• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2004

Objectives: This study was to identify socioeconomic factors and health-related behaviors influencing on HRQOL(health-related quality of life) for the older adults in rural area. Methods: 483 subjects aged over 65 years responded a direct interview, which covered HRQOL, BMI, socioeconomic characteristics, and health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, and exercise. Results: Overall, the mean number of healthy days were 15.1 days and not significantly different by sex. Men didn't show a significant difference in HRQOL by age group. But women reported lower levels of healthy days and higher levels of activity limitation and physical unhealthy days with increasing age. Results from ANCOVA showed HRQOL to be significantly associated with education, job, and family type. Men presented no significant difference in HRQOL by health-related behaviors, but women who have been drinking, or have less number of chronic diseases reported higher mean healthy days and lower activity limitation days, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days. Older adults who reported good to excellent self-rated health were higher healthy days and lower activity limitation, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days than those who reported fair to poor health status. Conclusions: The HRQOL for the older adults in rural area was related to socioeconomic characteristics, health-related behaviors and self-rated health status. A better understanding of factors related to HRQOL would help to improve the older adults' quality of life.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.870-879
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• 2010

Objective : This study is about stroke risk factors which may differ between countries. Methods : We recruited 1725 ischemic stroke patients from multiple-centers. We analyzed stroke risk factors: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, depression, cardiac source, smoking, waist-to hip ratio, alcohol intake, physical activity, and psychosocial stress. We then compared risk factor results from other countries (the INTERSTROKE study) with this study. Results : 10 risk factors are related to stroke incidence. They were somewhat different between this study and the INTERSTROKE study. Conclusions : Hypertension is the most important risk factor of stroke, and other 9 risk factors also should be managed to prevent stroke incidence. Frequency of risk factors were different from the INTERSTROKE study. I think it could be partly due to differences of ethnicity and age. More studies are needed to describe characteristics of risk factors of Koreans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.169-179
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate occupational and individual risk factors and working conditions in relation to musculoskeletal symptoms in street cleaners. Investigation was conducted through a survey of 395 male street cleaners employed by the government office in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chung-Nam from July to August of 2009. The control group was comprised of 143 male drivers and security guards. Risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms in street cleaners were investigated by multiple logistic regression analysis and also evaluated ergonomic risk factors by assessing working conditions of 4 street cleaners. As a result of symptom questionnaires, all of the prevalent rates of musculoskeletal symptoms in street cleaners had significantly higher results than those of the control group(p<0.05). On binary logistic regression analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms, street cleaners showed significant higher odds ratio as 18.84(95%CI: 6.56-54.12) in the arm/elbow, 10.49(95%CI: 4.29-25.65) in the hand/wrist compared to the control group. Both absence of rest breaks and exposure to ergonomic risk factors showed to be important internal risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms among street cleaners. The exposure levels of QEC(Quick exposures checklist) in street cleaners were revealed to be higher on the shoulder/arm, wrist/hand, and neck than back, or from stress. The findings appear to show that street cleaners were high-risk group of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore street cleaners require a holistic interventional strategy, including adequate arrangement of rest breaks, improvement of working tools and control of individual risk factors such as obesity and smoking.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.115-130
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• 2000

This study was conducted to examine health behaviors in hypertensive patients and the factors that would affect these healthy life-styles. and to provide basic data for effective and continuous hypertension control in private medical facilities. Among those patients diagnosed as hypertension who had visited the Department of Internal Medicine of Yeungnam University Hospital during the two month period from August 2 to September 30, 1999, the present study included 222 patients who were in more than one month after the initial diagnosis of hypertension and those who had hypertension for less than 10 years. Using a structured questionnaire, the present study was conducted by a self-administered survey method, and the obtained data were analyzed with t-test, $x^2$-test and one-way analysis of variance using the SPSS statistical program. The scores on knowledge related to hypertension were higher as the education level of a patient was higher(p〈0.05). As for occupation, those who performed office or management jobs showed higher scores than those who were into manufacturing jobs, and as for economic status, although those patients who were in middle class showed highest scores, however, no statistical significance was observed. The scores of knowledge on hypertension was higher when the family history of hypertension was present(p〈0.05). The scores of health-related behaviors were higher with higher education level and higher economic status, higher in those with family history of hypertension, and higher in those with office or management jobs than those who had manufacturing jobs(p〈0.05). Blood pressure measurement on regular basis was performed most frequently in those who were between 50-59 years old with 83.3% and was least frequent in those who were older than 70 years old with 50%(p〈0.05). The frequency of regular blood pressure measurement was higher with higher education level, higher economic status, higher in those with family history of hypertension, and the highest in those with management position with 93.5%, however, on statistical significance was observed. Changes in health-related behaviors after hypertension diagnosis were higher with higher education level, higher economic status, and in those patients performed office or management work. In particular, diet change was observed in female and higher economic status and smoking cessation was observed in 60-69 years old. Housewives and office workers or managers have taken exercise more regularly and those who had management jobs and had high scores on knowledge related to hypertension would participate health education program more actively. Thus, for improving health-related behaviors for continuous management of hypertension, changes in health-related behaviors can be followed through conduction health education to improve understanding of knowledge related to hypertension as the method of helping to improve changes in health life-styles in those with little education and those in low economic status.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.43-58
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• 2012

This study was designed to investigate the impact of a 12-week nutrition education program on 32 male industrial workers (average age: $44.5{\pm}3.8$ yrs, work duration period: $20.1{\pm}5.6$ yrs) diagnosed as having dyslipidemia in a medical checkup at their workplace. This program was implemented with a conceptual framework on strengthening self-efficacy for the improvement of the health conditions of the workers. Most of all, the study exhibited benefits in the industrial workers by ameliorating the risk factors associated with dyslipidemia via changes in dietary behaviors, nutritional knowledge, and attitudes, as well as anthropometric and biochemical parameters. After the nutrition education, overall lifestyle, including the ratios of smoking (P<0.05) and drinking (P<0.01), significantly improved. Exactly 65.6% of the subjects reported that their dietary habits changed. Body weight, BMI, percentage of body fat, and waist circumference all significantly decreased (P<0.001). The systolic (P<0.01) as well as diastolic blood pressures (P<0.001) decreased. Moreover, the degree of increase in serum HDL-cholesterol was appreciable (P<0.001), and the atherogenic index also decreased (P<0.01). Further, risk factors related to metabolic syndrome in subjects significantly decreased (P<0.001). The average scores for nutrition knowledge increased from 9.3 to 17.7 points (P<0.001). All of the participants agreed on the need for a nutrition education program at their workplace. Further, it should be pointed out that the participants strongly indicated the need for continuing nutrition intervention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4505-4510
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• 2012

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of post-operative chemotherapy with cisplatin plus vinorelbine (NP) in Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 451 patients with NSCLCs at stages I, II, and IIIA after surgical resection were treated with cisplatin plus vinorelbine for 4 cycles or volunteers observed between January 2002 and November 2004 and were followed for five years. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated with reference to overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), and adverse effects were also recorded. Potential factors affecting the lengths of OS and DFS were analyzed by multivariate analysis. Results: Most patients (86.7%) completed at least 4 cycles of treatment. Patients with chemotherapy survived significantly longer than those in the observation group (p<0.001). The absolute improvements in the 2 and 5-year OS were 3.8% [hazard ratio (HR) =0.674, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.554-0.820, P<0.0001] and 13.0% (HR=0.732, 95% CI: 0.579-0.926, P=0.009), respectively. The improvement at 4-year DFS was 2.1% (HR=0.327, 95% CI: 0.214-0.500, P<0.0001). Stratification analysis revealed that older age, histological type, pathological degree, but not the gender and smoking status, are independent factors affecting the length of survival in this population. Many patients (63.3%) had grade 1-III tolerable adverse effects, and there was no treatment-related death. Conclusions: Post-operative chemotherapy with NP regimen is effective and tolerable in Chinese patients with NSCLC.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2017

Background: This study purposed to analyze the effects of metabolic syndrome on the total medical charge of patients. Methods: 2013 National Health Insurance Service sample research database (eligibility database, medical database, and health examination database) was used for this study. Gamma regression was applied to analyze the effects of metabolic syndrome on the total medical charge and logistic regression was used to determine the probability of medical charge which was higher than the third quartile. Sociodemographic characteristics (age and household income), health behavior factors (smoking, drinking, exercise, and body mass index), and disease related factors (family history and metabolic syndrome) were included as the independent variables. Results: people who had metabolic syndrome spent more medical expenses than those without metabolic syndrome both in man and woman group. The standard regression coefficient was 0.09 (p< 0.001) in man with metabolic syndrome and 0.16 (p< 0.001) in woman. In addition, woman with metabolic syndrome spent more than the third quartile of medical charge. The odds ratios was 1.04 (p= 0.16) for man with metabolic syndrome and 1.18 (p= 0.013) for woman. Conclusion: people with metabolic syndrome spent more medical charge, so it will need to consider policy interventions for preventing the incidence and management of metabolic syndrome in Korean people.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.117-126
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• 2000

For basic data to develop health management program of female workers. this study was intended to characterize factors affecting health problems of women at workplace which has less than 50 workers by Cornell Medical Index(CMI). 195 items of CMI questionnaire were simplified to 57 items which were composed of 35 items concerning physical health problems and 22 items concerning mental health problems. The data was collected during 6 months from July 10 to December 30 and analyzed with frequency, percentage, t-test and ANOVA. The 107 female workers included in this study was characterized to be mainly twenties(64.5%), single(69.2%) and working at production position(89.7%). The most frequent physical problem was fatigability and the next, neurological system and cardiovascular system. Main mental complaints were inadquacy. anger and tension. When the health problems were reviewed according to its general characteristics, anger in young age, adaptiveness in single and respiratory complaints in self-recognized unhealthy group were prevalent. According to life styles. the prevalent complaints were musculoskeletal one in alcoholic group and cardiovascular one in group who are sleeping just for four to five hours. The appropriateness of each items of CMI should be evaluated to reveal the reasons why meaningful results could not come from many items of this questionnaire. The repeated study should be carried out to figure out the health problems and its related factors of female workers at small scale workplace. Also, exercise program and abstinence from drinking and smoking should be carried out for female worker's health.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.496-500
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• 2013

Objective : To evaluate the successful fusion rate in postmenopausal women with single-level anterior cervical discectomy and successful fusion (ACDF) and identify the significant factors related to bone successful fusion in pre- and postmenopausal women. Methods : From July 2004 to December 2010, 108 consecutive patients who underwent single-level ACDF were prospectively selected as candidates. Among these, the charts and radiological data of 39 women were reviewed retrospectively. These 39 women were divided into two groups : a premenopausal group (n=11) and a postmenopausal group (n=28). To evaluate the significant factors affecting the successful fusion rate, the following were analyzed : the presence of successful fusion, successful fusion type, age, operated level, bone mineral density, graft materials, stand-alone cage or plating with autologous iliac bone, subsidence, adjacent segment degeneration, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and renal disease. Results : The successful fusion rates of the pre- and postmenopausal groups were 90.9% and 89.2%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the successful fusion rate or successful fusion type between the two groups. In the postmenopausal group, three patients (10.8%) had successful fusion failure. In the postmenopausal group, age and subsidence significantly affected the successful fusion rate (p=0.016 and 0.011, respectively), and the incidence of subsidence in patients with a cage was higher than that in patients with a plate (p=0.030). Conclusion : Menopausal status did not significantly affect bone successful fusion in patients with single-level ACDF. However, in older women with single-level ACDF, the combination of use of a cage and subsidence may unfavorably affect successful fusion.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1123-1133
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• 2009

This study attempted to analyze the general and physical characteristics, the status of physical function, the type and number of current diagnosis and self-reported symptoms, healthy life mode and food preference according to self-rated health (SRH) of older adults (135 men and 270 women). It also attempted to assess the factors affecting the SRH standards in agricultural and fishery areas located in southwestern Korea. The subjects considered themselves as being 'good'(57.6%), 'normal'(29.6%) or 'poor'(12.85) SRH, meaning positive self-rating of health and it was found that the correlation between factors such as the gender, current marriage status, monthly wage, the reception of the government's livelihood subsidy and subjective economical status and the SRH were significant. Regardless of the categories of obesity, a large number of the participants rated themselves as 'healthy', but not statistically significant. The subjects who reported poor ADL and IADL capacities, indicators of the status of physical function, were significantly more classified to the 'poor' health category and vice versa (P<0.001). The reported chronic diseases in this study that have lasted more than three months, were lumbago, sciatica, arthritis, high blood pressure and peptic ulcer. The current ratios of smoking, drinking and exercise were 85.3, 39.0 and 18.6%, respectively. The less drinking and exercising there was, the higher the 'good' SRH categories obtained (P<0.05). The respondents who had less chance of eating sour and hot foods estimated their health status as being better.