• 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 $PM_{10}$.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.492-504
• /
• 2013

Objectives: This analysis seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental health factors (EHF; e.g. hospital beds per capita, employees of medical institutions) on extreme-heat vulnerability assessment in Busan Metropolitan City during 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), extreme-heat vulnerability is comprised of the categories of Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity (including EHF). The indexes of the Exposure and Sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the Adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on extreme-heat vulnerability. Variables of each category were standardized by the re-scaling method, and then each regional relative vulnerability was computed with the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The extreme-heat vulnerability index (EVI) excepting EHF was much higher in urban areas than in suburban areas within the metropolitan area. When EHF was considered, the difference in the EVI between the two areas was reduced due to the increase of the Adaptive capacity index in urban areas. The low EVI in suburban areas was induced by a dominant effect of natural environmental factors (e.g. green area) within the Adaptive capacity category. Conclusions: To reduce the vulnerability to extreme heat in urban areas, which were more frequently exposed to extreme heat than others areas, public health and natural environments need to be improved in sensitive areas.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.54 no.1
• /
• pp.106-117
• /
• 2024

Purpose: This study examined the effects of stress vulnerability and parental burnout on the mental health of women with early school-aged children, with a focus on the mediating role of spirituality. Methods: A survey was conducted among 171 women with early schoolaged children in Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, and Seoul. Data were collected from September to December 2022 using the Korean-Symptom Check List 95, the Parental Burnout Assessment, and the Spirituality Assessment Scale. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with SPSS/WIN 22.0 and AMOS 20.0. Results: The study model demonstrated a good fit, explaining 40.5% of the variance in mental health through stress vulnerability, parental burnout, and spirituality. Spirituality had a significant direct impact on mental health. Additionally, participants' spirituality directly influenced their mental health, while stress vulnerability and parental burnout indirectly affected their mental health and were mediated through spirituality. Conclusion: Stress vulnerability and parental burnout are negatively associated with mental health, while spirituality partially mediates these effects. Implementing a program to promote spirituality is suggested to assist mothers in recognizing the value and meaning of parenting activities during nursing interventions for mental health.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.240-246
• /
• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the vulnerability of the human health sector to $PM_{10}$ due to climate change in Incheon over the period of 2005-2014. Methods: Vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ consists of the three categories of climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indexes for climate exposure and sensitivity indicate positive effects, while adaptive capacity shows a negative effect on vulnerability to $PM_{10}$. The variables in each category were standardized by the rescaling method, and respective relative regional vulnerability was analyzed through the vulnerability index calculation formula of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Results: Regions with a high exposure index were the western and northern urban areas with industrial complexes adjacent to a highway, including Bupyong-gu and Seo-gu. Major factors determining the climate exposure index were the $PM_{10}$ concentration, days of $PM_{10}$ >= $100{\mu}g/m^3$, and $PM_{10}$ emissions. The regions showing a high sensitivity index were urban regions with high populations; these commonly had a high mortality rate for related diseases and vulnerable populations. Conclusions: This study is able to support regionally adjusted adaptation policies and the quantitative background of policy priority since it provides information on the regional health vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ due to climate change in Incheon.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.111-121
• /
• 2017

Objectives: In this study, an analysis was performed on local government adaptation plans for climate change focusing on the health sector. The limitations of past study results have been summarized and new research subjects for preparing for the advanced second period (2018-2022) of the local government adaptation plan for climate change have been suggested. Methods: First, a review of the literature related to vulnerability assessment and adaptation plans was performed. Next, a comparison among the 16 metropolitan governments' vulnerability assessment results and adaptation plans was made. Lastly, a classification of the adaptation policy and budgets to compare with their real budget amounts was performed. Results: The results show that there is a categorizing discrepancy between vulnerability assessment and adaptation policy. In addition, their adaptation budget amounts turned out to be too large in comparison with the actual budget amounts. Conclusion: The first period (2013-2017) local government adaptation plans for climate change had some limitations. This is because there was a rapid driving force for establishing adaptation plans under the green growth strategy in Korea. Now, we are confronting a risk of adaptation to climate change. By expanding this approach, the government would be able to set up a detailed policy to improve the plans during the second period.

• Spatial Information Research
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.13-24
• /
• 2012

To prevent the damage to human health by climate change, vulnerability assessment should be conducted for establishment of adaptation strategies. In this study, vulnerability assessment was conducted to provide information about vulnerable area for making adaptation policy. vulnerability assessment for human health was divided into three categories; extreme heat, ozone, and epidemic disease. To assess vulnerability, suitable indicators were selected by three criteria; sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and exposure, spatial data of indicators were prepared and processed using GIS technique. As a result, high vulnerability to extreme heat was shown in the low land regions of southern part. And vulnerability to harmful ozone was high in the surrounding area of Dae-gu basin and metropolitan area with a number of automobiles. Vulnerability of malaria and tsutsugamushi disease have a region-specific property. They were high in the vicinity of the Dimilitarized zone and south-western plain, respectively. In general, vulnerability of human health was increased in the future time. Vulnerable area was extended from south to central regions and from plain to low mountainous regions. For assessing vulnerability with high accuracy, it is necessary to prepare more related indicators and consider weight of indicators and use climate prediction data based on the newly released scenario when assessing vulnerability.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.173-191
• /
• 2009

Civil infrastructures are always subjected to various types of hazard and deterioration. These conditions require systematic efforts to assess the exposure and vulnerability of infrastructure, as well as producing strategic countermeasures to reduce the risks. This paper describes the needs for and concept of advanced sensor technologies for risk assessment of civil infrastructure in Japan. Backgrounds of the infrastructure problems such as natural disasters, difficult environment, limited resource for maintenance, and increasing requirement for safety are discussed. The paper presents a concept of risk assessment, which is defined as a combination of hazard and structural vulnerability assessment. An overview of current practices and research activities toward implementing the concept is presented. This includes implementation of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems for environment and natural disaster prevention, improvement of stock management, and prevention of structural failure.

• Convergence Security Journal
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.11-17
• /
• 2013

All u-Health system has security vulnerabilities. This vulnerability locally(local) or network(network) is on the potential risk. Smart environment of health information technology, Ad-hoc networking, wireless communication environments, u-health are major factor to increase the security vulnerability. u-health care information systems user terminal domain interval, interval public network infrastructure, networking section, the intranet are divided into sections. Health information systems by separating domain specific reason to assess vulnerability vulnerability countermeasure for each domain are different. u-Healthcare System 5 layers of security risk assessment system for domain-specific security vulnerability diagnosis system designed to take the security measures are needed. If you use this proposed model that has been conducted so far vaguely USN-based health information network security vulnerabilities diagnostic measures can be done more systematically provide a model.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.133-142
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of climate change prospect and vulnerability assessment and the awareness of those by public officials and citizens at Yeongwol county, Gangwon province where experiencing the most climate change vulnerability. Data of 12 meteorological categories such as mean temperature at Yeongwol weather station from 1995 to 2013 were analyzed. Climate change vulnerability was assessed with 29 sub-categories in 6 categories (health, emergency/disaster, agriculture, forestry, water management, ecosystem) of National Institute of Environment Research's LCCGIS (2013). The awareness of climate change and its vulnerability was surveyed with 154 citizens and 130 officials at Yeoungwol county. The climate change prospect and its vulnerability was similar to the actual climate change effect. However, the awareness of climate change was different between some officials and citizens. The results of this study would be base data for the Yeoungwol county's future climate change adaptation poicy making.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.331-348
• /
• 2013

The frequency and intensity of abnormal climate caused by climate change is increasing in Korea. Also, the amount of damage from disaster is increasing rapidly. The research on vulnerability assessment analyzes environmentally, socially and economically vulnerable indicators and is ongoing to reduce the intensity of damage and establish adaptation policies for climate change. Therefore, in this study, we assessed vulnerability using weighting value derived by the regression equation. There are 3 evaluation items : vulnerability assessment for farmland erosion to flood, vulnerability assessment for health to heat wave, vulnerability assessment for forest fire to drought. For this study, indicators for each sectors were selected and spatial data for each sectors were established using GIS program. Results showed that vulnerability to heat wave was more affected by climate factors. On the other hand, vulnerability to flood and drought was more affected by social-economic factors. Then, to analysis efficiency of the regression analysis, vulnerability result was compared between the existing vulnerability research with no weighting applied and the vulnerability research with the influence of weighting value derived by the regression. This study showed that the regression analysis is efficient to provide practical and feasible alternatives in terms of planning climate change adaptation policies and it is expected to be utilized for vulnerability assessment in the future.