Ability to pay and catastrophic health expenditure of urban and rural deceased households over the past decade (2009-2018).

Introduction: Examining the equity of health care and financial burden in households of deceased individuals in urban and rural areas is crucial for understanding the risks to both national and individual household finances. However, there is a lack of research on catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) in these households, specifically in urban and rural contexts. This study aims to identify the ability to pay and equity of CHE for both households of deceased individuals in urban and in rural areas.

Socioeconomic class and antenatal and postpartum care inequality in the viewpoint of Korea's response to the low fertility rate.

The author pays attention to the low total fertility rate (0.78 in Korea in 2022) and inequality in antenatal and postpartum care between socioeconomic classes. I analyzed the data of the Korea Health Panel (2008-2016), 1,196 postpartum women.

Household catastrophic health expenditure related to pain in Korea.

Background: The data related to pain and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) needed to be further explored. This study aims to understand the relationship between pain and CHE.

Methods: Using cross-sectional analysis of 4-year data (2015-2018) from the Korea Health Panel, the prevalence of CHE and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) by pain type were confirmed.

Time Series Trend in High BMI and High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure Among Women With Disability.

Health with disability is directly related not only to an individual's quality of life but also to national medical finance. This study focuses on trends in BMI and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure of both types of indirect cost exclusion and inclusion. Participants were women with disability (n = 3200) and women without disability (n = 53 082) among adults aged 19 and older from Korea Health Panel from 2009 to 2016.

A Retro-Aldol Reaction Prompted the Evolvability of a Phosphotransferase System for the Utilization of a Rare Sugar.

The evolution of the bacterial phosphotransferase system (PTS) linked to glycolysis is dependent on the availability of naturally occurring sugars. Although bacteria exhibit sugar specificities based on carbon catabolite repression, the acquisition and evolvability of the cellular sugar preference under conditions that are suboptimal for growth (e.g.

Disease Burden of the Kidney Disabled in Korea, 2009-2013: The Gap with That of the Non-Kidney Disabled Continues.

Kidney disability due to kidney failure could be considered to be the most severe of all the internal-organ disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify the disease burden between the kidney and non-kidney disabled among the internal-organ disabled, based on the number of chronic diseases, annual out-of-pocket expenditure, and quality of life. From 2009 to 2013, 308 people (6.

The Influence of Pain on Frailty among the Elderly: Based on Korea Health Panel.

Background: Interests between pain and frailty have been increasing in aging or aged societies. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of pain and frailty and to find the influence of pain on frailty.

Methods: Subjects were selected with aged 65 yr or older among pooled Korea Health Panel data from 2009 to 2013.

Comparison of out-of-pocket expenditure and catastrophic health expenditure for severe disease by the health security system: based on end-stage renal disease in South Korea.

Background: Korea's health security system named the National Health Insurance and Medical Aid has revolutionized the nation's mandatory health insurance and continues to reduce excessive copayments. However, few studies have examined healthcare utilization and expenditure by the health security system for severe diseases. This study looked at reverse discrimination regarding end-stage renal disease by the National Health Insurance and Medical Aid.

Association between domperidone use and adverse cardiovascular events: A nested case-control and case-time-control study.

Purpose: To assess the association between domperidone and adverse cardiovascular events.

Methods: We conducted nested case-control and case-time-control studies using Korea's healthcare database (2002-2015). We identified patients without history of hospitalization, cancer, or cardiovascular diseases in 2002.

Associations of Food-Chewing Discomfort with Health Behaviors and Cognitive and Physical Health Using Pooled Data from the Korean Health Panel (2010-2013).

Using 4 years of pooled data from the Korean Health Panel (2010-2013), the prevalence of food-chewing discomfort in adults over the age of 19 was investigated and the cross-sectional relationship between food-chewing discomfort and health behaviors and cognitive and physical health was identified. The prevalence of food-chewing discomfort was 31%: young adults (<40 years), 17.9%; middle-aged adults (40-64 years), 28.

Physician and pharmacist satisfaction and clinical needs for the real-time medication surveillance program in South Korea.

Background: Since December 2010, a nationwide real-time medication surveillance program has been implemented in Korea to prevent potential adverse drug reactions. Our goal was to evaluate physicians' and pharmacists' satisfaction and clinical needs for the medication surveillance program in Korea.

Methods: Both web- and paper-based surveys were conducted using a structured questionnaire among 1164 physicians and pharmacists from May 23, 2014 to August 11, 2014.

Regulatory effect of decreasing therapeutic duplication of respiratory drugs using a prescription database between 2012 and 2015.

Duplicative drug use increases the risk of adverse drug reactions and expends healthcare resources unnecessarily. No epidemiological evidence of the prevalence of therapeutic duplication (TD) involving respiratory system drugs exists. Therefore, we describe the prescription patterns of these drugs and estimate changes in TD rates following implementation of a new regulation in 2013.

Effect of providing drug utilization review information on tricyclic antidepressant prescription in the elderly.

Tricyclic antidepressants are known as potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly. A notification issued in July 2015 in South Korea recommended caution while prescribing tricyclic antidepressants to the elderly. Further, since October 2015, the nationwide computerized drug utilization review monitoring system provides a pop-up window, on a real-time basis, whenever tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed to elderly outpatients.

Mitochondrial Mutations in Cholestatic Liver Disease with Biliary Atresia.

Biliary atresia (BA) results in severe bile blockage and is caused by the absence of extrahepatic ducts. Even after successful hepatic portoenterostomy, a considerable number of patients are likely to show progressive deterioration in liver function. Recent studies show that mutations in protein-coding mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes and/or mitochondrial genes in nuclear DNA (nDNA) are associated with hepatocellular dysfunction.

Factors associated with intention to be tested for HIV among men who have sex with men in a country with a very low HIV prevalence.

This study examined factors associated with the intention to take an HIV test among men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Korea. An internet website-based survey was conducted among users of the only and largest online MSM website between 20 July 2016, and 20 August 2016. A total of 2915 participants completed the survey and answered questions related to sociodemographic information, health behaviors, sexual behaviors, and HIV testing history.

Association of Meat Intake with Overweight and Obesity among School-aged Children and Adolescents.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association of overweight and obesity with red and white meat intake among children and adolescents using secondary survey data (n=16,261) from in-school Student Health Examination conducted in 2006 and 2007.

Methods: Descriptive statistics was conducted to investigate the frequency of meat intake per week. The body mass index (BMI) grades for obesity in boys and girls were classified using the standards from the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts.

Agreement Between Actual and Perceived Body Weight in Adolescents and Their Weight Control Behaviors.

Background: To investigate the agreements between actual and perceived body weight status among adolescents and to identify the associations of disagreements with their weight control behaviors.

Methods: This study used the secondary data of a sample survey (=13,871) of the Seoul Student Health Examination among middle and high schools in 2010. Agreements between actual (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, according to 2007 Korean National Growth Charts) and perceived body weight status (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) were examined using Chi-square and Cohen's kappa agreement, and then multinomial logistic regression including gender, grade, and attempt of weight control or method of weight control was done.

Prevalence and trends of pain associated with chronic diseases and personal out-of-pocket medical expenditures in Korea.

Background: There have been few studies about pain using a big data. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of pain, and trends of pain associated with chronic diseases and personal out-of-pocket medical expenditures over time.

Methods: Subjects were 58,151 individuals, using the Korea Health Panel from 2009 to 2013.

TM0416, a Hyperthermophilic Promiscuous Nonphosphorylated Sugar Isomerase, Catalyzes Various C and C Epimerization Reactions.

There is currently little information on nonphosphorylated sugar epimerases, which are of potential interest for producing rare sugars. We found a gene (the TM0416 gene) encoding a putative d-tagatose-3-epimerase-related protein from the hyperthermophilic bacterium We overexpressed the TM0416 gene in and purified the resulting recombinant protein for detailed characterization. Amino acid sequence alignment and a structural similarity search revealed that TM0416 is a putative nonphosphorylated sugar epimerase.

The Association between Sleep Duration and Overweight in a School-Age Population in Seoul.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between body mass index standard deviation scores and sleep duration in a school-age population in Seoul.

Methods: By using the secondary data of a sample survey (n=25,182) of the Student Health Examination in 2010, the proportions of those who were overweight (World Health Organization definition of body mass index >1.0 standard deviation score) were identified.

Antibiotic Use in Children - A Cross-National Analysis of 6 Countries.

Objectives: To describe the rates of pediatric antibiotic use across 6 countries on 3 continents.

Study Design: Cross-national analysis of 7 pediatric cohorts in 6 countries (Germany, Italy, South Korea, Norway, Spain, and the US) was performed for 2008-2012. Antibiotic dispensings were identified and grouped into subclasses.

Structure of the thermophilic l-Arabinose isomerase from Geobacillus kaustophilus reveals metal-mediated intersubunit interactions for activity and thermostability.

Thermophilic l-arabinose isomerase (AI), which catalyzes the interconversion of l-arabinose and l-ribulose, can be used to produce d-tagatose, a sugar substitute, from d-galactose. Unlike mesophilic AIs, thermophilic AIs are highly dependent on divalent metal ions for their catalytic activity and thermostability at elevated temperatures. However, the molecular basis underlying the substrate preferences and metal requirements of multimeric AIs remains unclear.

The structural basis of substrate promiscuity in UDP-hexose 4-epimerase from the hyperthermophilic Eubacterium Thermotoga maritima.

UDP-galactose 4-epimerase (GalE) catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal), which is a pivotal step in the Leloir pathway for d-galactose metabolism. Although GalE is widely distributed in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, little information is available regarding hyperthermophilic GalE. We overexpressed the TM0509 gene, encoding a putative GalE from Thermotoga maritima (TMGalE), in Escherichia coli and characterized the encoded protein.

Regulatory action and moderate decrease in methylphenidate use among ADHD diagnosed patients aged five and under in Korea.

In December 2009, Korean regulatory agency announced that methylphenidate, a drug used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), should not be used in children aged five and under due to the risk of sudden cardiac death. This study examined the impact of regulatory action and prescribing patterns. We conducted a time series analysis using the Korea National Health Insurance Service database.