BACKGROUND: Among the over- the -counter drugs, non-opioid analgesics are widely used in Korea. Non-opioid analgesics may have potential adverse effects such as side effects, tolerance, and addiction when used inappropriately. Moreover, children have less power to make a rational decisions than adults. Therefore, the role of parents in analgesic use is more and more important in children. This study was designed to investigate the frequency of use of analgesics in children and the behavior of parents administering them. METHODS: From April to May 2000, we collected questionnaires on the use of analgesics for relieving children's pain which were completed by parents from 3 elementary schools in Seoul. Student t-test and linear by linear test were applied to compare the difference between analgesic-administered group and non-administered group. RESULTS: The subjects were 630 parents among 702 respondents. Common reason for the parents to administer analgesics to their children were common cold, headache, abdominal pain etc. Pain severity were high in earache and fever and lower in abdominal pain and headache. Among the total 457 (72.1%) parents were said to have kept analgesics at home. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen were the most common kept analgesics at home. Were more analgesic-keeping house likely to analgesics at home. Younger parents, younger children and mothers. Only 25.4% among those with analgesics at home gave analgesics during the last month. The administration rate was higher in the higher education levels (P<0.05) , and increased linear by linear according to the number of house -keeping analgesics (P<0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Seventy two percent of parents kept analgesics at home. But only a quarter of the parents gave analgesics to their children. The administration rate of analgesics in relieving pain children by their Parents was higher in the highly educated parents group and showed linear increase in proportion to the number of house - keeping analgesics.
Abdominal Pain ; Acetaminophen ; Adult ; Analgesics* ; Child* ; Common Cold ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Earache ; Education ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Ibuprofen ; Korea ; Mothers ; Parents ; Seoul*

Cancer prevention with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), especially based upon biologically-based practices, is a major concern among physicians, health care providers, and general population. Biologically-based practices include diet-based therapies, botanicals and herbs, vitamins and minerals, animal-derived extracts, and amino acids. We searched databases since the late 1990s and reviewed what have been done in the area of cancer prevention with specific CAM therapies to provide the most recent and updated materials and to be able to serve as a reference for physicians. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) methodologies were adopted to classify the study design, study quality assessment, and determination of the evidence level. Some have more or less protective effects but there are conflicting evidences regarding the effectiveness of certain CAM therapies for the prevention of cancer, and most of them are epidemiologic studies, whereas clinical trials are relatively rare in the context of evidence-based medicine (EBM). More researches are mandatory to assess the effectiveness for the prevention of cancer by specific CAM therapies that allow the clinicians and health care providers to give EBM based advice to the patients and inspire them to study CAM therapies for cancer prevention.
Amino Acids ; Complementary Therapies ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Minerals ; Vitamins

E-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems, are popular among smokers who are looking for a less harmful alternative to conventional tobacco, and the use of e-cigarettes is affected by existing tobacco control policies. E-cigarettes, which are electronic devices designed to allow the user to inhale nicotine as a vapor, are controversial in terms of their harm reduction claims as it can undermine existing tobacco control policies and has the potential to re-normalize smoking behavior. Currently, many of the chemicals used in e-cigarettes have not been comprehensively disclosed, and there is no adequate data on their emissions. Furthermore, the benefits of e-cigarettes have not been adequately shown. To date, a small number of studies have evaluated e-cigarettes as a harm reduction and cessation aid and have found conflicting findings. Meanwhile, e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury has been identified, and an increased use of e-cigarettes in the youth has also been reported recently in the United States. These raise a great social concern around how to regulate e-cigarettes for the protection of public health. A range of current and proposed legislative and regulatory options exists. Some countries have banned e-cigarettes entirely, while others are ready to regulate e-cigarettes as a type of medicine. A lack of consensus on whether e-cigarettes facilitate or threaten existing tobacco control strategies is driving a discussion on how to regulate e-cigarettes in terms of the protection of public health.

E-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems, are popular among smokers who are looking for a less harmful alternative to conventional tobacco, and the use of e-cigarettes is affected by existing tobacco control policies. E-cigarettes, which are electronic devices designed to allow the user to inhale nicotine as a vapor, are controversial in terms of their harm reduction claims as it can undermine existing tobacco control policies and has the potential to re-normalize smoking behavior. Currently, many of the chemicals used in e-cigarettes have not been comprehensively disclosed, and there is no adequate data on their emissions. Furthermore, the benefits of e-cigarettes have not been adequately shown. To date, a small number of studies have evaluated e-cigarettes as a harm reduction and cessation aid and have found conflicting findings. Meanwhile, e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury has been identified, and an increased use of e-cigarettes in the youth has also been reported recently in the United States. These raise a great social concern around how to regulate e-cigarettes for the protection of public health. A range of current and proposed legislative and regulatory options exists. Some countries have banned e-cigarettes entirely, while others are ready to regulate e-cigarettes as a type of medicine. A lack of consensus on whether e-cigarettes facilitate or threaten existing tobacco control strategies is driving a discussion on how to regulate e-cigarettes in terms of the protection of public health.
Adolescent ; Consensus ; Electronic Cigarettes ; Harm Reduction ; Humans ; Lung Injury ; Nicotine ; Public Health ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco ; United States

E-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems, are popular among smokers who are looking for a less harmful alternative to conventional tobacco, and the use of e-cigarettes is affected by existing tobacco control policies. E-cigarettes, which are electronic devices designed to allow the user to inhale nicotine as a vapor, are controversial in terms of their harm reduction claims as it can undermine existing tobacco control policies and has the potential to re-normalize smoking behavior. Currently, many of the chemicals used in e-cigarettes have not been comprehensively disclosed, and there is no adequate data on their emissions. Furthermore, the benefits of e-cigarettes have not been adequately shown. To date, a small number of studies have evaluated e-cigarettes as a harm reduction and cessation aid and have found conflicting findings. Meanwhile, e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury has been identified, and an increased use of e-cigarettes in the youth has also been reported recently in the United States. These raise a great social concern around how to regulate e-cigarettes for the protection of public health. A range of current and proposed legislative and regulatory options exists. Some countries have banned e-cigarettes entirely, while others are ready to regulate e-cigarettes as a type of medicine. A lack of consensus on whether e-cigarettes facilitate or threaten existing tobacco control strategies is driving a discussion on how to regulate e-cigarettes in terms of the protection of public health.

No abstract available.
Nicotine ; Psychometrics ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; Tobacco Use Disorder

Smoking is a leading cause of premature death, and the World Health Organization estimates 8 million deaths per year are due to smoking-related diseases. Most smokers want to quit smoking, which is not easy because of nicotine dependence. Physicians can help smokers quit smoking by assessing their dependence and motivating them on their clinic visits. Brief advices provided by doctors is a simple and very cost-effective methods of smoking cessation. The most effective method of helping smokers stop smoking is combining pharmacotherapy with advice and behavioral intervention. Sometimes, intensive counseling, either individual or group, is needed to promote smoking cessation. Health care providers also need to be familiar with pharmacotherapy. Additionally, other sources of support, such as written materials, a telephone quit-line, and strategies for preventing relapses should be integrated into the treatment. Future research could contribute to further understanding about the effects of various intensities of treatment, particular settings for treatment, or a treatment's effect among specific populations. This could include identifying the optimal amount of behavioral support to use with pharmacotherapy.
Ambulatory Care ; Counseling ; Drug Therapy ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Methods ; Mortality, Premature ; Recurrence ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking* ; Telephone ; Tobacco Use Disorder ; World Health Organization

No abstract available.
Adolescent ; Cotinine ; Humans ; Tobacco

BACKGROUND: Increased levels of systemic markers of inflammation have been reported in patients with impaired lung function with obstructive and restrictive lung diseases. We hypothesized that forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) within the normal range is inversely associated with high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), as a marker of chronic inflammation in healthy Korean adult men. METHODS: We analyzed the association of hs-CRP with pulmonary function test including FEV(1), components of metabolic syndrome among male participants (n=3,736), more than 20 years old who had visited a health promotion center at a university hospital between January and December, 2006. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, there was an inverse association between hs-CRP levels and quartiles of FEV(1) (P for trend<0.0001) after adjusting for age, smoking status, waist circumference, glucose, triglyceride, and HDL-cholesterol. A similar association was present in non-smoking subjects, but there was no significant trend (P for trend=0.115) whereas it was significant in smoking subjects (P for trend<0.0001), and in ex-smoking subjects (P for trend=0.006). The odds ratios of having elevated hs-CRP (>2.2 mg/L) across FEV(1) quartiles, with the lowest quartile (Q1) as the reference group was 1.01 (0.75~1.35) in Q2, 1.24 (0.93~1.65) in Q3, 1.52 (1.15~2.01) in Q4 after adjusting for the confounding variables. CONCLUSION: The decline of FEV(1) within the normal range was inversely associated with low grade inflammation as measured by hs-CRP. This result showed that systemic inflammation may be linked to early impaired pulmonary function in healthy adult men.
Adult* ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Glucose ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung Diseases ; Lung* ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Reference Values ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

Smoking cessation services are an important component of preventive medicine. Physicians can help smokers quit smoking by assessing their dependence and motivating them during their clinic visits. Brief advice provided by doctors is a simple and very cost-effective method of smoking cessation. The most effective method of helping smokers stop smoking is combining pharmacotherapy with counseling and behavioral interventions. In early 2015, the National Health Insurance Service started a smokingcessation support program that covered consultation and drug fees across the country. More than 400,000 smokers registered in this program and received assistance from doctors in 2016. The success rate at 6 months after registration was approximately 40%, which is comparable with that of smoking cessation clinics run by public health centers in local areas. Additional efforts are needed to increase the coverage levels of smoking cessation services in Korea.
Ambulatory Care ; Counseling ; Drug Therapy ; Fees and Charges ; Korea ; Methods ; National Health Programs ; Preventive Medicine ; Public Health ; Smoke ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking