• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.164-174
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• 1999

The purpose of this study were to assess iron status and obesity in 82 middle aged women living in Kangnung area. Anthropometric measurements were taken for body weight, height, percentage of body fat and circumferences of waist and hip. Venous blood samples were drawn from subjects for measurement of hemoglobin(Hb), hematocrit(Hct), serum iron(Fe), total iron binding capacity(TIBC), transferrin saturation(TS) and serum ferritin. Dietary intakes of iron(heme iron and nonheme iron), the amounts of MPF(meat, poultry and fish) and ascorbic acid were assessed by modified 24-hr recall method. The results obtained are summarized as follows : Postmenopausal women had more body fat than premenopausal women. That is, postmenopausal women tend to be obeser than premenopausal women. There was no difference in Hb, Hct, Fe, TIBC and TS between pre- and postmenopausal women. But the serum ferritin concentration of postmenopausal women(83.7$\pm$42.1ng/ml) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than premenopausal women(56.4$\pm$41.0ng/ml). Prevalences of iron deficiency (20%, 20.0% and 17.1% respectively) of postmenopausal women. The mean daily intakes of total iron in pre- and postmenopausal women were 17.5$\pm$9.3mg and 15.6$\pm$6.9mg, respectively. Bioavailabilities of dietary iron were 6.5% and 4.5% in pre- and post-groups. These results indicate that individual dietary guidelines should be used to educate middle-aged women different in status of menopause. For example, premenopausal women should increase nutritional iron status and postmenopausal women should try to prevent obesity.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.72-82
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate sexual behaviors and influencing factors affecting premenopausal women who have breast cancer and have undergone surgery. Methods: Seventy premenopausal women, ranging between 35~55 years of age, were included in this study. Sexual behaviors were evaluated using the WSBQ-F (Wilmoth Sexual Behaviors Questionnaire-Female). The in-depth interview was analyzed utilizing content analysis. Results: There were no significant differences regarding the type of surgery, age, time of marriage, education level, occupation, chemotherapy, use of Tamoxifen, and radiotherapy in the sexual activities of premenopausal women with breast cancer. However, quality-related information utilizing qualitative in-depth interviews, revealed 3 issues regarding sexual behaviors.. Participants reported physical discomfort such as vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, emotional changes such as decrease in sexual confidence, and interaction-related changes such as mandatory sexual life, sexual intimacy with one's partner, and being more active sexual behaviors. Conclusion: There were complex changes associated with sexual behavior after surgery for women with breast cancer which included various events related to stress regarding sexual behavior. Communication between women with breast cancer, their partners, and medical caregivers has a ability to maximize the sense of sexual wellbeing while minimizing the sexual crises.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.28-37
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to address the difference menopausal symptoms according to sasang constitution and menopausal status among perimenopausal women. Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study was collected by administering questionnaires that elicited general information. The menopause rating scale (MRS) and Questionnaire for the Sasang Constitution Classification II (QSCC II) was given to 284 perimenopausal women who met the eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in the study. Results: The study subjects were composed of 27.5% so-yangin, 24.6% so-eumin, 18.7% tae-eumin, and 29.6% undefined category. The total MRS and all subscales were significantly higher for postmenopausal women in comparison to premenopausal women. Especially, so-eumin and tae-eumin displayed significantly higher scores in urogenital symptoms. The MRS score in postmenopausal women who belonged to the group of tae-eumin and so-eumin was significantly higher than those for premenopausal women. However, so-yangin displayed higher scores in psychological and urogenital symptoms than tae-eumin for premenopausal women. So-eumin presented significantly higher scores in urogenital symptoms in comparison to the undefined category for postmenopausal women. Conclusion: These findings suggest that sasang constitution could be an important factor in understanding the woman's menopausal symptoms and identify the best treatment.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.25-35
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• 2008

Objectives This study was performed to find out the characters about distribution of abdominal fat(especially superficial and deep subcutaneous fat) in obese premenopausal Korean women. Methods 39 obese premenopausal women were recruited in 2008. Anthropometry and body impedance analysis have been done and abdominal fat distribution had been assessed by computed tomography scan at the level of L4-5. Blood test and questionnaires about depression, eating attitude and physical activity were underwent. Result Abdominal total fat area, subcutaneous fat area including superficial and deep were significantly correlated with anthropometry and BIA result while visceral fat was correlated only with age and waist circumference. In blood profile, only visceral fat area was correlated with HDL cholesterol and triglyceride. And there were no correlation among questionnaires and abdominal fat. There were no difference between superficial and deep subcutaneous fat. Conclusion Abdominal subcutaneous fat including superficial and deep did not have any correlation with heart risk factor. superficial and deep subcutaneous fat had no differences with each other and they did not show any correlation with visceral fat in obese perimenopausal Korean women.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2005

It has been suggested that dietary fat increases the risk of breast cancer by elevating serum estrogen concentrations. However, studies on a relationship between fat intake and breast cancer risk have shown contradictory results, possibly because the levels of fat intake in study populations were too high to observe differences. Also, the effect of other dietary factors may present. The present study was performed to investigate the relationship between diet and estrogen metabolism in premenopausal women whose usual fat intake is relatively low compared to their western counterparts. Twenty lacto-ovo vegetarians (LOV) and twenty omnivores participated in the study. Three day food records including a Saturday or a Sunday were used to estimate nutrient intake. Serum lipids, estradiol, sex-hormone binding globulin, and urinary estradiol were measured. Study results showed $24.8\%$ and $20.9\%$ of energy intake were provided from fat in omnivorous and LOV subjects, respectively. Serum and urinary levels of estradiol were two times higher in omnivores. Fat intake was not related to either serum estradiol nor urinary estradiol when the Spearman correlation coefficient analysis was performed. Carbohydrate, total dietary fiber and soluble dietary fiber intakes were negatively related to serum estradiol concentration. Legumes, vegetables and fruit consumption showed significantly negative relationships with both serum and urinary estradiol concentrations. These results indicate lower estrogen availability may be associated with plant food­based diets in premenopausal women whose usual diets contain less than $25\%$ of energy as fat.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.448-454
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• 2004

The relationship between dietary carbohydrate (CHO) and fasting triglyceride (TG) concentrations was examined in 2,689 men, 1,908 premenopausal women, and 966 postmenopausal women aged 20-69 years in the 1998-Korean Health and Nutrition Survey. The serum TG concentrations in fasting blood samples were measured and dietary CHO intake was assessed by using 24-hour recall method. As CHO intake increased, the TG concentrations were significantly affected (127.4 mg/dl, 132.4 mg/dl, 134.8 mg/dl, 142.6 mg/dl, 147.2 mg/dl) in postmenopausal women, while CHO intake was not significantly associated with TG concentrations in men and in premenopausal women. For the lowest to the highest quintiles of CHO, the mean TG concentrations were 120.0 mg/dl and 140.3 mg/dl in postmenopausal women with body mass index (BMI) ＜25 kg/m$^2$ and 135.6 mg/dl ＆ 155.3 mg/dl in postmenopausal women with BMI$\geq$25 kg/m$^2$. In multivariate analysis, BMI, waist hip ratio (WHR), glucose, smoking, and drinking habit were associated with serum TG concentrations in men. In premenopausal women, BMI, WHR, and glucose levels were associated with serum TG concentrations, while age, BMI, WHR, glucose levels, and CHO intake were associated with serum TG concentrations in postmenopausal women. In conclusion, CHO intake is related to serum TG concentrations in postmenopausal women in Korea.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the problem of bone health and potential influencing factors of bone mineral density (BMD) for women across the life cycle of menopause. Methods: Complex sampling design data analysis was performed on the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010 in order to identify the problems with bone health, BMD and its influencing factors in 3,499 women who answered the menopausal status. Women's life cycle was categorized by premenopausal, postmenopausal, and elderly. Results: 35.1% of premenopausal women, 73.3% of postmenopausal women, and 96.0% of elderly women had problems with bone health that were related to low BMD. Influencing factors of BMD were residential area, alcohol drinking, and body mass index (BMI) for premenopausal women; age, residential area, education, marital status, income, and BMI for postmenopausal women; and age, education, and BMI for elderly women. Conclusion: Problems with bone health required to be considered as a major health problem in all women regardless their life cycle. Interventions to maximize BMD need to be developed by considering its influencingfactors across the women's life cycle.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.287-295
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• 2016

This study was conducted to assess the relationship amongst serum ferritin, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and metabolic syndrome score (MSS) in Korean adults. The data of 16,096 adults (6,840 men as well as 4,916 premenopausal and 4,340 postmenopausal women) aged ${\geq}20years$ in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) between 2010 and 2012 were analyzed. The prevalence rate of MetS was 3,978 (24.7%) (men, 24.6%; premenopausal women, 11.1%; postmenopausal women, 40.3%). The key study results were as follows: First, after the adjustment for relevant variables, the serum ferritin level ($M{\pm}SE$) was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the MetS group (men, $132.25{\pm}1.98ng/mL$; premenopausal women, $39.89{\pm}1.49ng/mL$; postmenopausal women, $73.45{\pm}1.14ng/mL$) than in the non-MetS group (men, $111.08{\pm}1.01ng/mL$; premenopausal women, $32.26{\pm}0.50ng/mL$; postmenopausal women, $63.26{\pm}0.98ng/mL$). Second, the serum ferritin levels increased as MSS increased in all groups (men, premenopausal women, and postmenopausal women) (p<0.001). In conclusion, MetS and MSS increases were positively associated with higher serum ferritin levels.

• Proceedings of the Korean Journal of Food and Nutrition Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.76-76
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate dietary and other factors affecting bone mineral density (BMD) in Korean premenopausal women. Seventy-eight premenopausal women who visited health promotion center for health examinations volunteered to participate in this study and they were divided into two groups according to the bone status by T-score : normal or osteopenic group and osteoporotic group. The demographic and general characteristics, and dietary intake were surveyed using the questionnaire. BMDs of the lumbar spine and femoral neck of subjects were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum samples were measured for Lipid concentration, and calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase as bone formation indicators. Urine was analysed for creatinine as bone resolution indicators. The results are as follows:The mean BMDs of the lumbar spine and femoral neck were 1.21 0.02g/cm$^2$ and 0.97 0.04g/cm$^2$, respectively and the BMD levels of osteoporotic group were significantly lower than that of normal or osteopenic group (p<0.001, respectively). Height in osteoporotic group was significantly lower than that of normal or osteopenic group (p<0.01), and bodyweight did not show any significant difference but had a lower tendency. Mean daily intake of energy was 1720 52ka1. When nutrient intake was compared with recommended dietary allowances (RDA) of subjects, calcium, Fe, vitamin A and riboflavin intakes showed means lower than RDA. The nutrient intake did not show any significant difference between normal or osteopenic group and osteoporotic group except intakes of protein fat and niacin. Serum and urine levels did not show any significant differences between normal or osteopenic group and osteoporotic group and all were within normal range, however, serum alkaline phosphatase level of osteoporotic group was significantly higher than that of normal or osteopenic group (p<0.001). Height showed positive correlations with lumbar spine bone mineral density (LBMD, r=0.332, p<0.01), no correlation was found with femoral neck bone mineral density (NBMD). Age, age at menarche, bodyweight, body mass index (BMI) and obesity showed no correlation with BMD. The BMD of the lumbar spine was significantly and positively related to the intake of niacin and vitamin C (r=0.236, p<0.05; r=0.274, p<0.05). Serum levels of calcium and phosphorus showed a negative correlation with LBMD (r=-0.698, p=0.0001; r=-0.503, p=0.0001, respectively). The results suggested that the BMDs of the lumbar spine was positively related to the intake of niacin and vitamin C in premenopausal women. Therefore, this study confirmed that one of the most effective way to minimize bone loss would be higher intake of niacin and vitamin C rich foods and habitual physical activity may have a beneficial effect on BMD in premenopausal period.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2012

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has become a global epidemic. In particular, it is known that there is a dramatic increase in the prevalence of MetS among women during the postmenopausal period. Recently, accumulating studies have suggested that vitamin D deficiency may be inversely associated with the risk factors regarding MetS. However, evidence from postmenopausal women is limited. In this study, we examined the association between the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and the MetS in Korean adult women aged 20-69 years (n = 2,618) by using the 2007-2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. The geometric mean of plasma 25(OH)D were $17.16{\pm}6.28\;ng$/mL and $20.20{\pm}7.69\;ng$/mL for premenopausal and postmenopausal women, respectively. The percentages of vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D < 12 ng/mL] were 22.5% and 14.4%, respectively. MetS was more prevalent in postmenopausal women (43.0%) compared with premenopausal women (11.2%). When serum concentrations of 25(OH)D were categorized in quintiles, there was no relationship in the prevalence of MetS in both premonopausal and postmenopausal women. However, in premenopausal women, compared with the lowest 25(OH)D quintile, the odds ratio for hypertriglyceridemia in the highest quintile was 0.57 (95% CI 0.34-0.95, $P_{trend}$ = 0.041) and for low serum HDL cholesterol 0.60 (95% CI 0.42-0.85, $P_{trend}$ = 0.014) after adjusting for all potential confounders. On the other hand, we observed the tendency of an inverse relationship for 25(OH)D regarding low serum HDL cholesterol (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.50-1.22, $P_{trend}$ = 0.029) and a direct relationship with abdominal obesity (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.01, 3.74, $P_{trend}$ = 0.049) in postmenopausal women. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings in other research settings.