Epidemiological research aims to investigate how multiple exposures affect health outcomes of interest, but observational studies often suffer from biases caused by unmeasured confounders. In this study, we develop a novel sensitivity model to investigate the effect of correlated multiple exposures on the continuous health outcomes of interest. The proposed sensitivity analysis is model-agnostic and can be applied to any machine learning algorithm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Three automobile company workers (one from Factory D and two from Factory E) were diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The Korean Epidemiologic Investigation and Evaluation Committee determined that there is considerable scientific evidence supporting the association between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and combined exposure to heavy metals, organic solvents, and diesel exhaust at the manufacturing plant.
Case Presentation: Patient A, who primarily engaged in engine processing and completed vehicle inspection at Factory D, was exposed to considerable amounts of heavy metals and organic solvents during medium- and large-engine processing, welding, and painting for over 23 years.
Background: Formaldehyde was classified as a Group I Carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2006. While the IARC has stated that there is a lack of evidence that formaldehyde causes brain cancer, three meta-analyses have consistently reported a significantly higher risk of brain cancer in workers exposed to high levels of formaldehyde. Therefore, we report a case of a worker who was diagnosed with glioblastoma after being exposed to high concentrations of formaldehyde while working with formaldehyde resin in the paper industry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In 2019, the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the carcinogenicity of night-shift work and reported that there is limited evidence that night-shift work is carcinogenic for the development of prostate cancer. Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that 2 cases of prostate cancer were occupational diseases related to the night-shift work. Here, we report the 2 cases of prostate cancer in night-shift workers which were first concluded as occupational diseases by the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Occup Environ Med
July 2023
Background: Exposure to heavy metals is a public health concern worldwide. Previous studies on the association between heavy metal exposure and neurobehavioral functions in children have focused on single exposures and clinical manifestations. However, the present study evaluated the effects of heavy metal complex exposure on subclinical neurobehavioral function using a Korean Computerized Neurobehavior Test (KCNT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHousewives perform daily household chores, which directly expose them to indoor particulate matter (PM). Indoor PM exposure is a potential factor that increases systemic inflammation and affects hematopoietic action. This study investigated the decrease in indoor PM concentration by air purifiers on indicators of anemia, such as hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: It is widely known that carbon dioxide (CO) arc welding generates carbon monoxide (CO). However, to the best of our knowledge, no case reports have been published regarding CO poisoning in CO arc welders. Therefore, we aimed to report a case of CO poisoning-induced encephalopathy in a CO arc welder in the Republic of Korea to inform about the dangers of CO exposure among COarc welders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are increasing worldwide. Recent studies have shown that air pollution is associated with poorer kidney function. We evaluated the association of long-term exposure to air pollutants with kidney function, and with risk of CKD using data from the seventh Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
December 2021
Exposure to indoor particulate matter (PM) is a potential risk factor that increases systemic inflammation and affects erythropoiesis. This study investigated the association between exposure to indoor PM and blood indicators related to anemia (BIRA) in housewives. Indoor PM and blood folate status are important factors in the risk of anemia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Particulate matter (PM) less than 2.5 μm in diameter and 10 μm (PM) contains heavy metals, but whether exposure to PM is significantly associated with the burden of heavy metal exposure in the population is unknown. We investigated the association between exposure to PM and blood concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) in Korean housewives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
February 2021
Preterm birth contributes to the morbidity and mortality of newborns and infants. Recent studies have shown that maternal exposure to particulate matter and extreme temperatures results in immune dysfunction, which can induce preterm birth. This study aimed to evaluate the association between fine particulate matter (PM) exposure, temperature, and preterm birth in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previous studies have reported that fine particulate matter (PM) affects the incidence of premature births. In addition, recent studies have suggested that heat waves have a negative impact on birth outcomes. However, the combined effect of PM and heat waves on the incidence of premature birth is controversial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Low-dose aspirin use for chemoprevention of lung cancer risk remains controversial.
Objectives: To investigate the association between low-dose aspirin use and lung cancer risk, and to identify specific subgroups that may derive the most benefit from low-dose aspirin use.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This nationwide, retrospective, cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Information Database from 2002 to 2015.
Background: Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in women is secreted by granulosa cells of antral follicles. AMH appears to be a very stable marker for ovarian function. It may be used to diagnosis cases of premature ovarian failure, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and ovarian tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There has been a consistent decrease in age at menarche in South Korea. A potential risk factor for early menarche is exposure to particulate matter (PM), because endocrine-disrupting compounds emitted into air from anthropogenic sources may be incorporated into PM. The objective of this study was to examine the association between pre-menarcheal exposure to PM ≤ 10 μm in diameter (PM) and age at menarche in adolescents of South Korea using Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2010-2012 data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Overweight or obesity might be protective factors of tuberculosis (TB), but the evidence is inconclusive. The objective of study was to evaluate association between BMI and incident TB.
Methods: The National Health Insurance database was used.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
January 2018
Few birth cohort studies have examined the role of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) in the development of infantile atopic dermatitis (AD), but none have investigated the role of preventive factors such as green spaces. The aim of this study was to investigate whether exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 μm (PM) during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of development of AD in 6-month-old children and also to examine how this association changes with residential green space. This study used prospective data from 659 participants of the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Occup Environ Med
June 2017
Background: A number of studies have found associations between heavy metals and uterine fibroids, but the results are inconsistent. Here, we conducted this research to demonstrate the relationships between blood heavy metal concentrations and uterine fibroid volume as well as the rate of uterine fibroid presence.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we collected data from 308 premenopausal women aged 30-49 years in Seoul; uterine fibroids are ascertained by past history of myomectomy and pelvic ultrasonography.