BACKGROUND: The incidence of colorectal polyps have been reported to be increasing in those aged 30-40 years who consume fast food, have low physical activity, and use alcohol and cigarettes. We analyzed the characteristics and risk factors of colorectal polyps in asymptomatic adults in Jeju Island. METHODS: Data on 1700 individuals who underwent a screening colonoscopy from 1 July, 2010 to 30 June, 2012 were analyzed based on age, gender, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood tests, and behavioral habits including alcohol use, smoking, and exercise. RESULTS: The prevalence of colorectal polyps, including adenomatous and hyperplastic, is 43.1% and is higher in males (P<0.001). The prevalence according to age group shows increasing by age (P for trend<0.001). The most common histologic type of polyp is adenomatous in the <50 years and >50 years age groups, 27.3% and 45.3% respectively. And the percentage of adenomatous polyps has shown an increasing trend along with increasing number and size of polyps (P for trend<0.001). BMI, waist circumference (WC), fasting blood sugar, and triglyceride were higher in males with polyps than males in the control group. BMI and WC were higher and HDL-cholesterol was lower in females with polyps. The incidence of colorectal polyps was higher in male and female smokers (P<0.001 and P=0.035 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that older age, male gender, obesity, and smoking are risk factors for colorectal polyps. The prevalence of colorectal adenomatous polyps is 27.3% in <50 yrs, 33.4% in the 40s. For early detection and treatment, we recommend a screening colonoscopy for those with risk factors.
Adenomatous Polyps ; Adult ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Colonoscopy ; Fast Foods ; Fasting ; Female ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Polyps* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: Nutrition label reading is helpful in attaining a healthy diet. Nutrition label use and its related factors have been studied in many Korean articles, but their research samples were the general population and not chronic disease patients. This study aimed to explore the use of nutrition labels and its relation to dietary intake among chronic disease patients in Korea. METHODS: A total of 3160 respondents aged> or =20 years from the 2008-2009 Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES-IV) participated in the study. Their chronic medical conditions included hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, diabetes and/or stroke and they were interviewed regarding their use of nutrition labels. Nutrition intake was also estimated by 24-hour dietary recalls. RESULTS: Overall, 10.4% of the chronic disease patients reported to using nutrition labels. The nutrients they looked at first were total calories, fat and cholesterol. Factors related to reading nutrition labels were relatively higher education, high body mass index and lower frequency of alcohol intake in males and relatively younger age and higher education in females. Nutrition label users consumed lower total calories, protein and fat in the male CAD group, lower total calories and carbohydrate in both diabetes and total groups and lower total calories and fiber in the female stroke group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that, in Korea, a significantly lower rate of patients with chronic disease read nutrition labels. Strategies need to be developed to improve clinical application of nutrition labels in this population.
Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Chronic Disease* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diet ; Education ; Female ; Food Labeling ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Stroke

No abstract available.
Humans ; Male ; Obesity

BACKGROUND: Magnesium (Mg) deficiency has been associated with cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, past studies had shown that some chronic fatigue syndrome patients had lower red cell Mg concentrations than healthy control subjects. We studied the association the Mg concentrations in hair tissue with the prevalence of easy fatigue. METHODS: A total of 109 adult men were categorized into easy fatigue group and the control group. We compared with the two groups on basal characteristics. The subjects were divided into quartile groups according to the Mg concentration in their hair with the prevalence of easy fatigue, and compared the odds ratio of easy fatigue with other groups on the basis of the highest quartile group. RESULTS: Among the total, 64 subjects were in the easy fatigue group and 45 subjects were in the control group. The mean Mg concentration in hair was not significantly different between the two groups. The prevalence of easy fatigue in quartile groups of hair Mg level was increased according to the low Mg level (P for trend=0.033). And the odds ratio of the lowest quartile group was 3.8 (95% CI 1.1~12.9, P=0.031) on the basis of the highest quartile group. CONCLUSION: The subjects with low hair Mg level had the high prevalence of easy fatigue.
Adult* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic ; Fatigue* ; Hair* ; Humans ; Magnesium* ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence*

Previous studies have demonstrated a positive association between obesity and decreased lung function. However, the effect of muscle and fat has not been fully assessed, especially in a healthy elderly population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of low muscle mass (LMM) and LMM with obesity on pulmonary impairment in healthy elderly subjects. Our study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 to 2011. Men and women aged 65 yr or older were included. Muscle mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. LMM was defined as two standard deviations below the sex-specific mean for young healthy adults. Obesity was defined as body mass index > or = 25 kg/m2. The prevalence of LMM in individuals aged over 65 was 11.9%. LMM and pulmonary function (forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second) were independently associated after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and frequency of exercise. LMM with obesity was also related to a decrease in pulmonary function. This study revealed that LMM is an independent risk factor of decreased pulmonary function in healthy Korean men and women over 65 yr of age.
Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Causality ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases/*epidemiology/*pathology ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity/*epidemiology/pathology ; Organ Size ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Muscles/*pathology ; Risk Factors ; Sarcopenia/*epidemiology/*pathology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sex Distribution

PURPOSE: Respite care is not a discrete intervention, but encompasses a range of services. This research was conducted to clarify the phenomenon of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia from a nursing perspective. METHODS: The Hybrid Model of concept development was applied to clarify the concept of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia. The study was conducted in the following three steps, theoretical phase, fieldwork phase, and final analytic phase. RESULTS: The definition of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia was delineated through integration of data analyses in theoretical and fieldwork phase, and has three dimensions; tailored supports for caregivers, tailored supports based on physical and cognitive function of elders with dementia and community interventions related to family care function. CONCLUSION: Through this study, the concept of respite care for family caregivers of elders with dementia is clarified and reformulated as nursing practice phenomena in the Korean context, which indicates ways to develop caring practice forms for a family living with an elder with dementia in a community setting.
Caregivers ; Chimera ; Dementia ; Humans ; Respite Care ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: Purposes of this study were to develop a community-based respite program for family caregivers and to test the effects of the program. METHODS: Focus group interviews were performed to extract meaning of respite care for family caregivers (13 participants) and a survey was done to identify respite needs of family caregivers (157 participants). The community-based respite program for family caregivers was developed based on results of the focus group interview and survey. The program was used with 41 participants (19 experimental and 22 control). Independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to test differences between control and experimental groups for respite needs, burden of caregivers, subjective wellbeing, social support, fatigue and functional status of elders with dementia. RESULTS: There were statistical differences in caregiver burden, subjective wellbeing, and social support after the program, but, none for respite needs, fatigue and functional status of elders with dementia. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that a respite program can be useful to decrease burden of caregivers and increase subjective wellbeing and perceived social support of family caregivers in community settings. Further intervention research is needed to increase the functional status of elders with dementia and decrease fatigue in caregivers.
Caregivers ; Dementia ; Fatigue ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Respite Care

BACKGROUND: Subjects diagnosed and treated for cancer may experience weight loss, especially in the skeletal muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with metabolic syndrome in Korean cancer survivors. METHODS: We used the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2008 to 2011 and enrolled a total of 312 cancer survivors older than 40 years. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and was adjusted by weight (ASM/Wt). Sarcopenia was defined as 1 standard deviation (SD) below the mean for young healthy adults. RESULTS: According to the definition, our cut-off value of sarcopenia was 30.52% in men and 23.80% in women. For men and women, values of 33.6% and 32.7% were used to define sarcopenia according to ASM/Wt, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 34.8% in men and 38.2% in women. After adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, exercise, education level and income, both men and women with sarcopenia had increased risk of metabolic syndrome (OR 3.71, 95% CI: 1.28-10.69 and OR 5.53, 95% CI: 2.36-13.00, respectively). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, sarcopenia adjusted by weight was closely associated with metabolic syndrome in Korean cancer survivors.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prevalence ; Sarcopenia ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Survivors ; Weight Loss

We investigated the association between hand grip strength (HGS) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A total number of 9,211 participants from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014– 2015) were included. HRQOL was measured by EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and EQ-5D index score. Participants were classified as normal HRQOL group or impaired HRQOL group according to the EQ-5D responses and the EQ-5D index scores. HGS was measured using Takei dynamometer. Impaired HRQOL group represented lower mean HGS than that of normal HRQOL group. According to the quintile groups of HGS, group with the lowest HGS showed the lowest mean EQ-5D index score in both sexes. And the more HGS increases, the more EQ-5D index score increases also (p-value for trend <0.001). Men and women with lower grip strength were more likely to report ‘some’ or ‘extreme problem’ in EQ-5D domains (except anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort domain in men), and also more likely to belong to the lowest 20% level group in EQ-5D index score according to logistic analyses. Our findings suggest that HGS is associated HRQOL. Low HGS is associated with impaired status of HRQOL by EQ-5D and EQ-5D index score in Korean men and women. More research is needed to evaluate the specific plausibility between HGS and HRQOL.
Adult* ; Female ; Hand Strength* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life*