• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2191-2199
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• 2013

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer death among women. Soy isoflavones have been widely studied and among all isoflavones equol has been gaining interest with regard to its relationship with breast cancer risk. Obesity has been revealed as one of the breast cancer risk factors, known to be associated with high levels of circulating insulin and decreased levels of adiponectin. Hence there have been many studies investigating relationships between insulin and adiponectin levels and breast cancer risk. Additionally recent findings have suggested that insulin and adiponectin themselves may have influence on breast cancer development, independent of obesity. In the present review, we discuss the relationships between breast cancer risk and equol, insulin and adiponectin levels, which are three important factors in our ongoing hospital-based case-control study. Herein these factors are reviewed not only from the clinical viewpoint but also from possible chemical and biological points of view which may explain clinical observations.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.60-71
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• 2011

Purpose: This study explored cardiovascular health (CVH), depressive symptoms, and well-being among community-based Korean women according to hwa-byung (HB) symptoms. Methods: This cross-sectional study measured HB symptoms, depressive symptoms, quality of life (QoL), and spiritual well-being (SWB) in addition to biophysical indicators of CVH. Results: Fourteen women of the HB group are more likely to live alone with lower income than 36 women in the comparison group. Compared to the comparison group, the HB group has larger mean waist circumference and higher prevalence of abdominal obesity along with more knee arthritis and back pain. Although women in the HB group appeared worse in other CVH than their counterparts, this was not statistically significant. It is noteworthy, that the HB group showed a higher probability of having a hard cardiovascular event (CVE) within 10 years than the comparison group. Women in the HB group reported more depressive symptoms, poor QoL, and low SWB as well as smoking and sleep difficulties. Conclusion: Despite the small sample size, significant relationships of HB symptoms to abdominal obesity, the probability of a hard CVE within 10 years, and psychosocial health were found. Strategies for effective community-based cardiovascular programs for Korean women may include HB screening and/or management.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.495-506
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the nutrient intake, dietary and weight control behaviors and iron deficiency of adolescent girls. The subjects were 216 female middle school students living in urban and rural areas of Inchon. Thin cross- sectional study was conducted by questionnaires and data were analyze by SAS program. Nutrient intakes collected from 3 day-recalls were analyzed by the Computer Aided Nutritional Analysis Program(CAN-pro). The mean height, weight. BMI and obesity index for the subjects were 158.2 cm, 51.1kg, 20.4 and -5.3 % in urban students and 155.9 cm, 49.3 kg 21.1 and -8.2% in rural students, respectively. Easting blood samples were obtained and analyzed for iron nutritional status. The mean obesity index of the urban students was higher than that of the rural students. The proportion of the overweight group was higher in urban students compared to rural students, However, over 10% of both area students belonged to the low weight group, respectively. Most students of both areas skipped breakfast and the main reason was on appetite and lack of time. Urban students were more concerned with body image. The nutrients which showed a lower mean intake as percentile of RDA were Ca, iron, vit A an Vit B$_2$ and most nutrient intakes of urban students were significantly higher compared to those of rural students. These results indicate that nutrient intakes in the female middle school students were considerably lower than the RDA. Also they had undesirable food habits and lower self-satisfaction with their body image, There were significant differences in the mean MCV, TIBC and serum ferritin between urban and rural area subjects. Mean Hb, Hct, MCH, MCHC and TS, bowaver, were not significantly different. Prevalence of iron deficiency greatly varied by indices from urban(11.5%) and rural (8.7%) when judged by Hb to urban(23.1) and rural (23.3%) by serum ferrition. Therefore, proper nutrition education is required for good nutrition desirable food habits, weight control, and guidance for iron deficiency in anemic female of adolescents.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.368-379
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• 2002

This study investigated the correlations among the health consciousness, nutrition knowledge, dietary habits and nutrition attitudes of school teachers. The subjects of this study were 75 male and 152 female leachers in elementary and middle schools in Masan city. The survey was conducted by using a questionnaire. Even though the average body mass index (BMI) and the obesity index were normal in both male and female subjects, 33.3% of the male subjects were overweight/obese, while 18.5% of the female subjects were underweight, according to the obesity index. The food components of most concern during mealtime were (in order of importance) salt, MSG and cholesterol by male subjects, and salt, fat and MSG by female subjects. The subjects considered self-relaxation as the most important factor in maintaining optimal health status, followed by resting, bathing or use ova sauna, moderation in diet, exercise, decreasing alcohol intake, and no smoking. Newspapers/magazines and TV/radio were the primary sources of nutrition and health information of the subjects. As the degree of health consciousness increased, scores of the dietary habits and nutrition attitudes increased. Nutrition knowledge scores and nutrition altitudes scores increased with subjects'increased level of perception of the importance of acquiring nutrition knowledge and nutrition information. There was a highly significant correlation between the degree of health consciousness and dietary habit score (${\gamma}$ : 0.3, p<0.001). The degree of health consciousness was also significantly correlated (${\gamma}$=0.6, p<0.001) with nutrition attitudes scores. But the correlation between the degree of health consciousness and nutrition knowledge was not statistically significant. The degree of the perception of the importance of nutrition knowledge showed a positive correlation with nutrition attitude (${\gamma}$:0.4, p<0.001) and dietary habit (${\gamma}$:0.3, p<0.001). The degree of perception about the importance of nutrition knowledge and nutrition information was positively correlated with nutrition knowledge (${\gamma}$:0.2, p<0.001) and nutrition attitudes (${\gamma}$:0.3, p<0.001).

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2018

The efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has led to an increase demand for therapeutic use, thereby necessitating investigation into drug toxicity. This study was designed to investigate the in vivo effects of HAART on sperm parameters and testicular oxidative stress in lean and obese rats. Wistar rats (males, n = 40, weighing 180~200 g) were assigned randomly into 4 groups and treated accordingly for 16 weeks as follows: Control (C): lean group fed with standard rat chow; Diet induced obesity (DIO): obese animals fed a high caloric diet; C + ART: lean animals treated with HAART; DIO + ART: obese animals treated with HAART. An antiretroviral drug combination of Tenofovir, Emtricitabine and Efavirenz at a dose of 17, 26 and 50 mg/kg/day was administered for the latter 6 weeks via jelly cube feeding. At the end of the experimental period, sperm analysis was performed on sperm collected from the caudal epididymis, while the testis was homogenized for antioxidant enzyme and lipid peroxidation assays. Results showed that HAART significantly decreased sperm motility (p < 0.05) in both lean and obese animals, and viability (p < 0.05) in the DIO group. Testicular glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), while Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05) when the DIO+ART group was compared to Control group. Thus, the decreased sperm qualities associated with HAART might be as a result of increased testicular oxidative stress prominent in obese animals.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2012

Objectives: A positive association between serum albumin levels and metabolic syndrome has been reported in observation studies, but it has not been established in the Korean population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between serum albumin levels and the presence of metabolic syndrome among a sample of apparently healthy Korean adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data of 3189 community-dwelling people (1189 men and 2000 women) who were aged 40 to 87 years and were living in a rural area in Korea. Serum albumin levels were classified into quartile groups for each sex. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines with an adjusted waist circumference cut-off value ${\geq}90\;cm$ for men and${\geq}85\;cm$ for women). An independent association between serum albumin levels and metabolic syndrome was assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Higher serum albumin levels were associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome for the highest versus the lowest serum albumin quartiles was 2.81 (1.91 to 4.14) in men and 1.96 (1.52 to 2.52) in women, after adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. When each metabolic abnormality was analyzed separately, higher serum albumin levels were significantly associated with hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia in both sexes, and with abdominal obesity in men. Conclusions: These results suggest that higher serum albumin levels are positively associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.494-500
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Evidence indicates that berry anthocyanins are anti-atherogenic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. However, berries differ vastly in their anthocyanin composition and thus potentially in their biological and metabolic effects. The present study compared hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of blueberry (BB), blackberry (BK), and blackcurrant (BC) in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model. MATERIALS/METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high fat (HF; 35% fat, w/w) control diet or a HF diet supplemented with freeze-dried 5% BB, 6.3% BK or 5.7% BC for 12 weeks (10 mice/group) to achieve the same total anthocyanin content in each diet. Plasma lipids, antioxidant status and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured. The expression of genes involved in antioxidant defense, inflammation, and lipid metabolism was determined in the liver, epididymal adipose tissue, proximal intestine, and skeletal muscle. Histological analysis was performed to identify crown-like structure (CLS) in epididymal fat pads to determine macrophage infiltration. RESULTS: No differences were noted between the control and any berry-fed groups in plasma levels of liver enzymes, insulin, glucose, ferric reducing antioxidant power, superoxide dismutase, and tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$. However, BK significantly lowered plasma triglyceride compared with the HF control and other berries, whereas BC significantly reduced F4/80 mRNA and the number of CLS in the epididymal fat pad, indicative of less macrophage infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence that BB, BK and BC with varying anthocyanin composition differentially affect plasma lipids and adipose macrophage infiltration in DIO mice, but with no differences in their antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory potential.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10251-10254
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• 2015

Uterine cancer is the most common invasive gynaecological cancer in Australia. Early detection is a key predictive factor achieved by increasing public awareness and participation in screening. This observational study measures awareness of gynaecological malignancies, particularly uterine, among women in two rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. Patients presenting to gynaecology clinics in January to March 2014 were invited to complete a structured questionnaire. Women with a history of cancer and incomplete questionnaires were excluded. Of the 382 patients invited to participate, 329 (86%) responded with complete feedback. Most respondents were younger than than 50 years (66%) and married with at least 2 children (74%). The majority (94%) of participants had no awareness of uterine cancer and many (46%) were unable to identify common risk factors including obesity, diabetes and hypertension. The ability to identify risk factors was correlated to age, marital status and obesity. The study identifies poor awareness on uterine malignancies in two typical areas of rural Australia. Although external validity is limited by sociological factors, poor awareness of uterine cancer among rural patients in this study represents a valid public health concern. It is imperative to improve awareness of uterine cancer and available screening programs to facilitate early detection and cure.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2020

Purpose: Community child centers (CCCs) were introduced to provide after-school activities and care, including meal services to children from low-income families. The assistant cooks, who have the main responsibility for making and serving food at CCCs, are a major factor influencing the eating habits of children using CCCs. In this study, we tried to identify and understand who the assistant cooks are, what their job responsibilities are, and what they need in order to be able to provide children with healthy meals. Methods: Three focus group interviews were held with 17 workfare program participants who worked as assistant cooks at CCCs, and content analysis methods were applied using the NVivo 12 qualitative data analysis software. Results: The assistant cooks reflected on their perceptions of the children's health at the CCCs, their own cooking style, and their role at the CCCs. Additionally, barriers to the optimal provision of their services were pointed out, and improvements were suggested. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used as a fundamental resource for the development of tailored interventions that consider a child's unique environment to address health disparities, specifically with respect to childhood obesity.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.108-119
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in pre-menopausal housewives and to explore controllable and uncontrollable factors regarding metabolic syndrome. Methods: The study population of this cross-sectional survey was from the Korean Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KHANES) 2010 through 2015, including the fifth and sixth population-based studies. The criteria for metabolic syndrome include waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) based on Korean Clinical Practice Guideline for Metabolic Syndrome by the Korean Academy of Family Medicine 2015. Results: Among the 2,498 subjects, 247 subjects had metabolic syndrome and the prevalence was estimated to be 9.9%. The number of subjects who met the criterion of HDL was 936 (36.2%), which was the most prevalent among the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Statistically significant (p<.05) factors include age, livinghood benefit group, perceived health status, obesity, family history of DM, sleeping time, awareness of stress,leukocyte, and erythrocyte count. The odds ratio of obesity in the BMI ${\geq}25$ group was 12.59 times as high as that of the BMI <25 group (p<.001) for metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in pre-menopausal housewives in the survey was not low, and it is necessary to develop and apply comprehensive health habit management programs to improve controllable factors including exercise and food intake.