No abstract available.
Chromium* ; Micronucleus Tests*

A hospital-based, matched case-control study was carried out to evaluate the relation ship of various suspected risk factors including snoring and serum level of cholesterol to cerebrovascular disease in Korea. A total of 127 incident cases of cerebrovascular disease(74 cases of cerebral infarction and 53 cases of intracerebral hemorrhage) admitted to the department of neurology in a university hospital from December, 1993 to March, 1995 were compared with 127 matched controls admitted to same hospital in same period. A multivariate analysis suggested that ECG abnormality(left ventricular hypertophy and atrial fibrillation), family history of cerebrovascular disease, fundoscopic abnormality, previous history of transient ischemic attack and hypercholesterolemia were risk factors of cerebrovascular disease. ECG abnormality, fundoscopic abnormality, smoking and hypercholesterolemia were also suggested as risk factors of cerebral infarction.
Case-Control Studies* ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cholesterol ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Korea ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neurology ; Risk Factors* ; Ships ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Snoring

BACKGROUND: Discrepancies exist in the existing researches regarding the association between social capital and self-efficacy, and most of these researches have been done in developed countries. The aims of this study were to assess the independent association between individual social capital and self-efficacy and to assess the associations between individual social capital, self-efficacy and self-rated health. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Gyeongnam health survey (6,500 persons) conducted in 2008. A self-administered questionnaire was additionally administered to gather information on demographic variables, health behaviors, chronic diseases, self-efficacy, social capital, and self-rated health status. Total study population was 3,843 as those with chronic diseases were excluded. RESULTS: In males, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty, and participation was negatively associated with confidence and positively associated with regulation and preference to task difficulty. In females, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty and negatively associated with regulation. Participation was positively associated with preference to task difficulty. In males, the odds for self-rated health status was better for persons with confidence (95% confidence interval, CI 1.088-1.705), trust (95% CI 1.172-1.821) and participation (95% CI 1.268-2.117). In females, the odds for self-rated health status was better for those with confidence (95% CI 1.250-1.803), preference of task difficulty (95% CI 1.019-1.683) and participation (95% CI 1.024-1.555). CONCLUSIONS: High social capital measured at an individual level may promote self-efficacy and health status.
Chronic Disease ; Developed Countries ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Self Efficacy ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to obtain basal information to establish a proper birth-encouraging policy in the future through the survey of the attitude towards childbirth and its related factors among female students in junior, senior high school, and university. METHODS: A survey was performed for 2 weeks in June, 2006, for a total of 688 female students which included 185 ones in a girls' junior high school and 242 ones in a girls' senior high school in Sacheon, and 261 ones in two universities in Jinju. The selfadministered questionnaires developed by the authors included the socio-demographic characteristics, the attitude towards childbirth, the preference of a son for their future child, the belief on relative importance of family or work after marriage, the seriousness perception of low birth rate in Korea, frequencies of education in school about low birth rate. The attitude was measured by an answer to the question of 'To what degree do you think you are going to have a child(or children)?' RESULTS: The proportion of positive attitude towards their future childbirth was 76.2% in junior high school, 63.9% in high school, and 82.8% in university students (p<0.01). In the logistic regression analysis, the significant factors related with positive attitude towards future childbirth were school grade, preference of a son for their future children, and belief on relative importance of family or work after marriage. CONCLUSIONS: It suggests that the related factors with positive attitude towards future childbirth need to be considered to make a proper birth policy.
Birth Rate ; Child ; Education ; Female* ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Marriage ; Parturition* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to assess agreements among screening tests, to estimate prevalence, and to identify related factors with postpartum depression. METHODS: For 323 women at 7 days postpartum, self-administered questionnaires were given including postpartum depression screening test such as EPDS, QIDS-SR16, BDI and questionnaires for their demographic and psycho-social information. Obstetric information were collected from medical records. Simultaneous positive cases in EPDS and BDI were defined as gold standard and used to estimate the prevalence of postpartum depression and agreements between 3 kind of screening test and gold standard. Related factors of postpartum depression were analysed by using SPSS. RESULTS: The prevalence of postpartum depression was 19.8% and the Kappa indices were 0.711 in BDI, 0.803 in EPDS, and 0.395 in QIDS-SR16. Feeding method, smoking history, antenatal anxiety/depression symptoms, residence status, marital satisfaction, relationship with husband's parents, and postpartum care method in univariate analysis and premature delivery (odds ratio: 2.9), formulated feeding (odds ratio: 3.8), marital dissatisfaction (odds ratio: 4.3), professional husband's occupation (odds ratio: 4.4), and antenatal anxiety/ depression symptoms (odds ratio: 4.4) in the logistic regression analysis were significantly related to postpartum depression (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous test of BDI and EPDS was effective to evaluate postpartum depression prevalence at 1-week postpartum and highly agree with EPDS. Significant related factors were defined and further prospective community-based studies are warranted.
Depression ; Depression, Postpartum ; Feeding Methods ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Occupations ; Parents ; Postnatal Care ; Postpartum Period ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaire ; Smoke ; Smoking

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension, rates of awareness, treatment modalities, and control of hypertension, and also to identify factors in rural Korea that are related to these aspects of hypertension. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey, including blood pressure(BP) measurements and interviews, investigating the variables in the health belief model was performed from August to November, 1999 on 1,426 (79.4%) study subjects out of 1,797 registered residents over 30 years old in Ibansong-Myun, Chinju City. A second survey was performed from January to March, 2000 on 376 (80.0%) subjects out of 470 hypertensive (or suspected hypertensive) subjects found in the first survey. Two BP readings were taken in each survey using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. Hypertension was defined as either a BP reading < 140/90 mmHg in both surveys, or as subjects on oral hypertensive medication. RESULTS: Estimated hypertension prevalence was 24.9% for men, and 30.4% for women. Rates of hypertension awareness, treatment (the regular use of oral hypertensives), and control (reduction of BP to <140/90 mmHg) were 52.5%, 34.4%, and 12.9%, respectively. The factors related to lower hypertension awareness in the logistic regression analysis were male gender, farming occupation, and higher perceived barrier to medical treatment (those for whom visiting health professionals is a burden). CONCLUSIONS: To improve the low awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, a more active and out-reaching hypertension control program, including routine BP measurements for every visitor to primary care facilities, is needed in rural Korea.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupations ; Prevalence* ; Primary Health Care ; Reading ; Sphygmomanometers

This study was conducted to compare the delivery management including laboratory tests, medication and surgical procedures for the delivery in various medical facilities. Two university hospitals, two general hospitals, three hospitals, two private obstetric clinics, and two midwifery clinics in a large city were selected as they permitted the investigators to abstract the required data from the medical and accounting records. The total number of deliveries occurred at these 11 facilities between 15 January and 15 February, 1989 was 789 among which 606(76.8%) were vaginal deliveries and 183(23.3%) were C-sections. For the normal vaginal deliveries, CBC, Hb/Hct level, blood typing, VDRL, hepatitis B antigen and antibody, and urinalysis were routinely done except the private clinics and midwifery clinics which did not test for hepatitis B and Hb/Hct level at all. In one university hospital ultrasonography was performed in 71.4% of the mothers and in one general hospital liver function test was done in 76.7% of the mothers. For the C-section, chest X-ray, bleeding / clotting time and liver function test were routinely done in addition to the routine tests for the normal vaginal deliveries. Episiotomy was performed in 97.2% of the vaginal deliveries. The type and duration of fluid infused and antibiotics administered showed a wide variation among the medical facilities. In one university hospital antibiotics was not administered after C-section at all while in the general hospitals and hospitals one or two antibiotics were administered for one week on the average. In one private clinic one pint of whole blood was transfused routinely. A wide variation was observed among the medical facilities in the use of vitamin, hemostatics, oxytocics, antipyreptics, analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, sedatives, digestives, stool softeners, antihistamines, and diuretics. Mean hospital day for the norma vaginal deliveries of primipara was 2.6 days with little variation except one hospital with 3.5 days. Mean hospital day for the C-section of primipara was 7.5 days and that of multipara was 7.6 days and it ranged between 6.5 days and 9.4 days. Average hospital fee for a normal vaginal delivery without the medical insurance coverage was 182,100 Won for the primipara and 167,300 Won for the multipara. In case of the primipara covered by the medical insurance a mother paid 82,400 Won and a multiparous mother paid 75,600 Won. Average hospital fee for a C-section without the medical insurance was 946,500 Won for the primipara and 753,800 Won for the multipara. In case of the primipara covered by the medical insurance a mother paid 256,200 Won and a multiparous mother paid 253,700 Won. Average hospital fee for a normal vaginal delivery in the university hospitals showed a remarkable difference, 268,000 Won vs 350,000 Won, as well as for the C-section. A wide variation in the laboratory tests performed for a normal vaginal delivery and a C-section as well as in the medication and hospital days brought about a big difference in the hospital fee and some hospitals were practicing the case payment system. Thus, standardization of the medical care to a certain level is warranted for the provision of adequate medical care for delivery.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching ; Diuretics ; Episiotomy ; Fees and Charges ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostatics ; Hepatitis B ; Histamine Antagonists ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Insurance ; Insurance Coverage ; Liver Function Tests ; Midwifery ; Mothers ; Oxytocics ; Research Personnel ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Urinalysis ; Vitamins

OBJECTIVE: Whether exposure to chronic noise induces an increase in blood pressure, or the development of hypertension, has not been established. A cohort study was performed to identify the effects of chronic noise exposure on blood pressure. METHODS: 530 males working at a metal manufacturing factory in Busan, Korea were enrolled for the study. They were monitored for 9 consecutive years, from 1991 to 1999, with an annual health check-up. The subjects were divided into 4 groups, which were determines by noise level categories(NLC) according to noise intensity ; NLC-I: office workers, exposed to noise a level below 60dB(A); NLC-II: field technical supporters or supervisors, frequently exposed to workplace noise, wearing no hearing protection device; NLC-III: workers, exposed to workplace noise below 85 dB(A), wearing ear plugs or muffs; NLC-IV: workers, exposed to workplace noise over 85 dB(A), wearing both ear plugs and muffs. RESULTS: After controlling possible confoundens, such as baseline age, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, family history of hypertension, systolic(SBP) or diastolic blood pressure(DBP) and changes in BMI (body mass index), the pooled mean for the systolic blood pressures, over the duration of the study period, were 3.8mmHg, 2.0mmHg and 1.7mmHg higher in NLC-IV, NLC-III NLC-II groups, respectively, than in the NLC-I group. There were no significant differences in the diastolic blood pressures between the groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that chronic noise exposure increases systolic blood pressure independently, among male workers.
Blood Pressure* ; Busan ; Cohort Studies* ; Ear ; Hearing ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male* ; Noise* ; Smoke ; Smoking

To measure the birth registration rate and the validity of birth registration data in rural area, all of the 4,014 married women under 49 years of age who had not been sterilized in Gunwee county of Kyungpook province were followed by Myun health workers for 2 years from April 1, 1985 to March 31, 1987 and 766 births were detected. All of the birth registration records of Myun offices were reviewed on September 30, 1987 and 944 births which occurred within the above mentioned period were found. Actual birth date obtained by follow-up study were compared with the birth date on registration card. Among 766 births detected by follow-up study, 576 births(75.2%) which were reported within 6 months after birth were ascertained on the official registration records and 96 births(12.5%) were not found on the records although mother stated that the birth was registered. The registration rate within legal due date was 61.3% among 576 births detected by follow-up study and also ascertained on the official records. The registration rate within legal due date was lower in mothers under 20 years of age and above 35 years and in mothers who had only primary education. It was decreased as the birth order increased. The registration rate was higher in births occurred from October to March than births occurred from April to September. All of the births of 7 neonatal deaths were not reported. The registered birth date was consistent with the actual birth date in 78.0%. Birth date on record was earlier than the actual birth date in 6.8% and later in 15.3%. The consistency rate was lower in mothers above 35 years of age(54.5%), and in infants of 4th birth order and above(56.3%). The rate was increased as the maternal education level increased. The rate of boys was higher than that of girls. A higher percentage(17.4%) of infants born in March was registered with earlier date than the actual birth date and most of these registered birth dates were lunar calendar date. This might be related with the age for entering the primary school. The study findings revealed that the birth registration rate within legal due date and accuracy of report have been increased in recent years, but the infant mortality rate derived from the birth registration seems to be very inaccurate. It is suggested to let the medical personnel who delivered the baby report the birth by mail directly to the current address of parent while infants delivered at home without professional attendant may comply with the present registration system.
Birth Order ; Education ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Mortality ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Mothers ; Parents ; Parturition* ; Postal Service

To examine the association between serum HBeAg status and tuberculosis infection, we reviewed medical records of 579 inpatients who had serum HBeAg test with RIA method at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of Kyungpook University Hospital from January 1, 1985 to December 31, 1987. HBeAg positive patients had lower tuberculosis infection rate (5.0%) than that of HBeAg negative patients(9.8%) and the odds ratio of HBeAg associated with tuberculosis was 0.48(95% C.I.:0.22-1.08). Similar relationship was found in the patients of hepatobiliary diseases; tuberculosis infection rate was 4.4% in HBeAg positive patients, 8.1% in HBeAg negative patients, and the odds ratio was 0.52(95% C.I.:0.17-1.35). Although the association did not reach the statistical significance level of 0.05, the negative association was consistent with other study done on Southeast Asian population of Philadelphia. A cohort study in general population is warranted to confirm above findings because of the limitations on hopital-based data.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cohort Studies ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hepatitis B e Antigens* ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Medical Records ; Nuclear Medicine ; Odds Ratio ; Tuberculosis*