Adult ; Age Factors ; China ; Famine ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Sex Factors

The purpose of this research is to describe how Hansen's disease patients experienced the modern system of control of Hansen's disease introduced by Japan, and the inimical attitude of society against them in colonial Korea. The study also seeks to reveal the development of the system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients from their home and community to larger society and leprosarium in this era. Sorokdo Charity hospital (SCH), a hospital for Hansen's disease patients, was built in 1916, and vagrant Hansen's disease patients began to be isolated in this hospital beginning in 1917 by the Japanese Government-General of Korea (JGGK). Once the police detained and sent vagrant Hansen's disease patients to SCH, stigma and discrimination against them strengthened in Korean society. Because of strong stigma and discrimination in Korean society, Hansen's disease patients suffered from daily threats of death. First, their family members were not only afraid of the contagiousness of Hansen's disease but also the stigma and discrimination against themselves by community members. If a family had a Hansen's disease patient, the rest of community members would discriminate against the entire family. Furthermore, because Hansen's disease patients were excluded from any economic livelihood such as getting a job, the existence of the patients was a big burden for their families. Therefore, many patients left their homes and began their vagrancy. The patients who could not leave their homes committed suicide or were killed by their family members. The victims of such deaths were usually women, who were at the lower position in the family hierarchy. In the strong Confucian society in Korea, more female patients were killed by themselves than male patients. Moreover, all of patients victims in the murder were women. This shows that the stigma and discrimination against Hansen's disease patients within their families were stronger against women than men. Strong stigma and discrimination made the patients rely on superstition such as cannibalism. Patients believed that there were not any effective medicine. There were a few reports of patients who were cured, and many were treated with chaulmoogra oil in the modern Hansen's disease hospitals. Eating human flesh was known as a folk remedy for Hansen's disease. As such, patients began to kill healthy people, usually children, to eat their flesh. Increased stigma led to increased victims. Hansen's disease patients who left their homes faced many threats during their vagrancy. For survival, they established their own organizations in the late 1920's. The patients who were rejected to be hospitalized in the Western Hansen's disease hospital at Busan, Daegu, and Yeosu organized self-help organizations. The purpose of these organizations was first to secure the medicine supply of chaulmoogra oil. However, as stigma and discrimination strengthened, these organizations formed by Hansen's disease patients demanded the Japanese Government-General of Korea to send and segregate them on Sorok island. They did not know the situation of the inside of this island because news media described it as a haven for patients, and very few patients were discharged from this island to tell the truth. On this island, several hundreds of patients were killed by compulsory heavy labor, starvation, and violence. They were not treated as patients, but as something to be eliminated. Under strong suppression on this island, the patients resisted first by escaping this island. However, in 1937, some patients tried to kill a Korean staff but failed. Attempted murderers were all put in the jail, also located on this island. In 1941, a patient murdered another patient who had harassed other patients, and in 1942, Chunsang Lee, a patient, killed the director of Sorok island. These instances show that there was a system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients in colonial Korea.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Busan ; Cannibalism ; Charities ; Child ; Daegu ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Eating ; Female ; Homicide ; Humans ; Japan ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Leprosy ; Male ; Medicine, Traditional ; Police ; Starvation ; Suicide ; Superstitions ; United Nations ; Violence

PURPOSE: North Koreans could be at higher risk for their bone health because of previous periods of severe famine and the continuing low availability of food. This study determined the bone mineral density (BMD) status and its relationship with dietary behaviors and nutrient intake of North Korean refugees (NKR) in South Korea (SK). METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed 110 female NKR from a NORNS cohort of a non-probability sample of adult NKR in Seoul. BMD examined by DEXA was used to divide participants into the normal group (NG) and the non-normal group (NNG) according to the WHO guideline. A self-administered questionnaire included questions on age, the socioeconomic situation in North Korea (NK) and SK, the food security in NK and SK, and the health behaviors, dietary behaviors, and food frequency questionnaire administered in SK. A one-day 24-hr recall was conducted and the results were analyzed by using CanPro. SPSS was used to analyze whether BMD and related dietary behaviors and nutrient intakes differed according to the groups. RESULTS: NG (62.7%) was significantly younger and had a lower abdominal obesity score than NNG (p < 0.001). While 14.5% of NG reported experiencing menopause, all of NNG reported experiencing menopause. The NG more frequently consumed the dairy group of foods (9.6 times a week) than did the NNG (4.8 times a week) after the statistics were adjusted for age (p < 0.007). The NG consumed significantly more animal protein and animal calcium than did the NNG (p = 0.01, p = 0.009, respectively). Calcium intake was low with 49.3% of NG, and 78.0% of the NNG reported consuming calcium lower than the estimated average requirement. Only calcium showed an index of nutrient quality lower than one in both groups. CONCLUSION: These results showed that NKR women and possibly all North Korean women are at high risk for bone health and they consumed low levels of bone-related nutrients, and this should be considered for the nutrition policy for NKR and North Korea.
Adult ; Animals ; Bone Density ; Calcium ; Cohort Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Diet ; Female ; Food Supply ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Menopause ; Nutrition Policy ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Refugees ; Seoul ; Starvation

“Comfort women” refers to young women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II. They were abducted from their homes in countries under Imperial Japanese rule, mostly from Korea, and the rest from China, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Netherlands, etc. “Comfort women” endured extreme trauma involving rape, sexual torture, physical abuse, starvation, threats of death, and witnessed many others being tortured and killed. This article reviews all the studies that have investigated the psychiatric or psychosocial sequelae of the survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery. Most importantly, a recent study which conducted a psychiatric evaluation on the former “comfort women” currently alive in South Korea is introduced. The participants’ unmarried rate was relatively high and their total fertility rate was relatively low. Majority of the participants reported having no education and being the low economic status. They showed high current and lifetime prevalence of posttraumatic disorder, major depressive disorder, somatic symptom disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder. Participants showed high suicidality and majority of the participants still reported being ashamed of being former “comfort women” after all these years. This article high-lights the fact that the trauma has affected the mental health and social functioning of former “comfort women” throughout their lives, and even to the present day.
Anxiety Disorders ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Birth Rate ; China ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Korea ; Malaysia ; Mental Health ; Military Personnel* ; Netherlands ; Panic Disorder ; Philippines ; Physical Abuse ; Prevalence ; Rape ; Single Person ; Slavery* ; Starvation ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors* ; Taiwan ; Torture ; World War II*

Objective: To study the relations between famine exposure and the risk of chronic diseases as diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke in the population of Harbin. Methods: Our data was collected from the baseline survey-the China Kadoorie Biobank project (CKB) in Harbin. Retrospective cohort study design was used. Related risks on chronic diseases including diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke, were compared among the famine exposed or non-exposed people, respectively by logistic analysis method. Results: After adjusted for factors as age, sex, physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, diet, family history of diseases, it appeared that the factor 'famine exposure' had increased the risks of diseases as obesity (OR=1.204, 95%CI: 1.104-1.313, P<0.01), hypertension (OR=1.315, 95%CI: 1.210-1.429, P<0.01) and coronary heart disease (OR=1.495, 95%CI: 1.369-1.632, P<0.01). The lower the age of population being exposed to famine, the greater the risk of the development of all kinds of chronic diseases. Conclusions: Famine exposure appeared a risk factor for obesity, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. It is of great significance to ensure the life-long nutrition of the people, especially in the early and adolescent stages, to prevent obesity, hypertension, and coronary heart disease in their later lives.
Adolescent ; China/epidemiology* ; Chronic Disease/epidemiology* ; Coronary Disease/epidemiology* ; Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/epidemiology* ; Obesity/epidemiology* ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Starvation/epidemiology*

North Korea suffered from severe famine in the mid-1990s; this impacted many areas, including people's transnational movement, child growth, and mortality. This review carefully examined nutritional status trends of children in North Korea using published reports from national nutrition assessment surveys. Nutritional adaptation of North Korean child refugees living in South Korea was also studied with their growth and food consumption, using published researches. The nutritional status of children in North Korea has recovered to a “low” level acute malnutrition status and a "medium" level chronic malnutrition status. Large disparities by geographic region still remain. North Korean child refugees in South Korea were significantly shorter and lighter than their age- and sex-matched South Korean counterparts (P < 0.05); however, North Korean child refugees were catching up, and weight was improving faster than height. Linear growth retarded (height for age Z-score < -1) North Korean children showed a significantly higher respiratory quotient than nonlinear growth retarded children, indicating metabolic adaptation responding to the food shortage. These changes, accompanied by abundant access to food in South Korea, have led to the elimination of significant differences in the obesity ratio between North Korean and South Korean children living in South Korea after approximately 2 years of residency. This nutritional adaptation may not be beneficial to North Korean child refugees, especially given the prediction of Barker’s theory. The lack of studies prevented a better understanding of this issue; therefore, large cohort studies, preferably with random sampling strategies, are needed to further understand this issue and to design appropriate interventions.
Child* ; Cohort Studies ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Malnutrition ; Mortality ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Refugees ; Starvation

When Japan invaded the Philippines, two missionary dentists (Dr. McAnlis and Dr. Boots) who were forced to leave Korea were captured and interned in the Santo Thomas camp in Manila. Japan continued to bombard and plunder the Philippines in the wake of the Pacific War following the Great East Asia policy, leading to serious inflation and material deficiency. More than 4,000 Allied citizens held in Santo Thomas camp without basic food and shelter. Santo Thomas Camp was equipped with the systems of the Japanese military medical officers and Western doctors of captivity based on the Geneva Conventions(1929). However, it was an unsanitary environment in a dense space, so it could not prevent endemic diseases such as dysentery and dengue fever. With the expansion of the war in Japan, prisoners in the Shanghai and Philippine prisons were not provided with medicines, cures and food for healing diseases. In May 1944, the Japanese military ordered the prisoners to reduce their ration. The war starting in September 1944, internees received 1000 kcal of food per day, and since January 1945, they received less than 800 kcal of food. This was the lowest level of food rationing in Japan's civilian prison camps. They suffered beriberi from malnutrition, and other endemic diseases. An averaged 24 kg was lost by adult men due to food shortages, and 10 percent of the 390 deaths were directly attributable to starvation. The doctors demanded food increases. The Japanese Military forced the prisoner to worship the emperor and doctors not to record malnourishment as the cause of death. During the period, the prisoners suffered from psychosomatic symptoms such as headache, diarrhea, acute inflammation, excessive smoking, and alcoholism also occurred. Thus, the San Thomas camp had many difficulties in terms of nutrition, hygiene and medical care. The Japanese military had unethical and careless medical practices in the absence of medicines. Dr. McAnlis and missionary doctors handled a lot of patients focusing mainly on examination, emergency treatment and provided the medical services needed by Philippines and foreigners as well as prisoners. Through out the war in the Great East Asia, the prisoners of Santo Thomas camp died of disease and starvation due to inhumane Japanese Policy. Appropriate dietary prescriptions and nutritional supplements are areas of medical care that treat patients' malnutrition and disease. It is also necessary to continue research because it is a responsibility related to the professionalism and ethics of medical professionals to urge them to observe the Geneva Convention.
Adult ; Alcoholism ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Beriberi ; Cause of Death ; Dengue ; Dentists ; Diarrhea ; Dysentery ; Emergency Treatment ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Endemic Diseases ; Ethics ; Far East ; Headache ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Inflammation ; Inflation, Economic ; Japan ; Korea ; Male ; Malnutrition ; Military Personnel ; Missionaries ; Philippines* ; Prescriptions ; Prisoners ; Prisons ; Professionalism ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Starvation

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This is the first study to identify common genetic factors associated with the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body mass index (BMI) in obese Korean women including overweight. This will be a basic study for future research of obese gene-BMR interaction. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The experimental design was 2 by 2 with variables of BMR and BMI. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was conducted in the overweight and obesity (BMI > 23 kg/m2) compared to the normality, and in women with low BMR (< 1426.3 kcal/day) compared to high BMR. A total of 140 SNPs reached formal genome-wide statistical significance in this study (P < 1 x 10(-4)). Surveys to estimate energy intake using 24-h recall method for three days and questionnaires for family history, a medical examination, and physical activities were conducted. RESULTS: We found that two NRG3 gene SNPs in the 10q23.1 chromosomal region were highly associated with BMR (rs10786764; P = 8.0 x 10(-7), rs1040675; 2.3 x 10(-6)) and BMI (rs10786764; P = 2.5 x 10(-5), rs10786764; 6.57 x 10(-5)). The other genes related to BMI (HSD52, TMA16, MARCH1, NRG1, NRXN3, and STK4) yielded P <10 x 10-4. Five new loci associated with BMR and BMI, including NRG3, OR8U8, BCL2L2-PABPN1, PABPN1, and SLC22A17 were identified in obese Korean women (P < 1 x 10(-4)). In the questionnaire investigation, significant differences were found in the number of starvation periods per week, family history of stomach cancer, coffee intake, and trial of weight control in each group. CONCLUSION: We discovered several common BMR- and BMI-related genes using GWAS. Although most of these newly established loci were not previously associated with obesity, they may provide new insights into body weight regulation. Our findings of five common genes associated with BMR and BMI in Koreans will serve as a reference for replication and validation of future studies on the metabolic rate.
Basal Metabolism ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Coffee ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Genome-Wide Association Study* ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Overweight* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Research Design ; Starvation ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: N-containing bisphosphonates (BPs), such as pamidronate and risedronate, can inhibit osteoclastic function and reduce osteoclast number by inducing apoptotic cell death in osteoclasts. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effect of pamidronate, second generation nitrogen-containing BPs and to elucidate matrix metallo-proteinases (MMPs) mRNA expression under serum starvation and/or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation on metabolism of intervertebral disc (IVD) cells in vitro. METHODS: Firstly, to test the effect of pamidronate on IVD cells in vitro, various concentrations (10⁻¹², 10⁻¹⁰, 10⁻⁸, and 10⁻⁶ M) of pamidronate were administered to IVD cells. Then DNA and proteoglycan synthesis were measured and messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of type I collagen, type II collagen, and aggrecan were analyzed. Secondly, to elucidate the expression of MMPs mRNA in human IVD cells under the lower serum status, IVD cells were cultivated in full serum or 1% serum. Thirdly, to elucidate the expression of MMPs mRNA in IVD cells under the stimulation of 1% serum and TNF-α (10 ng/mL) In this study, IVD cells were cultivated in three dimensional alginate bead. RESULTS: Under the lower serum culture, IVD cells in alginate beads showed upregulation of MMP 2, 3, 9, 13 mRNA. The cells in lower serum and TNF-α also demonstrated upregulation of MMP-2, 3, 9, and 13 mRNA. The cells with various doses of pamidronate and lower serum and TNF-α were reveled partial down-regulation of MMPs. CONCLUSIONS: Pamidronate, N-containing second generation BPs, was safe in metabolism of IVD in vitro maintaining chondrogenic phenotype and matrix synthesis, and down-regulated TNF-α induced MMPs expression.
Aggrecans ; Cell Death ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen Type II ; Diphosphonates ; DNA ; Down-Regulation ; Humans* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases* ; Metabolism ; Osteoclasts ; Phenotype ; Proteoglycans ; Risedronate Sodium ; RNA, Messenger ; Starvation ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha* ; Up-Regulation

Data trends show that climate is changing and several researches have shown the adverse effects of climate change to human health. This review presents how climate change affects human health. Climate change can influence the nature and severity of climate-related natural disasters such as flooding and drought, hence, increasing the rate of mortality and morbidity among human population. Climate change can also increase the likelihood of infection in humans by way of affecting the transmission of infectious diseases. Climate-induced food insecurity is also one of the consequences of climate change and this may eventually result in malnutrition and famine. There are both direct and indirect consequences of climate change to human health. First, the direct health impacts such as injuries and deaths associated with climate-induced natural disasters, and second, the indirect health impacts such as food insecurity, contaminated source of water, and increased incidence of diseases.

Human ; Climate ; Climate Change ; Disasters ; Droughts ; Floods ; Food Supply ; Incidence ; Morbidity ; Starvation ; Water ; Health ; Environmental Health