Independent and Synergistic Associations of Aerobic Physical Activity and Resistance Exercise with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background/Aims@#This study aimed to examine the independent and synergistic association of aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using a nationwide representative database. @*Methods@#This was a cross-sectional study using data from the Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey between 2007 and 2010. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the independent and synergistic (additive interaction) associations of aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise with NAFLD after adjusting for multiple covariates. @*Results@#The prevalence of NAFLD was 26.2% for men and 17.6% for women. In the fully adjusted multiple logistic regression model to examine the independent association of aerobic physical activity or resistance exercise with NAFLD, the odds ratios for NAFLD were significantly decreased in both men (p=0.03) and women (p<0.01) who had highly active aerobic physical activity. Regarding the frequency of resistance exercise, the odds ratio for NAFLD was decreased in men who did resistance exercise ≥5 days per week (p=0.04), but not in women (p=0.19). How-ever, when investigating the synergistic associations of aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise, the odds ratios for NAFLD significantly decreased when the frequency of both exercises increased together in both men (p for interaction <0.01) and women (p for interaction<0.01). @*Conclusions@#Combining aerobic physical activity and resistance exercise had a synergistic preventive association for NAFLD in Korean men and women.

The association between urinary bisphenol A levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Korean adults: Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) 2015-2017

BACKGROUND@#Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a global health problem. Bisphenol A (BPA), one of most widely used environmental chemicals, is suspected to be a contributor to the development NAFLD. This study was performed to examine the relationship between human BPA levels and risk of NAFLD.@*METHODS@#The data (n = 3476 adults: 1474 men and 2002 women) used in this study were obtained from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey III (2015-2017). BPA levels were measured in urine samples. NAFLD was defined using hepatic steatosis index after exclusion of other causes of hepatic diseases.@*RESULTS@#There was a significant linear relationship between the elevated urinary BPA concentrations and risk of NAFLD. In a univariate analysis, odds ratio (OR) of the highest quartile of urinary BPA level was 1.47 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.94] compared to the lowest quartile. After adjusted with covariates, the ORs for NAFLD in the third and fourth quartiles were 1.31 [95% CI 1.03-1.67] and 1.32 [95% CI 1.03-1.70], respectively.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Urinary BPA levels are positively associated with the risk of NAFLD in adults. Further experimental studies are needed to understand the molecular mechanisms of BPA on NAFLD prevalence.

Associations of Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity With Metabolic Syndrome Considering Both Muscle Mass and Muscle Strength / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the associations of sarcopenia-defined both in terms of muscle mass and muscle strength-and sarcopenic obesity with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Secondary data pertaining to 309 subjects (85 men and 224 women) were collected from participants in exercise programs at a health center in a suburban area. Muscle mass was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis, and muscle strength was measured via handgrip strength. Sarcopenia based on muscle mass alone was defined as a weight-adjusted skeletal muscle mass index more than two standard deviations below the mean of a sex-specific young reference group (class II sarcopenia). Two cut-off values for low handgrip strength were used: the first criteria were <26 kg for men and <18 kg for women, and the second criteria were the lowest quintile of handgrip strength among the study subjects. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the combination of class II sarcopenia and being in the two highest quintiles of total body fat percentage among the subjects. The associations of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity with metabolic syndrome were evaluated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The age-adjusted risk ratios (RRs) of metabolic syndrome being compared in people with or without sarcopenia defined in terms of muscle mass were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 1.47, p=0.008) in men and 1.12 (95% CI, 1.06 to 1.19, p<0.001) in women, which were found to be statistically significant relationships. The RRs of metabolic syndrome being compared in people with or without sarcopenic obesity were 1.31 in men (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.56, p=0.003) and 1.17 in women (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.25, p<0.001), which were likewise found to be statistically significant relationships. CONCLUSIONS: The associations of sarcopenia defined in terms of muscle mass and sarcopenic obesity with metabolic syndrome were statistically significant in both men and women. Therefore, sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity must be considered as part of the community-based management of non-communicable diseases.

Trends and Risk Factors of the Epidemic of Charcoal Burning Suicide in a Recent Decade among Korean People

The aims of this study were to analyze annual trends of charcoal burning (CB) suicide, 2000 to 2011, and to examine the risk factors of CB suicide in Korea. Data on suicides (n=138,938) were obtained from the Statistics Korea. The proportion of CB suicides among all suicide deaths reported was 0.7% (84 cases) in 2007, and since 2008 it has rapidly increased to 7.9% (1,251 cases) in 2011. Of significant risk factors of CB suicide, the presence of the media report of Ahn's suicide was the greatest risk factor (adjusted odds ratio, 11.69; 95% CI, 10.30-13.23) of the initial phase of the continuing CB suicides since 2008. Korean Government should urgently consider effective measures against CB suicide, including enforced media regulations on reporting such suicides.

Trends and Risk Factors of the Epidemic of Charcoal Burning Suicide in a Recent Decade among Korean People

The aims of this study were to analyze annual trends of charcoal burning (CB) suicide, 2000 to 2011, and to examine the risk factors of CB suicide in Korea. Data on suicides (n=138,938) were obtained from the Statistics Korea. The proportion of CB suicides among all suicide deaths reported was 0.7% (84 cases) in 2007, and since 2008 it has rapidly increased to 7.9% (1,251 cases) in 2011. Of significant risk factors of CB suicide, the presence of the media report of Ahn's suicide was the greatest risk factor (adjusted odds ratio, 11.69; 95% CI, 10.30-13.23) of the initial phase of the continuing CB suicides since 2008. Korean Government should urgently consider effective measures against CB suicide, including enforced media regulations on reporting such suicides.

Corrigendum: Trends in Reports on Climate Change in 2009-2011 in the Korean Press Based on Daily Newspapers' Ownership Structure / 예방의학회지

This article was initially published with an error in Table 2.

Trends in Reports on Climate Change in 2009-2011 in the Korean Press Based on Daily Newspapers' Ownership Structure / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The mass media play a crucial role in risk communication regarding climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate the trend in journalistic reports on climate change in the daily newspapers of Korea. METHODS: We selected 9 daily newspapers in Korea, which according to the ABC Association, represented 77% of newspaper circulation, out of a total of 44 Korean daily newspapers. The collected articles were from 2009 to 2011. All of the articles were sorted into the following 8 categories: greenhouse gas, climate change conventions, sea level rise, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change synthesis reports, expected damage and effect, use of fossil fuels, global warming, and mitigation or adaptation. A chi-squared test was done on the articles, which were counted and classified into cause, effect, and measurement of climate change according to the newspaper's majority or minority ownership structure. RESULTS: From the 9 selected newspapers, the number of articles on climate change by month was greatest in December 2009. Generally, the articles vague about climate change (lack of precise data, negative or skeptical tone, and improper use of terminology) were much more common than the articles presenting accurate knowledge. A statistical difference was found based on ownership structure: the majority-owned newspapers addressed the cause of climate change, while the minority-owned newspapers referred more to climate change measurement. CONCLUSIONS: Our investigation revealed that generally Korean daily newspapers did not deliver accurate information about climate change. The coverage of the newspapers showed significant differences according to the ownership structure.

Physical Activity in Adolescence Has a Positive Effect on Bone Mineral Density in Young Men / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: Little is yet known about the determinants of bone mineral density (BMD) in young adults. Thus, in this study, we aimed to determine the factors that have an impact on BMD in young men. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent out to 111 male medical students. Information on age, socio-economic status, medical history, lifestyle, physical activity during adolescence, school club participation, current physical activity, and dietary intake were collected by the survey. Height, weight, percent body fat and muscle mass were estimated by bioelectrical impedance, and BMD was obtained using calcaneal quantitative ultrasound. Using the Poisson regression model, prevalence ratios (PRs) were used to estimate the degree of association between risk factors and osteopenia. RESULTS: The height and current physical activity showed a correlation to the Osteoporosis Index. Among the categorized variables, past physical activity during adolescence (p=0.002) showed a positive effect on the bone mineral content. In the multivariate model, past physical activity (> or =1 time/wk) had a protective effect on osteopenia (PR, 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18 to 0.75) and present physical activity (1000 metabolic equivalent of task-min/wk) decreased the risk of osteopenia (PR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Past physical activity during adolescence is as important as physical activity in the present for BMD in young men.

Caring for Dying Patient with Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Narrative Analysis of the Caring Experience of Family Caregiver

PURPOSE: The purpose of this narrative study was to understand how family caregivers interpreted themselves life during caring for dying patients with gliobalstoma, and how they integrated these experiences into their personal biographies. METHODS: Three family caregivers were recruited for the study. Data were collected through a series of audio-taped unstructured interviews and conversations with participants. The interviews and observation were conducted between October and November, 2011. Data were analyzed using psychosocial analytical methods that combined case based, in-depth staged analysis of narratives. RESULTS: The life experiences of the family caregivers with a dying family member were summarized as, in their own voices, 'the repetition of gliobalstoma', 'a smart patient', 'being obsessed with rehabilitation treatment', 'the frustration from nothing but just looking at the suffering of the patient', and 'a stubborn son'. CONCLUSION: Caregiving was characterised by various roles and life changes from the moment of diagnosis. Family caregivers of brain tumor reported experiences similar to those described by caregivers of people with other cancers. What differed for this group was the rapidity of change and the need for immediate information and support to assist with caring for a person with high-grade glioma.

Estimation of the Relative Risk for Breast Cancer in Korean Women Using Gail Model / 대한폐경학회지

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to estimate the relative risk for breast cancer using the Gail model and to observe the relationship between mammographic density and the 5-year risk of breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 600 women who visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Chung-Ang University Yongsan Hospital were screened using the Gail model to estimate their relative risk for breast cancer. The correlation between the 5-year risk of breast cancer and the mammographic density of 462 women who had performed mammography within 1 year of the study was analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the study subjects was 56.7 +/- 8.2 years. The estimated mean values for the 5-year risk and lifetime risk for breast cancer were 1.23 +/- 0.46% and 7.90 +/- 2.76% respectively in all study subjects. The estimated mean value of the 5-year risk for breast cancer increased with age. Otherwise, the estimated lifetime risk for breast cancer decreased with age. Ninety-two women (15.3%) were classified as high-risk because their estimated 5-year risk was over 1.67% or their lifetime risk was over 20%. High risk percentages according to age were 10.5% in the thirties, 0.84% in the forties, 7.2% in the fifties, 32.7% in the sixties, and 35.7% in the seventies. Among the high risk postmenopausal women, 52.2% were taking hormone therapy. Mammographic density was not significantly correlated with the estimated 5-year risk for breast cancer. CONCLUSION: About fifteen percent of study subjects were at high risk for breast cancer according to the estimated 5-year risk or lifetime risk for breast cancer using Gail model. Mammographic density was not correlated with the 5-year risk for breast cancer.