No abstract available.
Relative Value Scales*

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to provide a nationwide analysis on barriers to cervical cancer screening in Korea. METHODS: Data used for this study was obtained in a survey called Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2005, which collected data from 2,590 Korean women aged older than 21 years who had not had a hysterectomy and were eligible for Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. Multivariate analysis was adopted to control each demographic factor and unhealthy behavior variable. Demographic factors included age, education, income, job and region; health-related behavior factors were defined as current smoking, obesity, hormone replacement therapy and disability. RESULTS: The study found that cervical cancer screening rate was significantly positively associated with income (odds ratio [OR], 1.002; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001 to 1.002), with education (OR, 1.324; 95% CI, 1.030 to 1.703), with job (OR, 1.420; 95% CI, 1.030 to 1.957), and with hormone replacement therapy (OR, 3.732; 95% CI, 2.354 to 5.916). Meanwhile, the age (OR, 0.977; 95% CI, 0.968 to 0.985), disability (OR, 0.358; 95% CI, 0.143 to 0.894) and smoking (OR, 0.447; 95% CI, 0.280 to 0.715) were significantly negatively associated with one's chances to take cervical cytology. CONCLUSION: In order to increase the rates of Korean women taking Pap test, cervical cancer screening programs will have to pay special attention to the elderly, low-income group, smokers, and the disabled.
Aged ; Demography ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vaginal Smears

OBJECTIVES: We studied the relationship between health behavior and subjective unhappiness in high school students. METHODS: Using 27,097 responses from the 2015 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey for general high school students. we analyzed by multiple logistic regression based on the complex sample design. RESULTS: Unhappiness was positively related with the low economic status, smoking, drinking, fast foods intake, and negatively related with fruit intake in results of multiple logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: Health behaviors have a significant impact on the unhappiness of high school students. Therefore, in-depth research and policies to decrease unhappiness of high school students through health promotion are required.
Adolescent ; Drinking ; Fast Foods ; Fruit ; Happiness ; Health Behavior* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Risk-Taking ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Out-of-pocket health expenditures defined as the charges for services not covered by health insurance have received only sporadic attention. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of sociodemographic and health characteristics on out-of-pocket health expenditures. METHODS: We used data from the 2001 National Public Health and Nutrition Survey, a nationally representative survey of community-dwelling individuals. The final sample size for this analysis was 61 individuals with age 20 and older cancer patients in Korea. Using a multiple linear regression model to control for differences in sociodemographics, self-reported health status, hospital length of stay, time since perception, and insurance status, the out-of-pocket health expenditures were estimated. RESULTS: Mean monthly out-of-pocket health expenditures were 399,300 won. The highest mean out-of-pocket health expenditures were paid by those with lung cancer, 820,000 won. In the regression analysis, insurance status, resident area, hospital length of stay, and time since perception were statistically significant determinants. Thus, those with higher hospital days, National Health Insurance, metropolitan, and more than 1 year of time since perception experienced higher economic burden. CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers should consider out-of-pocket health expenditure difference by diverse characteristics.
Adult* ; Economics, Medical ; Health Expenditures* ; Humans ; Insurance Coverage ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Linear Models ; Lung Neoplasms ; National Health Programs ; Nutrition Surveys ; Public Health ; Sample Size

An epidemiologic investigation was carried out to identify the distribution and the cause of Shigellosis outbreak, which was occurred in Gangnung city from August to November, 1998. This study carried out from September, 14, to November, 20, 1998. The total number of Shigellosis confirmed patient is 87. We surveyed and obtained the stool sample from all suspected patients and their members of household. The major findings of this study are as follows. 1. The first patient appeared in September 11 and the number of patients increased to September 13, that is peak time, and the patient number tailed down apparently from September, 18, 1998. 2. The incidence rate per 1,000 is largest in Wangsan-Myeon Doma-Ri(32.9), and second largest in Wangsan-Myeon Mokgea-Ri(31.6), The total incidence rate in Gangnung-shi is 0.4(0.4 for man and 0.3 for woman). The age group with the largest incidence rate per 1,000 is 5-14 age group whose incidence rate is 1.4. 3. The secondary generation attack rate in confirmed patient family is 20.6%, and the secondary attack is 7.8%. 4. We considered the meal of school, environmental factor, milk, carrier of Shigellosis as the cause of outbreak, but we were not able to identify the bacteria of shigellosis. But we suspected the meal of school that played important role in outbreak, because outbreak occurred explosively after students ate the meal of school. 5. We considered three hypotheses for the cause of the outbreak. First, a propagation from external regions; Second, an outbreak from contaminated foods; Third, a propagation from carriers in Gangnung. In order to obtain the further information for first and third hypothesis, we should perform PFGE(Pulsed-field gelectrophoresis) with the shigella bacteria of each epidemic region.
Bacteria ; Dysentery, Bacillary* ; Family Characteristics ; Gangwon-do* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meals ; Milk ; Shigella

OBJECTIVES: MDM-2 is an oncoprotein that inhibits p53 tumor suppressor protein. Amplication and over- expression of its protein have been observed in human malignancies, and these abnormalities have a role in tumorigenesis through inactivation of p53 function. To elucidate the role of p53 and MDM-2 protein in cervical neoplasia we investigated the expression rates of MDM-2 and p53 protein in surgically resected specimens. METHEDS: Immunohistochemical studies using anti-p53 and anti-MDM-2 protein in the paraffin embedded section of 62 cases including cervical intraepithelial neoplasm(CIN) and invasive cervical cancer were performed. RESULTS: Expression rates of p53 protein were 25% in CIN I& CINII, 20% in CINIII, and 44% in invasive carcinoma, respectively. The MDM-2 protein were 33% in CIN I & CIN II, 16% in CIN III, and 48% in invasive carcinoma, respectively. There was no evident correlation between p53 positivity and MDM-2 positivity(p>0.05). However, correlation between MDM-2 negativity and p53 negativity was statistically significant(p=0.002) CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the expression of p53 protein is presumed to be necessarily correlated with MDM-2 protein expression in cervical neoplasia.
Carcinogenesis ; Humans ; Paraffin ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

OBJECTIVES: Work-family conflict can arise from two opposite directions: the experiences at work interfere with family life and the experiences in the family interfere with work life. This study explored the effects of the presence of two income sources on the association between work-family conflict and job attitude. METHODS: Responses to structured survey questionnaires were received from 236 two-income families living in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. RESULTS: A differential effect was observed between single-income families and two-income families. Higher job satisfaction was related with lower work interference with family (WIF) among single-income families and with lower family interference with work (FIW) among two-income families. CONCLUSIONS: Employee welfare programs need to be expanded to enhance job satisfaction for the increasing number of two-income families.
Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the difference of health status between urban and rural elderly. METHODS: This study was carried out with a data of 139 urban elderly and 127 rural elderly. The health status of the elderly was measured by Korean Translated SF-36 (Short Form 36). The independent variables were the demographic characteristics of the elderly and the factors that may have influence on the health status of the elderly. RESULTS: The multiple regression analysis showed as follows: with respect to physical function (P<0.05), role limitation-physical (P<0.05), bodily pain (P<0.001) the level of health state of the urban elderly was higher than that of the rural elderly. On mental health (P<0.05), the level of the rural elderly was higher than that of the urban elderly. CONCLUSION: It seemed necessary to improve accessibility to the public health clinics for better physical health care of the rural elderly and to provide specific mental health services for the urban elderly. In addition, primary physicians should give their careful consideration for the differences and then provide the specific health programs for the rural and urban elderly accordingly.
Aged* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Status ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Mental Health Services ; Public Health

This study was designed to assess determinants of private clinics' productivity, and to compare city and county clinics in South Korea. We analyzed the revenue and patient data from all 9, 212 private clinics in South Korea. This data was obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation, during the period between 1996 and 1999. We used a mixed model for repeatedly measured data. The following listed variables were used in our analysis: sex and age of physician, number of beds of clinics, competitiveness of medical institution, inhabitants' incomes, the proportion of elderly in the administrative unit, and time effects. Age, sex, number of beds, and specialty were found to be the most relevant determinants for the productivity of private clinics in both urban and rural settings, and number of clinics and beds per 100, 000 and income of the administrative unit were found to be significant determinants, but only in city environments.
Urban Health ; Rural Health ; Private Practice/*organization & administration ; Korea ; Geography ; Efficiency, Organizational/*statistics & numerical data ; Cities ; Ambulatory Care Facilities/economics/*organization & administration/statistics & numerical data

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine a J-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and depression among the elderly in South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-section data were drawn from a community-based sample of individuals 60 years of age and older (n=1819). Respondents completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Intensification Test (AUDIT) and the Korean Beck Depression Inventory. Using a regression approach, the effect of alcohol consumption as a non-linear effect was assessed in relation to gender, marital status, exercise, smoking, age, education, and physical and mental health. RESULTS: AUDIT total score were found to exert linear and quadratic effects that were significantly associated with higher depression scores among sample respondents. The results lend support to a J-shaped relationship between alcohol use and depression, wherein abstainers and problem drinkers were at a higher risk of depression. CONCLUSION: This study confirms a J-shaped (i.e., curvilinear) relationship between alcohol consumption and depression among elderly South Koreans, similar to that frequently found in studies of Western-based samples. The findings of this study, therefore, imply the applicability of the J-shaped relationship hypothesis for non-Western society samples and within different cultural contexts.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alcohol Drinking/*epidemiology/*psychology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/psychology ; Depressive Disorder/diagnosis/psychology ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Middle Aged ; Personality Inventory ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Residence Characteristics ; Smoking/epidemiology