Background: Physical activity (PA) is associated with a favorable metabolic risk profile in adults. However, its role in adolescents remains unclear. In this study, using data (2019–2021) from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we investigated the optimal exercise type for preventing metabolic complications in adolescents. Methods: A total of 1,222 eligible adolescent participants (12–18-year-old) were divided into four groups as follows: aerobic exercise (AE), resistance exercise (RE), combined aerobic and resistance exercise (CE), and no exercise (NE). Daily PA was assessed using the international PA questionnaire. Blood samples were collected to measure lipid, glucose, and insulin levels. Additionally, the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) indices were measured. Multivariate regression analysis was used to compare the metabolic risk factors across the PA groups before and after propensity score matching (PSM) adjustment for confounding variables. Results: The CE group exhibited improved fasting glucose levels, lower TyG index, reduced white blood cell count, and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels than the NE group. The RE group exhibited lower mean blood pressure, triglyceride, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, TyG index and a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome than the NE group. The AE group had higher total and HDL cholesterol levels. In detailed comparison of the AE and RE groups, the RE group consistently exhibited favorable metabolic parameters, including lower blood pressure and total and low-density cholesterol levels, which persisted after PSM. Conclusion These findings highlight the positive effects of PA on cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents. Thus, RE may have a more favorable metabolic effect than AE. Further studies are needed to validate the benefits of exercise according to the exercise type.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the association between the prevalence of hyperuricemia and obesity in Korean adults. Methods: The participants included 5,922 adults from the 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We examined the relationship between obesity status and serum uric acid levels using a chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. Results: There was an increase in the prevalence of hyperuricemia with higher body mass index (P<0.001 and P=0.003, respectively). Both male and female in a higher obesity class also had a higher odds ratio for the prevalence of hyperuricemia (P<0.001). This trend remained consistent after adjusting for all confounding factors. The obesity class III group was found to be associated with the highest risk of hyperuricemia. Conclusion In this study, we found that hyperuricemia was significantly associated with obesity in Korean adults. In a clinical setting, this finding presents objective data for more aggressive management and ultimate prevention of obesity.

BACKGROUND: Though several factors have been found to be associated with depression, yet many others remain uncovered. A few studies have focused on the correlation between smoking and depression. This study was designed to explore whether there was a relationship between smoking and depression in a Korean adult group.METHODS: This study was based on the 2014 data of 17,780 Koreans obtained from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES, 2013–2015). The participants' depression status was evaluated based on their responses to survey. The correlation between smoking and depression was examined using multiple linear regression analysis after adjusting confounders. The result was represented as correlation factors, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: Our study revealed higher depression prevalence in the current smoker group as compared to non-smokers and ex-smokers and this difference was statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Smoking status was statistically significantly related to depression. Among the three smoking status groups, the current smoker group had the highest prevalence of depression. Hence s stopping smoking was considered to be effective and important to prevent depression.
Adult ; Depression ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: The definition of sarcopenia focuses on muscle mass and function. Sarcopenic obesity is the relative excess of fat tissue with decreased muscle mass. We examined the association between cigarette smoking and sarcopenia according to obesity in middle-aged and elderly Koreans. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 9,385 subjects (age ≥50 years) based on data from the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2008–2011). Smoking groups were categorized by smoking status and the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Sarcopenia was defined as weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass of 2 standard deviations below the sex-specific mean for young adults. Obesity was defined as fat mass ≥30% for men and ≥40% for women. Subjects were categorized into three groups: sarcopenic obese (SO), sarcopenic non-obese (SNO), and normal. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between smoking and SNO and SO. RESULTS: Among men, current smokers were more associated with SNO than never-smokers (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–10.26). However, there was no significant association between smoking status and SNO in women or SO in either sex. Among current smokers, moderate smokers (11–20 cigarettes/d) were more likely to be SNO (adjusted OR, 5.81; 95% CI, 1.12–30.31) and heavy smokers (>20 cigarettes/d) were more likely to be SO (adjusted OR, 9.53; 95% CI, 1.65–55.01) than light smokers (<11 cigarettes/d). CONCLUSION: In men, smoking was positively associated with SNO, and heavy smokers were more likely to be SO than light smokers.
Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Sarcopenia ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To investigate trends in blood pressure (BP) and hypertension prevalence in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) I (1998), II (2001), III (2005), IV (2007–2009), V (2010–2012), and VI (2013–2014), 56077 participants (23974 men and 32103 women) were included. RESULTS: Mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) decreased in both sexes (male SBP: 128.1 to 120.2 mm Hg, male DBP: 82.0 to 78.5 mm Hg; female SBP: 125.7 to 116.0 mm Hg and female DBP: 77.4 to 73.2 mm Hg from the KNHANES I–VI). The age-standardized prevalence of hypertension was significantly decreased in both sexes (male; 33.3% to 30.3%, female; 28.7% to 22.7%, all p for trend < 0.001). Regardless of taking anti-hypertensive medication or not, SBP and DBP declined universally in both sexes. Compared to the KNHANES I, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of the KNHANES II to VI for less-than-normotensive and less-than-hypertensive BP increased in both sexes. CONCLUSION: Mean BP levels in both sexes and hypertension prevalence showed downward trends during the 16-year period.
Adult* ; Blood Pressure* ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence*

BACKGROUND: The gradually increasing demand for coffee worldwide has prompted increased interest in the relationship between coffee and health issues as well as a need for research on metabolic syndrome in adults. METHODS: Data from 3,321 subjects (1,268 men and 2,053 women) enrolled in the 2013–2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. The subjects were divided into three groups according to their daily coffee consumption. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for metabolic syndrome in the coffee-drinking groups were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis by adjusting for confounding variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 15.5%, 10.7%, and 9.7% in men and 3.0%, 7.1%, and 6.5% in women according to their coffee consumption (less than one, one or two, or more than three cups of coffee per day), respectively. Compared with the non-coffee consumption group, the ORs (95% CIs) for metabolic syndrome in the group that consumed more than three cups of coffee was 0.638 (0.328–1.244) for men and 1.344 (0.627–2.881) for women after adjusting for age, body mass index, household income, education, smoking, alcohol, regular exercise, and daily caloric intake. CONCLUSION: The OR of metabolic syndrome was not statistically significant in both men and women.
Adult* ; Body Mass Index ; Coffee* ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Education ; Energy Intake ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Waist Circumference

PURPOSE: Spirituality is an important domain and is related with physical and psychological symptoms in terminal cancer patient. The aim of this study is to examine how patients' spirituality is associated with their physical and psychological symptoms as it has been explored by few studies. METHODS: In this cross sectional study, 50 patients in the palliative ward of a tertiary hospital were interviewed. Spiritual well-being, depression, anxiety and pain is measured by Functional Assessment of Chronic-Illness Therapy-Spirituality (FACIT-Sp), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the Korean version of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-K). The correlations between patients' spiritual well-being and anxiety, depression and pain were analysed. The association between spiritual well-being and age, gender, palliative performance scale (PPS), religion, mean pain intensity, anxiety, depression were assessed by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: Spiritual well-being was negatively correlated with the mean pain intensity (r=-0.283, P<0.05), anxiety (r=-0.613, P<0.05) and depression (r=-0.526, P<0.05). In multivariate regression analysis, spiritual well-being showed negative association with anxiety (OR=-1.03, 95% CI=-1.657~-0.403, P=0.002) and positive association with the existence of religion (OR=9.193, 95% CI=4.158~14.229, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, patients' anxiety and existence of religion were significantly associated with spiritual well-being after adjusting age, gender, PPS, mean pain intensity, depression. Prospective studies are warranted.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Pilot Projects ; Spirituality ; Terminally Ill ; Tertiary Care Centers

Either chronic inflammation or metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with renal impairment. This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relationship between elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 or more according to the presence of MetS in adult Koreans. In total, 5,291 subjects (> or = 20 yr-old) participating in the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination were included. CKD stage 3 or more was defined as having an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, as calculated using the formula from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for CKD stage 3 or more in the highest WBC quartile (> or = 7,200 cells/microL) was 1.70 (1.17-2.39) after adjusting for MetS and other covariates, compared with the lowest WBC quartile (< 5,100 cells/microL). In subjects with MetS, the prevalence risk for CKD stage 3 or more in the highest WBC quartile was 2.25 (1.28-3.95) even after fully adjusting for confounding variables. In contrast, this positive association between WBC quartile and CKD stage 3 or more disappeared in subjects without MetS. Low-grade inflammation is significantly associated with CKD stage 3 or more in subjects with MetS but not in those without MetS.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Inflammation/complications/*diagnosis ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*epidemiology/etiology ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*diagnosis ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index

Firefighters are facing occupational hazards such as exposures to a variety of carcinogens and toxic agents, heat, physical stress and psychological stress. This occupation involves an increased risk of particular health concerns including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and reproductive hazards. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of lifetime mortality among the firefighters as well as the principal cause of on-duty deaths. In spite of "healthy worker effect", a number of studies have found an increased risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in firefighters. There are various carcinogens in the fire smoke. Many studies address that some types of cancers are related to firefighting. These cancers include brain tumors, cancers of hematopoietic and lymphatic systems, cancers of genitourinary tract, and skin cancers. To date, the relationship between firefighting and reproductive hazards has not been widely studied. However, since firefighters are exposed to various chemical and physical hazards which might influence the reproductive systems, the concerns are raising. It is important to recognize that firefighters are at a risk of several significant health problems. To reduce the risk, it should be encouraged to use protective equipments efficiently and manage physically exerted firefighters appropriately at the fire scene. Furthermore, we should activate not only screening programs to detect health risk factors, but also medical programs to help firefighters maintain a good physical fitness.
Brain Neoplasms ; Carcinogens ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Firefighters ; Fires ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Lymphatic System ; Mass Screening ; Occupations ; Risk Factors ; Skin Neoplasms ; Smoke ; Stress, Psychological

A healthy 30-yr-old woman carrying an insect that had been caught in her living room visited the International Clinic at Severance Hospital, Seoul, in December 2007. The insect she brought was identified to be a nymph of a bedbug, Cimex lectularius, and her skin rashes looked typical bedbug's bites. Her apartment was investigated, and a dead body of a bedbug, cast skins, and hatched eggs were found in her rooms and neighbors' rooms in the same building. She was living in that apartment in Seoul for 9 months since she had moved from New Jersey, USA. We assume that the bedbugs were introduced from abroad, since there had been no report on bedbugs in Seoul for more than 2 decades at least. This is a report of a reemergence of the common bedbug, C. lectularius in Seoul, Korea.
Adult ; Animals ; *Bedbugs/anatomy & histology ; Dermatitis/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Insect Bites and Stings/*pathology ; Insecticides ; Korea/epidemiology