• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 1980

Paragonimiasis is a common trematodiasis of medical importance and one of public health problems in many areas of southern part of Korea. During the last sixty years, several surveys on the prevalence among the Korean population has been carried out by various investigators, although the general distribution and prevalence of paragonimiasis are not yet clearly determined. This study was undertaken to evaluate the status of human paragonimiasis in Chang Heung Gun by the use of intradermal screening test with Veronal buffered saline antigen. The following results were obtained in this srvey; 1) In the result of 1,654 inhabitants in Kwan San Myun, the positieve rate was shown 33.8% as a whole(34.1% in male. 33.5% in female). 2) In the result of 1,611 inhabitants iin Dae Duck Myun, the positive rate was shown 38.4% as a whole(39.3% in male, 36.4% in female). 3) In the result of 757 consisting of middle and high school students in Kwan San Myun, the positive rate was shown 7.0% as a whole.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.122-129
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• 2013

Immature ganglion cell (IGC) is known for its relationship with intestinal motility and its impact on postoperative functional outcomes of Hirschsprung's disease (HD). There are few studies on the relationship between intestinal dysmotility and IGC in HD patients. 67 patients pathologically diagnosed with HD and who received definitive operation in Seoul National University Children's Hospital from 2010 to 2011 were included. 10 patients were excluded due to inadequate immunohistochemical staining results. The proximal end of resected ganglionic segment was evaluated with immunohistochemistry examination with MAP-2, a marker of ganglionic cells and bcl-2, a marker of IGCs The median age at operation was 155 (15-4678) day-old. 55 (96.5%) patients positive for bcl-2, were regarded as having IGC, and 2 (3.5%) patients positive for MAP-2 but negative for bcl-2, were regarded as having only mature ganglion cells. In the bcl-2 positive group, there were 7 patients (12.7%) with constipation, 15 patients (27.3%) with soiling, 3 patients (5.5%) with perianal excoriation and 6 patients (10.9%) with medication use. In bcl-2 negative group, intestinal dysmotility was not seen. There was no statistical significance in the two groups. Considering that HD is diagnosed at a young age, the rate of IGC present is very high and it might be inappropriate to relate IGC to functional outcome at young ages.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1388-1394
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• 2004

Purpose. Korean women are likely to experience symptoms of depression, possibly due to socially fixed limitations on the roles that Korean women are expected to perform. Also if a Korean woman experinces negative relationship problem or stress in her family, she would feel responsible, which will worsen her depression. Nonetheless, much of the research on depression among Korean women has focused on menopausal women. This study aims to understand the depression of Korean women to provide fundamental data to develop nursing intervention method for promoting women's health. Methods. The present investigation assessed the prevalence and correlates of depression in a large sample of Korean women, aged 18 or older, from the general population. With a probability sample of 3312 women drawn from two areas in Korea, a survey, which contains the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and background, was completed. Results. According to CES-D classification criteria, $36.5\%$ of the women in the sample displayed either no depression or mild depression, $55.6\%$ exhibited moderate depression, and $7.8\%$ manifested severe depression. Significant bivariate relationships were observed between depression and each measured background variable except alcohol use. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the strongest combination of predictors of depression included income, menopausal, and marital status. Conclusion. The data support the premise that Korean women disproportionately experience elevated levels of depression. Consistent with the theory, depression may be related to social pressures to conform to the traditional roles. The study suggests the need for further research, primary prevention activities, and increased access to treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6797-6802
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• 2013

Background: Prevalence of tobacco use is higher in the rural than urban areas of India. Unlike tobacco cessation clinics located in urban areas, community-based smoking cessation intervention has the potential to reach a wider section of the community to assist in smoking cessation in the rural setting. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a cessation intervention in rural Kerala state, India. Materials and Methods: Current daily smoking resident males in the age group 18-60 years from four community development blocks in rural Kerala were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received multiple approaches in which priority was given to face-to-face interviews and telephone counselling. Initially educational materials on tobacco hazards were distributed. Further, four rounds of counselling sessions were conducted which included a group counselling with a medical camp as well as individual counselling by trained medical social workers. The control group received general awareness training on tobacco hazards along with an anti-tobacco leaflet. Self-reported smoking status was assessed after 6 and 12 months. Factors associated with tobacco cessation were estimated using binomial regression method. Results: Overall prevalence of smoking abstinence was 14.7% in the intervention and 6.8% in the control group (Relative risk: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.25). A total of 41.3% subjects in the intervention area and 13.6% in the control area had reduced smoking by 50% or more at the end of 12 months. Lower number of cigarettes/ bidi used, low nicotine dependence and consultation with a doctor for a medical ailment were the statistically significant predictors for smoking cessation. Conclusions: Rigorous approaches for smoking cessation programmes can enhance quit rates in smoking in rural areas of India.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.1 s.33
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• pp.45-56
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• 1991

The history of occupational health in Korea s covered the era of the Republic of Korea after the Liberation from the Japanese colonialism. But the number of Korean workers exceeded about 2 millions at the times of liberation in 1945, so that it is expected that many occupational health problems inflicted Korean workers under the Japanese colonialism. The authors reviewed medical literatures, administrative documents, and other available data which were published under the colonial state, and collected things which had reference to the health status of Korean workers. The results were as follows : 1. Nutritional status of Korean workers was supposed to be inferior to that of general population, some students, and poor inhabitants in a remote mountain villages. 2. It was supposed that the constitution of Korean workers was near lower limit of average build of contemporary Koreans. 3. The accidents rate in mines was significantly high but decreasing year after year, and the most important cause of accidents was the fall of roof in the mine. The medical facilities and equipments for miners were supposed to be not sufficient in the mines and workshops. 4. Some occupational disease including silicosis, noise-induced hearing impairment, and decompression disease were known. But, overall incidence or prevalence of these diseases could not be identified. 5. On the whole, the fatalities of acute infectious diseases of Korean workers were higher than those of Japanese inhabitants in Korea and Korean inhabitants. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis of Korean workers was increasing with every passing year. 6. The medical personnels and facilities were so deficient that most Korean workers were out of adequate medical use. We discussed only a part of the health status of Korean workers under the Japanese colonialism, so it would be necessary to have a better grasp of details of occupational health policy and health status in the era of afflicting.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.169-187
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• 2000

Cigarette smoking has been identified as the most important source of preventable morbidity and premature mortality (WHO, 1995), The prevalence of smoking among men is very high in Korea. This study estimated productivity losses due to smoking in Korea, 1997. The derivation of cost estimates for mortality, disability, hospitalization and use of physician services related to cigarette smoking is bas 어 on the calculation of attributable fractions suggested by MacMahon and Cole and Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Cost(SAMMEC) software. To estimate the number of deaths from neoplastic, cardiovascular, respiratory diseases associated with cigarette smoking, estimates for adults(aged 20 years and over) were based on 1997 mortality data, 1995 data on smoking prevalence from Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. Smoking-attributable indirect morbidity cost data were obtained from the National Federation of Medical Insurance. As the result of cost estimation, these productivity losses were 336-430 billion won. During 1997, 8,620-10,804 deaths were attributed to smoking. Cigarette smoking resulted in 133,991-169,422 Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) to life expectancy. For smoking -attributable indirect mortality costs, the present value of future earnings(PVFE) for the age at death are 299-384 billion won. Smoking-attributable indirect morbidity costs, the costs of lost productivity for persons who are disabled by smoking-related chronic diseases are 37-46 billion won. In this study the productivity losses due to smoking were restricted to the health effects of smoking. It is possible that these costs were underestimated with the limitation of the data. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of illness and death. The results of this study can be used as elementary data for antismoking policy.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.371-378
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• 2016

An aim of current study was to investigate the prevalence and the mechanism of quinolone-resistance in E. coli isolates obtained from chicken cecum in Korea. In addition, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was also performed for the molecular characterization of E. coli isolates. In an antimicrobial susceptibility test by the disk diffusion method, the 63.5% (54/85) of E. coli isolates showed the resistance to quinolone group of antimicrobial agents. All of the 54 E. coli isolates showing resistant to quinolone group had sense mutations in gyrA gene and point mutations at the $57^{th}$, $80^{th}$, or $84^{th}$ residues in parC gene were detected in 90.7% of the isolates. Interestingly, E. coli ST was closely related to amino acid substitutions in parE gene. Our results indicated that the long-term use of antimicrobial agents in food-producing animals was strongly associated with a prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in commensal Enterobacteriaceae, suggesting the need for continuous surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial resistant determinants in bacterial isolates from food animals.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.45-61
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• 2006

Objective: Drinking drive is a nationally recognized social problem. This research aimed to describe the relationship between drinking behavior and drinking drive based on the social demographic characteristics. Methods: This paper used secondary data for analyses which was derived from the national representative samples of adults; National Health and Nutrition Surveys by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in 1998 and 2001. For data analyses, univariate analysis, Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were adopted for the samples of male adults who were driving and 20 years old and more. Results: The prevalence of drinking drive varied significantly among socio-demographic characteristics. The year prevalence rates of drinking drive were 29.1% in 1998 and 16.4% in 2001. In the rates of drinking drive, males were higher than those of females in both years. By age, twenties to thirties showed the highest ratio of drinking drive(odd ratio=18.8), compared with the sixties. Related to the occupation, the persons who were engaging in farming and fishery showed the highest ratio(odd ratio=3.73) of drinking drive in comparison to the unemployed. Conclusions: People who drink alcohol frequently tended to have more experiences of drinking drive. In addition, the drivers who drink more amount of alcohol drinking were significantly associated with higher rates of drinking drive, as well. Strategy based on the socio-demographic characteristics may provide a promising prevention of reducing drinking drive. Community-based efforts, education, self-awareness and public-awareness to address drinking and drinking drive problems are effective in reducing drinking drive. Enacting comprehensive regulations which control drinking drive can reduce both alcohol use and drinking drive.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the antibiotic resistance pattern of Enterococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolated from chicken feces. All isolates showed high resistance to erythromycin (E) and tetracycline (TE). Of the 63 Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) isolates, 73.0% were resistant to E and 98.4% to TE. Of the 44 Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) isolates, 50.0% were resistant to E and 95.5% to TE. Of the 52 S. aureus isolates, 57.6% were resistant to E and 96.2% to TE. The prevalence of two and three drugs resistance pattern were 28.6% and 17.5% of E. faecalis, 40.9% and 25.0% of E. faecium and 38.5% and 23.1% of S. aureus, respectively. The multiple resistance pattern to six drugs was observed in 1 E. faecalis isolates, and five drugs resistance pattern were seen in 1 E. faecalis, 1 E. faecium and 1 S. aureus isolates. The prevalence of resistant organisms in Korea probably reflects lack of proper antibiotic policy resulting in prolonged and indiscriminate use of antimicrobial agents.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.276-282
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• 1995

Compared to the first and second-generation cephalosporins, the third-generation cephalosporins are remarkably stable against hydrolysis by the $\beta$-lactamases produced by aerobic gram-negative bacilli, such as Enterobacteriaceae. Among these bacteria, the most prevalent plasmid-encoded $\beta$-lactamase is TEM-1 $\beta$-lactamase belonging to class A or group 2b. This enzyme is produced constitutively and is principally active against peniciflins and old cephalosporins rather than third-generafion cephalosporins, carbapenems and mmobactams. However, new TEM type $\beta$-lactamases including TEM-9 and TEM-12 evolved through point mutations in a gene encoding $\beta$-lactamase have been discovered from patients during chemotherapy. These $\beta$-lactamases are known to be capable of hydrolyzing most of the third-generatim cephalosporins. To study the prevalence of $\beta$-lactamases from clinical isolates collected in Korea. the minimal inhibitory concentratims(MICs) of several third-generation cephalosporins against 628 clinical isolates were determined by agar dilution methods, and $\beta$-lactamas-producing bacteria were isolated by use of cefinase disc. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, clinical isolates harboring a gene for TEM type $\beta$-lactamase were identified among the $\beta$-lactamase producing strains. Twentiy three percent of the clinical isolates was resistant to the thirdgeneration cephalosporins, and more than 90% of resistant cells produced various $\beta$-lactamases. TFM type $\beta$-lactamases were dominant in gram-negative bacilli, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter species. These results suggest the necessity of the development of new cephalosporins which are stable against $\beta$-lactamases like TEM.