• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.247-257
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• 2019

Objectives: The Korea Ministry of Environment regulates concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) through Atmosphere Environmental Standards to protect public health from HAPs. However, simply determining the exceedance of HAP concentrations has several limitations and more comprehensive assessment is required. In addition, integrated risk assessment is needed considering exposure in all microenvironments, including outdoor as well as indoor environments. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in risk by sub-population groups according to time-activity patterns and reported concentrations, as well as the lifetime risk for Koreans. Methods: In this study, we calculated time-weighted average exposure concentrations for benzene and $PM_{10}$ among preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly using residential time and concentrations for indoor (house, school or workplace, other), outdoor, and transport by the meta-analysis method. The risk assessments were conducted by excess cancer risk and disease death risk using 1,000,000 Monte-Carlo simulations for probabilistic analysis. Results: Preschool-age children, students, housewifes, workers, and the elderly spent 91.9, 86.0, 79.8, 82.2, and 77.3% of their day in their house, workplace, or school, respectively. The more than 99% excess cancer risk for benzene exceed 1.0E-06 in all sub-populations and lifetime. The acute disease death risk for $PM_{10}$ for housewifes and workers for lifetime were 3.35E-04 and 3.18E-04, and chronic disease death risks were 2.84E-03 and 2.70E-03, respectively. Conclusions: The risk of benzene and $PM_{10}$ by sub-population group and for the lifetime of housewifes and workers were assessed. Benzene showed risky results for this study. All disease death risks of $PM_{10}$ were higher than 1.0E-04 and showed different risks by sub-population. This study can be used as a basis for lifetime exposure and risk assessment to benzene and $PM_{10}$.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.616-627
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin E is essential for health, and although vitamin E deficiency seems rare in humans, studies on estimates of dietary intake are lacking. This study aimed to estimate dietary vitamin E intake, evaluate dietary adequacy of vitamin E, and detail major food sources of vitamin E in the Korean population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2016-2019. Individuals aged ≥ 1 year that participated in a nutrition survey (n = 28,418) were included. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h recall and individual dietary vitamin E intake was estimated using a newly established vitamin E database. Dietary adequacy was evaluated by comparing dietary intake with adequate intake (AI) as defined by Korean Dietary Reference Intakes 2020. RESULTS: For all study subjects, mean daily total vitamin E intake was 7.00 mg α-tocopherol equivalents, which was 61.6% of AI. The proportion of individuals that consumed vitamin E at above the AI was 12.9%. Inadequate intake was observed more in females, older individuals, rural residents, and those with a low income. Mean daily intakes of tocopherol (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-forms) and tocotrienol were 6.02, 0.30, 6.19, 1.63, and 1.61 mg, respectively. The major food groups that contributed to total dietary vitamin E intake were grains (22.3%), seasonings (17.0%), vegetables (15.3%), and fish, and shellfish (7.4%). The top 5 individual food items that contributed to total vitamin E intake were baechu kimchi, red pepper powder, eggs, soybean oil, and rice. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that mean dietary vitamin E intake by Koreans did not meet the reference adequate intake value. To better understand the status of vitamin E intake, further research is needed that considers intake from dietary supplements.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.385-391
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• 2023

This study aims to examine the relationship between Serum Vitamin E and metabolic syndrome, which is a health risk, and to analyze the effect of Serum Vitamin E on the body. The analysis data were downloaded and used for the 7th 3rd (2018) data of the National Health and Nutrition Survey, and in this study, 944 men and 1,080 women were finally analyzed. For the analysis of the data, The chi-square test and t-test were used for the different values according to collected general characteristics and serum vitamin E, and the risk of metabolic syndrome was analyzed by regression, and Pearson correlation was used to confirm the correlation with each variable. Regression for Metabolic syndrome among the sub items and Serum Vitamin E showed that HDL-cholesterol was higher in the normal group than in the excess group (OR:1.042, CI:1.028-1.056), and triglycerides were significantly higher than in the normal group (OR:1.010, CI:1.009-1.012) (p<0.01). Therefore, it is proposed to develop nutrition and health programs suitable for the age of patients through this study.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.29.1-29.14
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• 2022

Background: Hotel housekeepers are one of the most important occupational group within tourism hotel sector; various health problems related to their job have been described, above all musculoskeletal disorders. The objective of this study is to understand the experiences and perceptions of hotel housekeepers and key informants from the Balearic Islands (Spain) regarding occupational health conditions and the strategies employed to mitigate them. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out. Six focus groups with hotel housekeepers and 10 semi-structured interviews with key informants were conducted. Next, we carried out a content analysis. Results: Hotel housekeepers reported musculoskeletal disorders, anxiety and stress as main occupational health problems; health professionals underscored the physical problems. Hotel housekeepers perceived that their work (physically demanding and with repetitive movements) caused their health conditions. To solve health issues, they used medication (anti-inflammatory agents, painkillers, sedatives and anxiolytics), which allowed them to continue working; health public services, generally rated as satisfactory; individual protective equipment; ergonomics (with difficulties due to high work pace and hotel facilities) and physical activity. Two contrasting attitudes were identified regarding sick leave: HHs who refused to accept a doctor-prescribed sick leave (due to fear of being fired, sense of responsibility, ...), and those who accepted it (because they could not continue working, they prioritised health before work). Conclusions: Our results might contribute to plan improvement strategies and programs to address health problems among hotel housekeepers. These programs should include interventions, such as coping strategies for the work-related risk factors (i.e., stress) and strategies to reduce medicine consumption. Additionally, hotel facilities should adopt policies focused on making workplaces more ergonomic (i.e., furniture) and to diminish the work pace.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.1154-1163
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was to monitor the effects of forming desirable eating and exercise habits and change the blood lipid levels by developing and applying E-Mail educational programs for a hyperlipidemia health check-up. Method: The research design used a nonequivalent control group pre-post test. Ninety-nine subjects (Exp.=50, Cont.=49) were selected randomly and the male subjects agreed to a hyperlipidemia health check-up at a comprehensive medical screening center. This study verified validity and reliability through factor analysis on a life habit measurement tool. The data was analyzed with SPSS win 12.0 using an $X^2-test$, t-test, ANOVA and ANCOVA. Result: Eatingand exercise habit scores of the experimental group which were educated through E-Mails changed considerably more than that of the control group which was not educated. Total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in the experimental group was considerably lower than that in the control group, but HDL-cholesterol increased considerably Triglycerides, however, didn't show change. Conclusion: An E-Mail educational program may be applied as a hyperlipldemia health check-up nursing intervention strategy.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.91-95
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia (E.) coli isolated from ducks in Korea. A total of 400 cecal content samples were collected from 40 duck farms in Korea. Isolated Salmonella spp. and E. coli strains were 83 and 364 of the 400 cecal samples, respectively. The most prevalent serotype among the 83 Salmonella isolates was Salmonella Typhimurium (51 isolates: 61.45%). Resistance to the tested antimicrobial agents by Salmonella isolates was low except for erythromycin, while the resistance of the E. coli isolates to the other tested antimicrobial agents was high and 90.9% (331/364) of E. coli isolates showed multi-antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance in duck zoonotic pathogens should be of concern to the Korean duck industry, as these pathogens exhibit a high rate of antimicrobial resistance and pose a potential hazard to public health.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.83-91
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• 2016

Objectives : The Levator Ani Muscles Training(LAMT) is one of the well known very effective prevention and treatment method of some specific diseases in the anal organs, digestion system, urinary organs and genital organs, which means LAMT could be considered as an independent exercise. Methods : Chinese databases were searched and found one good source named CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastructure) where there were downloaded 154 articles, out of which were finally selected 82 used for the introduction of the historical background, health-effectiveness, working mechanism, training methods, etc. Results : LAMT as an independent exercise, is considered very effective for the prevention of diseases in the anal organs, e.g. hemorrhoids, anal fissure, rectal prolapse; urinary organs, e.g. urinary incontinence, frequent micturition; digestion system, e.g. visceroptosis, diarrhea, chronic enteritis; genital organs, e.g. prostatitis, impotence, premature ejaculation, feminine vaginal relaxation, sexual indifference, etc. It is also told LAMT is effective for coronary heart disease, hyperyension and varicose veins of lower extremity to a certain degree. LAMT is also very similar to the Kegel exercise in couple of aspects. They are equally effective for the urinary incontinence and impotence. Conclusions : LAMT as an independent exercise has developed and become more and more health-effective, especially through the combination with the Qigong exercise, and thus many training methods have been introduced. There are not many scientific research and development with very limited accomplishments even in China. It is strongly required to strengthen the research and development activities so that LAMT will become one of the very effective natural healing soonest possible.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.3 s.27
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• pp.398-405
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• 1989

A change in the consumer's surplus was measured in order to evaluate the social benefit to be derived from expanding health insurance to the entire population. The most refined and correct way to measure a project's net benefit to society is to determine a change in the consumer's surplus. Benefits from introducing the health insurance program to the uninsured people can be classified into two elements. The first is the pricing-down effect(E1) which results from applying the insurance price system, which is lower than the actual price, to the uninsured patients. The second effect(E2) is a decrease in actual payment because an insured patient pays only a portion of the total medical bill(copayment). We collected medical price information from the data banks of 93 hospitals, and obtained information of medical utilization by referring to the results of other research and from data published by the Korean Medical Insurance Societies. The total net benefit was estimated as \214 billion, comprising the first effect(E1) of \57 billion and the second effect(E2) of \157 billion. The price elasticity of physician visits is less than that of hospital admissions: however, benefits from the increase in physician visits are greater than those from hospital admissions because there are considerably more of physician visits than hospital admissions. The sensitivity analysis also shows the conclusion that expansion of the health insurance program to the entire population would result in a positive net benefit. Therfore, we conclude that the National Health Insurance Program is socially desirable.

• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.317-326
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• 2018

Objectives: The demand for hospice has been increasing among patients with cancer. This study examined the current hospice referral scenario for terminally ill cancer patients and created a data form to collect hospice information and a modified health information exchange (HIE) form for a more efficient referral system for terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: Surveys were conducted asking detailed information such as medical instruments and patient admission policies of hospices, and interviews were held to examine the current referral flow and any additional requirements. A task force team was organized to analyze the results of the interviews and surveys. Results: Six hospices completed the survey, and 3 physicians, 2 nurses, and 2 hospital staff from a tertiary hospital were interviewed. Seven categories were defined as essential for establishing hospice data. Ten categories and 40 data items were newly suggested for the existing HIE document form. An implementation guide for the Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture developed by Health Level 7 (HL7 CCDA) was also proposed. It is an international standard for interoperability that provides a framework for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. Based on these changes, a hospice referral scenario for terminally ill cancer patients was designed. Conclusions: Our findings show potential improvements that can be made to the current hospice referral system for terminally ill cancer patients. To make the referral system useful in practice, governmental efforts and investments are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.415-425
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• 2000

Objectives : To determine which factors are related to young adults perception of their health. Two research questions were asked. Which aspects of health does self-perceived health as a index of general health reflect? Why do two individuals with the same level of general health have different health perceptions? Methods : The sampling frame comprised college or graduate school students, aged 20 to 29, who were members of A, one of the 4 biggest internet communication services. The questionnaires were sent to study samples(n=1,000) and answered by E-mail. Response rate was 37.0%. Results : Firstly, physical health ranked highest and self-perceived health ranked lowest. Secondly, health, anxiety, depression, and self-perceived health showed significant differences between the sexes, with women showing a higher health status in these categories except for self-perceived health. Thirdly, the two factors significantly related to self-perceived health were physical health and self-esteem, as determined by multivariate analysis, Conclusions : The factors significantly related to self-perceived health were physical health and self-esteem. Further studies of the health characteristics of young adults are needed.