Analysing the Effects of Regional Factors on the Regional Variation of Obesity Rates Using the Geographically Weighted Regression / 보건행정학회지

BACKGROUND: This study purposed to analyze the relationship between regional obesity rates and regional variables. METHODS: Data was collected from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and Community Health Survey in 2012. The units of analysis were administrative districts such as city, county, and district. The dependent variable was the age-sex adjusted regional obesity rates. The independent variables were selected to represent four aspects of regions: health behaviour factor, psychological factor, socio-economic factor, and physical environment factor. Along with the traditional ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis model, this study applied geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis to calculate the regression coefficients for each region. RESULTS: The OLS results showed that there were significant differences in regional obesity rates in high-risk drinking, walking, depression, and financial independence. The GWR results showed that the size of regression coefficients in independent variables was differed by regions. CONCLUSION: Our results can help in providing useful information for health policy makers. Regional characteristics should be considered when allocating health resources and developing health-related programs.

Regional Disparities of Suicide Mortality by Gender / 보건행정학회지

BACKGROUND: Suicide is one of important health problems in Korea. Previous studies showed factors associated with suicide in individual levels. However, suicide was influenced by society that individuals belong to, so it was required to analyze suicide in local levels. The purpose of this study was to analyze the regional disparities of suicide mortality by gender and the association between local characteristics and suicide mortality. METHODS: This study included 229 city.county.district administrative districts in Korea. Age- and sex-standardized suicide mortality and age-standardized suicide mortality (male/female) were used as dependent variables. City.county.district types, socio-demographics (number of divorces per 1,000 population, number of marriages per 1,000 population, and single households), financial variable (financial independence), welfare variable (welfare budget), and health behavior/status (perceived health status scores and EuroQol-5 dimension [EQ-5D]) were used to represent the local characteristics. We used hot-spot analysis to identify the spatial patterns of suicide mortality and negative binomial regression analysis to examine factors affecting suicide mortality. RESULTS: There were differences in distribution of suicide mortality and hot-spot regions of suicide mortality by gender. Negative binomial regression analysis provided that city.county.district types (city), number of divorces per 1,000 population, financial independence, and EQ-5D had significant influences on the age- and sex-standardized suicide mortality per 100,000. Factor influencing suicide mortality was the number of divorces per 1,000 population in both male and female. CONCLUSION: Study results provided evidences that suicide mortality among regions was differed by gender. Health policy makers will need to consider gender and local characteristics when making policies for suicides.

A comparative estimation of quercetin content from Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.using validated HPTLC and HPLC techniques.

HPTLC and HPLC are two most widely accepted methods for determination of natural products. Present research work envisages microwave assisted extraction of quercetin from hydroethanolic extract of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. (Cuscutaceae), an unusual parasitic vine. Further, chromatographic characterization of hydroethanolic extract of C. reflexa was carried out in terms of quercetin content using two validated methods (HPTLC and RP-HPLC). Confirmation of the presence of quercetin in the samples was carried out using Mass Spectrometry. HPTLC separation of quercetin was achieved on an aluminum-backed layer of silica gel 60 F254 using Toluene: ethyl acetate and formic acid as mobile phase while RP-HPLC was performed on Cosmosil C18-column (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using mobile phase comprising of 0.025 M NaH2PO4 buffer – ACN (pH - 2.6) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. ICH guidelines were followed for validation of both the the chromatographic methods. Samples of C. reflexa collected from different regions of India and growing on different hosts were also screened for their quercetin content. The developed chromatographic methods described here were found to be simple, rapid, accurate and sensitive.

Hospice Education among Hospice Professionals and Its Regional Variations in Korea : Outcomes from a 2008 Hospice Palliative Care Institutions Support Project / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: Proper education of hospice professionals is essential for ensuring quality of end-of-life care. In 2005, 'End-of-life Care Task Force Team' by Ministry of Health and Welfare established '60 hours of hospice education' as basic requirement for hospice professionals. This study is aimed to determine how many of the hospice professionals meet with the criteria and whether there are significant regional variations. METHODS: We analyzed the data from 46 hospice organizations, which submitted the application to the 2008 designation program of Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs. Data included details of the educational records of each hospice professionals. RESULTS: Total 673 hospice professionals were included in the analysis. Overall, only 41.5% (279/673) met the requirement. Nurses (46.8%; 177/378) were more likely to meet the requirement than doctors (35.8%; 38/106), social workers (32.0%; 24/75) and clergies (35.1%; 40/114). Hospice professionals of the organizations in metropolitan area received more education than those in small cities or rural area (52.4% vs. 25.0% for doctors, 50.6% vs. 43.9% for nurses, 42.9% vs. 25.5% for social workers). By geographic areas, hospice professionals in southeast regions received less education than other part of Korea (28.1% vs. 43.0~48.8%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Less than half of the Korean hospice professionals has received proper amount of hospice education, and significant regional variations existed. National programs to promote the education of hospice professionals and eliminate its disparities are greatly warranted. Implementation of the 60-hour currirulum for hospice professionals, based on the train-the-trainer model, would be regarded as one potential solution.

Regional Variation in Accessing Regional Hospitals for Cancer Patients / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the differences in accessing regional hospitals and the utilization rate of hospitals located in other regions for cancer patients by regions. METHODS: Data for the utilization of regional hospitals for cancer patients were obtained from the Korean National Cancer Incidence Databases in 1999 and 2002. We divided the regions into 16 provinces by administrative districts. We using the SAS 9.1.3 to analyze difference of regional self-sufficiency and the Arcview 3.2 to show in a schematize for regional variation of the regional self-sufficiency. RESULTS: There were regional variations in the regional self-sufficiency of cancer patients. Especially, Jeollanam-do(1999 13.6%, 2002 12.8%), Gyeongsangbuk-do(1999 22.0%, 2002 20.7%), and Chungcheongnam-do(1999 27.8%, 2002 27.1%) had low regional self-sufficiency. The regional self-sufficiency in Gyeonggi-do and utilization rate of cancer patients who lived in other regions were increased between 1999 and 2002(regional self-sufficiency: 1999 37.2%, 2002 48.2%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that there were regional variation in utilization of regional hospitals for cancer patients. Accessibility of cancer patients in metropolitan areas was higher than in small size cities, medium size cities, and rural county areas. These results suggested that it should be considered support medical facilities for cancer patients in rural areas where have lower relevance rate.

Regional Variation in the Expression of Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita Antigen / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: In autoimmune bullous dermatoses, such as pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid, variations in the expression of the antigen in different body locations are recognized. OBJECTIVE: The degree of expession of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) antigen in different sites on the body surface was estimated from the highest dilution factor of EBA sera that gave a positive reaction at a site by indirect immunofluorescence (IF). METHODS: Two sera, obtained from EBA patients with inflammatory and mechanobullous skin lesions, having antihody titers of 160 against the dermal component of the NaCl split skin, were used by indirect IF techniques with 20 specimens (2 from each of 10 locations) of normal human skin from different sites. These 20 skin samples were obtained from 10 healthy adults (1-3 from each individual). RESULTS: The greatest expression of the antigen was in the skin taken from the upper back with the titer of 160. EBA antigen was least recognized in skin specimens from the inner thigh and calf. Skin from the scalp, abdomen, and anterior chest and others demonstrated intermediate degrees of expression. CONCLUSION: There was some moderate degree of variation in the expression of EBA antigens in skin samples obtained from different locations on the body. It seems however that there is not any positive correlation between the degree of expression of EBA antigen in each location and predilection sites (possibly the trunk) of clinical lesions in EBA.

Regional Morphological Study on the Development of the Human Embryonic and Fetal periderm / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Morphologic characteristics of the human embryonic and fetal periderm according to body region are not very clearly defined. OBJECTIVE: We have tried to Clarify the sequential development of periderm regionally. METHOD: Skin samples were obtained from 12 human embryos and fetuses ranging from 4 to 23 estimated gestational ages(EGA) and divided regionally into scalp, face, back. abdomen, thigh and sale. Specimens were observed by scainning with an electron microscope. RESULTS: Human embryonic end fetal periderm show distinct morphologic changes as follows along its own sequence of development flattened surface, elevated surface, fiormation of incomplete bleb. single bleb stage, multiple-complex bleb stage, formation of regressinjg bieb. Then towards the end of the second trimester, most of thieperidermal cells are completely regressed. Regional variation in peridermal development is not evide!nt during the embryonic period, but earlier development is apparent in the sole, face and scalp especially in the sole compared to other areas during the late first snd second trimester after EGA 9 weeks. CONCLUSION: The periderm, which can be seen only in embryonic and fetal epidermis, shows distinct sequential developmental changeis with regional variation.

Regional Variations in the Cesarean Section Rate and It's Determinants in Korea / 예방의학회지

The purpose of this study is to estimate cesarean section rate in Korea and analyze the socioeconomic variables and health resources which affect regional variation in the rate. Samples were drawn from the record of vaginal and cesarean section deliveries based upon insurance claim bills which have been submitted to the National Federation of Medical Insurance for the first three months, January through March, 1991. The results are obtained as follows: It was found that, cesarean section rate was increasing rapidly up to 23.1% in 1991. Cesarean section per 10 thousand insured people was 4.8 and the number of cesarean section per 10 thousand insured eligible(15-49 years old) female was 7.6. The fee for normal delivery was 109,489 won and that for cesarean section was 390,024 won. The average days of hospitalization in normal delivery was 2.3 days, and those in cesarean section was 7.6 days. On the average cesarean section has a longer of stay as much as by 4.3 days and cost 3.6 times more than normal deliveries. Cesarean section rates vary among medical facilities: 19.8% at clinics 37.6% in small-scale hospitals, and 29.1% in general hospitals. The regional variation of cesarean section rates was also fairly prominent. The South Cheju Gun has the highest rate of cesarean section, 56.2%. Meanwhile no cesarean section cases has been reported in Sunchang Gun during the period of this study. The variation is noted among provinces. The rate for Cheju province has been 3.4 times higher than that for Chunnam. The number of cesarean section per 10 thousand insured people vary greatly among regions, too. This study has found that there exists significant regional variations among various geographic units in terms of average length of stay, average cost, number of obsretricians and number of beds. Multiple regression analysis was done to identify factors explaining the regional variance of various cesarean section rates: In the urban areas, no significant explaining variables were noted except the number of beds for the dependent variable of cesarean section cases per 10 thousand insured eligible females. The smaller the number of bed, the more cases of cesarean section was noted for an urban area. The is mostly because the rate of cesarean section is higher in medium-size hospitals than in large general hospitals. In the rural areas, the factor of education has been found significant for all three dependent variables. The higher the educational level, the rate of cesarean section is most likely to rise. An income variable measured by the amount of monthly insurance contribution has been identified a powerful predictor in explaining the variance of cesarean section rates. The same has been noted for the number of obstetricians. Similar findings are observed for the country as a whole. The income level has been found as the most powerful explaining factor in the regional variance of cesarean section rates. In general the rate is higher in the urban areas, and lower in the area with more small hospitals. As this is the initial attempt to identify the factors relevant to the regional difference in the rates of cesarean section, more elaborated study is urgently required.