Evaluation of the Public Health Emergency Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Daegu, Korea During the First Half of 2020.

Objectives: This study evaluated the response in Daegu, Korea to the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic according to a public health emergency response model.

Methods: After an examination of the official data reported by the city of Daegu and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as a literature review and advisory meetings, we chose a response model. Daegu's responses were organized into 4 phases and evaluated by applying the response model.

Application of calcium nebulization for mass exposure to an accidental hydrofluoric acid spill.

Purpose: To determine the long-term prevalence and characteristics of acute hydrofluoric acid (HF) exposure in 2223 patients during the first 30 months after a mass-casualty exposure, and to confirm the antidotal effect of nebulized calcium on inhalation burns caused by HF.

Methods: This observational cohort study included patients after an HF spill in the Republic of Korea on September 27, 2012; registered patients were followed until April 2015. We assessed toxic effects, distance from spill, degree of acute poisoning, and the effect of nebulized calcium in HF-exposed individuals.

Exploring Nursing Intention, Stress, and Professionalism in Response to Infectious Disease Emergencies: The Experience of Local Public Hospital Nurses During the 2015 MERS Outbreak in South Korea.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine levels of stress and professionalism of nurses who provided nursing care during the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak based on their experience, to investigate the nurses' intention to respond to possible future outbreaks in relation to their experience during the outbreak, and to determine the relationship between the outbreak experience and nursing intention considering stress and professionalism.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was designed based on modifications of related questionnaires, and used to assess levels of stress, professionalism, and nursing intention according to participants' experiences during the outbreak. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the outbreak nursing experience and nursing intention considering stress and nursing professionalism.

Factors related to intentional and unintentional medication nonadherence in elderly patients with hypertension in rural community.

Purpose: We assessed medication nonadherence, categorized as intentional or unintentional, and related factors in elderly patients with hypertension, correlating the data with measurement of blood pressure as the final target of medication adherence and other possible influencing factors, such as lifestyle.

Patients And Methods: Subjects were aged ≥65 years, resided in a rural area, and were taking antihypertensive drugs. The survey was conducted in July 2014.

The General Public's Awareness of Early Symptoms of and Emergency Responses to Acute Myocardial Infarction and Related Factors in South Korea: A National Public Telephone Survey.

Background: Prompt treatment affects prognosis and survival after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) onset. This study evaluated the awareness of early symptoms of AMI and knowledge of appropriate responses on symptom occurrence, along with related factors.

Methods: Participants' knowledge of the early symptoms of and responses to AMI onset were investigated using a random digit dialing survey.

Trends in health-related behaviors of Korean adults: study based on data from the 2008-2014 Community Health Surveys.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity (multiple risks) often lead to serious health consequence and impaired health status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the trend in health-related behavioral factors over time among adults in South Korea (hereafter Korea). The data of 1,595,842 Koreans older than 19 years who participated in the 2008-2014 Korea Community Health Survey were analyzed to assess the trend in the prevalence of behavioral risk factors.

Different associations between obesity and impaired fasting glucose depending on serum gamma-glutamyltransferase levels within normal range: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Despite the consistent relationship between serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), one unsolved issue is the role of serum GGT in the well-known association between obesity and T2D. This study was performed to investigate whether the association between body mass index (BMI) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) differed depending on serum GGT levels within the normal range.

Methods: Study subjects were 2,424 men and 3,652 women aged ≥ 40, participating in the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Factors related to increasing trends in cigarette smoking of adolescent males in rural areas of Korea.

Objectives: Cigarette smoking prevalence among adolescent males in rural areas of Korea has increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to explore the factors related to increasing trends in cigarette smoking among adolescent males living in rural areas.

Methods: The raw data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey from 2006 to 2009 were used.

Health impact assessment of free immunization program in Jinju City, Korea.

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the potential health impacts and improve the quality of the free immunization program in Jinju City by maximizing the predicted positive health gains and minimizing the negative health risks.

Methods: A steering committee was established in September 2010 to carry out the health impact assessment (HIA) and began the screening and scoping stages. In the appraisal stage, analysis of secondary data, a literature review, case studies, geographic information systems analysis, a questionnaire, and expert consultations were used.

Changes in dietary behavior among adolescents and their association with government nutrition policies in Korea, 2005-2009.

Objectives: This study was conducted to observe recent changes in adolescents' dietary behavior and indirectly evaluate the effects of the government's nutritional policies in Korea.

Methods: We analyzed the secular trends in seven dietary behaviors using the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey data from 2005 to 2009. Through literature review, we included the policies implemented for the improvement of adolescents'dietary behaviors during the same periods.

Safety of dental extractions in coronary drug-eluting stenting patients without stopping multiple antiplatelet agents.

Background: The risk of excessive bleeding prompts physicians to stop multiple antiplatelet agents before minor surgery, which puts coronary stenting patients at risk for adverse thrombotic events.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that most dental extractions can be carried out safely without stopping multiple antiplatelet agents.

Methods: All dental extraction patients who had undergone coronary stenting and who were also on oral multiple antiplatelet agents therapy were enrolled.

Trends in cigarette use behaviors among adolescents by region in Korea.

Objectives: Understanding recent trends in cigarette smoking among adolescents is important in order to develop strategies to prevent cigarette smoking. The aim of this study was to compare recent trends in cigarette smoking for adolescents living in rural areas, small towns and metropolitan cities in Korea.

Methods: The raw data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS) from 2005 to 2009 were used.

Trend analysis of diabetic prevalence and incidence in a rural area of South Korea between 2003-2008.

Unlabelled: Aims/Introduction:  This study determined the change in prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes over a period of 5 years in South Korea. The incidence of diabetes and prediabetes and risk factors associated with the development of diabetes were also investigated.

Materials And Methods:   The Dalseong population-based cohort survey recruited 1806 subjects who were over 20-years-old in 2003.

Factors that Affect Medication Adherence in Elderly Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the factors affecting medication adherence in geriatric diabetic patients treated at private clinics and tertiary hospitals. We compared the factors affecting medication adherence between these two patient groups.

Methods: We included 108 diabetic patients older than 65 years treated at one tertiary hospital and 157 patients older than 65 years treated at two private clinics.

[Association between gamma-glutamyltransferase and hypertension incidence in rural prehypertensive adults].

Objectives: Prehypertension is associated with a higher risk of developing hypertension compared with normotension. Yet, factors predicting the development of hypertension among prehypertensive people are ill-understood. This prospective cohort study was performed to examine if serum gamma-glutamyltrasferase (GGT) within a normal range can predict the future risk of hypertension among prehypertensive adults.

Association of low-dose exposure to persistent organic pollutants with global DNA hypomethylation in healthy Koreans.

Background: Global DNA methylation levels have been reported to be inversely associated with blood levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), xenobiotics that accumulate in adipose tissue. Whether these associations extend to a population with much lower concentrations of POPs is not known.

Objectives: This study was performed to examine whether low-dose exposure to POPs was associated with global DNA hypomethylation in Koreans.

Significance of inflammatory markers in diabetic patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Background/aims: Patients with diabetes are prone to coronary artery disease (CAD); however, the majority of diabetic patients show normal coronary arteries. We examined differences in the clinical aspects of diabetic patients with insignificant and with significant stenosis of the coronary artery.

Methods: A total of 418 consecutive diabetic patients with stable angina who had undergone coronary angiography from January 2004 to March 2007 were included in this study.

First-year treatment adherence among outpatients initiating antihypertensive medication in Korea: results of a retrospective claims review.

Background: Patients' adherence to antihypertensive drug therapy-especially at the beginning of treatment-is essential for preventing serious cardiovascular complications over the long term.

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess adherence among hypertensive patients who initiated antihypertensive pharmacotherapy and to identify whether it was related to the medical provider, dispensing patterns, or comorbidities.

Methods: We reviewed the computerized claim records submitted to Korea's Health Insurance Review Agency (which maintains data for all medication prescriptions for Korean residents) between July 2004 and December 2006.

South Korean time trade-off values for EQ-5D health states: modeling with observed values for 101 health states.

Objectives: This study establishes the South Korean population-based preference weights for EQ-5D based on values elicited from a representative national sample using the time trade-off (TTO) method.

Methods: The data for this paper came from a South Korean EQ-5D valuation study where 1307 representative respondents were invited to participate and a total of 101 health states defined by the EQ-5D descriptive system were directly valued. Both aggregate and individual level modeling were conducted to generate values for all 243 health states defined by EQ-5D.

A community-based case-control study of behavioral factors associated with scrub typhus during the autumn epidemic season in South Korea.

A community-based, case-control study was carried out to investigate risk factors for scrub typhus in South Korea. Cases (n = 299) were defined as persons who were diagnosed serologically within the past two weeks. Two neighborhood control subjects were selected by matching for sex, age, and occupation.

Hepatitis A Vaccination Rates and Related Factors in a 2005 Population-based Study in Nonsan, Korea.

Objectives: The incidence of clinical hepatitis A has increased in young Korean adults since the mid-1990s. Although hepatitis A vaccinations have been administered in private clinics over the past 10 yr, no data exist on the vaccination rate and relating factors.

Methods: In 2005, a population-based survey of 12-35-month-old children was carried out in Nonsan, Korea.

[Introduction of health impact assessment and healthy cities as a tool for tackling health inequality].

In order to reduce the health inequalities within a society changes need to be made in broad health determinants and their distribution in the population. It has been expected that the Health impact assessment(HIA) and Healthy Cities can provide opportunities and useful means for changing social policy and environment related with the broad health determinants in developed countries. HIA is any combination of procedures or methods by which a proposed 4P(policy, plan, program, project) may be judged as to the effects it may have on the health of a population.

The association between current Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary artery disease.

Background: The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is still controversial, and the relation between current H. pylori infection and CAD has not been fully examined.