• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.532-540
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• 2013

Background: Exposure factors for consumer products have been developed since the 1980s. Such exposure factors are important in risk assessment. Since the exposure/use patterns of consumer products in a country may reflect its respective cultural, meteorological, and socio-economic circumstances, unique Korean exposure factors for consumer products are needed. Such exposure factors are required for newly-enacted chemical regulations in Korea. For this review, published papers and survey reports on exposure factors of consumer products were examined for their assessment methodologies. Results: Investigation into exposure factors for consumer products used a variety of methods: home visit, online, telephone, and mail surveys using questionnaires; face to face interviews; modeling using a constructed database; and direct measurement. To collect more accurate exposure information or to check the reliability of the sampling method, some studies were repeated using the same questionnaire, in-home observation, direct measurement of usage, and videotaping. In Korea, nationwide exposure surveys were conducted five times over five years to obtain Korean exposure factors. However, with the exception of the $5^{th}$-year study, the surveys were online questionnaires and only the $5^{th}$-year study validated the accuracy of exposure information by re-visits and direct measurement. Conclusion: Accurate exposure factors are an essential part of risk assessment to assure safe use of consumer products. For better and safer management of consumer products, accurate exposure factors in Korea should be assessed for various exposure pathways.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.231-242
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• 2012

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate the Efficacy of Gamiyukmijihwang-tang on Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis. Methods : We surveyed 10 recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients visited the oral diseases clinic in the Kyung Hee University Oriental Medicine Hospital from September, 2011 to March, 2012. Before and 2 weeks after taking Gamiyukmijihwang-tang, the subjects were evaluated on clinical characteristics of recurrent aphthous stomatitis, severity of pain using visual analogue scale (VAS), quality of life about oral health (based on the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile-14) and yin-deficiency condition (based on the 10-item Yin-deficiency Questionnaire). Then, 5 patients who had already finished treatment were assessed about recurrence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis by telephone survey 6 weeks later. Results : After 2 weeks taking Gamiyukmijihwang-tang, clinical characteristics of 10 patients of recurrent aphthous stomatitis improved; their severity of pain, quality of life about oral health and yin-deficiency condition improved significantly. After 6 weeks, 3 of 5 patients who had already finished treatment didn't experience recurrence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The other 2 patients experienced a recurrence, but their clinical characteristics of recurrent aphthous stomatitis improved significantly. Conclusions : Gamiyukmijihwang-tang is effective on recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Studies with a larger number of cases and longer follow-up will be needed in the future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.163-169
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• 2005

Objectives: Pedestrian traffic injuries have been an important cause of childhood mortality and morbidity for decades. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of child pedestrian traffic injuries that occurred during 2000 in one metropolitan city and its school-zones, and to determine the factors associated with those accidents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 2001. Police records were used to identify the cases of pedestrian injury. Children aged between 6 and 15 years, injured during road walking, were included in this study. A direct survey of the environmental factors within the school-zones in study area (n=116) was also performed. Self-administered questionnaires, via mail and telephone surveys, were used to assess the safety education programmes. The schools were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of pedestrian traffic injuries in their school-zone. Results: Pedestrian injuries (n=597) were found to account for 3.2% of all traffic injuries in the subject area. The epidemiological characteristics were not significantly different between genders. There were some significant risk factors within the environmental factors, such as local road (OR: 2.3, 95% CI=1.05-5.35), heavy traffic volume (OR: 2.2, 95% CI=1.00-5.04), poor visibility of speed-limit signs (OR: 2.8, 95% CI=1.25-6.42), no separation of pedestrian routes from cars (OR: 2.6, 95% CI=1.02-6.75) and barriers on the pedestrian routes (OR: 2.2, 95% CI=1.01-5.08). Only one factor, that of education in a safety-park (OR: 0.3, 95% CI=0.09-0.96), was significantly associated in the traffic and pedestrian safety education factors. Conclusion: Significant associations with pedestrian injury risk were identified in some of the modifiable environmental factors than in the educational factors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.241-248
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• 2008

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to identify a gap between consumer characteristics and utilization of health information on the Internet. Methods: A telephone survey of nationally representative samples was conducted using structured questionnaires, and 1,000 of the 1,189 responses obtained were included in our analysis. The following variables were included in the analysis as potential predictors of health information use on the Internet: predisposing factors such as gender, age, and education status; enabling factors such as region and monthly household income; consumer need for health information; and attitude to health. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between utilization rate and the potential predictors. Results: Thirty-nine percent of consumers had obtained health information on the Internet over a one-year period. The utilization rates were higher for consumers who were young, educated, worked in the office setting, had higher incomes, wanted health information, and were able to use the Internet. The utilization rate was 5.35 times higher in the younger group (20-30 years) than in the elderly group (95% CI=2.21-12.97); 2.21 times higher for office workers than for manual workers (95% CI=1.16-4.20); 3.61 times higher for college graduates than for middle school graduates and below (95% CI=1.07-11.59); 1.99 times higher for people with monthly household incomes over 3,000,000 won than for those with monthly household incomes below 1,500,000 won (95% CI=1.01-3.92). Conclusions: There needs to be a paradigm shift, with consideration of not only Internet accessibility in the digital age, but also consumer ability and attitudes toward utilization of health information.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.232-238
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• 2010

목적: 모유수유율이 증가하면서 재수유에 관한 수요가 증가하고 있다. 이에 성공적인 재수유에 기여하는 인자를 조사하기 위해서 약물, 모유수유 보충기, 상담, 가족의 지지 등의 기여도를 조사하였다. 방법: 후향적인 의무기록 조사와 2004년 1월부터 2007년 4월까지 본원 재수유 클리닉을 방문한 아기 엄마들에게 전화설문을 실시하였다. 결과: 총 84명의 자료를 분석하여 재수유의 성공에 도움이 되는 인자를 조사하였다. 75%에서 완전 모유수유로 성공적으로 이행할 수 있었다. 재수유 클리닉을 다니면서 재수유에 성공한 경우 의료진에 의해서 재수유 클리닉으로 의뢰된 경우, 약물을 사용한 경우와 가족의 지지가 있는 경우가 통계적으로 유의하게 높았다. 결론: 재수유에 성공하기 위해서는 산모들에게 재수유에 관한 정보를 미리 제공하고, 필요 시 유즙분비를 촉진하는 약물을 처방하고 상담 기간 동안 가족과 함께 상담을 받게 해서 정신적인 지지를 제공하는 것이 중요하다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권17호
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• pp.7713-7720
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• 2015

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers. This study aimed to compare the uptake of CRC testing in the general public and in ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey covered 2,327 South Asian and Chinese adults aged over 50, recruited from two separate studies. A structured questionnaires were administered by research staff over the telephone or in faceto-face interviews. Results: The uptake rate of CRC testing among South Asians was significantly lower than that of the general population in Hong Kong. Factors associated with the uptake rate were health professional's recommendation, perception of regular visits to doctor, use of complementary therapy, ethnicity, perceived susceptibility to cancer, presence of chronic illness, and education level. In addition, a significant interaction (p<0.05) between ethnicity and health professionals' recommendations was found, after adjustment for the main independent factors identified. Conclusions: Older people with lower educational attainment, without chronic illness and those have lower perceived susceptibility to cancer may be targeted for CRC testing promotion in the society. In addition, health professionals can play a highly influential role in promoting such testing, particularly among ethnic minorities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권9호
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• pp.4421-4426
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• 2016

Background: Smoking is recognized as a main leading preventable cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is responsible for a considerable financial burden both on the health system and in society. This study aimed to examine the effect of smoking on cost of hospitalization and length of stay (LoS) among patients with lung cancer in Iran in 2014. Materials and Methods: A total of 415 patients were included in the study. Data on age, sex, insurance status, type of hospitals, type of insurance, geographic local, length of stay and cost of hospitalization was extracted by medical records and smoking status was obtained from a telephone survey. To compare cost of hospitalization and LoS for different smoking groups, current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers, a gamma regression model and zero-truncated poisson regression were used, respectively. Results: Compared with never smokers, current and former smokers showed a 48% and 35% increase in hospitalization costs, respectively. Also, hospital LoS for current and former smokers was 72% and 31% higher than for never smokers, respectively. Conclusions: Our study indicated that cigarette smoking imposes a significant financial burden on hospitals in Iran. It is, however, recommended that more research should be done to implement and evaluate hospital based smoking cessation interventions to better increase cessation rates in these settings.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.162-168
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• 2017

Background: Pelvic ring fractures (PRFs) may influence the daily activities and quality of life of the injured. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore the functional outcomes and factors related to return to work (RTW) after PRF. Methods: During the years 2003-2012, 282 injured individuals aged 20-55 years on the date of the accident, were hospitalized and treated for PRFs in a large tertiary hospital in Athens, Greece. One hundred and three patients were traced and contacted; 77 who were on paid employment prior to the accident gave their informed consent to participate in the survey, which was conducted in early 2015 through telephone interviews. The questionnaire included variables related to injury, treatment and activities, and the Majeed pelvic score. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used for statistical assessment. Results: Almost half of the injured (46.7%) fully RTW, and earning losses were reported to be 35% after PRF. The univariate analysis confirmed that RTW was significantly related to accident site (labor or not), the magnitude of the accident's force, concomitant injuries, duration of hospitalization, time to RTW, engagement to the same sport, Majeed score, and complications such as limp and pain as well as urologic and sexual complaints (p < 0.05 for all). On multiple logistic regression analysis, the accident sustained out of work (odds ratio: 6.472, 95% confidence interval: 1.626-25.769) and Majeed score (odds ratio: 3.749, 95% confidence interval: 2.092-6.720) were identified as independent predictive factors of full RTW. Conclusion: PRFs have severe socioeconomic consequences. Possible predictors of RTW should be taken into account for health management and policies.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.474-485
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants and elements to enhance Korean international competitiveness, employing Porter's(1998) Diamond Model. Half of the 500 leading apparel exporters that were members of the Korea Apparel Industry Association in 2003 were selected as the target of this research. From May to June of 2003, survey questionnaires were sent to executives of these 250 companies in person or by telephone, e-mail, or fax. Seventy questionnaires were used for the final data anlysis. The items used were Reliability, Categorical Regression, and Frequency, using SPSS 11.5. The results were as follows: First, as a result of analyzing the influence of international competitiveness in Korean apparel industry, the firm's strategy, structure, and rivalry was the most influential factor. Others were related and supporting industries, government, chance, demand conditions, and factor conditions. Also, the elements that affect Korean international competitiveness were listed as the level of price competition in foreign markets, the level of labor cost, export marketing capacity, and exchange fluctuation. The most important element to improve the international competitiveness of the Korean apparel industry was a demand growth rate of the overseas markets(Demand Conditions), followed by the level of the labor costs(Factor Conditions), the capability of internationalization(Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry), the change of currency(Chance), the quality and management of products(Demand Conditions), the capability of planning products(Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry), free trade from 2005(Chance), and global sourcing strategy(Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry). Korea's main rival country in apparel related and supporting industry factors is China. However, Korea has a higher level of technology development, quality, and price level than China.

• 한국치위생학회지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.123-132
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status and contents of communication courses in dental hygiene programs in South Korea. Methods: Survey on dental communication training courses was done, and 51 schools (62.2%) responded among a total of 82 dental hygiene schools in Korea. The questionnaire was sent via e-mail and additional telephone calls were used to facilitate response. Statistical analysis and frequency analysis were done through SPSS 23.0 for windows program (copyright(c) SPSS Inc., USA). Results: The current establishment rates of dental communication courses in 3-year or 4-year dental hygiene programs were 96.9% and 84.2%, respectively. Such courses were identified as graduation requirement courses in 38.7% of the 3-year hygiene programs and 62.5% of the 4-year dental hygiene programs. When practical training sessions are included within such courses, 70% of such courses included 'discussion and presentation' and 'audio-visual aids' as a part of their contents, while 48.3% of them were utilizing 'role-playing'. Conclusions: As dental communication is one of the most important core competencies of dental hygienists, it should be included as a required course for graduation, and practical training such as 'role-playing' should be implemented in order to enhance communication skills in students.