| Sunmi Yoo | 7 Articles |
Background
Cancer survivors experience decreased physical function and reduced muscle strength, which leads to lower quality of life (QOL). The hand grip strength (HGS) can be a predictor of poor health-related QOL as a parameter of sarcopenia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between low HGS and QOL in cancer survivors and healthy controls. Methods We analyzed 392 cancer survivors and 1,176 healthy controls from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2014–2017. We defined low HGS as 2 standard deviation values for healthy young Korean adults from a previous study. QOL was evaluated using the European Quality of Life Scale-Five Dimensions. A complex sample logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between each dimension of low HGS and QOL. Results The odds ratios (ORs) for decreased QOL were significantly higher in male cancer survivors with low HGS on self-care (OR, 8.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69–42.83) and usual activities (OR, 6.63; 95% CI, 1.22–36.03). The ORs for problems in mobility (OR, 5.87; 95% CI, 2.04–16.91), usual activities (OR, 14.46; 95% CI, 3.84–54.44), pain/discomfort (OR, 4.90; 95% CI, 2.00–12.01), and anxiety/depression (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 2.16–19.12) were significantly high in female cancer survivors with low HGS. However, healthy controls showed no significant relationship between low HGS and QOL. Conclusion For cancer survivors, low HGS was associated with poor QOL in some domains. Strategies to increase muscle strength must be considered to improve the QOL of cancer survivors. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Background
In 2015, tobacco prices significantly increased in Korea as part of the government’s smoking cessation policy. This study examined the changes in the stages of smoking cessation among Korean male smokers before and after the implementation of the tobacco price policy, and identified the predictors of such changes. Methods The study population comprised 3,533 male current smokers (age ≥19 years) who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Current smokers were defined as persons who had smoked ≥100 cigarettes during their lifetime and are continuing to smoke. In accordance with the transtheoretical model, smokers were classified into the precontemplation stage (no plan to quit), contemplation stage, and preparation stage (planning to quit within 6 months). We examined the changes in the smoking cessation stages before and after the implementation of the policy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors related to the likelihood of continuing smoking, after adjustments for potential confounders. Results Immediately after the policy implementation, the percentage of smokers in the precontemplation stage decreased from 65.6% to 60.8% (P=0.014). However, this effect was temporary. Significant risk factors for remaining in the precontemplation stage were older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.010; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002–1.018; P=0.004), being in the lowest income quartile (OR, 1.226; 95% CI, 1.001–1.502; P=0.049), and manual worker or unemployed status (OR, 1.256; 95% CI, 1.036–1523; P=0.020). Conclusion Increasing tobacco prices only temporarily change the stage of smoking cessation among Korean male smokers. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
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The prevalence of childhood obesity in South Korea has increased owing to economic improvement and the prevailing Westernized dietary pattern. As the incidence of chronic diseases caused by obesity is also expected to increase, effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity are needed. Therefore, we conducted a Delphi study to determine the priorities of a potential intervention research on childhood obesity prevention and its adequacy and feasibility. The two-round Delphi technique was used with a panel of 10 childhood obesity experts. The panelists were asked to rate “priority populations,” “methods of intervention,” “measurement of outcomes,” “future intervention settings,” and “duration of intervention” by using a structured questionnaire. Finally, a portfolio analysis was performed with the adequacy and feasibility indexes as the two axes. For priority populations, the panel favored “elementary,” “preschool,” and “middle and high school” students in this order. Regarding intervention settings, the panelists assigned high adequacy and feasibility to “childcare centers” and “home” for preschool children, “school” and “home” for elementary school children, and “school” for adolescents in middle and high school. As the age of the target population increased, the panelists scored increasing numbers of anthropometric, clinical, and intermediate outcomes as highly adequate and feasible for assessing the effectiveness of the intervention. According to the results of the Delphi survey, the highest-priority population for the research on childhood obesity prevention was that of elementary school students. Various settings, methods, outcome measures, and durations for the different age groups were also suggested. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Immunization is the most effective and cost-beneficial means to prevent infectious diseases in adults as well as in children. However, adult immunization has been beyond the center of attention relatively to children's immunization in Korea. Since the Korean Academy of Family Medicine had published "Vaccination for Adults" in 1994, a recent update was done in this field by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases. This paper reviews standard immunization for healthy persons and supplementary immunization for persons with underlying diseases based on those recent recommendations. General information, indications, dosage, route of administration, efficacy and safety were reviewed for vaccination of influenza, pneumococcal infection, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, human papilloma virus, varicella and measles/mumps/rubella.
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Background
Obesity is associated with various chronic diseases, especially abdominal fat affect cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, diabetes mellitus and mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate the accuracy of the visceral fat area measured by bioelectric impedence analysis (BIA) that easily used in many clinical settings, and to compare with the visceral fat area measured by CT and other abdominal obesity measures. Methods: Participants were 71 premenopausal adult women whose BMI was over 23 kg/m2. BMI, waist circumference, total abdominal fat area, visceral fat area, subcutaneous fat area by CT and truncal fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) were measured. Visceral fat area measured by Inbody 720 were compared with variables examining abdominal obesity using partial correlation analysis and Bland-Altman analysis. The accuracy of the visceral obesity by BIA was compared with that diagnosed by CT as gold standard. Results: There was significant difference between visceral fat area measured by CT and BIA in women below BMI 30 kg/m2, whereas the difference was not significant in women with BMI ≥ kg/m2. Visceral fat area measured by BIA was significantly correlated with visceral fat area measured by CT only in subjects with BMI less than 30 kg/m2 after adjusting for age (r = 0.495, P < 0.01). Bland-Altman plot analysis showed a tendency regardless of BMI status; the more visceral fat area increased, the less the difference between two measures. The sensitivity and the specificity to diagnose visceral obesity by BIA was 50.0%, 81.8% respectively among women with BMI less than 30 kg/m2, and 100.0%, 25.0% respectively among women with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Conclusion: BIA is not appropriate for evaluation of abdominal visceral obesity. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Background
: STDs are major communicable disease group in Korea. This study was carried out to evaluate the current status of sexually transmitted diseases in Seoul. Methods : We collected the laboratory data of those who visited 11 Public Health Centers in Seoul for venereal disease examination and analyzed abnormal results from Jan 1, 1993 to Dec 31, 1995. The diagnoses of STDs were made by VDRL quantification, RPHA test, Gram's stain, and culture of urine or urethral discharge. Results : There were total of 10,302 patients. There were 7,836 male cases(76.1%) and 2,466 female cases(23.9%). Mean age was 30.6±9.7, and the most common age group was 25-34 years of age(42.1%). Diagnoses were as follows ; syphilis 2,036 cases(19.8%), gonorrhea 2,249 cases(21.8%), nongonococcal urethritis 4,973 cases(48.3%), vaginitis 954 cases(9.3%), mixed infection of syphilis and gonorrhea 13 cases(0.1%), mixed infection of syphilis and NGU 50 cases(0.5%), mixed infection of syphilis and vaginitis 27 cases(0.3%). The proportion of PPNG among gonorrhea was as follows ; 43.4% in 1993, 55.1% in 1994, 43.8% in 1995. There were more WBCs on Gram's staining in gonorrhea cases than in NGU cases. Conclusion : The STD patients seen in 11 Public Health Centers in Seoul were mainly young men. Common diagnoses were as follows ; NGU, gonorrhea, syphilis, vaginitis. The proportion of PPNG increased at first and then decreased.
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