Study on the External Causes of Mortality In Korea / 한국역학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analysis the trends and states of external auses of mortality in Korea from 1985 to 1998. METHODS: This study was based on data published in 1985-1998 from the annual report of cause of death statistics of National Statistical Office. RESULTS: In the proportion of total death cases during 1985-1998, External causes of mortality was ranged from 11 percent to 15 percent. Death rate(per 100,000) of external causes of mortality(ECM) decreased recently from 85.7 in 1991 to 68.9 in 1998. Death rate of ECM in male was 2.6 times higher than that of female. Among total cases of ECM, the first leading cause of death was transport accidents. intentional self-harm was the second leading cause of death(26.8 percent in 1998). In trends of death rate(per 100,000) for ECM during 1885-1998, there were decreased for following causes of death; transport accidents, falls, accidental drowning and submersion, exposure to smoke, fire and flames, accidential poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances, Death rates of ententional self-harm and assault were increased during the periods. The age specific death rate increased with age for all ECM except for assault. The risk of death caused by ECM was higher in aged 65 and over than in ages 0-19 years among all ECM. The risk of death for male aged 65 and over were 6.9 times in transport accidents, 26 times in fall, 37 times in accidential poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances, and 18 times in intentional self-harm compared with 0-19 years. The risk of death for female aged 65 and over were 27 times in fall, 22 times in accidential poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances compared with 0-19 years. In seasonal variation of ECM cases for 1998. There was highest proportion in August(10.4 percent). The highest proportion by death seasion were winter(32.7 percent) in exposure to smoke, fire and flames, summer(27,7 percent) in fall, summer(52.4 percent) in accidental drowning and submersion, summer in 32.0 percent) in accidential poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances, spring(28.2 percent) in intentional self-harm, assault. and autumn(28.2 percent) in transport accidents. CONCLUSION: Above results suggest that a preventive education program for safety accidents should be developed by considering gender and age of the objecties and seasons of the year.

A Sociomedical Research on Oriental Hospital Out and Inpatients of Cerebrovascular Accident / 한국역학회지

This study is comprehend the reality and characteristics of C.V.A. patients and to be helpful to its prevention and cure by resarching C.V.A. outpatient or inpatients who visited some of the oriental hospitals during three months from April 1 to June 30 1996 which are located in Taegu and Kungbuk Province, and concluded as follow: 1. The general characteristics of the subjects were: (1) 52.3% of the subjects were male. (2) In terms of age, 34.7% of them were in the sixties. (3) In terms of job, 28.5% of them were housewives(the highest percentage). (4) 77.6% of them had their spouses. (5) 67.2% of them were middle class. (6) In terms of educational background, 24.6% of them were literate of korean alphabets, and 23.4% were elemantary school gradurates. (7) 51.6% of them were outpatients. 2. 73.3% of the subjects experienced C.V.A. for the first time, and 23.1% were at recurrence, and 3.6% were chronic. 3. In terms of C.V.A. types, 49.8% of the subjects had cerebral hemorrhage, and 41.9% had cerebral infarction, and 8.3% had the others. In cerebral hemorrage, the percentage in "male, forties, job of sales service, unmarried, middle class, high educational background" were higher than the others respectively. And in cerebral infarction, the percentages in female, over seventies, official job, married, upper class were higher than the others respectively. 4. In terms of reasons of C.V.A. 49.5% of them were high blood pressure, and 24.2% were high stress, and 18.8% were overwork, and 4.0% were fatness, and 2.5% were heredity. In high blood pressure, the percentages in "high age, teacher, unmarried, lower class, low educa-tional background" were higher than the others respectively. 5. In terms of family members' C.V.A. , 56.7% of the subjects answered negatively, and 43.3% positively. In terms of the diseases which they had now except for C.V.A., 33.6% of them had hypertention, and 16.2% had diabetes, and 9.4% had neuralgia, and 4.0% had heart disease, and 16.6% had the otehrs, and 20.2% had no other disease. In heart disease, the percentages in "male, teachers, middlelower class, middle school graduates, inpatients" were higher than the others respectively. In neuralgia, the percentages in "fifties and sixties, housewives, spouse alive, upper class, literate of Korean alphabet" were higher than the others respectively. In terms of the diseases which they had now except for C.V.A., 33.6% of them had hypertension, and 16.2% had diabetes, and 9.4% had neuralgia, and 4.0% had heart diseases, the percentages in "fifties and sixties, housewives, spouse alive, upper class, literate of Korean alphabets" were higher than the others respectively. 6. In terms of the diseases which they had before C.V.A., 22.4% of them had hypertension, and 18.8% had diabetes, and 8.1% had heart diseases, and 11.2% had neuralgia and arthritis, and 7.8% had cancer, and 21.7% had the others. 7. In terms of exercise behaviors before C.V.A., 41.2% of them did nothing, and 58.8% did sometimes. 8. In terms of fatness level by self judgement, 36.1% of them thought "proper", and 41.1% thought themselves "fat(the highst percentage), and housewives(45.5%) thought themselves "fat". 9. In terms of favorite food, 50.2% of them liked meat, and 33.2% liked vegetables, and 13.0% liked fish. 10. In terms of fancy things of C.V.A. patients, 57.0% of them were non-smokers, and 53.1% were non-drinkers, and 55.2% disliked coffee. In smoking level, 16.6% of them smoked less than five pieces a day. In drinking, 18.0% of them drank half a glass of soju. In coffee, 25.3% of them drank a cup of coffee a day. 11. The level of satisfaction with C.V.A. patient-healing methods ; In medical therapy, 43.3% of C.V.A. patients thought it "usual", and 44.1% thought it "satisfactory" and 7.9% thought it "unsatis-factory". In acupunture and moxibustion 39.7% of the C.V.A. patients thought it "usual", and 53.0% thought it satisfactory" and 3.3% thought it "unsatisfactory". The level of satisfaction With Physiotherapy was average 61.7% and 4.0% was "unsatisfactory". From above statement, by considering those characteristics we should develop programs and materials to be health to the prevention and cure of C.V.A. and we should help hospitals and medical personnel families concerned to make use of them.

A study on prevalence rate and related risk factors for house wive's low back pain / 한국역학회지

No abstract available.

A Study on Speed and Changes of Physical Reaction due to Alcohol Intake / 예방의학회지

This study was carried out not only to determine blood alcohol levels by time but also to examine the changes of working ability and reaction speed after ingestion of alcohol. Fifteen healthy students aged from 21 to 27 volunteered as subjects for this study. Liguor (So)oo) in concentration of 25% ethyl alcohol was administrated with the amount of lml of ethyl alcohol per kg of body weight to the subjects. The concentration of alcohol in the blood were determined by the "Alcohol Sensor 100" at 5, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after the administration of alcohol. Also, the choice reactiontest, the eye-hand coordination test and kraepelin test were examined at the same time after checking of alcohol concentration in the blood. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. 1. Mean blood alcohol level changes resulting from administration of lml of ethyl alcohol per kg of body weight were 0.16%(160+/-57mg/100ml, 0.10%(100+/-42mg/100m1), 0.08%(80+/-36mg/100ml) and 0.03% (30+/-24mg/100%1) at the 3, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after the administration respectively. The peak in the concentration of blood alcohol was 5 miniutes after the ingestion according to alcohol examination by the respiration. 2. As for choice reaction test, reaction times became prolonged as blood alcohol levels increased. The reaction time showed a significant changes when the blood alcohol concentration reached 0.08% or more after alcohol ingestion. 3. In eye and hand coordination test, the accuracy of the performance became decreased as blood alcohol levels increased. The difference of accuracy of the test was significantly shown when alcohol levels in the blood reached 0.08% or more after alcohol intake. 4. As for kraepelin test, the abilities of calculation also became lowered as blood alcohol levels increased. The abilities of calculation differed signigicantly from control group when aichool levels of 0.08% and more.