Search

This study investigated the extent to which adolescent social network positions are associated with the risk of lifetime daily smoking and nicotine dependence (ND), and whether these associations differ by gender. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 6,267), this study estimated multinomial logistic regression models. An increase in in-degree nominations, out-degree nominations, and Bonacich centrality was associated with a lower relative risk of never smoking daily versus ever smoking daily. By contrast, adolescents with greater in-degree nominations, out-degree nominations, Bonacich centrality, and network reach in three steps were at decreased risk for lifetime ND. Gender-stratified models indicate that the negative association between network position and never smoking daily was driven largely by women, whereas the positive association between network position and lifetime ND was driven largely by men. Incorporating social network structural approaches into adolescent smoking prevention efforts may be beneficial.

This study investigated the impact of subjective expectations of the future (e.g., income, life expectancy, and national policies) on the onset of dementia and mild cognitive impairment by sex and age in middle-aged and older adults. The Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) data from 2008 to 2020, comprising 4116 people above 45 years, were used. A time-series analysis and multiple panel logistic regression were conducted to highlight subjective expectation trends and their effect on dementia and mild cognitive impairment, respectively. Low subjective expectations of the future negatively affected cognitive impairment (total: odds ratio [OR] = 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–1.03) and dementia (total: OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.03–1.06), and those of national policies were the biggest risk factors for cognitive impairment (total: OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.12–1.22) and dementia (total: OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.07–1.13). Individuals about to retire and with low expectations of workability were more likely to develop cognitive impairment (total: OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.02–1.06). Subjective expectations of economic downturn also caused cognitive impairment, especially in women (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01–1.07) and early stage older adults (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.02–1.10). Policymakers must consider the impact of changes in national policies and living environments on cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the extent to which adolescent social network positions are associated with the risk of lifetime daily smoking and nicotine dependence (ND), and whether these associations differ by gender. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 6,267), this study estimated multinomial logistic regression models. An increase in in-degree nominations, out-degree nominations, and Bonacich centrality was associated with a lower relative risk of never smoking daily versus ever smoking daily. By contrast, adolescents with greater in-degree nominations, out-degree nominations, Bonacich centrality, and network reach in three steps were at decreased risk for lifetime ND. Gender-stratified models indicate that the negative association between network position and never smoking daily was driven largely by women, whereas the positive association between network position and lifetime ND was driven largely by men. Incorporating social network structural approaches into adolescent smoking prevention efforts may be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies the key factors underlying the unmet dental care needs of South Korean homeless adults that obstructed their dental service access. We analysed data from 551 Korea Homeless Survey respondents (17 years and older) who reported having an oral disease in the previous 12 months. We conducted multiple logistic regression analyses to examine the factors associated with homeless individuals' unmet dental care needs, using weights to make the data nationally representative. Approximately 43% of the homeless people reported having unmet dental care needs. Housing type (living in the street) was significantly associated with an increased odds ratio of unmet dental care needs. However, when social protection programs (housing benefits and Medical Aid [MA]) were included in the model, the statistical significance of the housing type disappeared. Homeless MA recipients were less likely to have unmet needs than those not covered by MA. On the other hand, homeless people who received housing benefits were more likely to receive dental care than people who do not receive these benefits. Consequently, policy makers should develop social protection programs influencing homeless individuals' access to dental care and ensure the sustainable implementation of integrated community‐based dental services for homeless adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the socio-contextual characteristics of adolescents that led them to have increased cigarette cravings when exposed to smoking scenes in films. We analyzed online survey data collected from a representative sample of 955 Korean adolescents. Our dependent variable was change in cigarette cravings after watching a smoking scene; independent variables included sex, age, school type, allowance, smoking experience, and parental smoking. We used paired t-tests to identify the differences in cigarette cravings modified by individual characteristics, and we performed logistic regression to explore the influences on these changes in cravings. The high school students investigated herein had significantly stronger cigarette cravings after they watched smoking scenes than they did prior to watching these scenes (t = −5.039, p < 0.001). The cravings were significantly higher after watching the clips among non-smokers (t = −4.264, p < 0.001) and participants who had at least one parent who smoked (t = -2.114, p < 0.05); non-smoking adolescents were also more likely to crave cigarettes after they watched smoking scenes than were smokers (odds ratio = 6.90, p < 0.001). Korean adolescents who did not smoke and those who had at least one parent who smoked showed the strongest cigarette cravings after being exposed to smoking in films. Consequently, more effective prevention strategies should be developed that recognize this tendency when regulating smoking scenes in movies or implementing related campaigns among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined relationships between sitting time and obesity or abdominal obesity according to sex and socioeconomic status in elderly people. We analyzed data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013, and 1565 participants were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine relationships between sitting time and obesity or abdominal obesity according to sex and socioeconomic status. Sitting time was positively correlated with body mass index in men and women and waist circumference in men. When considering socioeconomic factors, men who sat for 5 hours or longer and fell within the lowest income were more likely to have obesity and abdominal obesity relative to men who sat for 5 hours or shorter and earned higher incomes (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.80 [1.14–2.84] and 1.63 [1.02–2.61] respectively), and women who sat for 5 hours or longer and fell within the lowest educational level were more likely to have obesity relative to women who sat for 5 hours or less and were educated to a higher level (1.24 [1.01–1.85]). Strategies to reduce sedentary behavior would help to prevent obesity in older men who earn low incomes and women with lower levels of educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: This study examines the factors affecting unmet healthcare experiences by integrating individual-and community-level extinction indices., Methods: Using spatial autocorrelation and multilevel modeling, the study utilizes data from the Community Health Survey and Statistics Korea for 218 local government regions from 2018 to 2019., Results: The analysis identifies significant clustering, particularly in non-metropolitan regions with a higher local extinction index. At the individual level, some factors affect unmet medical needs, and unmet healthcare needs increase as the local extinction index at the community level increases., Conclusion: The findings underscore the need for strategic efforts to enhance regional healthcare accessibility, particularly for vulnerable populations and local infrastructure development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Kwon, Sohn and Choi.)

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the changes in health outcomes and the patterns of medical institution utilization among patients with long-term stays in public hospitals following the closure of a public medical center. It also sought to present a proposal regarding the role of public hospitals in countries with healthcare systems predominantly driven by private entities, such as Korea., Methods: To assess the impact of a public healthcare institution closure on health outcomes in a specific region, we utilized nationally representative health insurance claims data. A retrospective cohort study was conducted for this analysis., Results: An analysis of the medical utilization patterns of patients after the closure of Jinju Medical Center showed that 67.4% of the total medical usage was redirected to long-term care hospitals. This figure is notably high in comparison to the 20% utilization rate of nursing hospitals observed among patients from other medical facilities. These results indicate that former patients of Jinju Medical Center may have experienced limitations in accessing necessary medical services beyond nursing care. After accounting for relevant mortality factors, the analysis showed that the mortality rate in closed public hospitals was 2.47 (95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.96) times higher than in private hospitals., Conclusions: The closure of public medical institutions has resulted in unmet healthcare needs, and an observed association was observed with increased mortality rates. It is essential to define the role and objectives of public medical institutions, taking into account the distribution of healthcare resources and the conditions of the population.

To investigate the effects of public and private health insurance on self-rated health (SRH) status within the National Health Insurance (NHI) system based on socioeconomic status in South Korea. The data were obtained from 10 867 respondents of the Korea Health Panel (2008-2011). We used hierarchical panel logistic regression models to assess the SRH status. We also added the interaction terms of socioeconomic status and type of health insurance as moderators. Medical aid (MA) recipients were 2.10 times more likely to have a low SRH status than those who were covered only by the NHI, even though the healthcare utilization was higher. When the interaction terms were included, those not covered by the NHI and had completed elementary school or less were 16.59 times more likely to have a low SRH status than those covered by the NHI and had earned a college degree or higher. Expanding healthcare coverage to reduce the burden of non-payment and unmet use to improve the health status of MA beneficiaries should be considered. Particularly, the vulnerability of less-educated groups should be focused on.