• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.196-204
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• 2018

Objectives: To determine urinary mercury levels in e-waste workers in Southern Thailand and the airborne mercury levels in the e-waste shops where they worked, to describe the associations between urinary and airborne mercury levels, and to evaluate the prevalence of mercury exposure-related health effects among e-waste workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing 79 workers in 25 e-waste shops who lived in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. Information on general and occupational characteristics, personal protective equipment use, and personal hygiene was collected by questionnaire. Urine samples were collected to determine mercury levels using a cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometer mercury analyzer. Results: The e-waste workers' urinary mercury levels were $11.60{\mu}5.23{\mu}g/g$ creatinine (range, 2.00 to $26.00{\mu}g/g$ creatinine) and the mean airborne mercury levels were $17.00{\mu}0.50{\mu}g/m^3$ (range, 3.00 to $29.00{\mu}g/m^3$). The urinary and airborne mercury levels were significantly correlated (r=0.552, p<0.001). The prevalence of self-reported symptoms was 46.8% for insomnia, 36.7% for muscle atrophy, 24.1% for weakness, and 20.3% for headaches. Conclusions: Personal hygiene was found to be an important protective factor, and should therefore be stressed in educational programs. Employers should implement engineering measures to reduce urinary mercury levels and the prevalence of associated health symptoms among e-waste workers.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2017

Purpose: The aims of this study were to identify prevalence and identify factors related to sarcopenic obesity among community-dwelling elderly women. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the prospective cohort study. Our analysis included 338 elderly women (${\geq}65$ years old) in South Korea as a part of the Community-dwelling Older Adult Health Cohort (COHC) Study (2014-2015). Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the Asian Working Group of Sarcopenia recommendations and upper two quintiles for percentage body fat. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors related to sarcopenic obesity including chronic diseases, medications, stress, fatigue, depression, exercise, level of proteins on body compositions, smoking, and alcohol use. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was 6.2%. A lower protein on body compositions (OR 0.017, 95% CI 0.003-0.081, p< .001), a larger number of medications (OR 2.104, 95% CI 1.404-3.152, p< .001), and a higher level of fatigue (OR 1.255, 95% CI 1.023-1.541, p= .030) were related factors of sarcopenic obesity. Conclusion: The findings suggest that nutritional interventions focusing on protein intakes should be needed to prevent sarcopenic obesity among the elderly women. Polypharmacy issue for preventing adverse outcomes and level of fatigue as indicator for early identification are also considered to develop community prevention programs.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.99-105
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• 2017

Food allergy (FA) is a serious health problem, and severe FA such as food-induced anaphylaxis can often be life threatening. The incidence of FA has been increasing especially in children. They usually develop early in life and affect up to 10% of children. The 2 most common food allergens worldwide are milk and eggs, while the third one varies depending on the countries: peanuts in the United States and Switzerland, wheat in Germany and Japan, tree nuts in Spain, sesame in Israel, and walnuts in Korea. These common food allergens are different and difficult to identify because of differing study methodologies, population, geography, age, and dietary exposure patterns. The current management of FA relies on the strict avoidance of culprit allergens, the prompt treatment of allergic reactions, including epinephrine use for food-induced anaphylaxis, monitoring, and education to prevent further reactions. Newer approaches for tolerance induction to FA and FA immunotherapy have been under investigation but are not yet ready for real-world application. Thus, consistent and systematic education of patients, caregivers, and food-handling people is of primary importance for the management and prevention of FA reactions. This review assesses and compares IgE-mediated FA in children in Korea and other countries, with a focus on summarizing the prevalence, common triggers, and management of FA.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.483-492
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• 1998

To investigate the prevalence and etiologic factors of nursing caries, oral examination was performed on 1,100 kindergarten children from 6 Seoul areas and 3 Hongchun areas. Parents were asked to fill out questionnaires. The following results were obtained: 1. The prevalence of nursing caries among 1,100 in the sample group(age 30-75 months) was 14.8%. 2. Fathers' education level(p<0.05), mothers' education level(p<0.01) and monthly income was higher in caries-free group children. 3. When the dietary tendencies of nursing caries group and caries-free group were compared, no significant differences in the length and method of feeding were found. However, nursing caries group showed higher frequency of bedtime nursing habit(p<0.01), daytime use of bottle as a comforter(p<0.01) and other beverage feeding in addition to milk(p<0.01). 4. When the parents' awareness of caries prevention was compared, caries-free group per formed more frequent tooth cleansing(p<0.05) and periodic dental examination(p<0.01).5. Dental caries experience of mothers was significantly lower in the caries free group(p<0.05). From the above results, it can be concluded that deleterious nursing habit had great effect on developing nursing caries and the incidence of nursing caries was lower among children with parents of higher socioeconomic status.

• Hip & pelvis
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.197-201
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• 2018

In Western patient populations, the reported incidence of imaging-demonstrated deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is as high as 70% without prophylaxis. The reported rates of symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) after THA in recent studies range from 0.6% to 1.5%, and the risk of fatal PE ranges from 0.11% to 0.19% in the absence of prophylaxis. Predisposing factors to DVT in western patients include advanced age, previous venous insufficiency, osteoarthritis, obesity, hyperlipidemia, dietary and genetic factors. However, Asian patients who have undergone THA have a strikingly low prevalence of DVT and virtually no postoperative PE. Some authors suggest low clinical prothrombotic risk factors and the absence of some DVT-related genetic factors in Asian patient populations decrease the risk of DVT, PE or both. In Korea, the prevalence of DVT after THA without thromboprophylaxis have ranges from 6.8% to 43.8%, and asymptomatic PE have ranges from 0% to 12.9%; there have been only two reported cases of fatal PE. Deep-wound infections resulting from postoperative hematomas or prolonged wound drainage have been reported with routine thromboprophylaxis. The prevalence of DVT differs varies based on patient ethnicity. Guidelines for the use of thromboprophylaxis were altered and focus on the potential value of outcomes compared with possible complications (e.g., bleeding).

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.854-863
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• 2007

This study was performed to compare nutritional supplementation habits for Korean professional soccer players with those for the non-athletic male adults. Information about prevalence and kinds of supplements taken, information sources, nutrition knowledge were collected. Data were obtained from 53 football players working for Korean professional football clubs and 44 non-athletic males, who answered a list of questionnaires which had been prepared in advance. The prevalence of supplement use in the soccer player group (96%) was strikingly higher than in the nonathletic male group (34%). Vitamins were taken most frequently, followed by red ginseng, multivitamin, Chinese medicine and amino acids supplements in the soccer player group, with each player taking 2.96 kinds of supplements in average. Multivitamin was the most popular supplement in the non-athletic male group. The major reason for taking supplements was not to feel and recover from fatigue in both groups. It appeared that the non-athletic males started to use supplements mostly by recommendation of friends or colleagues. Meanwhile, soccer players took supplements on their needs, with half of them (50.1%) provided with nutrition information. The most important information source was coaches for soccer players group, and mass media for the non-athletic male group. The average scores of soccer players group on basic nutrition and athletic nutrition were lower than the respective values of the non-athletic males. Among the soccer players, 68% had taken more than 3 kinds of supplements during the last year; nonetheless, more than half could not perceive the effectiveness of the supplements. Our results show that supplementation practices were widespread in soccer players, and suggest that nutrition education for proper use of supplements and overall health care is needed for soccer players.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.650-657
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• 2007

The survey was conducted to investigate athletes# beverage drinking pattern and their knowledge concerning hydration and fluid replacement. The subjects were 371 collegiate athletes (235 males and 136 females) in Seoul and Daejun area. The mean age of the athletes was 20.44 y. The prevalence of sports drink use among subjects at ordinary time, after training, and after competition were 9.0%, 17.1%, and 57.3% respectively. Primary source of sports drink information were advertisement (57.3%), friends or colleagues (14.9%), and coaches (7.0%) The purchase of sports drink was done by athletes themselves (76.0%) and coaches (22.6%). The most influential factor in choice of sports drink was taste (61.5%), brand name (15.1%), composition (12.4%), and advertisement (6.7%) However, only 9.5% of the subjects answered they know well about the sports drink they are drinking. To the 15 questions to survey the nutritional knowledge about fluid and intake of sports drink, subjects responded correctly to 58.47%. Their sex or experiences of nutrition education didn#t affect to their knowledge. As the result, the prevalence of collegiate athletes# sports drink use was high but their knowledge about it was not sufficient. These results suggest that an effective and practical nutrition education for adequate hydration and choice of sports drink for atheletes should be considered.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.77-87
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was conducted to provide data in order to develop effective family planning programs by analyzing the factors which affect contraceptive use among women in Ethiopia. Methods: The community health survey was conducted on women of childbearing age. The research model was developed based on Andersen's Model. A total of 320 respondents were analyzed through Chi-square analysis, t-tests and logistic regression analysis. Results: Contraceptive prevalence rate was 43.1% and most of them were using modern and short-term methods. Among three factor categories, the need factor(unwanted pregnancy experience) was revealed as the most important factor, following enabling factor which was knowing the FP services in health center. Conclusions: These results lead to several conclusions. First, the results imply that programs should focus on women who are in the over 30yr. as well as the poorer economic group and urban residents. Second, to improve the effectiveness of the program, it is important to help them to be motivated themselves and to promote knowledge on various methods. Third, in terms of service delivery, community health workers are expected to take a crucial role. To improve the availability of services, they should provide practical services as those in health center.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2003

This study is to compare health related behaviors among Chinese, Korean Chinese in a Yanbian Province with a population of mainly Korean descendents and Koreans in Kangwon Province, Korea. Cross-sectional surveys were used to identify self-rated health, smoking, alcohol use, exercise and other lifestyle variables. A total of 739 Chinese, 663 Korean Chines, and 639 Koreans were surveyed using self-administered questionnaires. Few Korean Chinese(13.9%) reported they were healthy compared with Chinese(38.7%) and Koreans(36.3%). There was no difference in the prevalence of smoking by ethnic groups. More Koreans(48.5%) and Chinese Koreans(44.5%) reported drinking alcohol compared with Chinese(37.2%)(p < .001). Compared Chinese and Korean Chinese, fewer Koreans reported regular diet, exercise, health screening, and deep sleeping patterns. The lifestyle variables that affect the prevalence of disease were different by ethnic groups. In conclusion, ethnicity was shown to be an independent factor in relation to self-rated health, alcohol use, and other health lifestyle behaviors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2017

Objectives: Medical students represent a primary target for tobacco cessation training. This study assessed the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes, clinical skills, and tobacco-related curricula in two countries, the US and Italy, with known baseline disparities in hopes of identifying potential corrective interventions. Methods: From September to December 2013, medical students enrolled at the University of Bologna and at Brown University were recruited via email to answer survey questions assessing the prevalence of medical students' tobacco use, attitudes and clinical skills related to patients' smoking, and elements of medical school curricula related to tobacco use. Results: Of the 449 medical students enrolled at Brown and the 1426 enrolled at Bologna, 174 Brown students (38.7%) and 527 Bologna students (36.9%) participated in this study. Italian students were more likely to smoke (29.5% vs. 6.1%; p<0.001) and less likely to receive smoking cessation training (9.4% vs. 80.3%; p<0.001) than their American counterparts, even though the majority of students in both countries desired smoking cessation training (98.6% at Brown, 85.4% at Bologna; p<0.001). Additionally, negative beliefs regarding tobacco usage, the absence of formal training in smoking cessation counseling, and a negative interest in receiving specific training on smoking cessation were associated with a higher risk of not investigating a patient's smoking status during a routine history and not offering tobacco cessation treatment to patients. Conclusions: Medical curricula on tobacco-related health hazards and on smoking cessation should be mandatory in order to reduce smoking among medical students, physicians, and patients, thereby improving tobacco-related global health.