• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.589-594
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• 2014

Few studies have examined reasons why those with low socioeconomic status do not adequately receive cancer screening. We therefore conducted a qualitative study to assess the barriers to cancer screening in people with low socioeconomic status, and to examine the reasons why Medical Aid Program (MAP) recipients do not participate in the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP). A focus group methodology was used. Participants included MAP recipients (men aged 45-79 years, women aged 35-79 years) who had been invited to cancer screening at least twice based on the NCSP protocol, but had not been screened for any cancer from 2009-2012. We recruited participants living in the cities of Goyang and Paju. A total of 23 MAP recipients participated in four focus group discussions, including 12 men and 11 women. In this qualitative study, we identified six barriers to screening: lack of trust in the NCSP and cancer screening units; fear of being diagnosed with cancer; discomfort or pain from the screening procedure; lack of time, lack of knowledge about cancer screening or lack of awareness of the existence of the NCSP; physical disability or underlying disease; and logistic barriers. Interventions such as individualized counseling, letters and reminders, or other individually-targeted strategies, especially for those with lower socioeconomic status are required to increase participation and reduce disparities in cancer screening.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.84-93
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• 2015

Objectives: The present study was conducted in order to examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and osteoporosis prevalence in Korea and to assess whether different associations are found in single-person households. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, from 2008 to 2011. The study subjects were people aged ${\geq}50$ years with osteoporosis as defined by bone mineral density. Multivariate logistic models were used to estimate prevalence odds ratios (pORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Gender differences in the likelihood of osteoporosis were analyzed based on household income, education level, and residential area. Results: There were 8221 osteoporosis patients aged ${\geq}50$ years, of whom 927 lived in single-person households. There was a gender-specific association between osteoporosis prevalence and all three SES factors that we analyzed: income, education, and residential area. After adjusting for age, SES, and health behaviors, including body mass index (BMI), low household income was only significantly associated with osteoporosis in men, whereas education level had an inverse relationship with osteoporosis only in women (p=0.01, p<0.001, respectively). However, after controlling for age and BMI, rural residency was only associated with osteoporosis in women living in single-person households (pOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.43). Conclusions: The Korean adult population showed a gender-specific relationship between SES and osteoporosis prevalence, with a different pattern found in single-person households.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.69-84
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine change in adolescent depression across time and to determine the relation between individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and depression. Methods: This study employed multilevel latent growth analysis using longitudinal data from Korea Children and Youth Panel Survey. A sample of this study consists of 2,351 adolescents who were in first grade of middle school in 2010. Results: Results showed that both initial level and downward trajectory of depression varied significantly across individuals as well as across neighborhoods. On the individual level, self-rated economic condition(b=-0.203, p<.001) was related to the initial level of depression. Adolescents whose father had a high educational level(b=0.028, p<.001) or whose mother had a low educational level(b=-0.022, p=.011) had lower rates of decline in adolescent depression. On the neighborhood level, neighborhood deprivation index (b=0.003, p=.019) and gini coefficient(b=0.124, p=.040) were associated with lower rates of decline in depression. Conclusions: Low SES in adolescence is correlated with worse mental health, especially depression. Social disparities in depression likely originate before adulthood. The findings argue for the importance of understanding depression in adolescence from a multilevel or ecological framework.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.840-849
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine dental care utilization and expenditures among children aged 0 to 19 years using Korea Health Panel Survey (KHPS) data in 2008 - 2013. Weighted estimates were nationally representative and statistical significances were analysed by $x^2$ test or adjusted Wald test using STATA 13 software. While dental care utilization increased steadily among children from 2008 through 2013, less than one-third the children received dental care in 2013. Compared with 2008, the proportion of restorative care, oral surgery, preventive care decreased and the proportion of orthodontic care, prosthetic care increased. While the proportion of amalgam markedly decreased, the proportion of resin increased. This study highlight socioeconomic disparities in dental utilization and expenditures among children. Especially the findings provide a baseline assessment for examining trends on dental care for children in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.130-156
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• 2008

This review paper is to provide theoretical background and empirical evidence for gender sensitive health policy in Korea. We explore how sex and gender are implicated in health disparities. After reviewing major concepts regarding sex, gender, and health, the study moves on to describe the ways in which gender interacts with other social determinants (socioeconomic position, workplace, stress, social support, and violation) to show disparate health outcomes. Next, suggested health models considering gender and social process are introduced. The article concludes by suggesting the necessity of gender sensitive policy consorted with social programs in tackling health equity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1692-1698
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of family affluence on happiness and to investigate the mediating effects of self-rated health on the relationship between family affluence and happiness. This study was conducted to analyze the data which were derived from 8th(2012) of the online census on youth health behavior conducted by the Ministry of Disease Control and total subjects were 74,168. The result of this study is that social-economy is regarded as a little poor. On the other hand, subjective health is regarded as a good and they generally satisfied with life. The relationship between family affluence, happiness, and self-rated health, family affluence level is linked to happiness and self-rated health, and self-rated health has positive effects on the level of happiness. That is, it was verified that self-rated health has a partial mediation effect on the way that family affluence influences happiness. Based on the results of study, the followings are suggested: the impact of socioeconomic disparities on health disparities needed to be decreased; The efforts of the social dimension, health policy formulation and execution of multi-dimensional which is to increase happiness should be implemented.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.496-505
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the self-rated health of adolescents and to identify its predictors using longitudinal data from the KCYPS. Methods: A sample of 2,351 adolescents who were in the first grade of middle school in 2010 was analyzed. The study employed latent growth analysis using data from 2010 to 2016. Results: Results indicated that self-rated health of adolescents increased, following the form of a linear function. The analyses revealed that adolescent self-perception of health were conceptualized not only by their health-related behaviors, but also by personal, socioeconomic and psychological factors. Specifically, physical activity, passive leisure time activities, gender (initial: b=-.060, slope: b=.030), place of residence (initial: b=-.079), self-rated economic condition (b=.098), working status of mother (b=.016), monthly family income (b=-.001), aggression (b=.061), depression (initial: b=-.104, slope: b=.012), stress (initial: b=-.172, slope: b=.014, ego-resiliency (initial: b=.197, slope: b=-.021), and self-esteem (initial: b=.106, slope: b=-.017) had significant effects on the overall linear change of self-rated health (p<.05 for all estimators above). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that adolescents' self evaluation of their health is shaped by their total sense of functioning, which includes individual, health-related behavioral, socioeconomic, and psychological factors.

• CELLMED
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.9
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• 2012

The prevalence of allergic disease has been increasing over the past few decades in the majority of Western industrialized nations. There are some socioeconomic disparities regarding allergic disease status and management. Pyeongwee-San (KMP6) is Korean medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract disease. It is known that KMP6 has an improving effect on the spleen and stomach functions in traditional Korean medical theory. Here, we hypothesized that KMP6 could be used to regulate the inflammatory reaction. We show the molecular mechanisms of Pyeongwee-San (KMP6) on inflammatory reactions. A molecular docking simulation showed that hesperidin, component of KMP6, regulate the enzymatic activity by interaction in the active site of caspase-1. KMP6 control the activity of caspase-1 in activated human mast cell line (HMC-1 cells). KMP6 reduced the expression of receptor interacting protein (RIP)-2 in HMC-1 cells. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin protein production and mRNA expression were inhibited by KMP6. In the activated HMC-1 cells, KMP6 suppressed the activation of mitogen-ativated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kappaB. In addition, KMP6 significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Our findings indicate that KMP6 may attenuate allergic reactions via the regulation of caspase-1/RIP-2 signaling pathway. These studies will help advance the social welfare system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2007

Purpose: With economic development and prolonged longevity, the level of health and health disparities have became growing concerns for individual and society as well. Since youth's health status are influenced by households' socioeconomic status and associated with heath status in later stage of life, assessing health inequality in the youth is a significant step toward lessening health disparity and promoting health. We measured health inequality in high school students and decomposed it into health factors. Methods: The subjects included 3,787 high school students of 12th graders from the Korea Education and Employment Panel (KEEP) in 2004. True health status was assumed as a latent variable and estimated by ordered logistic regression model. The predicted health was used as a measure of individual health after rPSraling to [0,1] interval. Total health inequality was then measured by Gini coefficient and was decomposed into health factors. Results: Health inequality in high school students was observed. Of total health inequality, 44% was explained by biological factors such as body mass index (BMI) (32.5%) and gender (13.5%). Behavioral factors such as smoking, drinking, physical activity, hours in bed and hours of computer ussge added to 11.7%. Household income and work experiences explained 5.6% and 8.8%, respectively. School satisfaction explained 14.6%. Other school related factors such as self-assessed achievement and experience of being bullied accounted for 15.5%. Conclusion: Among the health factors, biological factor was the most important contributor in health disparity. Other factors such as health behaviors, socioeconomic factors, school satisfaction and school related factors exhibited somewhat similar magnitude. For policy purposes, it is recommended to look into modifiable factors depending BM, gender and school surroundings.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the impact of socioeconomic factors and sexual orientation-related attributes on the rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and infection among men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: A web-based survey, supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, was conducted among paying members of the leading online portal for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) community in Korea. The study participants were MSM living in Korea (n=942). COVID-19 vaccination and infection were considered dependent variables, while sexual orientation-related characteristics and adherence to non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) practices served as primary independent variables. To ensure analytical precision, nested logistic regression analyses were employed. These were further refined by dividing respondents into 4 categories based on sexual orientation and disclosure (or "coming-out") status. Results: Among MSM, no definitive association was found between COVID-19 vaccination status and factors such as socioeconomic or sexual orientation-related attributes (with the latter including human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] status, sexual orientation, and disclosure experience). However, key determinants influencing COVID-19 infection were identified. Notably, people living with HIV (PLWH) exhibited a statistically significant predisposition towards COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, greater adherence to NPI practices among MSM corresponded to a lower likelihood of COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: This study underscores the high susceptibility to COVID-19 among PLWH within the LGBTQ+ community relative to their healthy MSM counterparts. Consequently, it is crucial to advocate for tailored preventive strategies, including robust NPIs, to protect these at-risk groups. Such measures are essential in reducing the disparities that may emerge in a post-COVID-19 environment.