OBJECTIVES: This study explored 11 years of malaria data from mandatory reporting in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, to provide information for prevention strategies by linkage to nationwide health claims data. METHODS: Reported malaria cases in Gyeonggi Province from 2011 to 2021 were linked to medical usage data from the National Health Insurance Database. Data about hospitalization, antibiotic prescription and duration, malarial species, and sociodemographic information of the cases were included. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2021, a total of 3,011 malaria cases were reported, consisting of 2,828 domestic (93.9%) and 183 imported (6.1%) cases. Over 80% of the cases involved males, with the majority of patients being in their 20s. Both domestic and imported cases peaked between June and August over the years. Imported cases had a higher hospitalization rate (66.9%) compared to domestically-acquired cases (54.9%). There was a significant variation in treatment rates, with 80.7% of imported cases and 74.6% of domestic cases receiving treatment. For domestic cases, chloroquine combined with primaquine was the most commonly prescribed treatment (77.0%), while atovaquone-proguanil was frequently used for imported cases (25.9%). Plasmodium vivax was the predominant species in domestic cases (94.9%), whereas P. malariae was more common in imported cases (62.3%). The overall number of reported malaria cases declined following a sharp decrease in imported cases in 2020 and 2021. CONCLUSIONS Despite a decreasing trend in malaria cases reported in Gyeonggi Province, imported cases exhibited higher hospitalization rates and different antibiotic prescription and treatment patterns, reflecting the presence of a different malarial species.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored 11 years of malaria data from mandatory reporting in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, to provide information for prevention strategies by linkage to nationwide health claims data. METHODS: Reported malaria cases in Gyeonggi Province from 2011 to 2021 were linked to medical usage data from the National Health Insurance Database. Data about hospitalization, antibiotic prescription and duration, malarial species, and sociodemographic information of the cases were included. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2021, a total of 3,011 malaria cases were reported, consisting of 2,828 domestic (93.9%) and 183 imported (6.1%) cases. Over 80% of the cases involved males, with the majority of patients being in their 20s. Both domestic and imported cases peaked between June and August over the years. Imported cases had a higher hospitalization rate (66.9%) compared to domestically-acquired cases (54.9%). There was a significant variation in treatment rates, with 80.7% of imported cases and 74.6% of domestic cases receiving treatment. For domestic cases, chloroquine combined with primaquine was the most commonly prescribed treatment (77.0%), while atovaquone-proguanil was frequently used for imported cases (25.9%). Plasmodium vivax was the predominant species in domestic cases (94.9%), whereas P. malariae was more common in imported cases (62.3%). The overall number of reported malaria cases declined following a sharp decrease in imported cases in 2020 and 2021. CONCLUSIONS Despite a decreasing trend in malaria cases reported in Gyeonggi Province, imported cases exhibited higher hospitalization rates and different antibiotic prescription and treatment patterns, reflecting the presence of a different malarial species.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored 11 years of malaria data from mandatory reporting in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, to provide information for prevention strategies by linkage to nationwide health claims data. METHODS: Reported malaria cases in Gyeonggi Province from 2011 to 2021 were linked to medical usage data from the National Health Insurance Database. Data about hospitalization, antibiotic prescription and duration, malarial species, and sociodemographic information of the cases were included. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2021, a total of 3,011 malaria cases were reported, consisting of 2,828 domestic (93.9%) and 183 imported (6.1%) cases. Over 80% of the cases involved males, with the majority of patients being in their 20s. Both domestic and imported cases peaked between June and August over the years. Imported cases had a higher hospitalization rate (66.9%) compared to domestically-acquired cases (54.9%). There was a significant variation in treatment rates, with 80.7% of imported cases and 74.6% of domestic cases receiving treatment. For domestic cases, chloroquine combined with primaquine was the most commonly prescribed treatment (77.0%), while atovaquone-proguanil was frequently used for imported cases (25.9%). Plasmodium vivax was the predominant species in domestic cases (94.9%), whereas P. malariae was more common in imported cases (62.3%). The overall number of reported malaria cases declined following a sharp decrease in imported cases in 2020 and 2021. CONCLUSIONS Despite a decreasing trend in malaria cases reported in Gyeonggi Province, imported cases exhibited higher hospitalization rates and different antibiotic prescription and treatment patterns, reflecting the presence of a different malarial species.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored 11 years of malaria data from mandatory reporting in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, to provide information for prevention strategies by linkage to nationwide health claims data. METHODS: Reported malaria cases in Gyeonggi Province from 2011 to 2021 were linked to medical usage data from the National Health Insurance Database. Data about hospitalization, antibiotic prescription and duration, malarial species, and sociodemographic information of the cases were included. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2021, a total of 3,011 malaria cases were reported, consisting of 2,828 domestic (93.9%) and 183 imported (6.1%) cases. Over 80% of the cases involved males, with the majority of patients being in their 20s. Both domestic and imported cases peaked between June and August over the years. Imported cases had a higher hospitalization rate (66.9%) compared to domestically-acquired cases (54.9%). There was a significant variation in treatment rates, with 80.7% of imported cases and 74.6% of domestic cases receiving treatment. For domestic cases, chloroquine combined with primaquine was the most commonly prescribed treatment (77.0%), while atovaquone-proguanil was frequently used for imported cases (25.9%). Plasmodium vivax was the predominant species in domestic cases (94.9%), whereas P. malariae was more common in imported cases (62.3%). The overall number of reported malaria cases declined following a sharp decrease in imported cases in 2020 and 2021. CONCLUSIONS Despite a decreasing trend in malaria cases reported in Gyeonggi Province, imported cases exhibited higher hospitalization rates and different antibiotic prescription and treatment patterns, reflecting the presence of a different malarial species.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between soy food consumption and gastric cancer (GC) risk, accounting for Helicobacter pylori infection status. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from patients with GC and healthy individuals prospectively enrolled by 6 hospitals between 2016 and 2018. Dietary intake was evaluated using questionnaires that categorized seven dietary habits and 19 food groups. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to examine associations. Model I adjusted for various epidemiological factors, while Model II included further adjustments for H. pylori infection.Primary exposures examined were consumption frequencies of nonfermented, unsalted soy foods (soybean/tofu) and fermented, salty soy foods (soybean paste stew). Results: A total of 5,535 participants were included, with 1,629 diagnosed with GC. In Model I, the frequency of soybean/tofu consumption was inversely related to GC risk; adjusted odd ratios (aORs) were 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48–0.8), 0.38 (95% CI, 0.3–0.49), 0.42 (95% CI, 0.33–0.53), and 0.33 (95% CI, 0.27–0.42) for 1 time/week, 2 times/week, 3 times/week, and ≥4 times/week. Consumption of 2 servings/week of soybean paste stew showed the lowest GC association, forming a V-shaped curve. Both low (aOR, 4.03; 95% CI, 3.09–5.26) and high serving frequencies of soybean paste stew (aOR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.76–2.82) were associated with GC. The association between soy foods and GC in Model II was similar to that in Model I. The soy food-GC associations were consistent across sexes in Model I.Nonetheless, the positive correlation between frequent consumption of soybean paste stew (≥5 times/week) and GC was more pronounced in women (aOR, 7.58; 95% CI, 3.20–17.99) compared to men (aOR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.61–5.88) in Model II. Subgroup analyses by H. pylori status and salty diet revealed a consistent inverse relationship between soybean/tofu and GC risk. In contrast, soybean paste stew showed a V-shaped relationship in H. pylori-positive or salty diet groups and no significant association in the H. pylori-negative group. Conclusions Soybean/tofu intake is consistently associated with a decreased risk of GC.However, the relationship between soybean paste stew consumption and GC risk varies, depending on H. pylori infection status and dietary salt intake.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.