No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst* ; Melanins*

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the level of health equity in relation to cancer incidence. Materials and Methods: We used the National Health Insurance claims data of the National Health Insurance Service between 2005 and 2022 and annual health insurance and medical aid beneficiaries between 2011 and 2021 to investigate the disparities of cancer incidence. We calculated age-sex standardized cancer incidence rates by cancer and year according to the type of insurance and the trend over time using the annual percentage change. We also compared the hospital type of the first diagnosis by cancer type and year and cancer incidence rates by cancer type and region in 2021 according to the type of insurance. Results: The total cancer incidence increased from 255,971 in 2011 to 325,772 cases in 2021. The absolute difference of total cancer incidence rate between the NHI beneficiaries and the medical aid (MA) recipients increased from 510.1 cases per 100,000 population to 536.9 cases per 100,000 population. The odds ratio of total cancer incidence for the MA recipients increased from 1.79 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.77 to 1.82) to 1.90 (95% CI, 1.88 to 1.93). Disparities in access to hospitals and regional cancer incidence were profound. Conclusion This study examined health inequities in relation to cancer incidence over the last decade. Cancer incidence was higher in the MA recipients, and the gap was widening. We also found that regional differences in cancer incidence still exist and are getting worse. Investigating these disparities between the NHI beneficiaries and the MA recipients is crucial for implementing of public health policies to reduce health inequities.

The national licensing examination is used to evaluate the medical competency at the time of graduation, however no study has been performed on the validity of traditional Korean medicine license examination yet. The purpose of this study was to develop learning analytics using item response theory (IRT) to examine the validity and academic competency of the mock test of the national licensing exam. Classical test theory and IRT were used to evaluate the validity of test items, and IRT was used for test validity and competency analysis. The correlation between competency score of 12 subjects was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation. The distribution of students’ latent competencies was examined by gender and administrative group using a Kernel density map, Latent Profile Analysis, and χ2. The guessing parameter of 340 items was relatively high, and the information level of 12 subjects were relatively low. Significant correlations (r = 0.49–0.83, p < 0.05) were observed between the competency scores of total and 12 subjects. Two (high and low) latent academic competency groups were identified based on the competency score of 12 subjects. The low academic competency group requiring intensive management has a significantly higher frequency of male students with the experience of academic fail in the seven-year course. This study presented the quantitative learning analytics for the national licensing exam of traditional Korean medicine. The multifaceted item and test validities of the mock license test were provided, and an evidence-based approach to competency-based student management and national licensing exam of traditional Korean medicine was suggested.

Background: Sleep duration is associated with various health conditions, including chronic kidney disease. However, the association between sleep duration and decline in kidney function in the South Korean population remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the impact of sleep duration on kidney function decline in adult patients with hypertension. Methods: This cohort study was performed using data obtained from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study; 2,837 patients with hypertension who initially had normal kidney function were included. Glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) were estimated at baseline and throughout the 16 years of follow-up. A person was considered to have a decline in kidney function if they had a GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Sleep duration data were obtained through interviewer-assisted questionnaires. Sleep durations were classified as short (<6 hours), normal (≥6 hours but <9 hours), and long (≥9 hours). The Cox proportional hazards model was applied, with adjustments for covariates. Results: After adjusting for covariates, sleep duration was not associated with a decline in kidney function. However, among men with poorly controlled hypertension at baseline, compared to men with normal sleep durations, men with sleep durations <6 hours had a significantly higher risk of kidney function decline (hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.36). Conclusion Short sleep duration did not seem to be associated with an increased risk of decline in kidney function; however, it may be a risk factor for the decline in kidney function in men with poorly controlled hypertension.