting death, COPD entails a huge economic burden on the Chinese population, with patients spending up to one-third of the average family income on COPD management in some regions is clinically beneficial to adopt preventable measures via prudent COPD care utilization, monetary costs, and hospitalizations. Methods: Toward this end, this study compared the relative effectiveness of six indices in predicting patient healthcare utilization, cost of care, and patient health outcome. The six assessment systems evaluated included the three multidimensional Body mass index, Obstruction, Dyspnea, Exercise capacity index, Dyspnea, Obstruction, Smoking, Exacerbation (DOSE) index, and COPD Assessment Test index, or the unidimensional measures that best predict the future of patient healthcare utilization, cost of care, and patient health outcome among Chinese COPD patients. Results: Multiple linear regression models were created for each healthcare utilization, cost, and outcome including a single COPD index and the same group of demographic variables for each of the outcomes. Conclusion: We conclude that the DOSE index facilitates the prediction of patient healthcare utilization, disease expenditure, and negative clinical outcomes. Our study indicates that the DOSE index has a potential role beyond clinical predictions.