This paper deals with secular trend of height spanning 1979 to 2010 and also morphological growth patterns for Korean. It also investigates the comparison of the growth pattern between male and female based on the anthropometric data samples of KATS taken from the 1979 to 2010 surveys. The great rates of change in height occurred during 1979-1997 with 2-3 cm increase in both sexes at each surveys. After 1997 the change rate of height while increasing is remained within less than 1 cm till 2010 survey. This pattern is consistent with recent Korean cultural emphasis on health and physical fitness according to the economic development. The causes of the observed trends, insofar as they have been identified, are related to cultural processes.
Anthropometry ; Economic Development ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Fitness ; Statistics as Topic

This paper aims to investigate whether good governance of a recipient country is a necessary condition and what combinations of factors including governance factor are sufficient for low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in HIV/AIDS aid recipient countries during the period of 2002-2010. For this, Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) was used. Nine potential attributes for a causal configuration for low HIV/AIDS prevalence were identified through a review of previous studies. For each factor, full membership, full non-membership, and crossover point were specified using both author's knowledge and statistical information of the variables. Calibration and conversion to a fuzzy-set score were conducted using Fs/QCA 2.0 and probabilistic tests for necessary and sufficiency were performed by STATA 11. The result suggested that governance is the necessary condition for low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in a recipient country. From sufficiency test, two pathways were resulted. The low level of governance can lead to low level of HIV/AIDS prevalence when it is combined with other favorable factors, especially, low economic inequality, high economic development and high health expenditure. However, strengthening governance is a more practical measure to keep low prevalence of HIV/AIDS because it is hard to achieve both economic development and economic quality. This study highlights that a comprehensive policy measure is the key for achieving low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in recipient country.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; Computer Simulation ; Developing Countries/*economics/statistics & numerical data ; Economic Development/statistics & numerical data ; Fraud/economics/*statistics & numerical data ; Fuzzy Logic ; HIV Infections/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; Humans ; Models, Statistical ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors

BACKGROUND: This study aims to utilize Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data to identify macroscopic determinants of health at national level and to utilize it in health policy development through comparison and analysis with Korea. METHODS: The potential years of life lost (PYLL) were used as dependent variables and 19 indicators were selected as health determinants to be independent variables based on the results of previous studies. Data analysis was done using SAS ver. 9.4 package (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) and model used in technical statistics concerning PYLL by countries, multi-linearity test between independent variables and OECD economic studies were modified and used. RESULTS: From 1994 to 2012, the average PYLL for OECD countries was 4,262.9 years, the highest in Estonia and the lowest in Iceland. As a result of the analysis using the fixed effect model, the significant variables affecting PYLL were four variables: gross domestic product, nitric oxide, tobacco consumption, and number of doctors. The health determinants that had more influence on the PYLL of Korean people compared to other OECD countries were tobacco consumption, calorie consumption, fat intake and total health expenditure. CONCLUSION: In order to effectively reduce unnecessary deaths, we must continue to strengthen our smoking policy and nutrition policies such as calorie and fat intake. It is necessary to prevent the increase of total health expenditure due to the increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and to strengthen the public health aspect.
Chronic Disease ; Estonia ; Gross Domestic Product ; Health Expenditures ; Health Policy ; Iceland ; Korea ; Nitric Oxide ; Nutrition Policy ; Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Statistics as Topic ; Tobacco Use