• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.169-180
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• 2018

Depression is a major health problem that can lead to mortality. This study was conducted to assess the risk factors associated with depression in a group aged over 65 years by analyzing nationally representative Korean survey data. A total of 1,209 subjects were analyzed among the participants of the 2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Statistical methods for a complex sample were applied by using SPSS program(windows ver. 24.0). Depression assessments were carried out by using the 9-item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Depression ($PHQ-9{\geq}5$) was more frequently found in females (33.2%) compared to males (16.1%). However, there was no evidence suggesting that characteristics such as residence area, income level and age, except for educational level, were related with depression. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that i) health habits such as smoking (OR: 2.26) and lack of aerobic physical activity (OR: 1.62), ii) mental health status such as bad self-rating of health status (OR: 4.30), more stress (OR: 8.31), and bad health-related quality of life (by EQ_5D, OR: 3.41), iii) chronic diseases such as obesity (OR: 0.66), hypercholesterolemia (OR: 1.57), anemia (OR: 1.91), and iv) low intake of energy (OR: 1.84) and calcium (OR: 1.71) were significantly associated with depression. This study suggests that certain characteristics of health habits, mental health status, chronic diseases and nutrient intake may be associated with depression. Prospective research on long-term control is needed to establish causal connections among those factors with depression.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.353-363
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• 2012

Methylmercury is a hazardous substance that is of interest with regard to environmental health, as inorganic mercury circulating in the general environment is dissolved into freshwater and seawater, condensed through the food chain, ingested by humans, and consequently affects human health. Recently, there has been much interest and discussion regarding the toxicity of methylmercury, the correlation with fish and shellfish intake, and methods of long-term management of the human health effects of methylmercury. What effects chronic exposure to a low concentration of methylmercury has on human health remains controversial. Although the possibility of methylmercury poisoning the heart and blood vessel system, the reproductive system, and the immune system is continuously raised and discussed, and the carcinogenicity of methylmercury is also under discussion, a clear conclusion regarding the human health effects according to exposure level has not yet been drawn. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives proposed to prepare additional fish and shellfish intake recommendations for consumers based on the quantified evaluation of the hazardousness of methylmercury contained in fish and shellfish, methylmercury management in the Korea has not yet caught up with this international trend. Currently, the methylmercury exposure level of Koreans is known to be very high. The starting point of methylmercury exposure management is inorganic mercury in the general environment, but food intake through methylation is the main exposure source. Along with efforts to reduce mercury in the general environment, food intake management should be undertaken to reduce the human exposure to methylmercury in Korea.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.131-142
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• 1999

In this study, one and semi-two dimensional numerical models were applied to study on the hydraulic and sedimentologic characteristics of upstream and downstream channel section near the Buyeo intake towers. The HEC-6 model was applied for the simulation of one dimensional sediment movement from 1988 to 1996, and GSTARS model was applied for the simulation of semi-two dimensional sediment movement for the same period. After the verification of accuracy of HEC-6 and GSTARS models, the models were applied again to predict the sediment movement near intake towers from 1988 to 2001. In this case, measured channel section of 1988 was used as an initial channel condition, and used to predict the long-term variation of channel section of 2001 after 13 years since 1988. The simulation results show that the channel bed is sedimented and eroded repeatedly in the main channel of overall study area, and that channel bed is getting elevated in the near Buyeo intake towers.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.521-526
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although a lot of effort has been put into increasing fruit and vegetable intakes in preschool children, vegetable intake in this group is still low. This study investigated whether nutrition education focusing on fruit and vegetable intakes can affect preschoolers' fruit and vegetable intakes as well as their behavioral outcomes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Thirty-five preschoolers (54.3% boys, n = 19) aged 4-6 years residing in Seoul underwent weekly nutrition education intervention (8 sessions) between May and July 2016. Intakes of fruits and vegetables were measured during pre and post-intervention. At snack time, fresh fruit (150 g) and vegetable (120 g) snacks were distributed to each child by teachers. The remaining portions of the snacks were weighed and recorded for each child. Behavioral outcomes were measured by applying Child behavior checklist 1.5-5 and the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. RESULTS: During post intervention, vegetable intake increased from $36.15{\pm}30.64g$ to $48.01{\pm}31.23g$ (P = 0.010). Among the emotional and behavioral problems measured by parents, levels of total problems (P = 0.001), internalizing (P = 0.004), externalizing (P = 0.003), anxiety and depression (P = 0.001), and aggressive behavior (P = 0.005) decreased. Anxiety (P = 0.026) score, as measured by teachers, also decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition education of preschoolers regarding the intakes of fruits and vegetables had a positive effect on preschoolers' vegetable intake as well as on their emotional and behavioral outcomes. A long-term, large-scale study with a broader study design is warranted to further investigate the role of fruit and vegetable intake in cognitive development and behavior of preschoolers.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.403-417
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• 2021

Purpose: Owing to differences in the general characteristics of gastric cancer (GC) according to histological type, the association of GC risk factors, such as diet, may also differ depending on the histological type. We investigated the associations between individual and combined intake of soy products, vegetables, and dairy products and GC mortality by following up cases of death among Korean GC cases and whether these associations differ according to the histological type. Materials and Methods: A total of 508 GC cases were enrolled from two hospitals between 2002 and 2006. Their survival or death was prospectively followed up until December 31, 2016, through a review of medical records and telephonic surveys. Finally, 300 GC cases classified as intestinal- or diffuse-type GC cases were included. The median follow-up period was 7.1 years. Results: In the fully adjusted model, a high intake of soy products (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.96) and the combination of soy products and vegetables (HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12-0.96) or soy products and dairy products (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.14-0.98) decreased the mortality from intestinal-type GC. In particular, patients consuming various potentially protective foods (HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.06-0.83) showed a highly significant association with a lower mortality from intestinal-type GC. However, no significant association was found with diffuse-type GC. Conclusions: High intake of potentially protective foods, including soy products, vegetables, and dairy products, may help increase survival in intestinal-type GC.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.67-71
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• 2004

Arsenic poisoning has three types of poisoning. First, acute arsenic poisoning is usually caused by oral intake of large amount of arsenic compound with purpose of homicide or suicide. Second, chronic arsenic poisoning is caused by inhalation of arsenic in the occupational setting or by long-term oral intake of arsenic-contaminated well water. Third, arsine poisoning occurs acutely when impurities of arsenic in non-ferrous metal react with acid. Clinical manifestation of acute arsenic poisoning is mainly gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiovascular collapse. Those of chronic poisoning are skin disorder and cancer. Arsine poisoning shows massive intravascular hemolysis and hemoglobinuria with acute renal failure. Exposure evaluation is done by analysis of arsenic in urine, blood, hair and nail. Species analysis of arsenic is very important to evaluate inorganic arsenic acid and mono methyl arsenic acid (MMA) separated from dimethyl arsenic acid (DMA) and trimethyl arsenic acid (TMA) which originate from sea weed and sea food. Treatment with dimercaprol (BAL) is effective in acute arsenic poisoning only.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.576-584
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Web-based nutrition education program for junior and senior high school students. Three materials, which were printed materials on Group I, WBI (Web-Based Instruction) leaflet on Group II and the web-based nutrition education program developed in the antecedent research, were applied for 564 students in 3 junior high school and 4 senior high school in Seoul during 4 weeks. Pre-test was done from October 21 to October 26, 2002 and post-test was done from November 25 to December 13, 2002. The statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS WIN (ver. 11.0) for descriptive analysis, t-test and ANOVA. According to the evaluation of effectiveness for web-based nutrition education program, nutrition knowledge, food attitude, food habit and nutrient intake were not significantly improved but positively. And on the evaluation of effectiveness for nutrition education program by materials, WBI was more effective educational materials than WBI leaflet and printed materials. Consequently nutrition knowledge, food attitude, food habit and nutrient intake were improved positively but not significantly using WBI, which was due to the instructional period of the only 4 weeks. Therefore long-term instruction should be required for effective nutrition program, as well as more WBI nutrition education program for high school students would need to be developed in the near future in that WBI was effective material on nutrition education.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.893-903
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• 1995

This study was attempted to estimate seasonal variations of physical activity level, energy balance & body composition of 38 rural women, aged 31 to 67yrs in three seasons ; farming season(June), harvesting season(October), nonfarming season(February) Energy intake, energy expenditure and body composition were assessed using questionnaire, daily activity diary & bioelectrical impedance. The type of activities & the period of the spent on each activity were changed significantly with the seasons. Daily mean duration(min) of farming activity was significantly higher in June & October than in February(p<0.005) & daily mean energy expenditure for farming activity was significantly high in June & low inFebruary (p<0.005). Daily mean energy expenditure was 2892.9㎉ in June, 2487.4㎉ in October and 2130.9㎉ in February and changed significantly in three seasons(p<0.005). Daily mean energy intake was significantly higher in June(=1950.3㎉) & October (=1946.9㎉) than in February(=1423.3㎉)(p<0.005). According to RDA for koreans, the level of physical activity fell into exceptional activity category in June, heavy in October, moderate in February. Mean energy balance was negative in all seasons ; 0.682 in June, 0.812 in October and 0.698 in February. In three seasons mean body weight, mean obesity rate and mean body mass index(BMI) were not changed significantly. But there were significant seasonal variations in body fat(%) & lean body mass(LBM)(%). The mean percentage of body fat(%) was within normal range(24.44-24.79%) & the mean percentage of lean body mass(LBM)(%) representing long term physical activity was significantly higher in June(75.56%) & October(75.21%) & October (75.21%) than in February(72.75%)(p<0.05).

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2013

Objectives : Galgunhaejutang extract (GHT) is a Traditional Korean medical herbal mixture that has been tradtionally used to treat alcohol consumption. This study was preformed to evaluate the effects of GHT on alcohol consumption in C57BL/6 mice. Methods : Sixty three C57BL/6 mice were alcohol dependence-induced by limited access paradigm. Water, GHT 0.688 g/kg (GHT-L), or GHT 3.45 g/kg (GHT-H) were administrated for 10 days. The amounts of alcohol consumption for 2 hours, water consumption for 22 hours, food intake for 24 hours and body weight were measured. Results : There weren't significant differences in 2 hours of alcohol consumption, 22 hours of water consumption, 24 hours of food intake and body weight for ten days between vehicle group and GHT-L or GHT-H group. Conclusions : Further studies employing multi-dose and long term administration of GHT (more than 10 days) might be of benefit.

• ALGAE
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.311-320
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• 2003

The community structure of benthic marine algae was investigated at Taean Thermal Power Plant and other places around Taean Peninsula, the west coast of Korea. Total of 100 species including 3 Cyanophyta, 14 Chlorophyta, 18 Phaeophyta, and 65 Rhodophyta were identified. The number of species was highest with 78 species at the Power Plant intake, followed by 61 at the discharge, 56 at Bunjeondo, and 50 at Maoe. It was noteworthy that a subtropical species Caulerpa okamurae was collected at the intake in autumn and it was the first observation in the west coast of Korea. The pattern of vertical algal distribution showed Gloiopeltis furcata occurred in the upper intertidal zone, Sargassum thunbergii and Corallina spp. in the middle and lower zone and Enteromorpha spp. in the lower middle zone. These were all dominant species except for Enteromopha spp., which was subdominant species. Other subdominant species were Chondrus ocellatus and Neorhodomela aculeata. The average diversity indices were between 0.70 and 1.20 at each area based on their dry weight. The similarity index was 0.79 between the algal flora of this study and that of 1987, indicating that the condition of the benthic environment remained unchanged since then. This area maintained its environmental quality, so the algal community remained same with similar structure. This study area seemed a suitable place for long term monitoring of the benthic environment where industrial facilities such as a power plant might affect the benthic algal community.