This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and dietary quality of 863 young adults living in one-person households (OH, n=338) and multi-person households (MH, n=525), using the Korean Nutrition Quotient (NQ) for adults. The total NQ score for women in OH was significantly lower than for those in MH. For both men and women, the NQ score for the balance domain was significantly lower in OH than in MH, and the practice domain was significantly lower for women in OH. Regarding the dietary quality in the balance domain, both men and women participants in OH had a significantly lower intake frequency of vegetables, fruits, fish, beans, nuts, and whole or mixed grains than their counterparts in MH, with respect to the moderation domain, the men in OH consumed spicy and salty broth-based foods more frequently than those in MH, while women in OH consumed red meat less frequently than those in MH. With regard to the practice domain, the frequency of heavy drinking was significantly higher among women in OH, while men in OH were more likely to wash their hands before eating than those in MH. These results suggest that young adults living alone are likely to have lower overall NQ scores and exhibit less desirable dietary behaviors. This underscores the need for nutrition support to improve the dietary quality of young adults living alone.

This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and dietary quality of 863 young adults living in one-person households (OH, n=338) and multi-person households (MH, n=525), using the Korean Nutrition Quotient (NQ) for adults. The total NQ score for women in OH was significantly lower than for those in MH. For both men and women, the NQ score for the balance domain was significantly lower in OH than in MH, and the practice domain was significantly lower for women in OH. Regarding the dietary quality in the balance domain, both men and women participants in OH had a significantly lower intake frequency of vegetables, fruits, fish, beans, nuts, and whole or mixed grains than their counterparts in MH, with respect to the moderation domain, the men in OH consumed spicy and salty broth-based foods more frequently than those in MH, while women in OH consumed red meat less frequently than those in MH. With regard to the practice domain, the frequency of heavy drinking was significantly higher among women in OH, while men in OH were more likely to wash their hands before eating than those in MH. These results suggest that young adults living alone are likely to have lower overall NQ scores and exhibit less desirable dietary behaviors. This underscores the need for nutrition support to improve the dietary quality of young adults living alone.

This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and dietary quality of 863 young adults living in one-person households (OH, n=338) and multi-person households (MH, n=525), using the Korean Nutrition Quotient (NQ) for adults. The total NQ score for women in OH was significantly lower than for those in MH. For both men and women, the NQ score for the balance domain was significantly lower in OH than in MH, and the practice domain was significantly lower for women in OH. Regarding the dietary quality in the balance domain, both men and women participants in OH had a significantly lower intake frequency of vegetables, fruits, fish, beans, nuts, and whole or mixed grains than their counterparts in MH, with respect to the moderation domain, the men in OH consumed spicy and salty broth-based foods more frequently than those in MH, while women in OH consumed red meat less frequently than those in MH. With regard to the practice domain, the frequency of heavy drinking was significantly higher among women in OH, while men in OH were more likely to wash their hands before eating than those in MH. These results suggest that young adults living alone are likely to have lower overall NQ scores and exhibit less desirable dietary behaviors. This underscores the need for nutrition support to improve the dietary quality of young adults living alone.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Accurate estimation of nutrient intake from food consumption requires reliable food composition data. However, since nutrient content changes during cooking, the application of raw ingredient composition may lead to overestimation, particularly for energy and fat in meat dishes. In this study, the suitability of applying cooked food codes for meat dishes to improve the validity of recipe-based nutrient content estimation was evaluated.MATERIALS/METHODS: Pork (thin-sliced and thick-cut belly and shoulder butt) and beef (tenderloin, loin, rib meat, and brisket point) were examined for cooking yield after grilling and their nutrient contents were estimated. Each cut was portioned to 100 g of raw meat and cooked in triplicate. Nutrient content was calculated using both raw and cooked meat codes from the Korean Standard Food Composition Table, and differences in energy, fat, and protein content were compared. RESULTS: When grilled under standardized conditions, the average cooking yield was approximately 65% for pork and 80% for beef (P < 0.0001). Thin slices of pork belly had a lower yield (62.6%) than thicker cuts (68.0%), while beef brisket point had the lowest yield among beef cuts (63.6%). Applying cooked meat codes and measured cooking yields resulted in overall decreases in energy (−10% to −50%) and fat (−20% to −60%) content, with slight increase in protein (up to +34%, P < 0.0001). For beef tenderloin, additional comparisons using matched raw and grilled data from the United States Department of Agriculture SR Legacy Database showed smaller percent differences in energy, fat, and protein than those obtained from the Korean database. CONCLUSION Incorporating measured cooking yields and corresponding cooked meat codes into recipe-based databases can improve the accuracy of nutrient intake estimation. The development of nutrient databases that reflect differences in cooking conditions—including temperature, duration, and doneness—should be prioritized to enhance the validity of national dietary surveys.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the interrupting effect of social distancing (SD) on emergency department (ED) patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, asthma, and suicide attempts by PM 2.5 exposure in eight Korean megacities from 2017 to 2020. Materials and Methods: The study used National Emergency Department Information System and AirKorea data. A total of 469014 patients visited EDs from 2017 to 2020. Interrupted time series analysis was employed to examine changes in the level and slope of the time series, relative risk, and confidence intervals (CIs) by PM 2.5 exposure. The SD level was added to the sensitivity analysis. Results: The interrupted time series analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the ratio of relative risk (RRR) of IHD patients in Seoul (RRR=1.004, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.006) and Busan (RRR=1.007, 95% CI: 1.002, 1.012) post-SD. Regarding stroke, only patients in Seoul exhibited a significant decrease post-SD (RRR=0.995, 95% CI: 0.991, 0.999). No significant changes were observed for asthma in any of the cities. In the case of suicide attempts, Ulsan demonstrated substantial pre-SD (RR=0.827, 95% CI: 0.732, 0.935) and post-SD (RRR=1.200, 95% CI: 1.057, 1.362) differences. Conclusion While the interrupting effect of SD was not as pronounced as anticipated, this study did validate the effectiveness of SD in modifying health behaviors and minimizing avoidable visits to EDs in addition to curtailing the occurrence of infectious diseases.

Background: To analyze the effects of socioeconomic status (type of insurance and income level) and cancer stage on the survival of patients with liver cancer in Korea. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was constructed using data from the Healthcare Big Data Platform project in Korea between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2017. A total of 143,511 patients in Korea diagnosed with liver cancer (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision [ICD-10] codes C22, C220, and C221) were followed for an average of 11 years. Of these, 110,443 died. The patient’s insurance type and income level were used as indicators of socioeconomic status. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model to analyze the relationship between the effects of sex, age, and cancer stage at first diagnosis (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and the End Results; SEER), type of insurance, and income level on the survival of patients with liver cancer. The interactive effects of the type of insurance, income level, and cancer stage on liver cancer death were also analyzed. Results: The lowest income group (medical aid) showed a higher risk for mortality (HR (95% CI); 1.37 (1.27–1.47) for all patients, 1.44 (1.32–1.57) for men, and 1.16 (1.01–1.34) for women) compared to the highest income group (1–6) among liver cancer (ICD-10 code C22) patients. The risk of liver cancer death was also higher in the lowest income group with a distant cancer stage (SEER = 7) diagnosis than for any other group. Conclusion Liver cancer patients with lower socioeconomic status and more severe cancer stages were at greater risk of death. Reducing social inequalities is needed to improve mortality rates among patients in lower social class groups who present with advanced cancer.

School foodservices serve vegetarian meals to shape healthy eating habits and create environmental awareness among students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional content of vegetarian menus of an elementary school foodservice. We examined 334 vegetarian and 545 non-vegetarian menus at elementary schools in the Chungnam area and compared their food composition and nutrient content. The average number of dishes per vegetarian menu was 7.0, which was significantly lower than the 7.3 items per non-vegetarian menu. The number of staple and dessert dishes on the vegetarian menus was significantly higher than that of non-vegetarian menus. Contrarily, the non-vegetarian menus had a higher number of broths and side dishes than vegetarian menus. Menus comprising grains, meats·fishes·eggs, vegetables·beans, fruits, and dairy products constituted 39.2% of vegetarian and 50.1% of non-vegetarian menus. The dietary diversity score was 4.3 for the vegetarian menu and this was significantly lower than 4.5 for the non-vegetarian menus. In terms of nutrient content and the index of nutritional quality, the vegetarian menus had significantly higher levels of vitamin A and calcium than the non-vegetarian menus. However, the protein and vitamin B 1 levels were lower in the vegetarian menus. Our results suggest a need to develop balanced vegetarian menus and expand education to improve awareness, acceptance, and consumption of vegetables among school-age children.

Objective: This study compared the effects of preperitoneal pelvic packing (PPP) versus resuscitation alone, angioembolization, PPP with pelvic stabilization, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) with PPP, pelvic stabilization, and REBOA. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed using multiple databases, trial registries, grey literature, and conference proceedings from inception until March 10, 2022. The risk of bias in non-randomized studies of intervention (ROBINS-I) and ROB 2.0 tools were used to assess the risk of bias for non-randomized studies and randomized controlled trials, respectively. The certainty of evidence was rated using the GRADE approach. Results: Twenty-two studies, including 1,762 participants, were retrieved. Based on randomized controlled trials, there was a high uncertainty regarding the effects of PPP versus angioembolization on improving the mortality rate (risk ratio [RR]=0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22-2.49; very low certainty of evidence) and improving the hemorrhagic mortality rate (RR=0.19; 95% CI 0.01-3.72; very low certainty of evidence). Based on non-randomized studies, there was a high uncertainty regarding the effects of PPP versus angioembolization on improving the mortality rate (RR=0.76; 95% CI 0.48-1.21; I2=54%; very low certainty of evidence), improving the hemorrhagic mortality rate (RR=0.66; 95% CI 0.18-2.46; I2=75%; very low certainty of evidence), and reducing the post procedural complications (RR=0.76; 95% CI 0.39-1.48; I2=66%; very low certainty of evidence). Conclusion There is high uncertainty regarding the effects of PPP compared to resuscitation only, angioembolization, PPP with pelvic stabilization, REBOA following PPP, pelvic stabilization, and REBOA. (Registration No. CRD42022311628)

Background: This study aimed to establish a strategy to improve the poor working environment and working conditions among long-term healthcare workers in Korea. Methods: A total of 600 questionnaires with which long-term health care workers participated in the targeted base areas of each city and province nationwide were distributed directly and 525 responses were collected and 506 responses were analyzed. Surveys, on-site field visits, and in-depth interviews were also conducted to understand the working environment as well as conditions and establish a strategy for improving the working environment among long-term healthcare workers to understand the demands of working conditions and working conditions. Results: Korean long-term care workers firstly and mostly enumerated their risk factors for ill-health when lifting or moving elderly recipients directly by hand (69.9%), followed by increased physical workload with old beds, tools, and facilities (42.3%) in the workplaces, shortage of manpower (32%), and source of infection (30%). To improve the working environment as well as conditions, Korean long-term care workers considered improving low-wage structures, ergonomic improvements to solve excessive physical loads, and increasing various bonus payments as well as implementing the salary system, positive social awareness, and increasing resting time. Of 506 responses, 92.3% replied that the long-term care insurance system for the elderly should be developed to expand publicization at the national level. Conclusion This study proposes to improve the low-wage structure of Korean long-term care workers, automation and improvement of facilities, equipment, and tools to eliminate excessive physical loads (beneficiary elderly lifting), and reduction of night labor.