Overview of Korean Community Health Survey

In 2008, the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) initiated Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS), the first nationwide survey to provide data that could be used to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate community health promotion and disease prevention program. This community-based cross-sectional survey has been conducted by 253 community health centers, 36 community universities and 1,500 interviewers. The KCHS standardized questionnaire is developed jointly by KCDC staff, a working group of health indicators standardization subcommittee and 16 metropolitan cities and provinces with 253 regional sites. The KCHS was administered by trained interviewers and the quality control of KCHS was improved by introduction of computer-assisted personal interview in 2010. The questionnaire was reviewed annually so that revised and/or new questions could be added based on public health policy. The additional questions included the fixed and rotating cores, emerging issues and optional modules. The standardized questionnaire of KCHS covered a wide variety of health topics, which could be used to assess the prevalence of personal health behaviors related to causes of disease. The KCHS data allows that the differences of health issues among provinces can be directly compared. Furthermore, the provinces can use these data for their own cost-effective health interventions to improve health promotion and disease prevention.

Weight Control Methods Related to Depressive Symptoms among Adults Living in Seoul / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a disease state which should be prevented and managed. However, attempting unhealthy weight control can be related to psychologic problem like depression. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between weight control methods and the depressive symptom among adults who have had weight control experience within recent 1 year. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study on 10,285 adults (age, 25 to 69 years), who had weight control experience within recent 1 year, from the Community Health Survey, Seoul, 2009. Depressive symptom, tried weight control methods, weight, height, smoking status, alcohol intake and socioeconomic status were surveyed through face-to-face interview. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale is used for assessment of depressive symptom. RESULTS: Depressive symptom was diagnosed in 5.2% (male: 2.9%, female: 7.0%) of study subjects and the most frequent method for weight control within 1 year was exercise (77.9%). Among men, depressive symptom was related to high likelihood of trying one-food diet (odds ratio [OR], 3.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62 to 6.62), fasting (OR, 3.59; 95% CI, 1.61 to 8.02), dietary supplements (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.40 to 4.73), Korean herbal medicine (OR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.24 to 6.51), self-medication (OR, 5.50; 95% CI, 1.53 to 19.80). Among women, depressive symptom have relationship with high likelihood of trying one-food diet (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.94), fasting (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.59), prescribed medicine (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.48 to 3.52) and low likelihood of trying exercise (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.83). CONCLUSION: This study shows the difference of tried weight control methods depending on depressive symptom. Depressive symptom was related to high likelihood of trying weight control methods such as one-food diet, fasting and taking a diet-pill. In addition, that symptom was also related to low likelihood of trying exercise in women.