No abstract available.
*Delivery of Health Care ; *Developing Countries ; *Global Health ; *International Cooperation ; Medical Missions, Official/organization & administration ; Republic of Korea

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to determine how the association between socioeconomic position(SEP) and health status changes with age among Seoul residents aged 25 and over. METHODS: We utilized the 2001 and 2005 Seoul Citizens Health Indicators Surveys. We used self-rated 'poor' health status as an outcome variable, and family income as an indicator of SEP. In order to characterize the differential effects of socioeconomic position on health by age, we conducted separate multivariate analyses by 10-year age groups, controlling for sociodemographic covariates. In order to assess the relative health inequality across socioeconomic groups, we estimated the Relative Index of Inequality (RII). RESULTS: The risk of 'poor health' is significantly high in low family income groups, and this increased risk is seen at all ages. However, the magnitude of relative socioeconomic inequality in health, as measured by the odds ratio and RII, is not identical across age groups. The difference in health across income groups is small in early adulthood (ages 25-34), but increases with age until relatively late in life (ages 35-64). It then decreases among the elderly population (ages more than 65). When the RII reported in 2005 is compared to that reported in 2001, RII can be seen to have increased across all ages, with the exception of individuals aged 25-34. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of health inequality is the greatest during mid- to late adulthood (ages 45-64). In addition, health inequalities have worsened between 2001 and 2005 across all age groups after economic crisis.
Adult ; Age Factors ; *Family ; Female ; *Health Status ; *Health Status Indicators ; Humans ; Income/*statistics & numerical data ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Socioeconomic Factors

PURPOSE: In an effort to determine the characteristics of suicide, which is a serious social problem, we analyzed the relationship with gender, age, educational level, occupation, and suicidal attempt and completed suicide. The results of this study could serve as fundamental material for suicide preventive education and improvement of health. METHODS: General characteristics of completed suicide, attempted suicide, and total injured according to gender, age, educational level, and occupation were compared using the injury surveillance dataset, the material from in-depth investigation of patients in the emergency room. All injuries from suicidal attempts and completed suicide of suicidal attempts were analyzed by logistic regression. RESULTS: The rate of injury by attempted suicide was higher in women than in men; however, completed suicide showed more male dominance, in comparison with other injuries. And, for age, the highest was observed for 30-40s. The lower educational attainment subgroup showed the highest level of attempt, and for the occupation, unemployed, skilled agriculture or fishery workers, soldiers, students, and housewives showed the highest value. CONCLUSION: Vulnerable demographic and socioeconomic groups, including women, low level of education, unemployed, skilled agriculture or fishery workers, soldiers, students, and housewives are weaken to attempted suicide, and intensive management, education, and supportive policy are necessary to those groups.
Agriculture ; Dataset ; Education ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fisheries ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Occupations* ; Social Problems ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Suicide* ; Suicide, Attempted

Vietnam has pursued universal health insurance coverage for two decades but has yet to fully achieve this goal. This paper investigates the barriers to achieve universal coverage and examines the validity of facilitating factors to shorten the transitional period in Vietnam. A comparative study of facilitating factors toward universal coverage of Vietnam and Korea reveals significant internal forces for Vietnam to further develop the National Health Insurance Program. Korea in 1977 and Vietnam in 2009 have common characteristics to be favorable of achieving universal coverage with similarities of level of income, highly qualified administrative ability, tradition of solidarity, and strong political leadership although there are differences in distribution of population and structure of the economy. From a comparative perspective, Vietnam can consider the experience of Korea in implementing the mandatory enrollment approach, household unit of eligibility, design of contribution and benefit scheme, and resource allocation to health insurance for sustainable government subsidy to achieve and sustain the universal coverage of health insurance.
Eligibility Determination ; Humans ; Income ; National Health Programs/*economics ; Republic of Korea ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Universal Coverage/*economics ; Vietnam

This study aims to provide a systematical introduction of age-period-cohort (APC) analysis to South Korean readers who are unfamiliar with this method (we provide an extended version of this study in Korean). As health data in South Korea has substantially accumulated, population-level studies that explore long-term trends of health status and health inequalities and identify macrosocial determinants of the trends are needed. Analyzing long-term trends requires to discern independent effects of age, period, and cohort using APC analysis. Most existing health and aging literature have used cross-sectional or short-term available panel data to identify age or period effects ignoring cohort effects. This under-use of APC analysis may be attributed to the identification (ID) problem caused by the perfect linear dependency across age, period, and cohort. This study explores recently developed three APC models to address the ID problem and adequately estimate the effects of A-P-C: intrinsic estimator-APC models for tabular age by period data; hierarchical cross-classified random effects models for repeated cross-sectional data; and hierarchical APC-growth curve models for accelerated longitudinal panel data. An analytic exemplar for each model was provided. APC analysis may contribute to identifying biological, historical, and socioeconomic determinants in long-term trends of health status and health inequalities as well as examining Korean's aging trajectories and temporal trends of period and cohort effects. For designing effective health policies that improve Korean population's health and reduce health inequalities, it is essential to understand independent effects of the three temporal factors by using the innovative APC models.
Aging ; Cohort Effect* ; Cohort Studies* ; Health Policy ; Korea ; Methods ; Socioeconomic Factors

This study aims to provide a systematical introduction of age-period-cohort (APC) analysis to South Korean readers who are unfamiliar with this method (we provide an extended version of this study in Korean). As health data in South Korea has substantially accumulated, population-level studies that explore long-term trends of health status and health inequalities and identify macrosocial determinants of the trends are needed. Analyzing long-term trends requires to discern independent effects of age, period, and cohort using APC analysis. Most existing health and aging literature have used cross-sectional or short-term available panel data to identify age or period effects ignoring cohort effects. This under-use of APC analysis may be attributed to the identification (ID) problem caused by the perfect linear dependency across age, period, and cohort. This study explores recently developed three APC models to address the ID problem and adequately estimate the effects of A-P-C: intrinsic estimator-APC models for tabular age by period data; hierarchical cross-classified random effects models for repeated cross-sectional data; and hierarchical APC-growth curve models for accelerated longitudinal panel data. An analytic exemplar for each model was provided. APC analysis may contribute to identifying biological, historical, and socioeconomic determinants in long-term trends of health status and health inequalities as well as examining Korean's aging trajectories and temporal trends of period and cohort effects. For designing effective health policies that improve Korean population's health and reduce health inequalities, it is essential to understand independent effects of the three temporal factors by using the innovative APC models.
Aging ; Cohort Effect ; Cohort Studies ; Health Policy ; Korea ; Methods ; Socioeconomic Factors

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to collect information that will help enhance the social networks and improve the quality of life among elderly people by observing the relationship between their social network and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and by analyzing social network factors affecting HRQoL. METHODS: This study was based on the 2008 Community Health Survey in Yeoncheon County. Three hundred elders were included in the study population. We compared the revised Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-R) score and Euro quality of life-5 dimensions health status index by demographic characteristics and chronic disease prevalence. We analyzed the data using multiple regression and tobit regression by setting the HRQoL as the dependent variable and social network and other characteristics as the independent variables. We analyzed social network factors by using factor analysis. RESULTS: The LSNS-R score differed significantly according to age and existence of a spouse. According to the results from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the LSNS-R explained 0.10 of the variance and LSNS-R friends factor explained 0.10 of the variance. The tobit regression indicated that the contribution of the LSNS-R family size factor to the regression coefficient of the independent variable that affected the HRQoL was BT=2.96, that of the LSNS-R family frequency factor was BT=3.60, and that of LSNS-R friends factor was BT=5.41. CONCLUSIONS: Social networks among elderly people had a significant effect on HRQoL and their networks of friends had a relatively higher effect than those of family members.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Chronic Disease ; Demography ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Income ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Regression Analysis ; Republic of Korea ; Social Support

PURPOSE: This study assessed the association between the ratio of leukotriene E4 (LTE4) to fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) in the response of children with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) enrolled in a therapeutic trial with montelukast or inhaled corticosteroid (fluticasone propionate [FP]). METHODS: Children aged 6 to 18 years with EIB were randomized in a 4-week, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial with montelukast or FP. Before and after treatment, treadmill exercise challenges were performed. The LTE4 levels in the induced sputum and urine and the FENO levels were measured in subjects before and 30 minutes after the exercise challenges. The same tests were conducted after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients completed the study: 12 in the montelukast group and 12 in FP group. Both study groups displayed a similar postexercise maximum decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) before treatment as well as after treatment. However, there were significant differences in the magnitude of change between the two (Delta; -18.38+/-14.53% vs. -4.67+/-8.12% for the montelukast and FP groups, respectively; P=0.021). The Delta logarithmic sputum baseline and postexercise LTE4/FENO ratio were significantly lower in the montelukast group than in the FP group (baseline; -0.09+/-0.21 vs. -0.024+/-0.03, P=0.045; postexercise, -0.61+/-0.33 vs. -0.11+/-0.28, P=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the efficacy of montelukast for preventing a maximum decrease in FEV1 after exercise is significantly higher than that of FP, and the high LTE4/FENO ratio is associated with a greater response to montelukast than to FP for EIB therapy. These results suggest that LTE4 may play an important role in EIB.
Acetates ; Aged ; Bronchoconstriction ; Child ; Diethylpropion ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Leukotriene E4 ; Nitric Oxide ; Quinolines ; Sputum

The aim of this study was to investigate the whole picture regarding pregnancy, prenatal care, obstetrical complications, and delivery among disabled pregnant women in Korea. Using the data of National Health Insurance Corporation, we extracted the data of women who terminated pregnancy including delivery and abortion from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Pearson's chi-square test and Student-t test were conducted to examine the difference between disabled women and non-disabled women. Also, to define the factors affecting inadequate prenatal care, logistic regression was performed. The total number of pregnancy were 463,847; disabled women was 2,968 (0.6%) and 460,879 (99.4%) were by non-disabled women. Abortion rates (27.6%), Cesarean section rate (54.5%), and the rate of receiving inadequate prenatal care (17.0%), and the rate of being experienced at least one obstetrical complication (11.3%) among disabled women were higher than those among non-disabled women (P < 0.001). Beneficiaries of Medical Aid (OR, 2.21) (P < 0.001) and severe disabled women (OR, 1.46) (P = 0.002) were more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care. In conclusion, disabled women are more vulnerable in pregnancy, prenatal care and delivery. Therefore, the government and society should pay more attention to disabled pregnant women to ensure they have a safe pregnancy period up until the delivery.
Abortion, Induced/*statistics & numerical data ; Adult ; Cesarean Section/*statistics & numerical data ; Delivery, Obstetric/*statistics & numerical data ; Disabled Persons/*statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Mothers/statistics & numerical data ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Prenatal Care/*statistics & numerical data ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

The aim of this study was to investigate the whole picture regarding pregnancy, prenatal care, obstetrical complications, and delivery among disabled pregnant women in Korea. Using the data of National Health Insurance Corporation, we extracted the data of women who terminated pregnancy including delivery and abortion from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Pearson's chi-square test and Student-t test were conducted to examine the difference between disabled women and non-disabled women. Also, to define the factors affecting inadequate prenatal care, logistic regression was performed. The total number of pregnancy were 463,847; disabled women was 2,968 (0.6%) and 460,879 (99.4%) were by non-disabled women. Abortion rates (27.6%), Cesarean section rate (54.5%), and the rate of receiving inadequate prenatal care (17.0%), and the rate of being experienced at least one obstetrical complication (11.3%) among disabled women were higher than those among non-disabled women (P < 0.001). Beneficiaries of Medical Aid (OR, 2.21) (P < 0.001) and severe disabled women (OR, 1.46) (P = 0.002) were more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care. In conclusion, disabled women are more vulnerable in pregnancy, prenatal care and delivery. Therefore, the government and society should pay more attention to disabled pregnant women to ensure they have a safe pregnancy period up until the delivery.
Abortion, Induced/*statistics & numerical data ; Adult ; Cesarean Section/*statistics & numerical data ; Delivery, Obstetric/*statistics & numerical data ; Disabled Persons/*statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Mothers/statistics & numerical data ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Prenatal Care/*statistics & numerical data ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult