BACKGROUND & METHODS: The purpose of this research is to estimate the efficiency of the pharmaceutical firms and the determinants of their efficiency. Stochastic frontier analysis(SFA) and panel study are applied to the data of 60 domestic pharmaceutical firms from 2006 to 2012. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: First, the result of the stochastic frontier analysis shows that overall efficiency of the pharmaceutical firms is increasing as time goes by. However, if firms are classified by the scale, the larger firms show more efficiency and if classified by the degree of innovativeness, the innovative firms show more efficiency compared to the non-innovative firms. This evidences show that the scale and R&D investment have significant relationships with the efficiency of the pharmaceutical firms. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the national level of investment for the fundamental researches to vitalize R&D of the new drugs. Second, the result of estimation of the determinants of efficiency shows that the firms with larger sales promotion expenses and entertainment expenses have less efficiency compared to the other firms. This can be explained by the structural characteristics of the small generic pharmaceutical firms. Therefore, the government had better make the pharmaceutical firms to reduce sales promotion and entertainment expenses and increase R&D expenses by introducing systems such as global budgeting system on medicine or reference pricing system.
Budgets ; Commerce ; Investments

BACKGROUND: There have been deviations in the regional rate of certification in Korean long-term care insurance (LTCI). This study aimed to explore the determinants of the rate of certification in LTCI. METHODS: The panel data of the year 2010–2014 of the 227 National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) regional office were used. Making use of 26 explanatory variables (socio-demographic factors, access to the long-term care services, etc.), we estimated the random effects model using STATA SE ver. 13.0 program (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA) and tried to find out the determinants of the regional rate of certification. RESULTS: Estimation results showed that the most important determinants of the regional rate of certification in LTCI are the long-term care infrastructure such as capacity or number of the homecare service institution, sanatorium, or convalescent hospital. The number of the elderly who lives alone and the dimentia patients were positively related to the regional rate of certification in LTCI. CONCLUSION: The estimation results implied that the regional variation in the rate of certification in LTCI has nothing to do with the NHIS regional offices or their employees. To alleviate the deviation in the regional rate of certification in LTCI, we suggested the analysis of the deviation in the survey checklist. We also proposed to found the regional comprehensive support center to prevent the geriatric illness and to improve the residents' health, etc.
Aged ; Certification* ; Checklist ; Hospitals, Convalescent ; Humans ; Insurance, Long-Term Care* ; Long-Term Care* ; National Health Programs

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze effects of postpartum care services to women after birth, identify the factors affecting their use, and examine the extent of income-related inequality in the postpartum care services utilization and expenditures using Korean Health Panel data between 2010 and 2013. METHODS: The panel data of the year 2010–2013 of the 247 women after birth were used. First, EuroQoL-5D was used to evaluate the effects of postpartum care service to women's quality of life. Second, multinominal logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants of the use of the postpartum care services. Finally, concentration index and HIwv (horizontal equity) index were used to find that the concentration index for the inequality in the use of postpartum care services showed negative sign, which implied pro-rich. RESULTS: The estimation results showed that utilization of the postpartum services has a positive effect on women after birth. Also age, area of residence, and number of household members turn out to be the factors of using postpartum services. And there are inequality in the use of postpartum care services whose HIwv index showed positive sign, which implied pro-rich. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the government's policy of the postpartum care service is necessary to be expanded and diversified considering the personal characteristics and equity of the women after birth.
Family Characteristics ; Female ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Parturition ; Postnatal Care ; Postpartum Period ; Quality of Life ; Socioeconomic Factors

We analyze the determinants of obesity and the chronic diseases using the Korea Health Panel data. Also we analyze the effect of obesity and the chronic diseases on the health care expenditures. Through this study, to reduce the health care expenditures, we suggest the policy implication that might curb the obesity and the chronic diseases. We estimate the determinants of obesity, the chronic diseases, and the health care expenditures using 2SLS (two stage least squares) estimation method under the simultaneous equations framework. Result says that obesity and chronic diseases significantly have positive effects on the health care expenditures. Also the determinants of the health care expenditures that have positive effects are age, income and health care utilization variables.
Chronic Disease* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Health Expenditures* ; Korea ; Obesity*

In order to survey the reality of anxiety and depression among the Koreans residing in china, a study was conducted between January and March of 1991, on the residents of Yun-Kil city, with subjects of 472 Koreans and 479 Chinese. The evaluation was based on the questionnaires, named Combined self-rating anxiety depression scale (CADS), distributed among the subjects. ANOVA and t-test were applied for data processing. The results were as follows: There was not significant difference in the mean of total scores between the two groups. The scores of Koreans were 29.70±7.03, while those of Chinese were 29.45±9.01. The score of the CADS above 50 (clinically significant level) was seen in 12 (2.54%) Koreans and 21 (4.38%) Chinese. The anxiety-depression scores relating to the items of indigestion and decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libido were relatively high among the Koreans. The items appeared low in scores among the Koreans were faintness, fear, suicidal rumination, hopelessness, paresthesias. The highs among the Chinese were facial flushing, anxiousness, dissatisfaction, suicidal rumination. The items appeared low among the Chinese were fear, faintness, paresthesias, weight loss, suicidal rumination. In the compatison of evaluation by items between the two groups, the items placing the Koreans significantly higher over the Chinese are indigestion & decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, apprehension, decreased libldo. The Chinese marked significantly higher in facial flushing, anxiousness, dissastisfaction, suicidal rumination. Those in the case of female (p<0.01 respectively), less than twenty years old (p<0.01 respectively), dissatisfied with family relationship (p<0.01 respectively), with past history of psychiatric hospitalization (Koreans p<0.01, Chinese p<0.05), pessimistic toward future, present, past self image (p<0.01 respectively) had significantly higher scores in both groups. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In religion, neither group showed significant difference. In marital status, the Koreans showed a higher degree of divorce and separation and the Chinese in singleness (p<0.01 respectively). The Korean were higher in illiteracy and the Chinese had more college education (p<0.01 respectively). In place of growth, The Koreans showed not much difference in the areas while more Chinese grew up un large cities (p<0.01). More Koreans lived in the dormitory while the Chinese were engaged more in self-cooking (p<0.01 respectively), In pocket money per mouth, more Koreans were less than 1 dollar while the Chinese were between 7 and 10 dollars (p<0.01 respectively). There were no significant difference between two groups about religion.
Anxiety* ; Appetite ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China* ; Depression* ; Divorce ; Dyspepsia ; Education ; Ethnopsychology ; Family Relations ; Female ; Flushing ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Libido ; Literacy ; Marital Status ; Mouth ; Paresthesia ; United Nations ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: This study analyzes the effects of the individual's health behavior on the health and the medical demand for the management of health and medical expenses. METHODS: This study uses the Korea Health Panel Survey data from 2010 to 2015. We utilize the panel ordered logit model and the panel Tobit model with the subjective health status and the medical expenses as the dependent variables. RESULTS: Chronic diseases would cause the deterioration of his or her health and the increase in medical expenses. Smoking and drinking alcohol would deteriorate one's health. The total amount of cigarettes increases medical expenses. Exercises could make people healthier, whereas excessive exercise might increase medical expenses. Private health insurance would increase medical expenses. CONCLUSION: Since health could reduce the medical expenses, people should promote one's health by changing one's behavior for health.
Chronic Disease ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Drinking ; Exercise ; Health Behavior ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products

Background: Population aging is a serious problem in Korea. And we have experienced a rapid increase in the health expenditures of the elderly. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of having a usual source of care (USC) for the elderly. Methods: This study used the Korea Health Panel Survey data of 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The sample was the person who answered the USC questions among the elderly. The panel logit model was used to analyze the determinants of having USC and the panel simultaneous equation model was used to analyze the effect of having USC among the elderly on the medical expenses, medical utilization, and subjective health status. Results: The estimation result shows that age, income, marriage, and so forth turn out to be the factors of having USC. Having the clinic level USC is estimated to reduce the health care utilization and the health expenditure and to improve the subjective health status. Conclusion It is expected that the result of our analysis will provide evidence for encouraging having USC.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of young people go to clubs. In Korea, however, no studies have been conducted regarding the exposure of club patrons to secondhand smoke. The present study was conducted to evaluate the degree of club customers' exposure to secondhand smoke. METHODS: The study subjects included 10 male and 12 female non-smokers. The investigational site was a club located in Daegu. Urine samples were collected before exposure to secondhand smoke in the club and 6 hours after a 3-hour exposure. The urine cotinine levels were measured via the LC-MS/MS method. A survey was conducted to collect data regarding the subjects' smoking experiences and the degree of exposure to secondhand smoke in their daily lives. RESULTS: The average urine cotinine level increased from 1.09 microg/L to 5.55 microg/L (p<0.05). No significant difference existed in the change in urine cotinine level between the male and female subjects. In addition, there was no significant difference in the change in urine cotinine level by the degree of exposure to secondhand smoke in daily life. CONCLUSIONS: The average urine cotinine level in all the subjects significantly increased after exposure to secondhand smoke. This is the first study on exposure to secondhand smoke in clubs; these results can be used to craft measures that reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in public places, such as clubs.
Cotinine ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution

BACKGROUND: The main aim of this study was to analyze the factors that could be used to predict job satisfaction of assistant nurses in general hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was based on a survey of assistant nurses in the Daegu region from January 1, 2006 to January 31, 2006. Originally 300 questionnaires were distributed and among them 291 were completed. The data was collected and used for the statistical analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics, such as the frequency, t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for the analysis. RESULTS: Among the respondents, the average score for job satisfaction was lowest in the university-trained nurses and highest in the nurses who had only graduated from high school. CONCLUSION: The working conditions, work place and motivation are significantly associated with job satisfaction. In particular, there was lower job satisfaction in those nurses who wanted to change their occupation.
Daegu ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction* ; Motivation ; Occupations ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workplace

OBJECTICES AND METHODS: The purpose of this study was to examine availabilities of stop-signal task as a screening test for ADHD and as a research tool. Stop-signal task was applied to 40 ADHD patients and 18 normal children. Followings are the results of this study. RESULTS: There were significant differences between ADHD group and control group in ZRFT, mean delay x block and primary-RT of stop-signal task performance(p<0.05). There was no significant difference in results of continuous performance test. SSRT of stop-signal task had significant correlation with hit reaction time of continuous performance test, and primary-RT and primary-SD with attentiveness and hit reaction time of continuous performance test. There was no significant correlation between scores of ADDES-HV and stop-signal task performance. In change of primary-SD according to intelligence, primary-SD decreased as intelligence increased but made plateau after IQ 110, and in change of SSRT according to age, SSRT decreased as intelligence increased but made plateau after 10 year-old. In discriminant ability, mean delay x block and primary-RT showed highest discriminant ability (each 75%). In addition P-inhibit showed 63.89%, SSRT showed 58%, ZRFT showed 67%, and primary-SD showed 58% in discriminant ability. There was no significant difference in stop-signal task performance between ADHD with hyperactivity and ADHD without hyperactivity. CONCLUSION: In this point of view, stop-signal task was proved to be a useful research tool for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as useful screening test tool.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* ; Child* ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Mass Screening ; Reaction Time ; Task Performance and Analysis