• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.107-110
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• 2005

Objective : Lumbar spinal stenosis is increasingly recognized as a common cause of low back pain in elderly patients. Conservative treatment has been initially applied to elderly patients, however, surgical treatment is sometimes indispensable to relieve severe pain. We retrospectively examine the age-related effects on the surgical risk, and results following general anesthesia and operative procedure in geriatric patients for two different age groups of at least 65years old. Methods : Consecutive 51 patients [${\ge}$ 65years], who underwent open surgical procedure for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, were selected in the study. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A included all patients who were between 65 and 69years of age at the time of surgery. Group B included all patients who were at least 70years of age at the time of surgery. We reviewed medical history including preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists[ASA] classification of physical status, anesthetic risk factor, operative time, estimated blood loss, transfusion requirements, hospital stay, operated level, and clinical outcome to look for comparisons between two age groups [$65{\sim}69$ and over 70years]. Results : In preoperative evaluation, mean anesthetic risk factor of patients was numerically similar between the groups. The American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of physical status was similar between two groups. There was no difference in operated level, operative time, estimated blood loss, hospital stay, and anesthetic risk factor between the two groups. The clinical successful outcome showed 82.7% for Group A and 81.8% for group B. The overall postoperative complication rates were similar for both group A and B. Conclusion : We conclude that advanced age per se, did not increase the associated morbidity and mortality in surgical decompression for spinal stenosis.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.134-149
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• 2005

Although Internet retailing is becoming a viable channel for apparel retailing, consumers are still reluctant to use Internet for apparel purchasing because at their concerns at Internet security and the difficulties at virtual shopping in unfamiliar shopping environment. The purpose at this study is to examine the nature at perceived risk associated with Internet apparel shopping and risk-reduction strategies used by Internet apparel shoppers. The data were collected via an online survey by a online research company. A total at 4,254 Internet users participated in this survey. Among these Internet users, 1,146 respondents had previous shopping experience in Internet shopping. Within this group, 195 were Internet apparel information seekers, and 589 were Internet apparel purchasers. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and t-test were used to analyze the data. The perceived risks and risk-reduction strategies used by Internet apparel no-interest shoppers, Internet apparel information seekers (browsers), moderate Internet apparel purchasers, heavy Internet apparel purchasers were examined and compared. The results indicated that these tour groups were significantly different in apparel related risk, performance risk, and privacy risk. Internet purchasers tend to perceive more apparel-related, performance, and privacy risks than others. The results also indicated that these tour groups were significantly different in their opinions of risk-reduction strategies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.292-298
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this research is to establish Similar Exposure Groups (SEGs) for chemical and biological risk factors that occur in farm work involving 24 tasks among 15 crops. Methods: To categorize SEGs, work type, work environment, and similar tasks for each crop were considered. After confirming the chemical risk factors (pesticides, inorganic dust-total dust and PM₁₀, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide) and biological factors (organic dust-total dust and PM₁₀, and endotoxins) that occur in the crops and tasks, similar crops and tasks were selected as SEGs. Results: Among chemical risk factors, pesticides was selected for the SEGs, which was categorized by open field, greenhouse, fruit, and specialty crops. For inorganic dust, open field (plowing harrowing, seedling, planting, harvest, and sorting and packing) and specialty crops (plowing harrowing, seedling, planting, and harvest) were selected as SEGs. For ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, livestock (preparation of farm, management of nursery bed, feeding, shipment and manure treatment) were selected as SEGs. For biological risk factors such as organic dust (total dust, PM₁₀) and endotoxins, open field (manure application), greenhouse (plowing harrowing, planting, manure application, and harvest), fruit (manure application), specialty crops (manure application, making furrows, mixing mushroom media, harvest, and sorting and packing), and livestock (preparation of farm, maintaining poultry litter, feeding, shipment and manure treatment) were selected as SEGs. Conclusions: To establish similar exposure groups in agriculture, it is important that the characteristics of each hazard factor are categorized by identifying risk factors occurring by tasks.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.9-20
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand the difference in the risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) between Korean and American CAD patients to determine the discriminant factor for each group, as well as to provide useful information to be reflected in the national concern of health. METHODS: Data were collected from 248 Korean and 107 American CAD patients who underwent either percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting. By using t-test and $X^2$-test, risk factors were compared between the Koreans and Americans. To elucidate which risk factor was the most discriminant for each group, logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: All risk factors, except diastolic blood pressure, showed a significant difference between the two groups. $X^2$-test showed statistical significance with respect to the smoking rate between the female groups. Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding blood total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride, and between the male groups, here was a statistically significant difference with respect to blood high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Diabetes mellitus (DM) was the most discriminant factor for Korean patients while TC/HDL is the most discriminant for the Americans. CONCLUSION: The characteristics of CAD risk factors were determined to be different between Koreans and Americans in this study. TC/HDL was a discriminant factor for Americans while DM was a discriminant factor for Koreans. This result implies that DM should primarily be given attention to prevent CAD in Korean adults.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.40.1-40.10
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• 2023

Background: Efforts for the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in workers have been actively pursued. Obesity is one of the important risk factors related to CVDs. Obesity has various metabolic characteristics, and some individuals can be metabolically healthy. Body composition including skeletal muscle mass is known to have protective effect in obesity. The study aims to investigate the association between skeletal muscle mass and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) CVD risk among obese male manufacturing workers in Korea and to identify appropriate indicators of skeletal muscle mass for predicting risk of CVDs. Methods: The study was conducted on 2,007 obese male workers at a manufacturing industry aged more than 19 years. Skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle mass percent (SMM%) and skeletal muscle to body fat ratio (MFR) were used to evaluate body composition and these indicators were divided into quartiles. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the KOSHA CVD risk groups according to quartiles of skeletal muscle mass indicators were estimated using ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results: The OR for the KOSHA CVD risk groups in the highest quartile of SMI was 1.67 (95% CI: 1.42-1.92), while the ORs for the KOSHA CVD risk groups in the highest quartiles of SMM%, SMM/body mass index (BMI), and MFR were 0.47 (95% CI: 0.22-0.72), 0.51 (95% CI: 0.05-0.76), and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.23-0.74), respectively. Conclusions: We found that high SMI increase the likelihood of high risk of CVDs, while high SMM%, SMM/BMI, and MFR lower the likelihood of high risk of CVDs. Accurate evaluation of skeletal muscle mass can help assess the cardiovascular risk in obese male workers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.690-704
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• 2014

This study examined the risk perception in internet shopping by Chinese and analyzed the effects of risk perception on internet word-of-mouth acceptance and transmission. This analysis was conducted with data collected from 373 Chinese individuals in their 20s. Data were analyzed with factorial analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, Chi-square test, and Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ using SPSS 18.0. The results were: 1) The factor analysis of risk perception extracted four factors: fashion/social psychological risk, product risk, transaction risk, and economic risk. The cluster analysis classified them into: Group with low-risk, Group with high-risk, Group with economic risk, and Group with medium-risk. 2) Group with high-risk and Group with economic risk had a higher word-of-mouth acceptance than other groups. The Group with a high-risk had more word-of-mouth transmission than other groups. 3) It was found that when word-of-mouth was accepted, the factual information about fashion products (size and material) was most referred to, and that the overall evaluation of satisfaction and dissatisfaction was most conveyed when word-of-mouth was conveyed. 4) Internet word-of-mouth acceptance was affected by product risk, economic risk, and transaction risk. Internet word-of-mouth transmission was affected by economic risk, and fashion/social psychological risk, product risk, and transaction risk.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.555-560
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• 2010

Purpose: Facial allotransplantation (FA) could provide an excellent alternative to current treatments for facial disfigurement. However, despite being technically feasible, there continues to be various ethical and psychosocial issues associated with the risks and benefits of performing FA. The purpose of this study is to investigate risk acceptance and expectations in FA. Methods: In a quantitative assessment of risk versus benefit with respect to FA, from 2004 to 2008, Barker et al. developed and published a questionnaire-based instrument (Louisville Instrument for Transplantation [LIFT]), which contained 237 standardized questions. In the current study, the authors assessed risk versus benefits and expectations of FA using a Korean version of the LIFT. Respondents in three study groups (lay public, n=140; medical students, n=120; doctors, n=34) were questioned about risk acceptance as related to immunosuppression and tissue rejection, and expectations as related to quality of life improvement, and functional and aesthetic outcomes. A summary of the data has been provided and statistical analyses were performed. Results: Among the three study groups, results indicated that doctors accept the least amount of risk for a facial allotransplant, followed by medical students, and finally lay public. There was a significant statistical difference in three of the four questions regarding risk acceptance between the groups (p < 0.05). In general, lay public exhibited higher expectations for facial allotransplantation than the other groups. Additionally, there was a significant statistical difference in the importance of aesthetic outcome between the groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The authors' data indicate the three populations have vastly different levels of risk acceptance and expectations with regard to FA. Therefore, it is very important that surgeons establish clear, open, and thorough communication with patients in their consultations regarding FA. This is particularly important with respect to whether or not a patient's level of risk acceptance and expectations are progmatic.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.19-41
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• 2015

Many studies have focused on the influences and outcomes of online game addiction. However, few studies have investigated how the online game addiction prevention behavior differs depending on online game user. In order to fill this gap, this study attempts to classify online game users based on risk perception attitude (RPA) framework. More specifically, this research tries to show online game user can be classified into four groups based on perceived risk of online game addiction and efficacy beliefs of online game addiction protection, and to identify how the groups differ in terms of motivation, information seeking, and behaviors for online game addiction prevention. For this purpose, analysis on survey data from 240 Korean college students who use online game reveals that the users can be classified into responsive, avoidance, proactive, indifference groups. Furthermore, there are differences between groups in terms of motivation, information seeking, and behaviors for online game addiction prevention. This study contributes to expand existing literature by providing tailored guidelines for implementation of online game addiction prevention strategies and policy.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 2021

Purpose: Malnutrition affects all age groups, but older adults are particularly more vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies. This study evaluated the age-specific factors affecting malnutrition in hospitalized older adults. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on inpatient elderly people who received artificial nutrition from 2010 to 2017. Data of demographics, diagnosis, type of nutrition therapy, number of comorbidity, fall risk assessment, Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) score, and intensive care unit admission were collected. Malnutrition was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m². Patients were classified as the young-old (65~74 years old), the old-old (75~84 years old), or the oldest-old (85 years old or older). Results: A total of 7,130 older adults were included, and 4,028 patients were classified as the young-old, 2,506 into the old-old, and 596 into the oldest-old. Proportion of malnutrition was higher in the oldest-old compared to the other groups. In multivariate analysis, parenteral nutrition, alcohol, and high risk of falls were factors affecting malnutrition in all groups. Parenteral nutrition and alcohol in the young-old, high risk of falls in the old-old, and male sex in the oldest-old were the factors affecting malnutrition by the age group. Conclusion: Older age was the most significant factor affecting malnutrition. Specific strategies by age are needed to improve nutritional status in hospitalized older adults as influencing factors for malnutrition vary among different age groups.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.575-587
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• 2010

This study identifies the effects of the perceived risk by adolescents on fashion brand conformity for peer groups. Perceived risk, self-esteem, and gender were adopted as variables in order to analyze conformable fashion brand behavior with peer group consideration. A quantitative survey used 672 questionnaires from male and female students between the ages of 14 and 18. The data were analyzed using factor analysis and regression analysis. The results are as follows. First, the dimensions of the brand conformity and perceived risk were revealed. The brand conformity dimensions were normative, informational, and identificational conformity. The perceived risk dimensions were socio-psychological, economic, exchange-refund, performance, management, and fashion risks. Second, fashion (+) and performance (-) risk significantly affected three types of brand conformity. In addition, socio-psychological and economic risk positively affected informational brand conformity. Third, there were more factors of perceived risk that affected brand conformity in the highly self-esteemed group and in the female adolescent group.