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

• The quality of life impacting factors in malnourished patients with gastric cancer
  Hong Zhao, Chenan Liu, Guotian Ruan, Xin Zheng, Yue Chen, Shiqi Lin, Xiaoyue Liu, Jinyu Shi, Xiangrui Li, Shuqun Li, Hanping Shi
  Frontiers in Oncology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Cardiovascular and metabolic determinants of quality of life in patients with cancer
  Ruben Evertz, Katharina Gödde, Christine Diehl, Miroslava Valentova, Tania Garfias‐Veitl, Friederike Braulke, Gerald G. Wulf, Tobias R. Overbeck, Annalen Bleckmann, Alexander O. König, Pia Weinländer, Sophia Potthoff, Sara Hadzibegovic, Alessia Lena, Ulri
  ESC Heart Failure.2023; 10(1): 167.     CrossRef
• Understanding Heterogeneity in the Relationship Between Cancer and Hand Grip Strength: A Longitudinal Analysis
  Jinho Kim, Gum-Ryeong Park
  Research on Aging.2023; 45(7-8): 586.     CrossRef
• Better Handgrip Strength Is Related to the Lower Prevalence of Pain and Anxiety in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
  Natalia Sosowska, Agnieszka Guligowska, Bartłomiej Sołtysik, Ewa Borowiak, Tomasz Kostka, Joanna Kostka
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2023; 12(11): 3846.     CrossRef
• Predictors of lower exercise capacity in patients with cancer
  Ruben Evertz, Christine Diehl, Katharina Gödde, Miroslava Valentova, Tania Garfias-Veitl, Tobias R. Overbeck, Friederike Braulke, Alessia Lena, Sara Hadzibegovic, Annalen Bleckmann, Ulrich Keller, Ulf Landmesser, Alexander O. König, Gerd Hasenfuss, Andrea
  Scientific Reports.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• NEUROCANTRIAL: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a pain neuroscience education programme in adults with cancer pain
  Leidy Tatiana Ordoñez-Mora, Ilem D Rosero, Marco Antonio Morales-Osorio, Rocío Guil, Giancarlo Quintero Jordan, Julian Alberto Agudelo Jimenez, Katherine Gonzalez-Ruiz, Juan Carlos Avila-Valencia
  BMJ Open.2023; 13(9): e071493.     CrossRef
• Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life in Older People with and without Sarcopenia Covered by Long-Term Care Insurance
  Masahiro Kitamura, Kazuhiro P. Izawa, Kodai Ishihara, Peter H. Brubaker, Hiroaki Matsuda, Soichiro Okamura, Koji Fujioka
  European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education.2022; 12(6): 536.     CrossRef
• Associations of Physical Activity and Handgrip Strength with Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Korean Cancer Survivors
  Jeonghyeon Kim, Seamon Kang, Donghyun Kim, Hyunsik Kang
  Cancers.2022; 14(24): 6067.     CrossRef
• Differences in the Relationships Between Muscle Strength, Muscle Mass, Balance Function, and Quality of Life for Middle-Aged and Older Breast Cancer Survivors
  Shinichiro Morishita, Ryuichi Kasahara, Yuichi Yamamoto, Ryohei Jinbo, Aya Takano, Mitsuhiko Yasuda, Atsuhiro Tsubaki, Osamu Aoki, Jack B. Fu, Tetsuya Tsuji
  Integrative Cancer Therapies.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef

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

• Association Between Perceived Noise Pollution and Sleep Quality: Findings from the 2018 Community Health Survey
  Sujin Lee, Jae Ho Chung
  Noise and Health.2024; 26(122): 346.     CrossRef
• Current status of tobacco use, cessation and control policy in Korea
  Cheol Min Lee
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2022; 65(12): 789.     CrossRef
• Current status of health promotion in Korea
  Soo Young Kim
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2022; 65(12): 776.     CrossRef
• Public Health Intervention for Smoking Cessation
  Soo Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2021; 42(5): 343.     CrossRef

Citations

• Mediator or moderator? The role of obesity in the association between age at menarche and blood pressure in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: a population-based cross-sectional study
  Lin Zhang, Liu Yang, Congzhi Wang, Ting Yuan, Dongmei Zhang, Huanhuan Wei, Jing Li, Yunxiao Lei, Lu Sun, Xiaoping Li, Ying Hua, Hengying Che, Yuanzhen Li
  BMJ Open.2022; 12(5): e051486.     CrossRef

Citations

• Childhood obesity: The threatening apprentice of the adiposity empire
  J. Karina Zapata, Javier Gómez-Ambrosi, Gema Frühbeck
  Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Assessing the Impact of Early Childhood Intervention Programs on Obesity Prevention: A comparative study
  Fatima Tariq, Salman Tahir, Shahjahan Raza Gardezi, Maryam Sarwar, Muhammad Nasir Shahbaz, Arham Riaz
  DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICO-LIFE-SCIENCES.2024; 1(7): 48.     CrossRef
• Development of a comprehensive flourishing intervention to promote mental health using an e-Delphi technique
  Juliane Piasseschi de Bernardin Gonçalves, Camilla Casaletti Braghetta, Willyane de Andrade Alvarenga, Clarice Gorenstein, Giancarlo Lucchetti, Homero Vallada
  Frontiers in Psychiatry.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Development of Physical Activity Competence Test Battery and Evaluation Standards for Korean Children
  Yeon-Oh Han, Byung-Sun Lee
  Children.2022; 9(1): 79.     CrossRef
• Iranian children with overweight and obesity: an internet-based interventional study
  Farnaz Khatami, Ghazal Shariatpanahi, Hamid Barahimi, Rezvan Hashemi, Leila Khedmat, Mahta Gheirati
  BMC Pediatrics.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Expert consensus on the important chronic non-specific neck pain motor control and segmental exercise and dosage variables: An international e-Delphi study
  Jonathan Price, Alison Rushton, Vasileios Tyros, Nicola R. Heneghan, Zubing Mei
  PLOS ONE.2021; 16(7): e0253523.     CrossRef
• Designing an internet‐based intervention for improving wellbeing in people with acquired vision loss: A Delphi consensus study
  Nurbanu Somani, Eldre Beukes, Keziah Latham, Gerhard Andersson, Peter M Allen
  Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics.2021; 41(5): 971.     CrossRef
• Dietary Patterns and Childhood Obesity Risk: A Systematic Review
  Rafaela Liberali, Emil Kupek, Maria Alice Altenburg de Assis
  Childhood Obesity.2020; 16(2): 70.     CrossRef
• Consensus on the exercise and dosage variables of an exercise training programme for chronic non-specific neck pain: protocol for an international e-Delphi study
  Jonathan Price, Alison Rushton, Vasileios Tyros, Nicola R Heneghan
  BMJ Open.2020; 10(5): e037656.     CrossRef
• Establishing consensus on key public health indicators for the monitoring and evaluating childhood obesity interventions: a Delphi panel study
  Shane O’Donnell, Gerardine Doyle, Grace O’Malley, Sarah Browne, James O’Connor, Monica Mars, M-Tahar M. Kechadi
  BMC Public Health.2020;[Epub]     CrossRef

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.

Citations

• Screening and Vaccination Against Measles and Varicella Among Health Care Workers: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis
  Ji-Suk Lee, Oh Jeong, Hyunju Yang
  Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health.2021; 33(5): 508.     CrossRef
• Comparison of three immunoassays for determination of immunity to rubella virus in healthcare workers
  Su-Yeon Jo, Kyung-Hwa Shin, Sun Min Lee, Eun-Young Jeong, Hyun-Ji Lee, Chulhun L. Chang
  Journal of Immunological Methods.2018; 463: 84.     CrossRef
• One-Year Experience Managing a Cancer Survivorship Clinic Using a Shared-Care Model for Gastric Cancer Survivors in Korea
  Ji Eun Lee, Dong Wook Shin, Hyejin Lee, Ki Young Son, Warrick Junsuk Kim, Yun-Suhk Suh, Seong-Ho Kong, Hyuk Joon Lee, Belong Cho, Han-Kwang Yang
  Journal of Korean Medical Science.2016; 31(6): 859.     CrossRef
• Factors associated with the Intention of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination among Mothers of Junior High School Daughters
  Hye-Min Park, Hyun-Ei Oh
  The Journal of the Korea Contents Association.2014; 14(8): 307.     CrossRef
• Rapid Increase in the National Treatment Costs for Hepatitis A Infections in Korea
  Hee Suk Park, Bo Youl Choi, Young Dae Kwon
  The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine.2012; 226(1): 85.     CrossRef
• Factors Influencing Mothers' Acceptance of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination to Prevent Cervical Cancer in their Daughters
  Hae Won Kim
  Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2011; 17(2): 137.     CrossRef
• Mothers' HPV-related Knowledge in an Area
  Moon Hee Kang
  Journal of Korean Oncology Nursing.2011; 11(3): 193.     CrossRef

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

• Development of a sex-specific visceral fat area estimation using discrete multi-wavelength near-infrared spectroscopy measurements in Korean individuals
  Soonhyun Ban, Jihyeon Baek, Soee Choi, Sung-Ho Han
  International Journal of Obesity.2025; 49(4): 627.     CrossRef
• Body Composition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness Characteristics Among Female University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Mădălina-Gabriela Coman, Andreea Maria Adam, Carmen Gheorghe, Mircea Dan Mocanu, Leonard Stoica, Daniel-Andrei Iordan, Ilie Onu, Dragoș Florin Teodor
  Balneo and PRM Research Journal.2024; 15(Vol.15, no): 753.     CrossRef
• Radiological dose analysis depending on the examination condition for computed tomography measurement of abdominal body fat
  Jae-Hwan Cho, Hae-Kag Lee, Hyun-Ju Kim
  Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization.2016; 4(6): 368.     CrossRef
• Current Methods of Human Body Composition Assessment
  Jongwoo Kim, Seon Yeong Lee
  The Korean Journal of Obesity.2015; 24(4): 184.     CrossRef
• Age-related changes in body composition in a sample of Czech women aged 18–89 years: a cross-sectional study
  Aleš Gába, Miroslava Přidalová
  European Journal of Nutrition.2014; 53(1): 167.     CrossRef

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.