Relationship of Serum Cholesterol and Anxiety in Rural Residents / 예방의학회지

In other to study relationship of anxiety and serum cholesterol in general population, we performed the interview survey and screening test for the Ju-am cohort and residents in controlling area at 1995. Among them, 622 people are selected for this analysis. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Anxiety and total serum cholesterol related each other in the group of anxiety. Correlation coefficient was 0.39(p<0.01). 2. According to the result of multiple regression that the total serum cholesterol regarded as the dependent variable, anxiety and total serum cholesterol were related each other positively in the group of anxiety(p<0.05). 3. As the symptoms of anxiety was dichotomized affective and somatic symptom. There was no relationship of 2 symptoms and total serum cholesterol in all subjects, but there was more relationship on the affective symptom than on the somatic symptom in the group of anxiety(p<0.05). The above results show that anxiety and total serum cholesterol related each other significantly in the anxiety group. And the relationship of psychological factors and serum cholesterol could be applied significantly in general population as well as in the special group.

A Study of the Cause-of-Death reported on Official Death Registry in a Rural Area / 예방의학회지

This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the official death registry in rural area. The base data used for the study was 379 deaths registered during the period of 1993 and 1994 in 4 rural townships of Chonnam Province. The interview survey for cause-of-death was performed on the next of kin and/or neighbor. Additional medical informations were collected from hospitals and medical insurance associations for the purpose of verification. The underlying cause-of-death of 278 cases presumed by the survey was compared to the cause on official death registry. There was a prominent disagreement of cause-of-death between the survey data and the registry data(agreement rate: 38.9~44.6%%, according to disease classification method). These results may be caused by extremely low rates of physicians' certification, which were mostly confined to the poisoning and injury. Symptoms, signs, and ill defined conditions on death registry could be classified into circulatory disease(32.3%), neoplasm(21.2%), digestive disease(7.l%), injury and poisoning(7.l%) and so on. These results suggest that careful attention and verification be required on utilization of death registry data in rural area.

The Degree and Related Factors of the Depression and Burnout among Private Practice Physicians / 예방의학회지

In order to investigate the prevalence and the factors related to the depression and burnout among private practice physicians, a SDS(self-rating depression scale) and MBl(Maslach burnout inventory) -based questionnaire study was performed on 344 private practice physicians in Kwangju and chonnam area. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Mean SDS score was 38.3 in total subjects and the prevalence rate of depression was 48.8%. As for the frequency order of the items of the SDS, decreased libido, diurnal variation and hopelessness were relatively high, and suicidal rumination, constipation and agitation were noted low. 2. Noticeable factors related with depression were smoking, coffee use, sleeping time and satisfaction with income. 3. As a result a factor analysis with the MBl data, five factors named as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, involvement and self-interest were extracted. Statistical analysis of the data demonstrated that 48.8% of the physician sample reported high scores on emotional exhaustion, and 45.3% scored high on depersonalization. Personal accomplishment scores remained high with 45.3% reporting high personal accomplishment. 4. Variables related to the burnout were age, sleeping time, family size religion, medical speciality. duration of practice setting, visiting patient number, closing day per month and job satisfaction. 5. In the relationship with depression, burnout was closely related to depression. Above results showed that the high percentage of private practice physicians experiencing depression and burnout suggests the need for further research to establish trends, to identify causal factors, and to develop avenues to reduce stress.

A Study on the Prevalence of Dementia and its Related Factors in the Rural Elderly

For the purpose of investigation of prevalence, etiology and its related factors of the dementia in the rural elderly, the author examined 650 elderly people aged 60 years or more via cluster sampling by using a door to door 2 phase design from June 1992 to July 1992. The cognitive impairment was assessed by MMSEK in the first screening phase, and in the second phase 252 people in the dementia suspected group (MMSEK score 24) were taken to the clinical examination for the diagnosing dementia. The results were as follows; 1. The prevalence rate of dementia was 21.3% in the rural elderly, and was higher in females (31.1%) than in males (10.7%) (p<0.01). 2. The prevalence rates of dementia in males aged 60-69, 70-79 and over 80 were 4.1%, 16.7% and 50.0% respectively and those in female were 8.7%, 49.3%, 72.2% respectively. The rates increased significantly with increasing age in both sexes (p<0.01). 3. The prevalence rates of the mild, moderate and severe dementia were 8.4%, 9.3% and 3.6% respectively and increased significantly with increasing age in females (p<0.001). 4. The proportional distribution of dementia type by etiological classification was 63.6% senile dementia of Alzheimer's type, 17.7% vascular dementia, 10.4% mixed dementia, 4.2% alcoholic dementia, 1.0% posttraumatic dementia and 3.1% for others. 5. In multiple logistic regression analysis for affecting factors of the dementia, the significant variables were level of physical activity, age, education and sex. The Odds ratios in factors were low level of physical activity 6.0 x (95% CI 2.4-15.1), age over 70 4.8 x (95% CI 2.2-10.7), no formal education 3.9 x (95% CI 1.1-13.8), and female sex 2.2 x (95% CI 1.0-5.0).

The epidemiologic study of farmers' syndrome in Chonnam province / 예방의학회지

This survey was conducted to investigate Farmers' Syndrome and its related factors in Chonnam province. 5,920(men 6,148, women 6,722) persons in urban area and 12,870(men 6148, women 6,722) persons in rural area were selected in stratified cluster sampling manner, and interviewed individually with structured questionnaire in April, 1992. The results were summarized as follows: 1. In rural area of Chonnam province, the prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 283 per 1,000 persons(203 in male, 355 in female). In urban area of Chonnam province, control area, the prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 113(72 in male, 145 in female). The prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive in rural area was 2.5 times higher that of urban area, and the prevalence in female was 1.7 times higher than that of male. The prevalence in total respondents was 256. 2. In rural area of Chonnam province, the age standardized prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 209 per 1,000 persons(140 in male, 267 in female). In urban area of Chonnam province, control area, the age standardized prevalence of Farmers' syndrome positive was 122(79 in male, 158 in female). The age standardized prevalence in total respondents was 194. 3. The associated factors with Farmers' syndrome in univariate analysis were having illness during recent 15 days ,age, sex, occupation, area, monthly income, education, medical security status, family size and duration of farming. 4. When applying multiple logistic regression for Farmers' syndrome, the significant variables were having illness during recent 15 days, area, sex, age, education, medical security status, family size and duration of farming.

Health-Related Behaviors and Subjective Symptoms Associated with Smoking of Freshmen in a University / 예방의학회지

This study was to examine the association of the health-related behaviors and subjective symptoms with smoking. Data were collected by questionnaire survey during regular health examination from Mar. 23 to Mar. 31, 1992 for 1,615 male freshmen of a university in Kwangju City. The results obtained were as follows; 1. Among the freshmen, 26.9% reported that they were smokers. 69.4% for smokers started smoking for the recent 4 years, and 63.4% for smokers smoked 10 cigarettes or more a day. 2. Meal regularity, meat eating, use of coffee or tea and alcohol drinking were positively associated with the status, the duration and the amount of smoking while the vegetable preference was negatively associated with the status and the duration of smoking. 3. There was no evidence of familial aggregation in smoking status except that of siblings. 4. Respiratory symptoms like cough or phlegm, dyspnea were positively associated with the status, the duration, and the amount of smoking. General symptoms like chest pain, fatigue, back pain, facial edema, and weight loss were positively associated with the duration and the amount of smoking. Other symptoms like headache, dizziness, and myalgia were not associated with smoking. 5. In multivariate' logistic regression analysis, cough or phlegm, dyspnea, chest pain, facial edema, and back pain were related to smoking status.

A study on the factors afecting the subjective symptoms of VDT syndrome / 예방의학회지

In order to develop the measuring tool of VDT syndrome and investigate the variables affecting the development of VDT syndrome, a questionnaire study accompanied with the evaluation of working environment was performed with 138 VDT users from six public organs in Kwangju area. The result were summarized as follows: 1. As a result of analysis with data collected by newly developed questionnaire, VDT syndrome included five factors named as eye-related component, psychological component, general body component, musculoskeletal component, and skin-related component and the estimates of the internal consistency of five factors were 0.877, 0.820, 0.796, 0.791, 0.593 respectively. 2. Variables affecting the level of eye-related symptoms were the type of main job using VDT, the total time of VDT operation per day, and the use of external filter on CRT. 3. The level of eye-related symptoms in the group using external filter was higher significantly than that in the group not using filter. 4. The past history of severe illness affected the level of psychological symptoms significantly. 5. Variables affecting the level of general body symptoms were job satisfaction and income satisfaction. 6. Variables affecting the level of musculoskeletal symptoms were the type of main job using VDT, whether majored in EDPS, the level of typewriting, job satisfaction, and the total time of VDT, operation per day. 7. Age and the use of external filter were significantly related to the level of skin-related symptoms. 7. Age and the use of external filter were significantly related to the level of skin-related symptoms.

Socio-medical Surveys on the Korean Residents in Japan / 예방의학회지

Soico-medical survey was carried out on six hundred and thirty Korean households in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya in Japan from Nov. 1972 to Dec. 1972, and following results were obtained. 1. Age distribution of households showed the highest occurrence in the group of 40 to 49 years of age in the both sexes. Families with five members showed highest occurrence, and the average number of familial members was 5.7 persons per one household. 2. More than half of the householders were some independent enterprisers rather than to be the employees and most of the households had one familial member engaged in more or less liberal profession. 3. 19.4% of households moved into these cities form 1941 to 1945. 4. 40.5% of all the households had their own houses. The possession rate of noe's own house was higher in the households which had long period of residence in Japan. 5. 83.5% of all household had various medical insurance. And the 6.2% of the household which had no insurance stated that the reason for not being affiliated was "because to be the foreigner". Household of shorter dwelling period had less tendency to be affiliated to the various insurances. 6. In 41.3% of all the households, average medical expenditure amounted to 1000-5000Yen per month. And only 25.6% of household stated that they do not worry about the medical expenditure for the futures. 7. 66.3% of households were consulting to medical doctors for their sickness, such as toothache, severe coughing, porfuse sputum., children's fever and stomach pain etc. 8. 59.4% of households were using the facilities of health center services. The health center service was used mainly for individual health service rather than the environmental aspect. And 19.8% of households were not aware of health center activities. 9. It was found that 23.5% of households received the screening test of the adult diseases showed as following; stomach cancer, 8.9%; hypertension, 7.9% ; diabetes mellitus, 2.1% ; and uterus cancer, 1.6%. 10. Birth control was carried out in 17,3% of households but not in 52.5%. The chief reason of birth control was "because of poor maternal health" (40.4%) or " should no be done"(5.4%). 11. Most of them are obtaining the knowledges and information on family plannings, public nuisance problems and nutritions etc. by means of the mass communications, while those on preventing diseases and the environmental hygiene through the administrative organizations.