• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.47-54
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• 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the disease burden of cancer, to investigate how many cancer patients use CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) therapies with or without conventional medicine, to know reasons for use of cancer CAM therapies, and finally to discuss viewpoints on treating cancer with traditional Korean medicine (TKM). Method: In order to know the disease burden of cancer, the prevalence and mortality of cancer patients of Korean, American, and WHO reports were investigated, and the usage of cancer CAM therapies was investigated in several reports. The viewpoints about cancer treatment with TKM were suggested with the characteristics of TKM. Results: One hundred thousand Korean people were diagnosed [in time period] as new cancer patients, and cancer patients are gradually increasing every year. Cancer is a leading cause of deaths in Korea and worldwide. From 21% to 63% of Korean cancer patients, 80% of American cancer patients, and 35.9% of European cancer patients used CAM therapies, and the most common therapy was an herbal therapy. Conclusions: TKM has been used to treat cancer since initial use of acupuncture and herbs with basic viewpoints on human health and disease. First, TKM regards occurrence of cancer as an environmental problem of the whole human being. Second, the pathologic concept centered on antipathogenic Qi (Zheong Qi) can reinforce the functioning of the patient's own natural vitality to overcome cancer. Third, TKM deals with cancer patients through mind, body, and spirit based on the monoism of mind and body.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.179-190
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• 2015

Objective and Background: Due to increase in Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) relating to computer use, a number of ergonomics recommendations have been proposed in order to tackle this problem. However, some of these recommendations have been conflicting. Method: This study was to survey the VDT (Visual Display Terminal) use of office workers. The subjects were 452 workers at 13 places of business and the data were collected by self-administered questionnaire. Results: As a result, prevalence of self-reported MSDs of all VDT workers was 90.2% and shoulder took up 57.0% and neck 38.3% by symptom part of body. The population of computer use of more than 6h/day was 84.5%, and 33.8% also reported using the VDT 2~3h/day without the rest time. Desktop computer users were 95.6%, and a 17-inch monitor accounted for 42.0% among the desktop users. As a result of satisfaction survey on overall computer work, 21.1% of the total respondents said satisfied, desk complaint was about 24.6%, and chair complaint was 33.4%. Despite the importance of computer environment, satisfaction was from fair to uncomfortable. Conclusion and Application: In conclusion, office workers are prone to the MSDs due to their work environment. Additionally, this study found that task was a significant effect for the majority of dependent variables, and therefore, the improvement of computer workstations work environment is urgent, and the improvement of desk height adjustment, chair seat size (length, width), backrest condition, location of keyboard (mouse) and arm rest is required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.185-200
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• 1995

In this survey, we investigated the way of thinking about meal management of housewives including the sincerity to meal preparation, the eating practices and cronic degenerative diseases related dietary behaviors, and studied the effects of above factors on the real food intakes. We also investigated the trends of health-foods and nutrient supplements usage. The results obtained from 506 housewives in Seoul were summarized as follows. Although our subjects prepared their meals habitually without special concern, they did not prefer the use of convenient foods. The food prefrence of housewivess who had more child and refered higher life status was similar with other family members. The dietary attitudes were good in large family, the higher income and the more child group. The highly educated group skipped breakfast more frequently. The mealmanagers with better education career and good living status considered for the restriction of salty foods, sweet foods, animal fats and pungent foods, and for the nutritionally balanced diet. The high income group showed great concerns about weight gain at meal times. The nutritional qualities expressed by the frequency of food group intakes were high in the better educated and living status groups, and their eating frequencies of animal protein foods and calcium sources were significantly high. Mealmanagers who had no job intaked vegetable oils through frying foods frequently. The use of health-foods and nutrient supplements was influenced by age, educational and economic level and self-estimated living status, but the trends in prevalence of both were not consistent. Health-foods were prefered by the groups of high educational career, affluent income and advanced living status, and low educational career, low income and low living status groups favored the nutrient supplements. The restrictive intake of animal fat and the use of health-food were positively correlated, which seemed that the subjects used health-foods as supplements in compensation for nutritional unbalance caused by the avoidance of animal protein foods.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5349-5353
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• 2014

Statistical methods to analyze and predict the related risk factors of nosocomial infection in lung cancer patients are various, but the results are inconsistent. A total of 609 patients with lung cancer were enrolled to allow factor comparison using Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney test or the Chi-square test. Variables that were significantly related to the presence of nosocomial infection were selected as candidates for input into the final ANN model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of the artificial neural network (ANN) model and logistic regression (LR) model. The prevalence of nosocomial infection from lung cancer in this entire study population was 20.1% (165/609), nosocomial infections occurring in sputum specimens (85.5%), followed by blood (6.73%), urine (6.0%) and pleural effusions (1.82%). It was shown that long term hospitalization (${\geq}22days$, P= 0.000), poor clinical stage (IIIb and IV stage, P=0.002), older age (${\geq}61days$ old, P=0.023), and use the hormones were linked to nosocomial infection and the ANN model consisted of these four factors. The artificial neural network model with variables consisting of age, clinical stage, time of hospitalization, and use of hormones should be useful for predicting nosocomial infection in lung cancer cases.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2021

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. It has a worldwide pooled prevalence of 5.29%. The characteristics of ADHD can increase the probability of dental treatment, while special behavior management can be required to allow proper treatment. In South Korea, the use of sedation in dental treatment has rapidly increased in recent decades. The present study aimed to investigate the trend and effects of sedation in patients with ADHD undergoing dental treatment in South Korea. Methods: The study used customized health information data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Among patients with the record of sedative use during the period from January 2007 to September 2019, those with International Classification of Diseases-10 codes for ADHD (F90, F91) were selected; the data of their overall insurance claims for dental treatment were then analyzed. The patients' age, gender, sedative use, and dental treatment were analyzed per year. The annual number of general anesthesia or sedation cases was also analyzed, and changes in the method of behavior management with increasing age were examined. Results: The study involved 7,654 patients with ADHD (6,270 males; 1,384 females). The total number of dental treatments was 137,778, while the number of sedation cases was 16,109, among which 13,052 involved male patients and 3,057 female patients. The number of general anesthesia cases was 631, among which 538 involved male patients and 93 female patients. The most frequently used sedation method in the dental treatment of patients with ADHD was N2O inhalation. The percentage of sedation cases was highest in patients aged 4 years, and it decreased with increasing age. Conclusion: In South Korea, both sedation and dental treatments were slightly more common in patients with ADHD than in the general population. With increasing age, the frequency of dental treatments and the percentage of sedation cases decreased.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.763-771
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between periodontitis and health behavior in women aged ≥40 years. In addition, related factors were compared according to the presence or absence of cardiovascular disease. Methods: Data from the 7th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018) were used. The study included 3,801 women aged 40-79 years, who participated in a questionnaire health survey related to hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris, as well as completed blood tests, anthropometry, and oral examination. Statistical analyses were performed using complex sample general linear, complex sample crosstabs, and complex sample logistic regression analyses. Results: In all subjects, smoking and drinking, use of interdental care products, and dental checkups were confirmed to be significantly related to periodontitis. In the group with cardiovascular disease, the use of interdental care products, experience in dental checkups, and toothbrushing more than three times a day were confirmed as significant factors for lowering the prevalence of periodontitis. In the group without cardiovascular disease, smoking and drinking, use of interdental care products, and experience in dental checkups were confirmed as the significant factors. Conclusions: To improve the periodontal health of women over 40 years of age with cardiovascular disease, a health education program including self-care methods for proper dental plaque management and regular dental checkups are critical. Additionally, awareness of the risks of smoking and drinking would be helpful even for women without cardiovascular diseases.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 2022

Purpose : This study was to compare and analyze major factors related to smartphone addiction according to the gender of health-related college students. Methods : 720 people who voluntarily participated and agreed to fill out the questionnaire were randomly sampled. Smartphone addiction was measured using the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV), sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), anxiety symptoms were measured using the self-assessment anxiety scale (SAS), and depression symptoms were measured using the self-assessment depression scale (SDS). In addition, the age of each individual and the main function of smartphone use were also investigated. Results : The prevalence of smartphone addiction was higher among female students than male students (p<.05), while male students mainly played games and female students mainly used multimedia (video/music) viewing and social networking services (p<.05). In addition, male students showed a high association with smartphone addiction in the group where games were the main function of smartphone use, the group with low sleep quality, and the group with anxiety symptoms (p<.05), but for female students, multimedia (video/music) Or, the group in which social networking service is the main function of smartphone use, the group with low sleep quality, and the group with symptoms of anxiety and depression showed a high correlation with smartphone addiction (p<.05). Conclusion : It is expected that the results of this study will be used as basic data for providing customized solutions considering the characteristics of smartphone addicts.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.185-189
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• 2023

Purpose: Limited research has been conducted on the prevalence of non-medical opioid use (NMOU) in Korean cancer patients who have received prescription opioids (PO). This study aimed to identify the potential proportion of NMOU in cancer patients who had been prescribed opioids in Korea. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on 14,728 patients who underwent cancer-related treatment between January 2009 and December 2019, using electronically collected data from a tertiary hospital in Korea. Information regarding the type and duration of opioid use was gathered. A detailed review of medical charts was carried out, focusing on patients who had been prescribed opioids for over 60 days beyond a 12-month period following the completion of their cancer treatment (long-term PO users). Results: Out of the 5,587 patients who were prescribed PO and followed up for at least 12 months, 13 cases of NMOU were identified, representing 0.23% of the patient population. Among the 204 long-term PO users, the rate was 6.37% (13/204). The most commonly misused opioids were oxycodone and fentanyl. For the group confirmed to have NMOU, the median duration of prescription was 1,327 days in total. Of the 13 patients diagnosed with NMOU, 9 reported withdrawal symptoms, 3 exhibited craving behavior for opioids, and 1 experienced both symptoms. Conclusion: This study found that 0.23% of cancer patients who had been prescribed opioids in Korea demonstrated NMOU. Despite this relatively low rate, careful monitoring is necessary to minimize the risk of NMOU in this population, especially among long-term PO users.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.261-274
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• 2024

Purpose: Recently, high-protein diets have become highly popular, and the market for protein products has steadily increased in Korea together with the development of various types of such products. However, there is limited information on the consumption of protein supplements (PS) or protein-fortified foods (PF). Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the use of PS/PF among young adults in Jeju. Methods: A total of 350 adults (140 men and 210 women) aged 19-39 years voluntarily participated in this study from June 2022 to May 2023. PS/PF use was measured using a questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall. Results: Approximately 31.4% of the participants (n = 110) had consumed PS/PF for more than 2 weeks during the past year and 71.8% of them (n = 79) were still consuming these products (PS/PF consumers). The PS/PF consumers tended to be male and physically active (p < 0.05 for all). The most frequent reason for PS/PF use was muscle gain (59.5%), followed by protein supplementation (19.0%) and body fat loss (13.9%), and the most frequent type of PS/PF consumed was powders (70.6%), followed by drinks (17.7%) and bars (8.8%). The PS/PF consumers tended to consume a high-protein low-carbohydrate diet compared to the non-consumers. The prevalence of consuming dietary protein less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) was significantly lower in PS/PF consumers (13.9%) compared to non-consumers (25.4%; p = 0.0316). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the necessity of protein supplementation should be determined based on the current dietary protein intake and individual requirements. The study also provides the basic information for establishing guidelines for appropriate protein intake.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.306-317
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• 2024

Background/Aims: To determine whether metformin, which is considered a host-directed therapy for tuberculosis (TB), is effective in improving the prognosis of patients with TB and diabetes mellitus (DM), who have higher mortality than those without DM. Methods: This cohort study included patients who were registered as having TB in the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System. The medical and death records of matched patients were obtained from the National Health Information Database and Statistics Korea, respectively, and data from 2011 to 2017 were collected retrospectively. We classified patients according to metformin use among participants who used diabetes drugs for more than 28 days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during TB treatment. Double propensity score adjustment was applied to reduce the effects of confounding and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The all-cause mortality rate during TB treatment was lower (9.5% vs. 12.4%, p < 0.01) in the metformin user group. The hazard of death due to all causes after double propensity score adjustment was also lower in the metformin user group (aHR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in mortality between metformin users and non-users for TB-related deaths (p = 0.22); however, there was a significant difference in the non-TB-related deaths (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Metformin use in patients with TB-DM co-prevalence is associated with reduced all-cause mortality, suggesting the potential for metformin adjuvant therapy in these patients.