Purpose: This scoping review aimed to identify the research trends for dysphagia among older Korean adults in long-term care facilities. Methods: A literature search was performed using Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Sharing Service, ScienceON, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PubMed. A total of 1,395 articles were identified, and 10 articles were selected for the final analysis. Two reviewers independently performed the study selection and extraction using pre-tested forms to confirm those for final inclusion. Results: Most of the studies were published between 2011 and 2014. The quasi-experimental design was most frequently applied. The Gugging Swallowing Screen was the most widely used assessment tool. All studies, including dysphagia intervention programs, involved oral and facial exercise programs. In addition, they all used swallowing-related outcome variables to assess the effectiveness of the interventions. Conclusion Additional studies on dysphagia among older Korean adults in long-term care facilities should be conducted, and various interventions and assessment tools should be developed and implemented. This study is anticipated to establish a fundamental foundation for further dysphagia-related research and help improve the quality of life of Korean older adults in long-term care.

BACKGROUND: Labial diseases are common in dermatology. However, few studies have reported the clinical and histopathologic features of labial diseases in Korea. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the clinical and histopathologic features of labial diseases. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 242 patients who received biopsy for labial diseases between January 2005 and May 2010. We compared clinical and histopahtologic diagnoses and analyzed the rate of concurrence. In addition, clinical features, including age, sex, and location, associated cutaneous lesions of 11 major labial diseases, which were confirmed by histopathology, were investigated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 52.2 years. The male to female ratio was 1:1.5. Lower lip was the most commonly involved (77.4%). The most frequent final diagnosis was venous lake, followed by nonspecific inflammation, labial melanotic macule, plasma cell cheilitis, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, squamous cell carcinoma, lichen planus, mucocele, Fordyce's disease, pyogenic granuloma, and actinic cheilits. Venous lake showed the highest match rate (86.3%), whereas cheilitis simplex exhibited the lowest match rate (0.0%). We also analyzed the clinical features of 11 major labial diseases. The majority of labial diseases occurred in old patients, except for mucocele, Fordyce's disease, or labial melanotic macule. Most diseases occurred predominantly in females, whereas squamous cell carcinoma, plasma cell cheilits, and Fordyce's disease were male-dominant. The most commonly involved location was the lower lip, except for Fordyce's disease. Associated skin lesions, such as ulcers, hyperkeratosis, or whitish patches, were observed in squamous cell carcinoma, plasma cell cheilitis, actinic cheilitis, and lichen planus. CONCLUSION: Compared to previous studies, the actual frequency of actinic cheilitis and squamous cell carcinoma was relatively lower while that of plasma cell cheilitis was relatively higher. We suggest that actinic cheilitis and squamous cell carcinoma are less frequently confirmed than previously expected and that plasma cell cheilitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of labial lesions, especially when they are located on the lower lip and occur in old patients.
Actins ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cheilitis ; Dermatology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Granuloma, Pyogenic ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Lakes ; Lichen Planus ; Lichens ; Lip ; Male ; Methylmethacrylates ; Mucocele ; Plasma Cells ; Polystyrenes ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND: Although seborrheic keratosis is one of the most common epidermal tumors, there are only rare studies on the clinicohistopathologic features of seborrheic keratosis in Korea. The majority of cases of typical seborrheic keratosis can be clinically differentiated with ease from other dermatoses such as melanocytic nevi, lentigo, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. However, its differential diagnosis can sometimes be difficult. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the clincohistopathologic characteristics of seborrheic keratosis, the frequency of biopsy and the accuracy of making the clinical diagnosis, as well as to analyze the cases where there is a mismatch between the clinical diagnosis and the histological diagnosis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study and we searched for patients who were clinically diagnosed as having seborrheic keratosis between January 2000 and December 2008. The search found 1,248 patients and the patients were divided into two groups: a non-biopsy group (n=891) and a biopsy group (n=357). The clinical features, including age, gender, the anatomic site of lesion and the treatment method, were investigated in each group. In addition, the frequency of biopsy, the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis and the histopathological features were studied in the biopsy group. RESULTS: Between the two groups, we found that the clinical features, including the proportions between the involved body sites, such as trunk/face, and the treatment methods were different. However, these differences might be partly attributed to the clinical decisions such as the frequency of performing biopsy for making the differential diagnosis of skin malignancy. In both groups, the most frequent age period was in the seventh decade and the most common anatomical site was the face. Only one-third of patients who were clinically diagnosed as having seborrheic keratosis received biopsy for histopathologic confirmation and the lesions were mostly located on the face. The clinical diagnosis matched the histological diagnosis in 282/357 (79.0%) patients. In 75 patients who revealed a mismatch between the clinical and histological diagnosis, the skin lesion most frequently involved the face (57.3%) and the most common final diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma (13.3%). The frequency of a mismatch for the sun-exposed lesion was significantly higher than that of the non-sun exposed lesion (p=0.035). CONCLUSION: We present the clinical and histopathological features of seborrheic keratosis. If the lesion is presented with an atypical appearance or it located on a sun-exposed area and so it requires a differential diagnosis from other premalignant diseases or cutaneous malignancies, then we should perform a biopsy to make the differential diagnosis.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Korea ; Lentigo ; Melanoma ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze nationwide trends and regional disparities in inguinal hernia surgeries in South Korea between 2016 and 2022. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate changes in surgery frequency, including urban concentration and the introduction of robotic surgery. Methods: This retrospective review used nationwide data on inguinal hernia surgeries from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Results: From 2016 to 2022, 254,367 inguinal hernia surgeries were performed in South Korea, with males accounting for 88.9% of cases. The annual number of surgeries fluctuated, particularly in 2020, owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Medical costs increased from $1,218.4 to $1,970 on average, whereas patient copayments rose from $180.2 to $293.3. Robotic inguinal hernia surgeries, introduced in 2019, increased to 226 cases in 2022. Pediatric surgeries steadily declined, whereas adult surgeries remained stable, with a slight increase in 2022. The average hospital stay did not change significantly but varied between pediatric and adult patients. Regional disparities were notable, especially in pediatric surgery rates between metropolitan areas, such as Seoul and the surrounding provinces. Conclusion This study highlights stable overall surgery rates, a decline in pediatric cases, and an increase in robotic inguinal hernia surgeries. The persistent concentration of healthcare services in metropolitan areas suggests a need for policy interventions to address regional disparities and ensure equitable healthcare access. The findings underscore the importance of ongoing efforts to improve healthcare distribution and the need for long-term strategies to address changing surgical trends.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze nationwide trends and regional disparities in inguinal hernia surgeries in South Korea between 2016 and 2022. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate changes in surgery frequency, including urban concentration and the introduction of robotic surgery. Methods: This retrospective review used nationwide data on inguinal hernia surgeries from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Results: From 2016 to 2022, 254,367 inguinal hernia surgeries were performed in South Korea, with males accounting for 88.9% of cases. The annual number of surgeries fluctuated, particularly in 2020, owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Medical costs increased from $1,218.4 to $1,970 on average, whereas patient copayments rose from $180.2 to $293.3. Robotic inguinal hernia surgeries, introduced in 2019, increased to 226 cases in 2022. Pediatric surgeries steadily declined, whereas adult surgeries remained stable, with a slight increase in 2022. The average hospital stay did not change significantly but varied between pediatric and adult patients. Regional disparities were notable, especially in pediatric surgery rates between metropolitan areas, such as Seoul and the surrounding provinces. Conclusion This study highlights stable overall surgery rates, a decline in pediatric cases, and an increase in robotic inguinal hernia surgeries. The persistent concentration of healthcare services in metropolitan areas suggests a need for policy interventions to address regional disparities and ensure equitable healthcare access. The findings underscore the importance of ongoing efforts to improve healthcare distribution and the need for long-term strategies to address changing surgical trends.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze nationwide trends and regional disparities in inguinal hernia surgeries in South Korea between 2016 and 2022. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate changes in surgery frequency, including urban concentration and the introduction of robotic surgery. Methods: This retrospective review used nationwide data on inguinal hernia surgeries from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Results: From 2016 to 2022, 254,367 inguinal hernia surgeries were performed in South Korea, with males accounting for 88.9% of cases. The annual number of surgeries fluctuated, particularly in 2020, owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Medical costs increased from $1,218.4 to $1,970 on average, whereas patient copayments rose from $180.2 to $293.3. Robotic inguinal hernia surgeries, introduced in 2019, increased to 226 cases in 2022. Pediatric surgeries steadily declined, whereas adult surgeries remained stable, with a slight increase in 2022. The average hospital stay did not change significantly but varied between pediatric and adult patients. Regional disparities were notable, especially in pediatric surgery rates between metropolitan areas, such as Seoul and the surrounding provinces. Conclusion This study highlights stable overall surgery rates, a decline in pediatric cases, and an increase in robotic inguinal hernia surgeries. The persistent concentration of healthcare services in metropolitan areas suggests a need for policy interventions to address regional disparities and ensure equitable healthcare access. The findings underscore the importance of ongoing efforts to improve healthcare distribution and the need for long-term strategies to address changing surgical trends.

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed at finding out the relationship between long working hours, one of major job stress elements, and hearing impairment in unexposed workers to occupational and environmental noise. METHODS: This study was performed on 1628 regular, full-time wage workers between the age of 25-64 who indicated in the survey of having no experience of exposure to noise, normal otoscopic findings, and not suffering from diabetes based on the data from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2010–2012). The average working hours per week was categorized into 40 h and lower group, more than 40 to 48 h group, more than 48 to 60 h group, and more than 60 h group. The groups were defined as suffering from low or high frequencies hearing impairment if the average hearing threshold for 0.5, 1, 2 kHz or 3, 4, 6 kHz in both ears exceeds 25 dB based on the pure tone audiometry. The association between average weekly working hours and hearing impairment was analyzed using logistic regression after gender stratification. RESULTS: The prevalences of low and high frequencies hearing impairment in male workers were 4.3 and 28.6 %, respectively, which were much higher than female’s prevalence of 2.7 and 11.1 %. For male workers, no significant association was found between average weekly working hours and low and high frequencies hearing impairment. For female workers, odds ratios (OR) of low and high frequencies hearing impairment were 4.22 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.09–16.27) and 4.49 (95 % CI 1.73–11.67), respectively, after controlling for several related factors, such as, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), socio-economic status, health-related behavioral, and occupational characteristics variables, in the final model in the group working more than 60 h compared to the group working 40 h and lower. In addition, a dose-response relationship was observed that ORs of low and high frequencies hearing impairment were increased according to increasing average weekly working hours. CONCLUSIONS: The association between long working hours and hearing impairment in both low and high frequencies was significant in Korean female workers with a dose-response relationship. Therefore, the law to change the culture of long working hours should be enacted in order to protect the workers’ health and improve the quality of life in Korean workers.
Audiometry ; Body Mass Index ; Ear ; Female ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Noise* ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on the association between shift or night work and weight change have been focused on finding the risk of weight gain caused by shift or night work. In this study, we aimed to reveal the risk of weight gain and weight loss associated with night work by using a nationwide representative data. METHODS: This study was performed on 1605 full-time wage workers between the age of 20 and 69 based on the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2010–2012). The association between night work and involuntary weight change in the previous year was divided into the categories of weight gain and weight loss and studied with modifications in socio-demographic variables, health behavior-related variables, and occupational characteristic variables. RESULTS: The participants working in night work accounted for 10.6 % of total study participants (male; 11.9 %, female 7.4 %). Workers who worked more than 48 hours per week on average accounted for 41.6 % of the total study participants (male; 46.3 %, female 29.1 %). Odds ratio (OR) of weight loss associated with night work in male workers was 0.34 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.16–0.76) after controlling for several related factors. OR of weight loss associated with night work in female workers with long working hours was 1.95 (95 % CI 0.47–80.86) and that of weight gain was 2.83 (95 % CI 0.12–69.83) after adjusting associated factors. CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-sectional study with national representative sample, night work may lower the risk of weight loss in male workers and induce weight change (weight loss or weight gain) in female workers with long working hours. Therefore, future studies with cohort study design for night workers are needed to reveal the mechanisms and health effects of weight change associated with night work and establish proper management solutions with health and labor policies for Korean night workers.
Cohort Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Odds Ratio ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Weight Gain ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed at finding out the exposure level of bisphenol A (BPA), a well-known endocrine disruptor, in relation to dietary factors using a data representing the Korean general population. METHODS: This study was performed on 5402 adults aged 19 years and older based on the Second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS 2012–2014). The data analyzed urinary BPA concentration in relation to socio-demographic variables, health behavior-related variables, and dietary factor-related variables. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated through a logistic regression analysis after dividing the participants into high BPA exposure group and low BPA exposure group based on the top 75 percentile concentration. The logistic regression analysis was carried out considering the appropriate sample weight, stratification, and clustering of the second KoNEHS sample design. RESULTS: The group drinking bottled water at home and the group using zip-top bags/plastic bags showed significantly higher urinary BPA concentration in female. OR tends to increase as the intake frequency of frozen food increased and OR of frozen food consumption of more than once a week was 1.48 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–2.24) for male and the group drinking bottled water showed significantly higher OR of 1.45 (95% CI 1.06–2.17) after adjusting the related factors for female. CONCLUSIONS: BPA levels were high in female using bottled water and in male consuming frozen food, and therefore bottled water and frozen food need to be avoided to reduce BPA levels.
Adult ; Drinking ; Drinking Water ; Environmental Health* ; Female ; Frozen Foods ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze environmental tobacco smoking exposure in female nonsmokers by public transportation mode using representative data of Koreans. METHODS: Data from the Second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2012–2014) were analyzed. Urine cotinine was analyzed by public transport behavior, secondhand smoke exposure, socioeconomic factors, and health-related factors. Participants were 1322 adult females; those with the top 75% urine cotinine concentrations were assigned to the high exposure group. A logistic regression analysis was performed considering appropriate weights and stratification according to the sample design of the Second Korean National Environmental Health Survey. RESULTS: The geometric mean of urine cotinine concentrations differed according to public transportation modes: subway (1.66 μg/g creatinine) bus (1.77 μg/g creatinine), and taxi (1.94 μg/g creatinine). The odds ratio [OR] was calculated for the high exposure group. The OR of the taxi (2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.00–5.69) was statistically significantly higher than the subway value (reference), and marginally significant after adjusted with life style, sociodemographic factors and involuntary smoking frequency (2.42, 95% confidence interval, 0.97–6.04). CONCLUSIONS: The odds ratio of passengers who mainly used taxis was marginally significantly higher than those of passengers who used subways and buses after adjusted with life style and sociodemographic factors. Implementation of supplementary measures and further studies on exposure to environmental tobacco smoking in taxis are warranted.
Adult ; Cotinine ; Environmental Health ; Female ; Humans ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Motor Vehicles ; Odds Ratio ; Railroads ; Smoking ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; Tobacco ; Transportation ; Weights and Measures