• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.392-402
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• 2009

Objectives : The aims of this paper were to develop the composite deprivation index (CDI) for the sub-district (Eup-Myen-Dong) levels based on the theory of social exclusion and to explore the relationship between the CDI and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Methods : The paper calculated the age adjusted SMR and we included five dimensions of social exclusion for CDI; unemployment, poverty, housing, labor and social network. The proxy variables of the five dimensions were the proportion of unemployed males, the percent of recipients receiving National Basic Livelihood Security Act benefits, the proportion of households under the minimum housing standard, the proportion of people with a low social class and the proportion of single-parent household. All the variables were standardized using geometric transformation and then we summed up them for a single index. The paper utilized the 2004-2006 National Death Registry data, the 2003-2006 national residents' registration data, the 2005 Population Census data and the 2005-2006 means-tested benefit recipients' data. Results : The figures were 115.6, 105.8 and 105.1 for the CDI of metropolitan areas (big cities), middle size cities and rural areas, respectively. The distributional variation of the CDI was the highest in metropolitan areas (8.9 - 353.7) and the lowest was in the rural areas (26.8 - 209.7). The extent and relative differences of deprivation increased with urbanization. Compared to the Townsend and Carstairs index, the CDI better represented the characteristics of rural deprivation. The correlation with the SMR was statistically significant and the direction of the CDI effects on the SMR was in accordance with that of the previous studies. Conclusions : The study findings indicated mortality inequalities due to the difference in the CDI. Despite the attempt to improve deprivation measures, further research is warranted for the consensus development of a deprivation index.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.360-367
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• 2011

Beta-carotene producing transformants were produced in the background of 'Nagdongbyeo', a Japonica rice cultivar. Introgression of the carotenoid locus in the transformant, PAC4-2 into the elite cultivar 'Ilpumbyeo' was started. To initiate a backcrossing program, we surveyed 220 SSR markers and found that 38% of them were polymorphic between 'Ilpumbyeo' as a recurrent parent and the PAC4-2 as a recipient parent. The selection strategy comprising foreground and background selection was employed. First, foreground selection was practiced in $BC_1$, $BC_2$, and $BC_3$ generations using the transgene specific PCR-based marker in addition to visual scoring of the seed color. Marker-based background selection combined with phenotypic selection was employed from $BC_3F_2$ to $BC_3F_4$ generations. Blast search indicated that the transgene PAC4-2 was located between SSR markers, RM6 and RM482. 240 $BC_3F_3$ and 63 $BC_3F_4$ lines were evaluated for four agronomic traits including days to heading. Most of the lines were similar to Ilpumbyeo in agronomic traits evaluated. The percentage of PAC4-2 genome ranged from 4% to 21% with a mean of 12.5%, which was higher than the expected for an unselected $BC_3$ backcross population. This could be explained by the fact that two genes for beta-carotene and the stripe virus resistance were targeted in this study. We selected 10 representative $BC_3F_5$ lines from 63 $BC_3F_4$ lines based on agronomic traits and carotenoids content. The selection strategy would be appropriate for the introgression of beta-carotene gene in a breeding program.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.64-76
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• 2020

Purpose: Several screening tools have been developed to identify sarcopenia in rural community-dwelling older adults. We aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of two such tools, namely the SARC-F and SARC-CalF assessments. Methods: This cross-sectional study on 388 community-dwelling older adults comprised 254 women and 134 men with a mean age of 77.8 ± 6.26 year in Korea. We assessed muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance using a bioimpedance analysis device, hydraulic hand dynamometer, and 4 m gait speed test, respectively. Three widely-used diagnostic criteria [the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS), European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, and the International Working Group on Sarcopenia] were applied. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed on the SARC-CalF and SARC-F tests. We used receiver-operating characteristic curves and the area under the curves (AUCs) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the assessments with regard to sarcopenia. Results: An analysis using four sets of diagnostic criteria showed that the prevalence of sarcopenia was 27.6% to 41.0%. Using the AWGS 2019 criteria as a reference standard, the SARC-CalF had a sensitivity of 83.02% and a specificity of 53.71% in the entire study population, whereas the SARC-F had a sensitivity of 79.87% and a specificity of 41.92%. The AUCs for the SARC-CalF and SARC-F tests were 0.725 (95% confidence interval 0.678-0.769) and 0.645 (95% confidence interval 0.595-0.693), respectively (p<001). In the analyses using the other three diagnostic criteria, similarity was also confirmed. Conclusion: SARC-CalF showed better sensitivity than did SARC-F when diagnosing sarcopenia in rural community-dwelling older adults. Further studies are needed to verify this finding in different populations.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.17-24
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• 2021

Changes in the population structure caused by a decrease in the birthrate and an extension of life expectancy cause problems in utilization inefficiencies of closed schools and shortage welfare facilities for the aged. The closed schools have location characteristics that are close to the existing residence and facilities such as land and school buildings, so it is expected that the schools will be used as welfare facilities for the aged in the community. The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the facility characteristics of closed schools in northern Gyeonggi-Do and present the types of aged welfare facilities that can be built, providing basic data for developing customized aged welfare facilities. The results of this study are summarized as follows: 1) The proportion of aged people in northern Gyeonggi-Do is higher than in southern Gyeonggi-Do, but welfare facilities for the aged are insufficient, so it is necessary to expand welfare facilities for the aged in northern Gyeonggi-Do. 2) Urban areas such as Paju and Goyang City have a lot of residential proximity, Dongducheon and Yangju have a lot of residential proximity, while schools located in urban and rural areas such as Yeoncheon have a lot of residential proximity. 3) Closed schools in urban areas such as Goyang City and Paju City are desirable to use them as residential facilities for senior citizens, day and night protection and short-term protection facilities, while closed schools in Namyangju City, Pocheon City, and Gapyeong County are desirable to use them as senior citizen centers and medical welfare facilities.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.40-54
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• 2023

Background: Based on the increase in the needs for convalescent rehabilitation medical services in Korea, this study aims to calculate the needs for rehabilitation services and examine its determinants for 229 regions. Methods: Claim data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service were used to estimate patients who need to receive rehabilitation services, and data from various sources were also used for analysis. The number of cases and incidence rates of hospitalization related to convalescent rehabilitation were calculated to estimate the needs for services by region, and the results were visualized via a map. Multivariate regression and fixed effects regression using panel data were performed to identify the determinants of regional variation of the incidence rate. Results: First, the incidence rate of rural areas such as Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do, and Chungcheong-do was higher than urban areas (metropolitan cities). Second, the population, proportion of the elder, medical aid recipients, financial independence, traffic deaths, smoking, diabetes rate, and medical infrastructure correlated significantly with the incidence rate. Third, 'rho' values which mean the fraction of variance due to individual terms in panel data regression models were 0.965 and 0.976, respectively. Conclusion: The incidence rate of hospitalizations was correlated with most independent variables in this study and there is a gap between urban and rural areas. These regional disparities are fixed in our society. An improved regional convalescent rehabilitation system is suggested to cover the entire area including rural areas with a high rate of aging.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.684-692
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• 2022

This study was conducted to assess ecosystem services provided for Saemangeum agricultural and life sites and surrounding areas and establish measures to enhance them. The ecosystem services in the Saemangeum region were found to be different depending on its land use type. Before reclamation, the quality of ecosystem service in the Saemangeum region was high in all aspects: supply, control, culture, and support service functions. After the reclamation, however, the quality of supply, regulating, and support services declined. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the quality of regulating and support services provided by semi-natural habitats such as rice paddy and reservoirs to improve the ecosystem service of the Saemangeum agricultural and life site. The suggested service improvement includes transforming natural ecosystems, such as forests and rural areas, and vast agricultural land into rural tourism and ecotourism and strengthening cultural service functions centered on education and research related to agriculture. To this end, it is necessary to utilize large agricultural land and agricultural infrastructure to promote agricultural production and rural tourism and government support for areas where the aging population is a problem.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.17-26
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify policy implications for the construction of public health facilities in the field of international cooperation, by examining the case of establishing a health care delivery system using a public health center in a rural area of Paraguay. Methods: Firstly, to map the capacity of the 20 public health centers that were studied, we used the WHO Capacity Mapping tool to select and analyze relevant items. Secondly, to assess the utilization of public health centers, we conducted a direct visit survey and analyzed the results using the M-survey tool. Results: The floor plan of each public health center, the structure of the health center, the size of the population served by each health center, the number of monthly visitors, medical human resources, and the budget were classified by health center for comparative analysis. In addition, by utilizing the M-survey tool, we analyzed the general characteristics of the respondents, their perceptions of the purpose and accessibility of public health centers, their satisfaction with using public health centers, and the level of demand for public health centers to play a role in promoting community health. Implications: The results of this study suggest that access to public health facilities for residents in the research area was improved. By classifying public health centers into two types, these centers can perform the functions and roles of primary health facilities. A patient request and evacuation system was established in the research area. Finally, a network, such as a social prescribing program, is needed so that public health centers can function as a "setting" for community members to live together.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.60-76
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• 2024

Broadband Internet has proven to be vital for economic growth in developed countries. Developing countries have implemented several initiatives to increase their broadband access. However, its full potential can only be realized through adoption and use. With lower-middle-income countries accounting for the majority of the world's unconnected population, this study employs the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate users' intentions to adopt broadband. Rural Tanzania was chosen as a case study. A cross-sectional study was conducted over three weeks, using 155 people from seven villages with the lowest broadband adoption rates. Non-probability voluntary response sampling was used to recruit the participants. Using the TPB constructs: attitude toward behavior (ATB), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC), ordinal regression analysis was employed to predict intention. Descriptive statistical analysis yielded mean scores (standard deviation) as 3.59 (0.46) for ATB, 3.34 (0.40) for SN, 3.75 (0.29) for PBC, and 4.12 (0.66) for intention. The model adequately described the data based on a comparison of the model with predictors and the null model, which revealed a substantial improvement in fit (p<0.05). Moreover, the predictors accounted for 50.3% of the variation in the intention to use broadband Internet, demonstrating the predictive power of the TPB constructs. Furthermore, the TPB constructs were all significant positive predictors of intention: ATB (β=1.938, p<0.05), SN (β=2.144, p<0.05), and PBC (β=1.437, p=0.013). The findings of this study provide insight into how behavioral factors influence the likelihood of individuals adopting broadband Internet and could guide interventions through policies meant to promote broadband adoption.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.50-61
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• 1973

Despite the intensive family Planning program of the government, which has reduced the :average population growth to 2.0 percent in 1970, the continuing high fertility rates and poor family planning services in urban slum areas has been continually pointed out by various evaluation seminars. Thus, it was felt that a study of the current status of family planning in an urban slum population was needed. The aims of the study were to: (1) delineate the general characteristics of the urban slum population (2) discover the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of family planing. (3) determine what was felt to be the ideal number of children. (4) determine the status of induced abortion. A random stratified sample of 200 women was selected from a population of 3, 118 married women, 20-49 years of age, living in the Yonsei Community Health Project area and registered at the Yonhee Community Health Service Institute. The respondents were interviewed by the investigates, using a pretested questionary, from the period of October 1 to October 30, 1972. The findings of the Study were as follows: 1. Afore than half of the respondents were in the high fertility age group (25-34): of lower educational level (under primary School) : from rural areas: and with unstable sources of income. 2. The average respondent had 3.6 living children. 3. Most of the respondents had knowledge of contraceptive methods such as the Loop(78, 5%) and Oral pill (87.0%). 4. Seventy seven percent of the respondents recognized the Health Center as an available source for family planning. 5. About seventy percent of the respondents approved of family planning. 6. Eighty four point five percent of all the respondents answered that using contraceptives is harmful to maternal health. 7. Currently, 21.0 percent of the respondents were using contraceptives, while 40.0 percent of the respondents were current users or had used contraceptives. 5. Of the respondents who had ever stopped using contraceptives, 78.0 percent gave side effects as the reason they discontinued the method. 9. The average number of ideal children reported by the respondents was 3.5. 10. If they had only 2 daughters, 85.5 Percent of the respondents thought they must have more children. 11. Sixty nine point five percent of the respondents approved of induced abortion for unwanted pregnancies, while 34.5 percent of the respondents had experienced induced abortion for unwanted pregnancies. The mean number of induced abortion for unwanted pregnancies was 0.7. 12. The result of this study showed that such urban slum population would be one of the most important target of the family planning services, therefore further social-psychological researches with technical development on this area are recommended.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.719-722
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• 2016

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a serious health problem in Thailand, particularly in northeastern and northern regions, but epidemiological studies are scarce and the spatial distribution of CCA remains to be determined. A database for the population at risk is required for monitoring, surveillance and organization of home health care. This study aim was to geo-visually display the distribution of CCA in northeast Thailand, using a geographic information system and Google Earth. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 9 sub-districts and 133 villages in Chum Phuang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province during June and October 2015. Data on demography, and the population at risk for CCA were combined with the points of villages, sub-district boundaries, district boundaries, and points of hospitals in districts, then fed into a geographical information system. After the conversion, all of the data were imported into Google Earth for geo-visualization. Results: A total of 11,960 from 83,096 population were included in this study. Females and male were 52.5%, and 47.8%, the age group 41-50 years old 33.3%. Individual risk for CCA was identifed and classified by using the Korat CCA verbal screening test as low (92.8%), followed by high risk (6.74%), and no (0.49%), respectively. Gender ($X^2$-test=1143.63, p-value= 0.001), age group ($X^2$-test==211.36, p-value=0.0001), and sub-district ($X^2$-test=1471.858, p-value=0.0001) were significantly associated with CCA risk. Spatial distribution of the population at risk for CCA in Chum Phuang district was viewed with Google Earth. Geo-visual display followed Layer 1: District, Layer 2: Sub-district, Layer 3: Number of low risk in village, Layer 4: Number of high risk in village, and Layer 5: Hospital in Chum Phuang District and their related catchment areas. Conclusions: We present the first risk geo-visual display of CCA in this rural community, which is important for spatial targeting of control efforts. Risk appears to be strongly associated with gender, age group, and sub-district. Therefor, spatial distribution is suitable for the use in the further monitoring, surveillance, and home health care for CCA.