Measurement of Socioeconomic Position in Research on Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Korea: A Systematic Review / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The validity of instruments measuring socioeconomic position (SEP) has been a major area of concern in research on cardiovascular health disparities. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the current status of the methods used to measure SEP in research on cardiovascular health disparities in Korea and to provide directions for future research. METHODS: Relevant articles were obtained through electronic database searches with manual searches of reference lists and no restriction on the date of publication. SEP indicators were categorized into compositional, contextual, composite, and life-course measures. RESULTS: Forty-eight studies published from 2003 to 2018 satisfied the review criteria. Studies utilizing compositional measures mainly relied on a limited number of SEP parameters. In addition, these measures hardly addressed the time-varying and subjective features of SEP. Finding valid contextual measures at the organizational, community, and societal levels that are appropriate to Korea’s context remains a challenge, and these are rarely modeled simultaneously. Studies have rarely focused on composite and life-course measures. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should develop and utilize valid compositional and contextual measures and appraise social patterns that vary across time, place, and culture using such measures. Studies should also consider multilevel influences, adding a focus on the interactions between different levels of intertwined SEP factors to advance the design of research. More attention should be given to composite and life-course measures.

Older Adults' Perceptions of Age-friendliness with an Emphasis on Community Supports and Health Services in a City in South Korea

PURPOSE: This study tries to comprehend older adults' perspectives of community supports and health services in a South Korean city and identify important sociodemographic and health characteristics that affect their perspectives. METHODS: 166 older adults were involved in this cross-sectional study. Questions on background characteristics and community supports and health services criteria (categorized as service accessibility, offer of services, voluntary support, or emergency care planning) based upon the WHO's Age-Friendly Cities Guide were used. The data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Emergency care planning was rated as the most important by the participants (mean age=76.24 years, 22.9% male), while its current level of performance was lowly appraised (p<.001). The rated importance for each category differed based on individual characteristics. Depression (p=.016), older age (p=.012), and restricted network type (p=.039) were significantly related to ascribing a higher degree of importance to community services. CONCLUSION: Community initiatives are warranted to optimize emergency care for older adults. This planning must be based on the unique characteristics of older adults in coordination with supportive resources. In addition, comprehensive assessments are warranted before implementing action plans to ensure that the multi-dimensional problems of older adults are incorporated.

Measurement of Socioeconomic Position in Research on Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Korea: A Systematic Review / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES@#The validity of instruments measuring socioeconomic position (SEP) has been a major area of concern in research on cardiovascular health disparities. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the current status of the methods used to measure SEP in research on cardiovascular health disparities in Korea and to provide directions for future research.@*METHODS@#Relevant articles were obtained through electronic database searches with manual searches of reference lists and no restriction on the date of publication. SEP indicators were categorized into compositional, contextual, composite, and life-course measures.@*RESULTS@#Forty-eight studies published from 2003 to 2018 satisfied the review criteria. Studies utilizing compositional measures mainly relied on a limited number of SEP parameters. In addition, these measures hardly addressed the time-varying and subjective features of SEP. Finding valid contextual measures at the organizational, community, and societal levels that are appropriate to Korea’s context remains a challenge, and these are rarely modeled simultaneously. Studies have rarely focused on composite and life-course measures.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Future studies should develop and utilize valid compositional and contextual measures and appraise social patterns that vary across time, place, and culture using such measures. Studies should also consider multilevel influences, adding a focus on the interactions between different levels of intertwined SEP factors to advance the design of research. More attention should be given to composite and life-course measures.

Compliance with Respiratory Infection Preventive Behaviors and Its related Factors in Older Adults using a Senior Center

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify factors related to compliance with respiratory infection preventive behaviors including hand washing, cough etiquette, and oral hygiene of older adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 100 older adults (mean age: 76.11±6.35 years, female: 86.0%). Data were collected from a community senior center through face to face interviews by using instruments including measuring knowledge, perceived threat, self-efficacy, compliance with respiratory infection preventive behaviors. RESULTS: The mean score of knowledge was 7.52 out of 13 in total. The compliance with hand washing with soap was 6.0% for 8 or more times per day. Among the participants, 12.0% adhered to the cough etiquette. Sixty-two older adults (62.0%) didn't use interdental brushes or floss at all. The stepwise linear regression indicated that age and self-efficacy for respiratory infection preventive behaviors were significant factors and explained 24.0% of the compliance with hand washing and the cough etiquette. Education level, cancer diagnosis, and self-efficacy for respiratory infection preventive behaviors were significant predictors of oral hygiene. The factor with the greatest effect was self-efficacy in the two models. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that it is necessary to improve compliance with respiratory infection preventive behaviors among older adults using senior centers. In order to enhance the compliance, it is necessary to develop nursing programs based on the self-efficacy for respiratory infection preventive behaviors in the senior centers.

Cytologic screening for cervical cancer and factors related to cervical cancer / 예방의학회지

This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence rate of cervical cancer and to investigate its risk factors. 5,417 asymptomatic married women were screened from March, 1984 to December, 1990 in Taegu city. Of 5,417 examinees, 3,817 (70.46%) were normal, 1,542 (28.7%) showed inflammatory change, 51 (0.94%) were dysplasia and 7 (0.13%) were carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinomas. The prevalence of abnormal finding (dysplasia, carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma) was 1,070 per 100,000 population. The prevalence of dysplasia was 940 per 100,000 and that of carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma was 130 per 100,000. Age-adjusted prevalence rate for abnormal finding adjusted with standard population of Taegu city was estimated to be 850 per 100,000. The prevalence of cervical cancer was significantly increased with age (P<0.05). The prevalence of cervical cancer was significantly decreased with age at marriage and educaitonal level (P<0.05). The history of induced abortion and the number of pregnancies were significantly associated with the prevalence of cervical cancer (P<0.05), whereas, the number of parity was not. Age at marriage was significantly associated with the prevalence of cervical cancer after stratification by age (P<0.05). However, the level of education, parity, induced abortion, number of pregnancies were not significant. Inflammation and human papiloma virus infection were associated with cervical cancer with odds ratio of 13.48(95% confidence interval 7.80~23.40) and 474.29 (95% confidence interval 196.80~1143.10), respectively. In conclusion, for early detection of cervical cancer it should be recommended to perform mass cytological screening. In particular, regular and periodic cytologic screening, starting at age 25, for cervical cancer should be recommended for those women who have frequent cervical inflammation and for those women married before age of 20.

A human case of gallbladder fascioliasis in Korea

The authors would record the fifth case of human fascioliasis in Korea, occurring in a 48 year old Korean man who lived in Munkyong, Kyongsangbuk-do. The diagnosis was based on the morphology and measurements of the eggs which were collected in necrotic debris from the tunnel-like ulcerations of the gallbladder wall which was surgically removed for a gall stone. Although we failed to find out the fluke in the specimen, there found an evidence of once presence of Fasciola in the inflamed wall of the gallbladder in this patient.