Body Mass Index and Seatbelt Use in Korea: Analyzing the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2015)

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity in Korea is continuously increasing, and there are several international studies that suggest obese populations are not likely to wear seatbelts when driving a car. Even though the rate of seatbelt use in Korean adults is 79.8%, which is much lower than 94% for OECD countries, no studies have been conducted related to this particular issue in Korea. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and seatbelt use in Korea where BMI standards, laws, cultures, and social conventions totally differ from those of western countries.METHODS: This study was conducted on 8,556 drivers, aged 19 or older, using raw data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2015). A stratified and cross-sectional analysis was used to figure out seatbelt use rates according to BMI, and a multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the odds ratio (OR) of seatbelt use by BMI groups.RESULTS: Increase in BMI resulted in a decrease in seatbelt use. The extremely obese group particularly had much lower rates of seatbelt use compared to other groups. After adjusting other variables, only the extremely obese group had much lower rates of seatbelt use (OR 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.53–0.87).CONCLUSION: Seatbelt use rates according to BMI had no significant differences between the non-obese group, the overweight group, and the obese group. However, the extremely obese group had a tendency to not wear seatbelts when driving a car.

Effects of Sagittal Spinopelvic Alignment on Motor Symptom and Respiratory Function in Mild to Moderate Parkinson's disease

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of sagittal spinopelvic alignment on the clinical parameters, motor symptoms, and respiratory function in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: This study was a prospective assessment of treated patients (n=28, Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage 2–3) in a PD center. Twenty-eight subjects (68.5±5.7 yrs) participated in this study. The clinical and demographic parameters, including age, sex, symptoms duration, treatment duration, and H&Y stage, were collected. Kinematic analysis was conducted in the upright standing posture with a motion capture system. A pulmonary function test (PFT) was performed in the sitting position using a spirometer. The motor symptoms were assessed on part III of the movement disorder society sponsored version of the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (MDS-UPDRS). SPSS 18.0 was used to analyze the collected data. RESULTS: The exceeding 12 degrees group of the lower trunk showed significantly higher on the clinical parameters than the below 12 degrees group. In addition, the exceeding 12 degrees group of the lower trunk showed a significantly lower forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) / forced vital capacity (FVC) (%) and 25–75% forced mid-expiratory flow (FEF) (L/s) than in the below group. On the other hand, there was no difference in the upper trunk and the cervical pelvis between the groups. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the sagittal balance in the lower trunk is related to the clinical parameters and respiratory function, but not the motor symptoms in patients with mild to moderate PD.

Association between E-Cigarette Smoking Experience and Depressive Symptoms Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016

BACKGROUND: Although the prevalence of e-cigarette smoking is increasing worldwide, the harmfulness of e-cigarette is not obvious. A previous study reported that e-cigarette smoking is associated with depressive symptoms in college students irrespective of tobacco smoking. However, there has been no research that has addressed this issue in the general population to date. This study was conducted to clarify the association between e-cigarette smoking and depressive symptoms in Korean adults.METHODS: The cross-sectional study collected raw data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016) and included 5,742 adults, who were ≥19 years and responded to the survey of smoking and mental health section. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the odds ratio of depressive symptoms by e-cigarette smoking experience and included sex, age, educational level, marital status, household income level, self-rated health, activity restriction, obesity, tobacco smoking experience, alcohol drinking experience, and stress perception level as covariates. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the patient health questionnaire-9, Korean edition.RESULTS: The rate of depressive symptoms in subjects was 5.6% (n=354) in total. Individuals with depressive symptoms were more likely to have used e-cigarettes (15.6%) than those without depressive symptoms (8.6%; P=0.001). The e-cigarette experienced group showed a higher risk of depressive symptoms (odds ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.004–2.924) than the e-cigarette unexperienced group. The result was adjusted based on the abovementioned covariates.CONCLUSION: In Korean adults, a significant association between e-cigarette smoking experience and depressive symptoms was observed.