• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• 제37권4호
• /
• pp.381-389
• /
• 2004

Objective : To compare the efficacy between SKI306X and Diclofenac by using generalized estimating equations (GEE) methodology in the analysis of correlated bivariate binary outcome data in Osteoarthritis (OA) diseases. Methods : A randomized, double-blind, active comparator-controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial was conducted at 5 institutions in Korea with the random assignment of 248 patients aged 35 to 75 years old with OA of the knee and clinical evidence of OA. Patients were enrolled in this study if they had at least moderate pain in the affected knee joint and a score larger than 35mm as assessed by VAS (Visual Analog Scale). The main exposure variable was treatment (SKI 306X vs. Diclofenac) and other covariates were age, sex, BMI, baseline VAS, center, operation history (Yes/No), NSAIDS (Y/N), acupuncture (Y/N), herbal medicine (Y/N), past history of musculoskeletal disease (Y/N), and previous therapy related with OA (Y/N). The main study outcome was the change of VAS pain scores from baseline to the 2nd and 4th weeks after treatment. Pain scores were obtained as baseline, 2nd and 4th weeks after treatment. We applied GEE approach with empirical covariance matrix and independent(or exchangeable) working correlation matrix to evaluate the relation of several risk factors to the change of VAS pain scores with correlated binary bivariate outcomes. Results : While baseline VAS, age, and acupuncture variables had protective effects for reducing the OA pain, its treatment (Joins/Diclofenac) was not statistically significant through GEE methodology (ITT:aOR=1.37, 95% CI=(0.8200, 2.26), PP:aOR=1.47, 95% CI=(0.73, 2.95)). The goodness-of-fit statistic for GEE (6.55, p=0.68) was computed to assess the adequacy of the fitted final model. Conclusions : Both ANCOVA and GEE methods yielded non statistical significance in the evaluation of non-inferiority of the efficacy between SKI306X and Diclofenac. While VAS outcome for each visit was applied in GEE, only VAS outcome for the fourth visit was applied in ANCOVA. So the GEE methodology is more accurate for the analysis of correlated outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• 제25권3호
• /
• pp.267-276
• /
• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of susceptibility map-weighted imaging (SMwI) taken in different acquisition planes for discriminating patients with neurodegenerative parkinsonism from those without. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, observational, single-institution study enrolled consecutive patients who visited movement disorder clinics and underwent brain MRI and ¹⁸F-FP-CIT PET between September 2021 and December 2021. SMwI images were acquired in both the oblique (perpendicular to the midbrain) and the anterior commissure-posterior commissure (AC-PC) planes. Hyperintensity in the substantia nigra was determined by two neuroradiologists. ¹⁸F-FP-CIT PET was used as the reference standard. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using Cohen;s kappa coefficient. The diagnostic performance of SMwI in the two planes was analyzed separately for the right and left substantia nigra. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equations was applied to compare the diagnostic performance of the two planes. Results: In total, 194 patients were included, of whom 105 and 103 had positive results on ¹⁸F-FP-CIT PET in the left and right substantia nigra, respectively. Good inter-rater agreement in the oblique (κ = 0.772/0.658 for left/right) and AC-PC planes (0.730/0.741 for left/right) was confirmed. The pooled sensitivities for two readers were 86.4% (178/206, left) and 83.3% (175/210, right) in the oblique plane and 87.4% (180/206, left) and 87.6% (184/210, right) in the AC-PC plane. The pooled specificities for two readers were 83.5% (152/182, left) and 82.0% (146/178, right) in the oblique plane, and 83.5% (152/182, left) and 86.0% (153/178, right) in the AC-PC plane. There were no significant differences in the diagnostic performance between the two planes (P > 0.05). Conclusion: There are no significant difference in the diagnostic performance of SMwI performed in the oblique and AC-PC plane in discriminating patients with parkinsonism from those without. This finding affirms that each institution may choose the imaging plane for SMwI according to their clinical settings.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• /
• 제35권
• /
• pp.38.1-38.10
• /
• 2023

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The pathogeneses of HL and CVD commonly involve inflammatory responses. Previous studies investigated elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers in subjects with HL, however, their findings did not demonstrate statistical significance. In our cross-sectional and longitudinal study, we investigated the correlation between HL and increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels to determine how HL is associated with CVDs. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with workers aged over 18 years who underwent health check-ups at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 566,507), followed by conducting a longitudinal study of workers aged > 18 who underwent health checkups at least twice at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 173,794). The definition of HL was as an average threshold of ≥ 20 dB in pure-tone air conduction at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz in both ears. The incidence of increased hsCRP levels throughout the follow-up period was defined as a level exceeding 3 mg/L. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were performed to estimate the risk of increased hsCRP levels according to the occurrence of HL in groups stratified by age. Results: In the cross-sectional study, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.34); the OR was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.80-1.22) in those under 40 and 1.28 (1.08-1.53) in those over 40. In the longitudinal study, the multivariable-adjusted OR was 1.05 (95% CI: 0.92-1.19); the OR was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.90-1.35) in those under 40 and 1.20 (1.01-1.43) in those over 40. Conclusions: This cross-sectional and longitudinal study identified an association between HL and increased hsCRP levels in workers aged over 40 years.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• /
• 제34권
• /
• pp.11.1-11.9
• /
• 2022

Background: Although coronavirus disease 2019 is causing a variety of psychological problems for workers, there are few longitudinal studies on changes in workers' mental health by workplace intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the change in the prevalence of depression and anxiety according to the active involvement of the workplace. Methods: This study was conducted on 1,978 workers at a workplace who underwent a health screening from January 2019 to August 2020, and classified depression and anxiety disorders using a self-report questionnaire. After the first pandemic, the company stopped health screening, took paid leave and telecommuting, and conducted interventions such as operating its own screening clinic. To see if this workplace intervention affects workers' mental health, we conducted generalized estimating equations to compare odds ratio (OR). Results: In the pre-intervention group, 384 people (16.86%) had depression, and 507 people (22.26%) had anxiety disorder. Based on the OR before intervention, the OR of depression decreased to 0.76 (0.66-0.87) and the OR of anxiety disorder decreased to 0.73 (0.65-0.82). Conclusions: As a result of this study, it was confirmed that workplace intervention was related to a decrease in depression and anxiety. This study provides basic data to improve workers' mental health according to workplace intervention, and further research is needed according to workplace intervention in the future.

• 대한치과교정학회지
• /
• 제34권5호
• /
• pp.371-379
• /
• 2004

본 연구는 1999-2003년 사이에 출판된 대한치과교정학회지(KJO)의 논문 247편과 American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO)의 논문 250편들이 사용하고 있는 통계기법들을 연도별로 조사 비교하였다. 각각의 저널에서 어떠한 통계기법들이 자주 사용되었는지, 최근 들어 통계기법의 변화가 있었는지 자주 쓰이는 통계기법들에 대한 주의할 점을 고려했는지 어떠한 고급통계기법을 사용하였는지를 살펴보았다. KJO는 이 기간 동안의 모든 논문을 연구대상으로 하였고 AJODO는 각 해마다 50편의 논문을 original article이면서 통계기법을 사용한 논문들 중에서 무작위로 추출하였다. 빈번히 사용된 통계기법은 KJO의 논문에서는 t-검정, 분산분석, 상관분석. 비모수분석, 회귀분석, $x^2-$검정. 요인 분석의 순이었고 AJODO의 논문에서는 t-검정. 분산분석. 비모수분석, 상관분석, 회귀분석, $x^2$-검정, 요인분석의 순이었다. 5년 동안의 통계기법의 변화를 살펴본 결과 KJO에서는 유의한 변화를 관찰할 수 없었으나$(x^2=17.38,\;p = 0.6881)$ AJODO에서는 유의한 변화를 관찰할 수 있었다.$(x^2=42.41,\;p =0.0397)$ 각 통계분석에 해당하는 가정의 점검을 간과한 경우가 있었으며 통계분석 전에 이상치 등의 자료의 탐색이 필요하며 소표본일 경우 좀 더 다른 통계적 접근 방법이 필요하다 고급통계기법으로는 KJO에서는 인자분석과 판별분석을 통해 부정교합자에게 적용이 가능한 골격유형의 감별기준을 도출하였고 AJODO에서는 다기관센터를 통한 임상시험에서 ITT분석을 실시하였으며 생존분석 죈 GEE분석을 실시하였다. 단순한 통계기법만으로는 정확한 자료의 분석이 행해졌다고 보기는 어렵고 자료와 가설에 맞는 단변수 분석후의 다변량 통계 분석 방법을 통하여 정확한 결론을 유추해 내는 노력이 필요하다 치과학 분야의 자료의 특성 중 하나는 서로 상관관계가 높으며 반복 측정치를 가지는 것인데, 올바른 통계기법을 도입하여 그 결과에 대한 바른 해석을 할 수 있도록 해야 하겠다.

• 대한안과학회지
• /
• 제58권8호
• /
• pp.960-967
• /
• 2017

목적: 갑상샘눈병증과 정상안, 정상안압녹내장 환자의 황반하 맥락막 두께를 비교해 보고자 한다. 대상과 방법: 정상군 70안, 갑상샘눈병증군 74안, 정상안압녹내장군 60안을 대상으로 하였다. 모든 환자는 스펙트럼영역 빛간섭단층촬영의 Enhanced Depth Imaging 방법으로 중심와 맥락막두께를 측정하였다. 평균 중심와 맥락막 두께는 중심와아래, 중심와 아래에서 각각 1.5 mm 비측 및 이측의 세 지점의 평균으로 정의하였다. 일반화 추정 방정식을 통하여 맥락막 두께에 미치는 변수를 알아보았다. 결과: 평균 중심와 맥락막 두께는 정상 $252.07{\pm}55.05{\mu}m$, 갑상샘눈병증 $281.01{\pm}60.06{\mu}m$, 정상안압녹내장 $241.66{\pm}55.00{\mu}m$로 유의한 차이를 보였다(p=0.013). 중심와아래, 비측, 이측 중심와 맥락막 모두 정상안압녹내장에서 갑상샘눈병증에 비해 얇았다(p=0.014, 0.012, and 0.034). 갑상샘눈병증에서 나이, 성별, 굴절률, 안압을 보정한 후에도 정상안압녹내장군에 비해 맥락막 두께가 유의하게 두꺼웠다(${\beta}=32.61$, p=0.017). 결론: 갑상샘눈병증군에서 정상안압녹내장군과 정상군보다 유의하게 두꺼운 맥락막을 보였고 평균 망막신경섬유층 두께는 정상안압녹내장군이 갑상샘눈병증군보다 유의하게 얇았다. 갑상샘눈병증 환자에서의 두꺼운 맥락막이 녹내장 진행에 있어 어떠한 효과를 가지는지 향후 추가적인 연구가 필요할 것으로 보인다.