Disparities of Socio-Demographic Factors between Visually Disabled People and Other Disabled People: KNHANES III

PURPOSE: To identify the disparities of socio-demographic factors between visually disabled people and other people with disabilities. METHODS: The fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III) is a nationwide survey. The present study included 25,125 people who completed the KNHANES III. For analysis, the participants were divided into 3 groups: subjects without disabilities, subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities, and subjects with visual disabilities. The gender, age, monthly house income, occupation, education, residential area, and health insurance were investigated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the most differentiating factor. RESULTS: Visually disabled people were proportionally older (40 to 64 years), were male, living in a non-metropolitan area except Seoul/Pusan/Gyunggi compared to other disabled people and also had a higher proportion of the above factors, as well as lower education compared to non-disabled people. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-demographic factors showed disparities in visually disabled people and people with other disabilities. Ophthalmologists should understand these disparities and be involved in establishing policies to reduce the disparities. Ophthalmologists also need to provide holistic and comprehensive medical care using the Blindness is Preventable! Korea Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness, consultation with social work teams in hospitals and other institutions, as well as evaluating the visual impairment.

Disparities of Socio-Demographic Factors between Visually Disabled People and Other Disabled People: KNHANES III

PURPOSE: To identify the disparities of socio-demographic factors between visually disabled people and other people with disabilities. METHODS: The fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III) is a nationwide survey. The present study included 25,125 people who completed the KNHANES III. For analysis, the participants were divided into 3 groups: subjects without disabilities, subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities, and subjects with visual disabilities. The gender, age, monthly house income, occupation, education, residential area, and health insurance were investigated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the most differentiating factor. RESULTS: Visually disabled people were proportionally older (40 to 64 years), were male, living in a non-metropolitan area except Seoul/Pusan/Gyunggi compared to other disabled people and also had a higher proportion of the above factors, as well as lower education compared to non-disabled people. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-demographic factors showed disparities in visually disabled people and people with other disabilities. Ophthalmologists should understand these disparities and be involved in establishing policies to reduce the disparities. Ophthalmologists also need to provide holistic and comprehensive medical care using the Blindness is Preventable! Korea Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness, consultation with social work teams in hospitals and other institutions, as well as evaluating the visual impairment.

Preventive Health Examination, Health Behavior, and Psychological Health in Visual Disabilities

PURPOSE: To better understand visual disabilities via preventative health examination, health behavior, and psychological health. METHODS: The preventative health examination, health behavior, and psychological health records of 4,724 participants over the age of 40 who completed the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III) were analyzed. The participants were divided into 3 groups for analysis: subjects without disabilities, subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities, and subjects with visual disabilities. The unadjusted mean and the adjusted mean for which socioeconomic factors were adjusted were calculated. RESULTS: In the preventative health examination there were no differences between the 3 groups except for a statistically significant increase in the number of cholesterol check-ups in the visual disability group. In the health-related behavior analysis, lifetime smoking and routine physical activity were similar between the visual disability and no disability group, however, these factors were greater in the disability without visual disability group. The analysis of psychological health revealed that major depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts and psychological consultations were greater in the disability without visual disability and the visual disability groups compared to the participants without disability. However the overall number of psychological consultations was low. CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in the frequency of preventative health examinations between each group. However, there was an increase in the prevalence of psychological problems in subjects with visual disabilities compared to subjects without disabilities and subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities. Thus, ophthalmologists should consider psychological aspects when dealing with patients with visual disturbances.

Preventive Health Examination, Health Behavior, and Psychological Health in Visual Disabilities

PURPOSE: To better understand visual disabilities via preventative health examination, health behavior, and psychological health. METHODS: The preventative health examination, health behavior, and psychological health records of 4,724 participants over the age of 40 who completed the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III) were analyzed. The participants were divided into 3 groups for analysis: subjects without disabilities, subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities, and subjects with visual disabilities. The unadjusted mean and the adjusted mean for which socioeconomic factors were adjusted were calculated. RESULTS: In the preventative health examination there were no differences between the 3 groups except for a statistically significant increase in the number of cholesterol check-ups in the visual disability group. In the health-related behavior analysis, lifetime smoking and routine physical activity were similar between the visual disability and no disability group, however, these factors were greater in the disability without visual disability group. The analysis of psychological health revealed that major depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts and psychological consultations were greater in the disability without visual disability and the visual disability groups compared to the participants without disability. However the overall number of psychological consultations was low. CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in the frequency of preventative health examinations between each group. However, there was an increase in the prevalence of psychological problems in subjects with visual disabilities compared to subjects without disabilities and subjects with disabilities but without visual disabilities. Thus, ophthalmologists should consider psychological aspects when dealing with patients with visual disturbances.

Association of Household Food Security with Dietary Intake: Based on the Third (2005) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III)

Although food insecurity might be associated with poor dietary intake, this relationship has not been researched in Korea. This study examined the association of food security with dietary intake from the third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Food security was measured by a self-reported hunger measure on the dietary situation of subjects' households in the previous year and approximately 2/3 of the subjects lived in food-insecure households. Dietary intake was based on a 24-hour dietary recall. Food insecurity was significantly associated with low nutrients intake and nutrients intake compared to dietary reference intakes (DRI) was also lower among subjects in food-insecure households. Overall diet quality based on dietary diversity score (DDS) was worse in food-insecure subjects. Food security should be considered an important issue to public health because dietary change due to food insecurity may affect health status.