• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.130-142
• /
• 2017

Objectives: Although the Korean government is able to implement smoke-free regulations for shared areas in multi-unit housing (MUH), such regulations are limited for private homes. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of support for the implementation of smoke-free regulations for homes and near the outsides of building among residents in MUH. Methods: A population-based sample of 2,600 residents among a web-based panel in Seoul was included. The residents completed questionnaires including smoking status, voluntary smoke-free home rules, and support for the implementation of smoke-free regulations for homes and near the outsides of building. The presence of a voluntary smoke-free home rule was determined when residents declared that no one smoked inside their homes. Results: Among the 2,600 MUH residents, prevalence of support for the implementation of smoke-free regulations for homes was higher (83.2%) than for near the outsides of buildings (75.1%). Support for the implementation of smoke-free regulations for homes was higher when residents were non-smokers, had voluntary smoke-free home rules, lived with children, lived with more residents, lived in owned homes, lived in apartments, and lived in homes with more frequent secondhand smoke (SHS) incursion. Support for the implementation of smoke-free regulations near the outsides of buildings was higher when residents were women, non-smokers, more educated, had a voluntary smoke-free home rule, lived with children, lived in homes with more frequent SHS incursion, and lived in a commercial area. Conclusions: The majority was supportive of the implementation of smoke-free regulations for homes. Predictors identified in the study can be useful for promoting implementation of smoke-free regulations for homes in MUH.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.773-788
• /
• 2001

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in nutrient intake according to the level of self-perception of health status, aging status and life satisfaction of the rural elderly. The factors for the study were surveyed by interview method. The subjects were 270 people(71 male, 129 female) aged over 65 years(73.5 $\pm$ 5.6ys) in the Ham-an area. The obtained results as follows : By evaluation of self-perception of health status, 57.5% of subjects answered they are in a bad health condition. The 91.5% of subjects had diseases(rheumatitis & arthritis 31.4%, cardiovascular disease 20.2%, gastric disease 10.2%). The women had more diseases than the men(p < 0.01). The subjects took medical treatment in private hospital(40.5%) and public health centers(35.0%). The men showed better level of aging status(p < 0.001) and life satisfaction index(p < 0.01) than the worsen. Living with spouse influenced the aging status(p < 0.05) and the more pocket money influenced life satisfaction(p < 0.05) and aging status(p < 0.05). The elderly who eat regularly 3 times a day(p < 0.05) and have a good appetite(p < 0.001) appeared to have positive effect on the self perception of health status and aging status. An increasing level of the self-perception of health status and regular exercise worked to improve aging status(p < 0.001). The habits of smoking and alcohol drinking, however had no effect on any index. The self-perception of health status affected the nutrient intake, but only in female elderly. The aging status and the life satisfaction index related overall positively to the intake of nutrients. In conclusion, the study shows that gender did influence nutrient intake in the elderly. The women who live alone rated lowest in social resources and health condition therefore their nutrient intake was also extremely in deficit. For successful aging, a program for rural elderly is needed, i.e. actions to provide minimum economic life, food delivery and psychological/physical health care through regional public health centers.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.1056-1064
• /
• 2015

This study was designed to provide the basic data of an effective nutrition education for desirable lifestyle and dietary habits to improve the nutritional status for the elderly by investigating health-related lifestyle, dietary habits, nutritional knowledge, and food intake of the elderly. The subjects included 58 elderly men and 146 elderly women. 35.8% had no more than an elementary school education. Most subjects (54.4%) were widows/widowers. Most subjects (71.0%) made over 150,000 won. 52.5% of subjects lived in houses. Smoking, drinking, exercise, the average sleeping time were significantly difference between the gender (p<0.05). In terms of dietary habits, our results showed that 80.9% of respondent eat regularly meals, including breakfast (83.5%). Both sexes prefer soft and salty food. Women enjoys more spicy and salty food compared with men and then shows meaningful difference (p<0.05). Their favorite meals are soup, stew, salad and boiled vegetables. Compared to women, men have a higher rate of correct answers about questions related to nutrition knowledge as showing significantly difference (p<0.05). In a study of dietary habits, they take in carbohydrates with the highest percentage and following by vegetables and fruits. The amount of meat, first and egg they eat is more than the previously. Eating meat is higher men as showing significant difference (p<0.05). In summary, nutritional status for the elderly shows healthy lifestyle and diet about half of those and most them try to live healthy life in future. It is hope that the elderly may need to learn proper nutrition knowledge for healthy lifestyle and nutrition education and counseling for building up healthy lifestyle and desirable dietary habits. Furthermore, it is necessary to start work to establish a baseline nutritious evaluation for the elderly and at a time to study the development of standard eating tool proven reliability and validity, consequently to provide a basic framework for the evaluation of nutritional status.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2020

Objectives : To investigate aggravating and mitigating factors of atopic dermatitis and to utilize the outcome in treatment planning. Methods : The research has a cross-sectional study design. Patients' SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) Index, demographic, physical characteristics, social history, serologic index and skin related instrumental measurements were analyzed with correlation and regression analysis method. Results : 48 patients in total were enrolled in the study. Skin Surface Hydration (SSH) and sex were found to be statistically significant aggravating and mitigating factors. As SSH increased, Total SCORAD (tSCORAD) and Objective SCORAD (oSCORAD) increased as well. As SSH decreased, tSCORAD and oSCORAD decreased as well. Female patient had a higher probability of suffering from severer subjective symptoms than that of male. Age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption and smoking, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IFN-γ were found not to be statistically significant. There was no correlation between Subjective SCORAD (sSCORAD) and oSCORAD neither with Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI). Conclusions : Increasing cutaneous moisture should be included in the treatment plan of atopic dermatitis. More emphasis should be put on alleviating subjective discomforts of female patients than that of male. Establishing separate strategies of managing objective eczema status and subjective discomforts respectively should be considered.

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

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.63-73
• /
• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to survey the related factors of metabolic syndrome of Chinese workers aged 20 years and above. Methods: The study was conducted at three locations in Shandong, China, currently working and took the physical examination (PE) within one year in the area as target participants. Personal characteristics, physical and biochemical results based on the PE, lifestyle habits, and food intake of the participants were used to analyze the relationship with metabolic syndrome. Results: Results showed that overall, thirty-one subjects (22.5%) had metabolic syndrome, twenty males (32.7%) and eleven females (14.2%). Metabolic syndrome was related to age, gender, educational level and occupational type with more risk in male (P < 0.05), people of older age (P < 0.001), low educational level (P < 0.05) and non-office workers (P < 0.01). According to the life style scores, lifestyle evaluation showed specifically alcohol consumption and smoking (P < 0.001) and stress management (P < 0.05) as important factors that were associated with the metabolic syndrome. High calorie (P < 0.01) and carbohydrate (P < 0.01) intakes were observed on male participants with metabolic syndrome in comparison to the non-metabolic syndrome but no significant difference on female participants. Conclusions: This results of this study can be used as significant supporting data to prevent and control metabolic syndrome in Chinese workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.487-494
• /
• 2023

Objectives: Community organization is a resident-led movement aimed at creating fundamental social changes in the community by resolving its problems through the organized power of its residents. This study evaluated the effectiveness of health community organization (HCO), Gangwon's Health-Plus community program, implemented from 2013 to 2019 on residents' health behaviors. Methods: This study had a before-and-after design using 2011-2019 Korea Community Health Survey data. To compare the 3-year periods before and after HCO implementation, the study targeted areas where the HCO had been implemented for 4 years or longer. Therefore, a total of 4512 individuals from 11 areas with HCO start years from 2013 to 2016 were included. Complex sample multi-logistic regression analysis adjusting for demographic characteristics (sex, age, residential area, income level, education level, and HCO start year) was conducted. Results: HCO implementation was associated with decreased current smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 0.95) and subjective stress recognition (aOR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.97). Additionally, the HCO was associated with increased walking exercise practice (aOR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.71), and attempts to control weight (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.64). No significant negative changes were observed in other health behavior variables. Conclusions: The HCO seems to have contributed to improving community health indicators. In the future, a follow-up study that analyzes only the effectiveness of the HCO through structured quasi-experimental studies will be needed.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.49-71
• /
• 2000

The purpose of this study was to serve as a basis for school health care of better quality, by making a comparative analysis of the health care satisfaction and attitude of elementary school students in consideration of their general characteristics and the presence or absence of nurse teacher. The subjects in this study were 919 selected six graders in 16 elementary schools in the city of Tongduchun, Koyang and Euijungbu, Yangju-kun and Yeunchun-kun. A survey was conducted with questionnaire designed for measurement of health care satisfaction and attitude. As a result of analyzing the data collected from June 1 through 15, 2000, the conclusions were as follows. 1) As for the general characteristics of the students investigated, the subjects included 513 boys(55.8%) and 406 girls(44.2%). The schools where 390(42.4%) students attended were located in municipal area, and the schools where 529(57.6%) students attended were located in kun area. 608(66.2%) students had a nurse teacher at their schools, while 311(33.8%) students had no nurse teacher. 498(54.2%) had an experience to use the health room this year, but 421(45.8%) had no such an experience. Their mean school life satisfaction was scored $3.42{\pm}.71$, above the average. And their health condition was rated $3.81{\pm}.87$, which implied they tended to be in good health. 2) The mean satisfaction at the health room operation was scored $3.33{\pm}.71$, above the medium level. What they were most satisfied with($4.02{\pm}1.08$) was, among the health room facilities, that there were beds. But they expressed the least satisfaction($2.83{\pm}1.17$) at the location of health room. The presence or absence of nurse teacher made a significant difference to their satisfactionat health room operation, because the students in schools with nurse teacher showed greater satisfaction($3.42{\pm}.72$) than the others in schools with no nurse teacher did($3.15{\pm}.66$). 3) Concerning their attitude to use the health room in case of disease or accident occurrence, a lot of students in schools with a nurse teacher, who had ever suffered from indigestion, headache or traumatic injury, used the health room. In schools with no nurse teacher, there was a tendency to talk to their class teachers(p<.001). The recognition of the necessity for health counseling was generally on a medium level. The counselor whom they wanted to discuss health problem with was family or friend in the largest cases. Few students discussed with class teachers in case there was a nurse teacher in school. Instead, some of them discussed with friend, family or nurse teacher, and there was a significant difference between them(p<.001). 4) The mean satisfaction at health, sanitation and environmental management was rated $3.20{\pm}.90$, above the average. The classroom lighting gave them the best satisfaction with $3.67{\pm}1.07$, but the satisfaction at toilet cleanness and disinfection was not good with $2.83{\pm}1.19$. By the presence or absence of nurse teacher, those who had a nurse teacher expressed better satisfaction at water supply facilities including hot water than the others who had no nurse teacher did(p<.001). But no significant difference was observed in the other items. 5) The health education satisfaction was rated $3.19{\pm}.99$, which was on a medium level. By item, the mean satisfaction level was $3.36{\pm}1.19$ at nurse teacher's explanation about treatment, $3.13{\pm}1.15$ at the frequency of health education, and $3.08{\pm}1.16$ at the explanation on the cause of disease. By the presence or absence of nurse teacher, the students with nurse teacher showed significantly better satisfaction at every factor0(p<.001). 6) Regarding health education attitude, their recognition of the need for school health education was scored $3.89{\pm}.96$. Those who had a nurse teacher felt it more necessary($3.96{\pm}.92$), yet the others who had no nurse teacher felt its necessity a little less($3.74{\pm}1.01$). The most preferred thing for them to learn in health education was first aid, followed by sex education, obesity prevention, safety accident prevention in school and outdoors, smoking-related health, good use of leisure time, and environmental pollution cause in the order named. According to the presence or absence of nurse teacher, there was a significant difference in sex education(p<.01), but no significant disparities were found in the other factors. The most preferred person who would offer health education was a lecturer from the outside(45.8%) and nurse teacher(45.4%). Their preference for class teacher as a person in charge of health education was just 8.8%. But the presence or absence of nurse teacher didn't produce any differences to their preference for a person in charge of health education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.42-65
• /
• 1992

A survey was made of 976 students who were selected among students of 5 middle schools at Taegu so that it could furnish basic knowledge about sex education of adolescents by analyzing students recognition of sex, acquaintance with the opposite-sex, sex-education, The survery took a month from Nov. 1, to Nov 30, 1991. The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. The general characteristics of the surveyed students. The survey consisted of 332 boys middle school student & 325 girls middle school students, 157 male & 162 female students of coeducational middle schools. 32.9% of them were from the first grade, 33.2% from the second grade & 33.9% from the third grade. 35.7% of them believed in Buddhism, 19% Christianism and the mode of their living standard, 86.7%, fell on 34.7% of their parents engaged in commerce and they were followed by salary man and public officals, 93.1 % of the students, parents were alive. 44.9% of their fathers were graduates of high school and 42.2% of their mothers middle school. 2. Sexual maturity 89.1 % of the surveyed girls had experienced menstruation. The mode of first menstruation, 48.2%, was at the age of 13 and the mean of it was 12.9, 3.7% the surveyed boys had exprienced a wet drem before. The mode of the first wet dream, 40.0%, was at the age of 14 and the mean was 13.4. 21.3% of surveyed students had the experience of masturbation but the number of girls fell far short of that boys. The mode of the first masturbation, 37.0%, was at the age of 14 and the mean was 13.4. 3. The acquaintance and sexual relations with the opposite sex 1) Analyzing the students actual conditions with the opposite, I found out that 52.3% of them wanted to have any kind of relations with the opposite and that 30.25 had already had some kind of relations. 73.2% of the students having relations with the opposite thought the other sex merely as a friend and the number of students who were thinking that way was distributed evenly among schools. 28.8% of the students had got acquainted with the other sex through their frieds and there were not much difference between boys and girls in the method of getting acquainated with the opposite. About 35.2% of the students having relations with the opposite came from the third grade. 47.8% of them answered that the meeting place was not fixed and 26.4% answered that they were meeting their parthers outdoors. 60.7% replyed that they were not disturbed in their studies by the relations with the other sex. 2) Most of the students 79.4%, answered that they had never had sexual relations and 16.3% of the rest said that thery were expressing their feelings by grasping each other's hand. 3) 16.6% of the surveyed students asid that they had the exprience of smoking, 1.1 % of an illusion caused by inhaling chemical addhesives, 44.0% of drinking and 41.4% of warching pornographic films. 4. The knowledge and attitude about the sex 1) The distribution and analysis according to schools and grades : 64.8% of the surveyed students answered correctly to the questions about mensturation, 49.3 % did so about wet dreams, 94.3 % did so about conception, 60.6% did so about child birth, 73.9% did so about AIDS and 50.1 % did so about sexual diseases. Roughly speaking, they had not much knowledge of sexual diseases. 2) The recognition of sex according to schools and grades : 39.0% of the students said that they had worries about sex. 33.1 % of what they worried was concerned with their bodies and 26.8% was about the acqaintance and relationship with the opposite sex. The girls were much more concerned about the former and the boys the latter. 51.1 % of the students asid that they had no specific opinion of masturbation but 19.2% said that's alright if self-restrained. About the sexual intercourse before marriage, 75.7% said negatively. 5. The need for sex education most of the students, 99.4% said they needed sex education and there was not much difference in that thought among schools. And 49.7% answered that schools, families, and societies were equlally important in sex education. About half of the students, exactly 50.2%. considered it as the main reason of sex education to prevent accidents cauesd by ignorance of sex. 81.4% said that they had had some kind of sex education. Most of the educations, 87.0%, had taken place at schools but 5.2% said they were getting most of the knowledge about sex from therir friednds, juniors and seniors. 59.5% of the students who had ever had a sex education said "Just so, so" when asked of the level of their contentment but the number of students who said "satisfied" was only a few, 16.1 %. 20.7% of the survered answered that thery wanted sex education to be made in the course of home life, and 26.6 % of the students most wanted to know about the acquaintance and relationship with the oppostie sex, 29.0% preferred nurse teachers as proper councellors of sex education. The mode of their present councellors, 42.0%, was friends but only 7.6% answered they dicussed with teachers. 6. The correlation analysis between general characteristcs and sexual behaviors of the surveyed students revealed that sex had a signigicant(P<0.001) positive correlation with parents' love toward students(P<0.01), the experience of masturbation, smoking, an illusion caused by inhaling chemical adhesives and the experience of watching pornographic films. And the standard of living had a significant(P<0.01) positive correlation(P<0.01) with grade point average, parents' existence(P<0.01) and parents' love, but a significant(P<0.01) negative correlation with sexual worries. grade point average had a significant(P<0.01)negative correlation with the experience of an illusion caused by chemical adhesives(P<0.01) and smoking. Parents' existence had significant(P<0.01) positive correlations with parents' love and smoking but a significant(P<0.01) negative correlation with the experience of an illusion by chemical adhesives. There was a significant(P<0.01) negative correlations between parents' love and the experience of an illusion by chemical adhesives, and a significant(P<0.001) positive correlation among masturbation and sexual worries, smoking, an illusion by chemical adhesives and the experience of watching pornographic films. There was a significant(P<0.001) positive correlation among acquaintance with the opposite sex, smoking, the experience of an illusion by chemical adhesives and watching pornographic films. Sexual worries had significant(P<0.01) positive correlations with smoking, the experience of an illusion by chemical adhesives and watching pornographic films. smoking had a significant positive correlation with drinking the experirence of, an illusion by chemical adhesives and watching pornographic films. Finally, there was a significant(P<0.01) positive correlation between the drinking experience and the illusion experience by chemical adhesives. According to the results mentioned above, the fact is certain that there is a great need for sex education of adolescents. Therefore, it is desirable that the schools teach sexual physiology and normal positively and that sex education including hygien education be an independant course in the curriculums. Furthermore, it is essential that the schools should have enough nurse teachers to take up sex education, expand training opportunities for them and that they develop educational materials. Considering the unbalance of the level of sex educations between boys and girls, I want to suggest that all boys and girls have sex education evenly and lead happy lives by correction irrational thought about sex, that is to say, sex discrimination, Sex education programs, especially of middle school students, should be reexamined if it is to give the students effective and profitable knowledge about sex. In addition, the government should establish a policy of adolescents' sex education to have healthy opinions of sex settled nationwide.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.1-17
• /
• 2008

Objective : This research was done to discover whether or not workers' health related quality of life(HRQOL) depends on their own Yangseng(養生) level, which is also known as one's care of one's health, and also if their HRQOL is affected by the level, to what extent. The subjects of the study were blue-collar workers of a workplace. Method : Blue-collar workers of a workplace were asked to fill out their pre-organized questionaires given to them by their company as a process of health examination. The questionaires carried questions regarding their levels of Yangseng and their HRQOL. For the purpose of the research, a total of 961 data were selected from the questionaires filled out by the blue-collar workers and then analyzed. Result : Each workers's level of Yangseng becomes high or low by one or all of general characteristics. With regard to Yangseng level according to health-related lifestyle were found to have a relatively higher level of Yangseng. With reference to HRQOL according to general characteristics, those in the 20s were found to have a physical summary scale(PCS), but no significant difference was found in the other scales. As regards the quality of life(QOL) according to health-related lifestyle, those who exercise regularly were found to have a relatively higher PCS, while no smokers, those who do not drink alcoholic, and those who sleep at least seven hours a day were found to have a relatively higher mental summary scale(MCS). As to the relation between the level of Yangseng and HRQOL, the level of Yangseng was found to have an interrelation with PCS and MCS in terms of its degree. Statistics also show that each area of Yangseng level has a significant impact on the two qualities-PCS and MCS. Conclusion : One who has a higher level of Yangseng was found to be the one who enjoys a higher HRQOL. Specially, the three kinds of habits that are good for good health -non-smoking, no drinking and seeping seven hours a day- were found to be able to improve the QOL. In this respect, those who want to stay healthy are recommended to cultivate a healthier habit of living.