Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-COV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART): findings from national representative sample.

Objectives: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea.

Methods: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics.

Health-related quality of life using WHODAS 2.0 and associated factors 1 year after stroke in Korea: a multi-centre and cross-sectional study.

Background: Little is known about the self-perceived level of disability of stroke survivors in the community. We aimed to characterise Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 1 year after stroke and investigate how sociodemographic and stroke-related factors and medical adherence explain the self-perceived level of disability in a Korean stroke population.

Methods: This was a multicentre cross-sectional study.

Mental Health of Adolescents and Subjective Economic Deterioration Caused by COVID-19 in Korea.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic greatly impacted the health and economy worldwide. Children and adolescents are less affected by COVID-19 but are more vulnerable to secondary damage, such as mental health. We would like to evaluate the subjective economic changes caused by COVID-19 in Korea and adolescents' mental health status.

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.

Comparisons of Prehospital Delay and Related Factors Between Acute Ischemic Stroke and Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background Prehospital delay is an important contributor to poor outcomes in both acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We aimed to compare the prehospital delay and related factors between AIS and AMI. Methods and Results We identified patients with AIS and AMI who were admitted to the 11 Korean Regional Cardiocerebrovascular Centers via the emergency room between July 2016 and December 2018.

A Brief Telephone Severity Scoring System and Therapeutic Living Centers Solved Acute Hospital-Bed Shortage during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Daegu, Korea.

With the epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, the number of infected patients was rapidly increasing in Daegu, Korea. With a maximum of 741 new patients per day in the city as of February 29, 2020, hospital-bed shortage was a great challenge to the local healthcare system. We developed and applied a remote brief severity scoring system, administered by telephone for assigning priority for hospitalization and arranging for facility isolation ("therapeutic living centers") for the patients starting on February 29, 2020.

Relationships among medication adherence, lifestyle modification, and health-related quality of life in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The healthy adherer effect is a phenomenon in which patients who adhere to medical therapies tend to pursue health-seeking behaviors. Although the healthy adherer effect is supposed to affect health outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease, evaluation of its presence and extent is not easy. This study aimed to assess the relationship between medication adherence and lifestyle modifications and health-related quality of life among post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

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.

Development of Models for Regional Cardiac Surgery Centers.

Background: This study aimed to develop the models for regional cardiac surgery centers, which take regional characteristics into consideration, as a policy measure that could alleviate the concentration of cardiac surgery in the metropolitan area and enhance the accessibility for patients who reside in the regions.

Methods: To develop the models and set standards for the necessary personnel and facilities for the initial management plan, we held workshops, debates, and conference meetings with various experts.

Results: After partitioning the plan into two parts (the operational autonomy and the functional comprehensiveness), three models were developed: the 'independent regional cardiac surgery center' model, the 'satellite cardiac surgery center within hospitals' model, and the 'extended cardiac surgery department within hospitals' model.

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.

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.

Effects of an Evidence-Based Falls Risk-Reduction Program on Physical Activity and Falls Efficacy among Oldest-Old Adults.

Purpose Of The Study: The current study was designed to examine changes in falls efficacy and physical activities among oldest-old and young-old participants in a falls risk-reduction program called a matter of balance/volunteer lay leader model.

Design And Methods: An oldest-old group (aged 85 years and older; n = 260) and a young-old group (aged between 65 and 84 years old; n = 1,139) in Texas with both baseline and post-intervention measures were included. Changes in Falls Efficacy Scale scores and weekly physical activity levels were examined from baseline to post-intervention.

Factors associated with ADL and IADL dependency among Korean centenarians: reaching the 100-year-old life transition.

This study aims to examine the functional status of Korean centenarians, who have crossed the relatively rare but increasingly common life transition of living for a century. As functional health is one of the essential components of healthy aging, our primary objective is to identify the correlates of two aspects of functioning, activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Using a census survey conducted by the Korean National Statistical Office (KNSO) in 2005, we documented ADL and IADL limitations and analyzed their relationship to sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, social connectedness, and presence of diseases.

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.

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 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.

[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.