This study investigated the healthcare status of South Korea and member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). By employing the position value for relative comparison index, healthcare status was measured through the following components: demand, supply, accessibility, quality, and cost. Statistical analysis was conducted through the Mann-Kendall test from analyzing trends from 2000 onwards. Results showed that while Korea, on average, scores higher than the OECD average in most of the investigated components, it is below average in certain indexes including primary care and mental health care. Considering the various health issues that have been raised about these indexes, it is important these components be improved upon by policy-makers.
Delivery of Health Care ; Health Policy ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development ; Primary Health Care

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and distribution pattern of dental anomalies in the permanent teeth of patients with non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Additionally, it aimed to compare differences in dental anomalies between cleft and non-cleft areas, considering gender and cleft phenotype. Panoramic radiographs of 164 patients diagnosed with non-syndromic orofacial clefts were retrospectively analyzed by a single examiner to confirm dental anomalies. The dental anomalies investigated included tooth agenesis, supernumerary teeth, microdontia, rotation, ectopic eruption, and enamel hypoplasia. Cleft phenotypes were categorized into 7 types based on medical and dental records. A significantly higher prevalence of supernumerary teeth was observed in males than females within non-cleft areas (p = 0.017), with no significant differences in other dental anomalies. In non-cleft area, patients with cleft palate exhibited a high prevalence of tooth agenesis (p < 0.0001) and microdontia (p = 0.012) compared to other cleft phenotypes. Maxillary incisor rotation was closely associated with adjacent tooth agenesis in unilateral cleft lip and palate cases (p = 0.034). This study suggests that the additional subphenotype based on dental anomalies in patients with orofacial cleft may serve as applicable clinical markers.

The purpose of this study was to compare the health status of South Korea with those of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and examine the trends. Position vAlue for Relative Comparison (PARC) was used as a gauge for comparison, and five sectors of the health care system were measured: demand, supply, accessibility, quality, and cost. The Mann-Kendall test was used as a statistical analysis method to examine trend of PARC values obtained from 2000 to recent years. According to the results, the demand, supply, accessibility, and quality sectors were higher than the OECD average, while the cost was lower than the average. However, there is a recent trend of sharp increases in health care costs. Some indicators: health employment, quality of primary care and mental health care were lower than the OECD average, and health determinants showed a worsening trend. Therefore, policy-makers need to take this into account and make efforts for sustainable health care.

The symptoms related to gastrointestinal (GI) tract are sometimes chief complaints in patients with endocrine disease. Thyrotoxicosis is a rare, but notable cause for unexplained and repeated vomiting. Here, we report an adolescent patient with thyrotoxicosis who was initially presented with repeated vomiting and epigastric pain. A 13-year-old female was referred to a GI outpatient department for evaluation of vomiting and abdominal pain from a pediatric clinic. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed acute gastritis with duodenogastric reflux and suspicious reflux esophagitis of minimal change, but there was no significant improvement after treatment and as a result she was admitted to the emergency room. She was subsequently diagnosed as Graves' disease because an initial laboratory test at the GI outpatient department revealed thyroid stimulating hormone < 0.01 microIU/mL and additional blood tests showed elevated thyroid hormones and positive thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody. The vomiting and epigastric pain improved remarkably after treatment with antithyroid drugs. Clinicians should consider the possibility of thyrotoxicosis in patient with unexplained and repeated vomiting.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent ; Antithyroid Agents ; Duodenogastric Reflux ; Emergencies ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Female ; Gastritis ; Graves Disease ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Thyroid Hormones ; Thyrotoxicosis ; Thyrotropin ; Vomiting

Objective: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to self-reported memory loss despite normal cognitive function and is considered a preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of depression and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) on the association between the scoring of Clinical Dementia Rating Scale-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q). Methods: A sample of 139 community-dwelling older adults aged 65–79 with normal cognitive function completed the SCD-Q, a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and functional/psychiatric scales. We conducted 1) a correlation analysis between SCD-Q scores and other variables and 2) a path analysis to examine the mediating effects of depression and IADL on the relationship between CDR-SB and SCD-Q. Results: CDR-SB was found to be indirectly associated with SCD-Q, with depressive symptoms mediating this relationship. However, no direct association was observed between SCD-Q and CDR-SB. Additionally, IADL was not associated with SCD-Q and did not mediate the relationship between CDR-SB and SCD-Q. The model fit was acceptable (minimum discrepancy function by degrees of freedom divided [CMIN/DF]=1.585, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.065, comparative fit index [CFI]=0.955, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI]=0.939). Conclusion Our results suggest that SCD-Q is influenced by depressive symptoms, but not by IADL. The role of depressive symptoms as a mediator between CDR-SB and SCD-Q indicates that psychological factors may contribute to the perception of SCD. Therefore, interventions targeting depression may mitigate the concerns associated with SCD and reduce feelings of worse performance compared to others of the same age group.

PURPOSE: It is unknown whether patients with advanced rectal cancer develop severe constipation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess whether constipation severity is associated with pathologic progression of rectal cancer. METHODS: We analyzed 472 patients with rectal cancer who underwent elective surgical resection between January 2005 and December 2010. Constipation severity was prospectively evaluated in 407 patients (86.2%) using the Cleveland Clinic Constipation Score System. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify clinicopathologic variables associated with constipation. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the prognostic value of constipation severity on disease-free and overall survival. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis showed that sex (regression coefficient [B] = 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79 to 2.60; P < 0.001), body mass index (B = -0.95; 95% CI, -1.83 to -0.64; P = 0.036), tumor size (B = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.20 to 1.88; P = 0.016), T stage (B = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.23 to 1.27; P = 0.005), and distant metastasis (B = 1.16; 95% CI, 0.03 to 2.30; P = 0.045) were associated with constipation severity. Severe constipation (score > or = 8) was independently associated with 3-year disease-free survival (vs. scores of 0-3; hazard ratio [HR], 2.39; 95% CI, 1.15 to 4.98; P = 0.020) and 5-year overall survival (HR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.23 to 4.30; P = 0.009) in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that preoperative constipation severity is associated with advanced pathologic stage and poor oncologic outcomes in patients with rectal cancer.
Body Mass Index ; Cohort Studies ; Constipation ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Linear Models ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rectal Neoplasms

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the effectiveness of a preoperative comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) for predicting postoperative morbidity in elderly patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer. METHODS: Elderly patients (≥70 years old) who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at a tertiary hospital in Korea were identified, and their cases were analyzed using data from a prospectively collected database to establish an association between major postsurgical complications and 'high-risk' patient as defined by the CGA. RESULTS: A total of 240 patients, with a mean age of 76.7 ± 5.2 years, were enrolled. Ninety-five patients (39.6%) were classified as "high-risk" and 99 patients (41.3%) as having postoperative complications. The univariate analysis indicated that risk factors for postoperative complications were age, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, serum hemoglobin, carcinoembryonic antigen, cancer stage, and "high-risk" status. The multivariable analyses indicated that "high-risk" status (odds ratio, 2.107; 95% confidence interval, 1.168–3.804; P = 0.013) and elevated preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (odds ratio, 2.561; 95% confidence interval, 1.346–4.871, P = 0.004) were independently associated with postoperative complications. A multivariable analysis of the individual CGA domains indicated that high comorbidities and low activities of daily living were significantly related with postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: A preoperative CGA indicating "high-risk" was associated with major postoperative complications in elderly patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer. Thus, using the CGA to identify elderly colorectal-cancer patients who should be given more care during postoperative management may be clinically beneficial.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged* ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Classification ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Comorbidity ; Geriatric Assessment* ; Humans ; Korea ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Tertiary Care Centers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a mobile wireless digital automatic blood pressure monitor for clinical use and mobile health (mHealth). In this study, a manual sphygmomanometer and a digital blood pressure monitor were tested in 100 participants in a repetitive and sequential manner to measure blood pressure. The guidelines for measurement used the Korea Food & Drug Administration protocol, which reflects international standards, such as the American National Standard Institution/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation SP 10: 1992 and the British Hypertension Society protocol. Measurements were generally consistent across observers according to the measured mean ± SD, which ranged in 0.1 ± 2.6 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 0.5 ± 2.2 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). For the device and the observer, the difference in average blood pressure (mean ± SD) was 2.3 ± 4.7 mmHg for SBP and 2.0 ± 4.2 mmHg for DBP. The SBP and DBP measured in this study showed accurate measurements that satisfied all criteria, including an average difference that did not exceed 5 mmHg and a standard deviation that did not exceed 8 mmHg. The mobile wireless digital blood pressure monitor has the potential for clinical use and managing one's own health.
Blood Pressure Monitors* ; Blood Pressure* ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Methods* ; Self Care* ; Sphygmomanometers ; Telemedicine

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the trends in health behaviors in Korean population using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: The subjects were 96,408 adults aged 19 years or older who participated in the first (1998) through seventh (2016-2018) KNHANES health interview. The prevalence of health behaviors (cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and physical activity) and annual percent change (APC) were estimated using SAS and the Joinpoint program. RESULTS: The prevalence of current cigarette smoking in men decreased by 2.8%p (APC= -2.8, p< 0.001) annually over the 20-year period, and the prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke at home substantially decreased compared to 2005 (APC= -8.8, p< 0.001). Compared to 2005, the prevalence of current alcohol drinking in women, but not men, increased (APC= 2.0, p< 0.001), and the prevalence of binge drinking decreased in men (APC= -0.7, p< 0.001) and increased in women (APC= 2.4, p< 0.001). The prevalence of aerobic physical activity decreased from 2014 in both gendersd (p< 0.001). The prevalence of healthy behaviors practice (non-smoking, alcohol abstinence, and aerobic physical activity) was down-trending (APC= -5.3, p< 0.001), especially among women (APC= -6.4, p< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Over the past 20 years, smoking behaviors improved. However, drinking behavior was unchanged and physical activity indicators markedly decreased. More active programs are necessary for improving health behaviors, which are major risk factors linked to chronic diseases.

The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) was initiated in 1998 to provide evidence for the development and evaluation of health policies and programs. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is responsible for the KNHANES and has conducted it as a series of surveys. Over the past 20 years, efforts to produce accurate, timely, and nationwide health statistics have been refined by establishing a continuous annual survey system with full-time field staff, incrementally expanding survey components, collaborating with relevant academic societies for quality control, and revising the survey methods. Additionally, the utility of the collected data was increased by linking the KNHANES data with related data from other government agencies or institutions and making the overall data publicly available on the official website of KNHANES (https://knhanes.kdca.go.kr). Additional long-term plans are being developed, including plans to continue producing nationwide health indicators and invigorating the utilization of the KNHANES data.