Consensus in Psychiatric Emergencies Using the Delphi Technique.

Objective: This study aimed to elicit expert consensus on the necessary components of a seclusion room module required to accommodate and manage psychiatric emergency patients requiring both medical and surgical interventions in infectious disease situations.

Methods: A two-round Delphi survey was conducted among 38 medical professionals, architects, and spatial design experts. The survey assessed the effectiveness, feasibility, and urgency of spatial scales, spatial organization, and movement system domains related to the necessary elements of a seclusion room.

Health expenditure trajectory and gastric cancer incidence in the National Health Insurance Senior Cohort: a nested case-control study.

Background: Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer and highly prevalent in South Korea. As one of the predictors of gastric cancer, we focused on health utilization patterns and expenditures, as the surrogate variables of health conditions. This nested case-control study aimed to identify the association between health expenditure trajectory and incidence of gastric cancer.

Impacts of Smoking Ban Policies on Billiard Hall Sales in South Korea Using Objective Sales Information of a Credit Card Company: Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: Smoking ban policies (SBPs) are potent health interventions and offer the potential to influence antismoking behavior. The Korean government completely prohibited smoking in indoor sports facilities, including billiard halls, since the government revised the National Health Promotion Act in December 2017.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of the SBP on the economic outcomes of indoor sports facilities, particularly billiard halls.

The impact of coping strategies and positive resources on post-traumatic stress symptoms among bereaved families of the Sewol ferry disaster.

Introduction: This study investigated the long-term prevalence of, and factors associated with, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry disaster, in which 250 students lost their lives during a school excursion.

Methods: Eight years after the disaster, 181 family members were surveyed, and the prevalence of clinical PTSD symptoms was estimated. The Positive Resources Test (POREST), the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, and the Brief COPE were evaluated using self-report measures.

Mid-Term Strategic Plan for the Public Health and Medical Care Cooperation in the Korean Peninsula.

As extensive as the concept of and the resources required for 'Health for Korean Unification' are, and due to the limited access to information on the state of health and medical care in North Korea, discussion on 'Health for Korean Unification' has tended to be intermittent and lacked concrete action plans. In this article, we specifically distinguished areas of cooperation and selected five executable agenda that meet the goals of international development cooperation: 1) Health security; 2) Easing the burden of major diseases; 3) Resilient healthcare system; 4) R&D cooperation; 5) Sustainable cooperation system. Then we provided corresponding strategic priorities and operative directions, in consideration of future military and political sanctions against North Korea.

A Pragmatic Randomized clinical trial: twice-weekly vs. thrice-weekly Incident hemoDialysis in Elderly patients (PRIDE): study protocol.

Background: The optimal frequency for hemodialysis in older adults with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) has not been established. This study aims to investigate whether a twice-weekly dialysis schedule using an incremental approach can reduce hospitalization rates in the elderly with incident dialysis, compared with conventional thrice-weekly dialysis.

Methods: We have designed a pragmatic randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of twice-weekly versus thrice-weekly hemodialysis in 428 ESKD individuals (dropout rate 20%) aged 60 years or older with residual kidney function (urine output, >500 mL/ day).

Factors Associated With People's Accessibility to Mental Healthcare Services in Ukraine: Focusing on Household Head Vulnerability.

This study examines the factors associated with access to mental healthcare services among people living in the government-controlled areas (GCAs) of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in Ukraine. The 2020 Ukraine Multi-Sector Needs Assessment conducted by REACH was subjected to frequency analysis, percentage analysis, and binary logistic regression to confirm the factors associated with accessibility to mental healthcare services among Ukrainian household heads. Older household heads, heads with high accessibility to healthcare facilities, and those with low health expenditures were highly likely to have low access to mental healthcare services.

Challenges of COVID-19 prevention during protracted conflicts: differential adherence to preventive measures in "contact line" regions in eastern Ukraine.

Objectives: Despite the epidemiological importance of social vulnerabilities in compliance with preventive measures, little is known about the disproportional nature of preventive behaviors in crisis-affected populations. We examined adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors, focusing on social distancing measures in the conflict-affected regions in eastern Ukraine.

Methods: From a multisectoral needs assessment conducted in 2020 using a household interview of a stratified simple random sample, we included 1,617 rural and urban households located in the government-controlled area.

Current status and needs in the primary healthcare system in Yangon, Myanmar: a mixed-method evaluation.

Background: Many low- and middle-income countries and international organisations have invested resources to strengthen primary health care (PHC). This study aimed to identify the challenges and unmet needs in the current PHC by assessing the experiences and perceptions of healthcare workers in three townships (Htan Ta Pin, Hmawbi, and Taikkyi) in Yangon, Myanmar.

Methods: The study was conducted among healthcare professionals and community leaders in three townships.

Influence of COVID-19-Related Interventions on the Number of Inpatients with Acute Viral Respiratory Infections: Using Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

After the first COVID-19 patient was diagnosed, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing and behavior change campaigns were implemented in South Korea. The social distancing policy restricted unnecessary gatherings and activities to prevent local transmission. This study aims to evaluate the effect of social distancing, a strategy for COVID-19 prevention, on the number of acute respiratory infection inpatients.

Comparison of the risks of occupational diseases, avoidable hospitalization, and all-cause deaths between firefighters and non-firefighters: A cohort study using national health insurance claims data.

Objectives: National Health Insurance claims data were used to compare the incidence of occupational diseases, avoidable hospitalization, and all-cause death standardized incidence ratio and hazard ratio between firefighters and non-firefighters.

Methods: The observation period of the study was from 2006 to 2015 and a control group (general workers and national and regional government officers/public educational officers) and a firefighter group was established. The dependent variables were occupational diseases, avoidable hospitalization (AH), and all-cause death.

Factors influencing injury or death due to traumatic events in Afghanistan's crisis-affected populations: a cross-sectional nationwide study.

Objective: Afghanistan, with one of the world's largest refugee populations, suffers an enormous burden of injury resulting in loss of life. This study aims to identify the epidemiology of injuries or death in the crisis-affected populations across Afghanistan and to investigate factors associated with injuries or deaths due to traumatic events.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Evaluation of Salivary Biomarkers of Periodontal Disease Based on Smoking Status: A Systematic Review.

Saliva is a useful biomarker for diagnosing oral health conditions, including periodontal disease (PD). Smoking is a risk factor for PD. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the salivary biomarkers associated with PD based on smoking status.

Effect of COVID-19-Related Interventions on the Incidence of Infectious Eye Diseases: Analysis of Nationwide Infectious Disease Incidence Monitoring Data.

Social distancing has been confirmed to reduce the incidence of not only the COVID-19, but also the incidence of other diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of social distancing policies on the incidence of infectious eye diseases by monitoring their nationwide incidence data in all age groups. In this study, to analyse the impact of COVID-19 policy on IEDSC, the time periods were divided into two interventions.

Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on adults with sleep disturbance: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a meditation-based therapy originally recommended for stress management. However, it is currently used to alleviate sleep disturbances. Therefore, this contemporary systematic review aimed to elucidate the clinical effects of MBSR on sleep quality and sleep-related daytime impairment in adults with sleep disturbances, including chronic insomnia disorders.

Non-Communicable Diseases and Transitioning Health System in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea during COVID-19 Lockdown.

While there are increasing concerns on COVID-19 situation in Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea), little is known about North Korea's health system function for Non-Communicable Diseases. Given the scarcity of available evidence, a scoping review was conducted in peer review articles from MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, and policy literatures from state-run media in North Korea to analyze the North Korea health system and COVID-19 pandemic. The transition to a market economy is expected to deepen the gap between the rich and the poor over access to health care, causing a new type of health inequality in North Korea.

Contributing Factors in Whether Displaced Households Want to Receive Humanitarian Information from Humanitarian Actors: Iraq Multi-Cluster Needs Assessment.

Due to political conflict, insurgency, and the COVID-19, the number of displaced households in need of humanitarian support in Iraq has increased. This study investigated factors related to desire of displaced households to receive humanitarian information. Data from the eighth round of the Iraq Multi-Cluster Needs Assessment was used.

How public and private health insurance coverage mitigates catastrophic health expenditures in Republic of Korea.

Background: The private health insurance (PHI) market in Republic of Korea has instituted indemnity insurance plans that provide partial reimbursements for some medical services or costs that are not covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI). To date, no study has estimated the extent to which PHI coverage lowers the economic burden of households' access to health care. The current study aims to evaluate the design of Korea's PHI system in terms of coverage using a catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) indicator and compare it with NHI.

Expert Consensus on Measures to Promote Physical and Psychological Health among COVID-19-Related Healthcare Workers in Korea using Delphi Technique.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused health problems and distress among healthcare workers (HCWs), so supportive measures to promote their health and relieve distress are needed.

Materials And Methods: We conducted two rounds of Delphi surveys with 20 COVID-19-related frontline healthcare professionals and public officials. The surveys evaluated means of supporting HCWs' health by improving health care systems and working environments in terms of effectiveness and urgency.

Financial burden of catastrophic health expenditure on households with chronic diseases: financial ratio analysis.

Background: The financial status of households is vulnerable to chronic diseases which entail high medical expenses and income loss. Financial strain can be assessed by four indicators: a household surplus indicator, the liquid asset/debt ratio, a solvency indicator, and a liquidity indicator. We investigated the association between catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and financial ratio indicators in households with chronic diseases in South Korea.

Association between smokeless tobacco use and cigarette smoking amount by age.

Background: The use of smokeless tobacco has increased worldwide among young people. This study aimed to investigate the association between smokeless tobacco use and cigarette smoking amount in adult smoker groups stratified by age.

Method: 2013-2015 National Health Interview Survey was used.