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Background@#Sleep duration is associated with hearing loss, especially presbycusis, which is the most common type of hearing loss; however, there is limited evidence regarding this association among the Korean population. We aimed to determine the relationship between sleep duration and high-frequency hearing loss in Korean adults aged ≥40 years. @*Methods@#We examined 5,547 Korean adults aged ≥40 years who completed audiometric tests and questionnaires regarding sleep duration during the 2010–2012 cycle of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mild presbycusis was defined as >25 decibels (dB) and 40 dB pure tone averages at high frequencies (3,000, 4,000, and 6,000 Hz) for both ears. Additionally, the sleep duration was divided into quartiles. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting for covariates. @*Results@#The prevalence of presbycusis in South Korean adults was 62.1%, of which 61.4% showed moderate to severe presbycusis. The incidence of moderate-to-severe, but not mild, presbycusis showed a significant positive correlation with sleep duration. @*Conclusion@#Our findings suggest that sleep duration is associated with the prevalence of presbycusis.
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Purpose@#For the dignity of patients nearing the end of their lives, it is essential to provide end-of-life (EoL) care in a separate, dedicated space. This study investigated the utilization of specialized rooms for dying patients within a hospice unit. @*Methods@#This retrospective study examined patients who died in a single hospice unit between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021. Utilizing medical records, we analyzed the circumstances surrounding death, the employment of specialized rooms for terminally ill patients, and the characteristics of those who received EoL care in a shared room. @*Results@#During the 1,825-day survey period, deaths occurred on 632 days, and 799 patients died. Of these patients, 496 (62.1%) received EoL care in a dedicated room. The average duration of using this dedicated space was 1.08 days. Meanwhile, 188 patients (23.5%) died in a shared room. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a longer stay in the hospice unit was associated with a lower risk of receiving EoL care in a shared room (odds ratio [OR]=0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97~0.99; P=0.002). Furthermore, a higher number of deaths on the day a patient died was associated with a greater risk of receiving EoL care in a shared room (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.33~2.08; P＜0.001). @*Conclusion@#To ensure that more patients receive EoL care for an adequate duration in a private setting, additional research is necessary to increase the number of dedicated rooms and incorporate them into the hospice unit at an early stage.
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Background@#Folic acid is involved in inflammatory reactions; however, the association between folic acid and allergic diseases, particularly asthma, remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the association between serum folic acid levels and asthma in Koreans. @*Methods@#This study analyzed the serum folic acid levels of 6,615 individuals included in the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of asthma was determined using a questionnaire that identified cases of physician-diagnosed asthma. The relationship between serum folic acid levels and asthma was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a 1 ng/mL increase in serum folic acid level significantly reduced the risk of asthma after adjusting for confounding factors including sex, age, household income, current smoking, current alcohol use, and body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 0.930; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.876– 0.987; P=0.017). The relationship between the adjusted odds of asthma and serum folic acid levels were consistently inverse (OR, 2.266; 95% CI, 1.126–4.420; P for trend=0.038). @*Conclusion@#Serum folic acid levels are inversely associated with physician-diagnosed asthma in the Korean population.
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Background@#The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between near work time and depression. @*Methods@#Data of 1,551 workers aged 19–49 years from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 scores were used to screen for depression. Participants who scored a total of 10 or above, which is suggestive of the presence of depression, were classified as the depression group; the rest were classified as normal. The correlation between daily near work time and depression was analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for other sociodemographic and health behavior-related variables. @*Results@#Multivariate logistic analysis found that workers with 3 or more hours of near work were more likely to report depression compared to the reference group who had 2 or fewer hours per day of near work (adjusted odds ratio, 2.471; 95% confidence interval, 1.062–5.747). @*Conclusion@#Longer near work time was associated with depression among South Korea’s workers. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce near work time to prevent depression.
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Background@#The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between near work time and depression. @*Methods@#Data of 1,551 workers aged 19–49 years from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 scores were used to screen for depression. Participants who scored a total of 10 or above, which is suggestive of the presence of depression, were classified as the depression group; the rest were classified as normal. The correlation between daily near work time and depression was analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for other sociodemographic and health behavior-related variables. @*Results@#Multivariate logistic analysis found that workers with 3 or more hours of near work were more likely to report depression compared to the reference group who had 2 or fewer hours per day of near work (adjusted odds ratio, 2.471; 95% confidence interval, 1.062–5.747). @*Conclusion@#Longer near work time was associated with depression among South Korea’s workers. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce near work time to prevent depression.
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BACKGROUND: BMI alone may not serve as an index of obesity because it does not reflect body composition. The present study aimed to compare arterial stiffness as assessed by the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) among groups defined by body fat percentage (pBF) and BMI. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on 1,700 participants (1,044 men and 656 women) who completed a health screening examination at a national hospital between January 2011 and February 2016. Participants were divided into four groups according to BMI and pBF: normal fat and normal weight (NFNW); excessive fat and normal weight (EFNW); normal fat and obese (NFO); and excessive fat and obese (EFO). The ba-PWV and other cardiometabolic factors were compared among the four groups in men and women separately. RESULTS: For both sexes, the NFNW group had a lower metabolic risk compared to that in the other groups (EFNW, NFO, and EFO). After adjusting for multiple variables, the NFO males had a significantly lower ba-PWV compared to those in the other groups, including NFNW males. The NFO group had significantly more skeletal muscle mass and muscle mass compared the other groups (P < 0.05). Among women, the NFNW group had a significantly lower ba-PWV compared the other groups, even after adjusting for multiple variables. CONCLUSION: Lower pBF in obese men may be associated with improved cardiovascular risk.