• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.139-153
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• 2007

Injury in agriculture is a serious public health issue with a major impact on the lives of Korean farmers. It is one of the leading causes of death and is also a major cause of longand short-term disability. In 2001, the social cost of one accident in agricultural machinery was estimated as 97.7-97.8 million won that is 4 fold of farm household income in Korea. Effective prevention and control of injuries requires a system of surveillance that monitors the incidence of injuries, their causes, treatment and outcomes. This requires an integrated system of data collection, analysis and interpretation and communication. Creating effective injury surveillance system in Korea requires to establish a framework for a national agenda. Discussions regarding the development of the framework should address, but not be limited to issues related to Data Holdings and Linkages; Capacity and Skills; Communication; Interconnection; and Surveillance Products. Ideally, an injury surveillance system would meet the information requirements across all sectors, while allowing each to have the ongoing information it needs for its policy and programming needs. This study was carried out to develop a surveillance system of agricultural injuries in Korea. Study subjects were residents who lived in a typical agricultural area (Yangpyung area in Kyung-gi province). The main data sources were reports of village headmen, compared with data of 'National Emergency Management Agency', 'National Health Insurance Corporation', 'Insurance of National Agricultural Cooperative', and 'Emergency Medical Centers'. Each data were reviewed to validate the strengths and weaknesses.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1295-1301
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• 2015

Background: Cancer imposes a significant economic burden on individuals, families and society. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic burden of cancer using the healthcare claims and cancer registry data in Korea in 2009. Materials and Methods: The economic burden of cancer was estimated using the prevalence data where patients were identified in the Korean Central Cancer Registry. We estimated the medical, non-medical, morbidity and mortality cost due to lost productivity. Medical costs were calculated using the healthcare claims data obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance (KNHI) Corporation. Non-medical costs included the cost of transportation to visit health providers, costs associated with caregiving for cancer patients, and costs for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Data acquired from the Korean National Statistics Office and Ministry of Labor were used to calculate the life expectancy at the time of death, age- and gender-specific wages on average, adjusted for unemployment and labor force participation rate. Sensitivity analysis was performed to derive the current value of foregone future earnings due to premature death, discounted at 3% and 5%. Results: In 2009, estimated total economic cost of cancer amounted to $17.3 billion at a 3% discount rate. Medical care accounted for 28.3% of total costs, followed by non-medical (17.2%), morbidity (24.2%) and mortality (30.3%) costs. Conclusions: Given that the direct medical cost sharply increased over the last decade, we must strive to construct a sustainable health care system that provides better care while lowering the cost. In addition, a comprehensive cancer survivorship policy aimed at lower caregiving cost and higher rate of return to work has become more important than previously considered.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2009

Objectives : We tried to evaluate the agreement of the Charlson comorbidity index values(CCI) obtained from different sources(medical records and National Health Insurance claims data) for gastric cancer patients. We also attempted to assess the prognostic value of these data for predicting 1-year mortality and length of the hospital stay(length of stay). Methods : Medical records of 284 gastric cancer patients were reviewed, and their National Health Insurance claims data and death certificates were also investigated. To evaluate agreement, the kappa coefficient was tested. Multiple logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to evaluate and compare the prognostic power for predicting 1 year mortality and length of stay. Results : The CCI values for each comorbid condition obtained from 2 different data sources appeared to poorly agree(kappa: 0.00-0.59). It was appeared that the CCI values based on both sources were not valid prognostic indicators of 1-year mortality. Only medical record-based CCI was a valid prognostic indicator of length of stay, even after adjustment of covariables($\beta$ = 0.112, 95% CI = [0.017-1.267]). Conclusions : There was a discrepancy between the data sources with regard to the value of CCI both for the prognostic power and its direction. Therefore, assuming that medical records are the gold standard for the source for CCI measurement, claims data is not an appropriate source for determining the CCI, at least for gastric cancer.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.363-370
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• 2016

Noise is unwanted sound that is the reason of the stress and hearing loss. The current study attempted to estimate whether the noise of dental laboratory affected stress and pure tone audiometry (PTA) of dental laboratory technicians (DLTs) using heart rate variability, air and bone conduction audiometry. The age, heights, and weights of DLTs were resembled control. Standard deviation of normal to normal interval such as stress resistance and normalized HF of DLTs were significantly decreased, but heart rates, normalized LF, and LF/HF ratio of DLTs were significantly increased compared with control. In air conduction audiometry of DLTs, significant increments of thresholds encountered in 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz in the right ears and 125, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz in the left ears. Thresholds of bone conduction audiometry in both ears were significantly increased in 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. The findings in this study provide that stress and hearing loss observed in noise-exposed DLTs at dental laboratory. Therefore, proper safety precautions should be carried out at dental laboratory.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.513-538
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• 2013

As a childcare program of TaeHwa Christian Women's Institution in 1921, the childcare system in Korea was incepted. Since then, the political foothold of childcare system has steadily been advancing to provide high quality services to young children. In almost a hundred-year-history of public childcare in Korea, depending on the changes enforced on the related laws and regulations and varying perspectives over time, the administration office accountable for childcare policies has been authorized to the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs, Education, Labor, Home Affairs, Rural Development Administration, and/or others. But as of 1991, under the enactment of Infant and Child Care Act, it was changed to be administered by the unified authority of the Health and Social Welfare Ministry. Then, in 2004 and 2007, its statutory authority, respectively, transferred to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and back to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Staring of the Infant and Child Care Act in 1991, Korean childcare policies have been managed by the dual systems of the Education Ministry and the Health and Social Welfare Ministry each holding jurisdiction over kindergartens and childcare centers, respectively. Faced with the recent marked decline of birth rate, diverse childcare policies are currently implemented in the pursuit of finding means to enhance the quality of childcare and to develop policies for the restoration of the low birth rate. This study presented distinct features of current childcare policies and discussed about future directions and challenges of these policies.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.747-757
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• 2017

Of safety check regulation, 'Construction Technology Promotion Act' and 'Special Act on the Safety Control of Public Structures' contain provisions about the content of safety in construction works and the items of safety checks in the maintenance aspect and thus contribute to accident prevention in the construction industry. Of the regulations responsible for the practical safety of workers, the safety check regulation of Ministry of Employment and Labor demand for safety check from the start of construction based on an agreement with a concerned agency to the completion of construction solely based on 'Guidance Standards for the Specialized Disaster Prevention Instruction in Article 32 of Occupational Safety and Health Act' and 'Appropriation and Usage Standards of Safety and Health Management Costs in the Construction Industry'. There is, however, a huge gap, as well, in them according to client agencies. In small construction sites ordered by a private organization, checks are done formally with no detailed regulations. As a result, the costs of checks continue to drop with only the contract kept intact. This study examined the forms of safety checks practically done in the Jeju region, distinguished and compared them by the construction costs, calculated proper costs based on each construction act, and further proposed improvement measures for the detailed regulations.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.661-667
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• 2013

This paper aims to identify the relationship between the number of teeth of the elderly and their life happiness index. A face-to-face interview survey was conducted with elderly residents of Dong-gu, Daejeon from June 27 to July 25, 2012. A Tukey post hoc test and correlation analysis were implemented after a t-test and variance analysis. The results of analysis showed that satisfaction with life related to oral health was significant, but happiness in daily life had no significant difference. For the elderly, the quality of life related to oral health and happiness in daily life had no significant difference. Masticatory performance difference depending on usage of dentures also showed significant difference (p<0.001). The difference of masticatory performance depending on the number of teeth was analyzed by a correlation analysis. The present number of teeth, present anterior teeth and molars demonstrated a correlation. Quality in life related to oral health depending on the number of teeth correlated with the present number of teeth, present anterior teeth and present molars.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.242-252
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• 2021

Objectives: This study examined the current status of depression and related factors among children using community child center. Methods: A cross-sectional study selected children in grades 4-6 who used the Gwangju and Jeollanamdo community child center (n=224) using a convenience sampling method. General characteristics, family characteristics, children's emotional characteristics, children's school life environment and depression status were assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Results: The average score of depression among children using community child center was 15.31±7.70 out of a total of 27. Fifty-eight (25.9%) children had depression above 22 points. Variables related to children's depression were shown as grade, subjective economic level awareness, after-school activities excluding local children's centers, presence of family members after school, and family structure. Conclusions: The depression prevalence of children using community child center was higher. Policy support such as children's psychological support programs would be needed to reduce children's depression, and community child centers are expected to be effective in reducing children's depression if continuous child psychological support services are developed for children's mental health.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.425-434
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• 2020

Background: Viral infection outbreaks are emerging public health concerns. They often exhibit seasonal patterns that could be predicted by the application of big data and bioinformatic analyses. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify trends in diarrhea-causing viruses such as rotavirus (Gr.A), norovirus G-I, and norovirus G-II in Cheonan, Korea. The identified related factors of diarrhea-causing viruses may be used to predict their trend and prevent their infections. Method: A retrospective analysis of 4,009 fecal samples from June 2010 to December 2019 was carried out at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) was employed to identify virus strains. Information about seasonal patterns of infection was extracted and compared with local weather data. Results: Out of the 4,009 fecal samples tested using multiplex RT-PCR (mRT-PCR), 985 were positive for infection with Gr.A, G-I, and G-II. Out of these 985 cases, 95.3% (n = 939) were under 10 years of age. Gr.A, G-I, and G-II showed high infection rates in patients under 10 years of age. Student's t-test showed a significant correlation between the detection rate of Gr.A and the relative humidity. The detection rate of G-II significantly correlated with wind-chill temperature. Conclusion: Climate factors differentially modulate rotavirus and norovirus infection patterns. These observations provide novel insights into the seasonal impact on the pathogenesis of Gr.A, G-I, and G-II.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.859-868
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• 2023

Purpose: In order to enhance safety, the Korea Navy is making efforts to introduce a safety and health management system and to develop a risk assessment system, while safety accidents keeps occurring. A development plan was proposed through an inspection of the Safety Management System(SMS). Method: To diagnose the Korea Navy's safety management system, changes in the safety environment, documentation system, and safety and health management system operation were reviewed, points to be improved were found, and improvement directions were derived. Result: There is a need for an SMS standard that can present the Korea Navy's safety policy and safety management direction, and a safety program that provides guidelines for implementing it in a standardized manner. To this end, we were able to confirm the feasibility of linking the requirements of the US Navy's SMS and the international standard ISO 45001 standard together with the Korea Navy's safety management system. Conclusion: The Korea Navy's safety management system needs to clearly present safety policies and standards, and have public confidence and effectiveness in safety work through a standard program that can implement them, and for this, the development of a Navy SMS is necessary.