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Using data from the 2022 Korea Community Health Survey (n  = 13 320), this study investigated helmet use and related factors among Korean adults using personal mobility devices, without distinguishing between private and hired users. Among mobility device users, 32.1% responded that they always wore a helmet. The proportion of helmet use was 35.2% among men, 25.8% among women, 29.2% among those aged 19–44 years, 42.3% among those aged 45–64 years and 26.6% among those aged 65 years or older. Furthermore, those who drank less frequently and were physically active were more likely to wear helmets. Moreover, people who always wore a seat belt when driving a car or sitting in the rear seat and people who always wore a helmet when riding a motorcycle were more likely to wear a helmet while using electric personal mobility devices. Approximately one-third of users always wore a helmet. The helmet-wearing rate was related to general characteristics such as gender and education level, and to safety behaviors such as wearing a seat belt when driving a car, sitting in the rear seat of a car, or when riding a motorcycle. In addition to considering personal characteristics investigated in this study, the helmet-wearing rate should be improved through policies or systems at the national or regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical nurses in hospitals in South Korea were exposed to extreme stress, and many continue to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study explores the factors influencing PTSD among hospital clinical nurses during COVID-19. In total, 121 hospital clinical nurses participated in 2022, providing demographic information and completing surveys designed to measure PTSD, resilience, social support, professional pride in nursing (PPN), and variables related to COVID-19. We observed statistically significantly higher levels of resilience (91.48 vs. 70.00), social support (47.37 vs. 35.41), and PPN (88.36 vs. 68.06) in the low-risk PTSD group compared with the high-risk PTSD group. Resilience was associated with a reduced risk of PTSD (OR, 0.91; 95% CI = 0.84–0.98). The subfactors of control (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.43–0.86) and sociability (OR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.44–0.97) decreased PTSD risk. Among the social support subfactors, family support had an OR of 0.47 (95% CI = 0.26–0.86) for reducing PTSD risk. Programs involving family participation that enhance resilience and provide psychological support can help hospital nurses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic manage their PTSD. Our findings serve as foundational data to develop interventions on psychological well-being for nurses dealing with new infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The population attributable fraction (PAF), an epidemiologic measure of exposures and health outcomes, can provide information on the public health impacts of exposures in populations. This study aimed to systematically summarize the PAF estimates of modifiable cancer risk factors in Korea. Methods: This review included studies that determined PAFs of modifiable risk factors for cancer in Korea. We performed systematic searches in EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and Korean databases for studies published up to July 2021. Two reviewers independently screened studies for eligibility, extracted data, and performed quality assessments of the included studies. Due to high variability among the data acquisition methods and PAF estimates, we presented the results qualitatively and did not perform quantitative data synthesis. Results: We reviewed 16 studies that reported the PAFs of risk factors for cancer, including smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and various cancer sites. We found considerable variability in the PAF estimates across exposure and cancer pairs. However, PAF estimates for smoking and respiratory cancer were consistently high in men. PAF estimates were higher in men than in women for smoking and alcohol consumption but higher in women for obesity. We found limited evidence for other exposures and cancers. Conclusion: Our findings may be used to prioritize and plan strategies to reduce cancer burden. We encourage further and updated assessments of cancer risk factors, including those not addressed in the studies included in this review, and their potential contributions to cancer burden to better inform strategies for cancer control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to verify the relationship between the level of understanding of health information and health behaviors among Korean adults. In total, 228 984 adults who participated in the 2021 Korea Community Health Survey were included. Participants were divided into three groups according to age (19–44, 45–64 and 65+). The ability to understand verbal and written health information was included, and its association with health behaviors, including smoking, alcohol consumption and preventive health service uptake, was assessed. Associations between the ability to understand health information and health behaviors were analyzed using chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses. Approximately 22.7% and 20% of the participants responded that verbal and written health information were easy to understand, respectively, with significant differences by age group. Compared to those with easy-to-understand verbal health information, those with difficulty in understanding had a higher risk of current cigarette smoking and monthly drinking and were less likely to engage in more than moderate physical activity, walking, influenza vaccination in 1 year, cancer examination in 2 years and medical examination in 2 years. Difficulty in understanding or no interest in written health information was also associated with unhealthy behaviors. A strong ability to understand health information is related to positive health behaviors. However, there are differences in the associations by age group, which should be considered when establishing a health literacy improvement strategy. These findings could promote health literacy and ultimately contribute to helping individuals make better choices for positive health behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) s a tick-transmitted, acute febrile disease caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV) (1,2). Previous studies have not determined the seroprevalence of SFTSV in South Korea. [...]

Vibrio vulnificus is a motile, halophilic, rod-shaped gram-negative pathogen that lives in estuarine environments (1). During the last decade, the prevalence of V. vulnificus infection has increased worldwide (2-4). In [...]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease that has had a significant impact on daily life. This study investigated the effect of changes in family life due to COVID-19 on depressive mood and stress perception. We used data from the "Survey on changes in family life due to COVID-19" in Korea. The final study population comprised 1500 adults with children aged ≤19 years. Of the total respondents, 59.3% responded that depressive mood and stress had increased due to COVID-19. However, among them, 46.6% did not attempt to resolve or could not find a way to resolve their depressive mood and stress. In multiple logistic regression analyses, a decrease in household income and increased household expenditure due to COVID-19 were significantly associated with an increased risk of depressive mood and stress perception. Depressive mood and stress were significantly higher in respondents who had experienced family conflicts. These results could be used to assess changes in family life and manage mental health when a new infectious disease occurs. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the long-term effects of changes in family life due to COVID-19 on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]