A Study on Prevalence and Risk Factors for Varicose Veins in Nurses at a University Hospital.

Background: Lower-limb varicose veins (VVs) are common and known to have a higher prevalence among people who work in occupations requiring prolonged standing. In the Republic of Korea, however, VV-related occupational factors have seldom been examined. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of VVs among nurses, an occupational group considered to be at high risk of VVs, and determine the occupational risk factors of prolonged standing.

Association between shift work and obesity according to body fat percentage in Korean wage workers: data from the fourth and the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2008-2011).

Background: Health problems in shift workers vary including obesity acting as a risk factor in cerebrovascular diseases. Recent studies have commonly determined the prevalence of obesity in shift workers on the basis of body mass index. The accuracy of BMI for diagnosing obesity are still limited apparently.

A case of complicated silicosis with a complex clinical course in a glass manufacturing worker.

We reported a case of complicated silicosis that occurred in a glass manufacturing plant worker who had presumably been exposed to low-concentration free silica for almost 20 years. To the best of our knowledge this report is the first in the Republic of Korea. The physician's first impression was cancer since the enlargement of neck and supraclavicuar lymph nodes had clearly progressed and metastasis was suspected in ultrasonography.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the maxillary sinus in a spray painter from an automobile repair shop.

Background: We report a case of a spray painter who developed malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the maxillary sinus following long-term exposure to chromium, nickel, and formaldehyde, implying that these agents are probable causal agents of MFH.

Case Report: The patient developed right-sided prosopalgia that began twenty months ago. The symptom persisted despite medical treatment.

Sexual activity and hepatitis B and C virus infection among young adults after introduction of a vaccination program in an area of high endemicity.

Background: In areas where hepatitis is endemic, little is known about the sexual transmission of HBV after introduction of an HBV vaccination program.

Methods: We used a self-administered questionnaire and serological tests for HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, and anti-HCV to examine the role of sexual activity, as well as sociodemographic status, lifestyle habits, and a history of vaccinations, transfusions, and surgery, in the transmission of HBV and HCV in Korea. The subjects were 865 female and 541 male university students (median age, 19 years; age range, 16-25).

[The relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism and HDL cholesterol].

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism with cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Methods: Out of a total of 608 middle-aged adults who visited local health centers, 424 subjects (104 male, 320 female) who had not been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or hyperlipidemia were included in this study. ACE genotypes were determined in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction methods.

[Epidemiologic study of Clonorchis sinensis infestation in a rural area of Kyongsangnam-do, South Korea].

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of Clonorchis sinensis infestation and to determine the associated risk factors among a population in a part of the rural area of Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, which is an area known to have a high mortality from liver cancer and a high infection of C. sinensis.

Methods: The study population consisted of those people who have lived in rural areas and who were over 40 years old.

Occupations and Parkinson's disease: a multi-center case-control study in South Korea.

Objective: We performed a hospital based case-control study in South Korea (1) to clarify the role of occupational exposure, and especially manganese (Mn) exposure in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and (2) to discover the association between any occupations and PD.

Methods: We selected two groups, PD patient group (N1) and controls (N2). Three hundred sixty-seven consecutive outpatients with PD (177 men, 190 women) and 309 controls were interviewed about life style, past history, family history, education level, and occupational history etc.

Occupations and Parkinson's disease: a case-control study in South Korea.

We performed a hospital based case-control study in the southeast region of Korea to clarify the role of occupational exposure, especially manganese (Mn), in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and to discover the association between any occupation and PD. 105 outpatients with PD and 129 neurological disease controls and 101 healthy controls were interviewed. We employed occupational and industrial categories as defined by Section (the most broad category) and Division (sub-category) of the Korea Standard Industry Code and the Korea Standard Classification of Occupations.

A seroepidemiological Study of Hepatitis B and C Virus (HBV and HCV) Infections in the Young Population in parts of Busan, Korea.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections and determine the associated risk factors among young adults in Busan, Korea, which is known to have a high incidence of liver cancer.

Methods: The study population consisted of volunteer participants in a health survey during 2002, which included 1, 350 students (515 males and 835 females) aged between 16 and 24 years, from three different schools in Busan. The participating students were asked to fill in a selfadministered questionnaire which included lifestyle habits and risk factors of hepatitis.

Prevalence and determinants of genital infection with papillomavirus, in female and male university students in Busan, South Korea.

Background: Little is known about the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in young adults in Asia.

Methods: We invited female and male students in Busan, South Korea, to participate in a survey that included, for females, self-collection of vaginal cells and, for males, physician-performed collection of exfoliated genital cells. The prevalences of 25 HPV types were evaluated, by a polymerase chain reaction-based assay, in 672 female students (median age, 19 years) and in 381 male students (median age, 22 years).

Factors associated with cervical cancer screening in busan, Korea.

Objective: Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women in Busan. The Pap smear test could have a significant effect on detecting cervical cancer, and enhancing their rate of use is an important strategy for reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with the past use of the Pap smear test in Korean women.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and waist circumference estimation in some korean adults.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, as defined by the ATP III report, in some Korean adults and use the Asian-Pacific proposed waist circumference to investigate waist circumference in some Korean adults using ROC curves.

Methods: Study subjects were seventy-five thousands and ninety one persons (47, 979 men and 27, 111 women) who were selected among the patients who visited hospital for health evaluation from January 2000 to December 2001. All subjects were measured by height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure and blood chemistry (lipid profile).

The relationship between cold exposure and hypertension.

This study was performed to determine whether there was any relationship between cold exposure and hypertension, and to evaluate risk factors affecting hypertension in cold-exposed workers. In 11 refrigeration industries, 68 male workers working in cold areas more than once per day were selected as the cold-exposed group, and 68 workers not exposed to cold were selected as the control group. The questionnaire survey, clinical and laboratory tests were performed.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in women in Busan, South Korea.

To investigate the prevalence of and the risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in South Korea, we interviewed and examined a randomly selected sample of 863 sexually active women (age range = 20-74 years, median 44) and 103 self-reported virgins from Busan. The presence of DNA of 34 different HPV types in cervical exfoliated cells was tested among sexually active women by means of a PCR-based assay. IgG antibodies against L1 virus-like particles (anti-VLPs) of HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33 and 58 were also evaluated by means of ELISA.