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Background While handgrip strength is associated with osteoporosis in the older population and muscle weakness is related to a reduction in bone mineral density, no study has yet assessed the association between relative hand grip strength (RHGS) and osteoporosis in the older Korean population. This study assessed the associations between RHGS and osteoporosis in Korean older women aged over 60 years. Methods We used data of 4,179 older women from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2014 to 2018. We applied binomial logistic regression to identify an association between RHGS and osteoporosis while controlling for other covariates such as age; socioeconomic status; smoking behavior; alcohol consumption, laboratory test results; and the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, and obesity. Results RHGS was significantly associated with osteoporosis of the left hand in older Korean women. RHGS levels 2 and 4 of the left hand showed an inverse association with the prevalence of osteoporosis in female participants aged 60–69 years (odds ratio [OR]=0.637; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.452–0.898; p=0.010; and OR=0.496; 95% CI, 0.258–0.956; p=0.036, respectively) but not in those aged over 70 years and in the right hand. Conclusion osteoporosis was significantly associated with left-hand RHGS in 60–69-year-old women, and the osteoporosis risks decreased by approximately 36.3% and 50.4% in women with RHGS levels 2 and 4, respectively. RHGS may be used to predict osteoporosis in pre-clinical settings such as public health care institutes.

This study compares the degree of satisfaction and the causes of selecting facilities for stroke patients in the senior specialized hospitals and other senior care facilities. The research results are followed. First, The patients who held the level of senior long-term care used senior specialized hospitals, while the patients who had the level of 2 or 3 degree used senior care facilities. The patients helped by cooperative care service used senior care facilities, and the patients helped by private service or family service used senior specialized hospitals. Second, The patients in senior specialized hospitals had affirmative attitude for their service system, while the patients in senior care facilities preferred their various service systems. In the satisfaction of the facilities, the patients in senior care facilities felt more satisfaction to staff, environment, service, and other factors than the patients in hospitals did. Third, in the result of logistic analysis, the patients had an affirmative attitude in case that they had spouse, experience of senior specialized hospitals or senior care facilities, without senior long-term care insurance. They also valued the service standard and the staff quality. As this study points out, the overall preference is higher in the senior care facilities. So, the stroke patients recognized the new role between the hospitals and the facilities after the establishment of long-term senior medicare system. This research had some limitation for the research areas and numbers. So the data analysis for the types of facility and the responses may not be generalized. However, the standard of choosing facility and satisfaction will be a guideline for establishing a new future role between hospitals and facilities. This result will be used as a basic data for the renovation of long-term senior medicare insurance.

Background In the year 2000, the South Korean government introduced a program for separation of drug prescribing and dispensing. The goals of the program are to reduce misuse of drugs and to contain drug expenditures. The government also designated exception regions for the program to reduce the inconvenience for people who reside in areas with a shortage of health care resources. However, according to government reports, many adverse events related to drug misuse occurred in these exception regions after the program reforms were introduced. Therefore, it is worth investigating the factors that relate to drug consumption so that misuse in exception regions can be reduced. Methods Data from medical institutions, detailed drug supply data, and community health survey data were included in the analysis. Multilevel linear regression analysis using mixed models that included pharmacy—and regional-level variables were used to examine the associations regarding the percentages of drug types consumed (i.e., antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs, psychotropic drugs, adrenal cortical hormones, and antibiotics). Results The data used in this analysis were from a total of 16,455 pharmacies. There were 1.9 % pharmacies from program exception regions and 98.1 % pharmacies from program application regions. Compared with the pharmacies in the program application regions, the exception region pharmacies had higher values for percent consumption of the antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs category, and of the adrenal cortical hormones category (antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory drugs = β: 3.19, Standard Error (SE): 0.82, t: 3.88, p-value

Background Body mass index (BMI) has been used as an indirect predictor for the risk of metabolic syndrome. However, there are challenges in evaluating the risk of metabolic syndrome using BMI in certain parts of the world. Therefore, it is worth exploring additional factors that could supplement BMI to predict the risk of metabolic syndrome. In this study, we assessed the combined effect of BMI and perception for predicting metabolic syndrome. Methods We used the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES V, 2010–12, N = 16,537) in this study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association while controlling for potential confounding variables. We also performed an analysis for the combined effect of BMI and perception of body size, and subgroup analysis by age group or moderate physical activity. Results Data from 16,537 participants were analyzed in this study (males: 6,978, females: 9,559). Among them, metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 1,252 (17.9 %) males and 2,445 (25.6 %) females, respectively. The combination of BMI and body size perception had a positive relation with the presence of metabolic syndrome. People who perceived themselves to be overweight for their body size had a higher risk for metabolic syndrome even if they have the same BMI. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the combination of body size perception and BMI is useful in predicting the risk of metabolic syndrome. The use of complementary predictors could reduce the risk for inaccurate prediction of metabolic syndrome.

The objectives of this study were to look into the present conditions and problems of smoking prevention programs for young people carried out by the Korean health insurance corporation(KHIC) and to provide the basic data for the governmental policy. In order to examine the actual achievements of existing smoking cessation programs, a survey was conducted over 235 KHIC branches. The person responsible for the cessation program from each branch responded to questionnaire sent by mail with regard to smoking cessation programs The survey shows the shortage of responsible persons. educational subjects were mainly elementary, middle school and high school students. The main educational method was to watch the video of which the content is the knowledge of smoking. but most of these videos were made for adults. Therefore, these videos are not appropriate for the children. 37% of these branches estimated the effectiveness of their program. On the basis of the survey data and analysis of current situations, the following actions are recommended in order to develop a more effective cessation program; first, the establishment of the effective administrative plan, second, the supplementation of the educator and the responsible person, third, the development of text books and videos which are appropriate for the children.

Objective In October 2013, the South Korean government introduced an incentive programme to increase the availability of Saturday treatment at clinics, hoping to increase the role of primary care providers as gatekeepers to medical care. To the best of our knowledge, no one has yet investigated this programme9s effect on overall outpatient care. Our study aims to analyse the change in Saturday outpatient volume and billings in clinics that adopted the Saturday incentive programme. Setting Our study used 3 types of data from the period October 2012 to March 2014: National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) claims data, hospital evaluation data and medical institution data. Participants These data consisted of 66 825 881 outpatient cases from 2837 clinics. Interventions Introducing the Saturday incentive programme. Outcome measure We performed a multilevel analysis that adjusted for clinic-level and outpatient-level variables to examine the difference in the percentage of Saturday outpatient volume and billings after introducing the Saturday incentive programme. Results The percentages of Saturday outpatient volume and billings were higher after introducing the programme (outpatient volume: β=2.065, p Conclusions Our findings suggest that the Saturday incentive programme has affected clinic outpatient care and is a worthwhile health policy in terms of promoting primary care. Thus, it may improve healthcare accessibility and quality of care, and prevent inappropriate usage such as emergency room visits by providing patients with weekend clinic hours.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a nutrition education program as part of health promoting projects in an elementary school. A total of 168 students in the 4th grade were enrolled in the program for 6 months. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to assess nutrition knowledge and dietary habit. Nutrient intakes and body shape perceptions were measured using 24-hour recall method and self-ratings of body shape figures, respectively. The education program was conducted in various ways, focused on healthy dietary behavior, nutrients’ roles and sources, and proper body shape perceptions, etc. After the education program, nutrition knowledge and dietary habit were significantly improved. Dietary habit scores were significantly and positively related to nutrition knowledge levels. Body shape perceptions were significantly and properly changed after the program. Dissatisfaction with perceived current body shape and discrepancy between shapes desired and considered healthy were significantly decreased. But girls still indicated a desire to be leaner than shapes which were perceived current and considered healthy. Nutrient intakes were partly improved by the program, but some nutrients, such as calcium, folate, zinc, sodium and niacin, were still remained deficient or excessive. These findings indicate that enhancement of nutrition knowledge is extended to the improvement of dietary habit. In addition, establishment of proper body shape perception is closely related to healthy dietary habits and is required to good nutrition and health.

Purpose The objectives of this study are to compare the hospital employees' and patients' recognition and attitudes toward the opening of the medical services market, to analyze the differences between hospital employees and patients on the factors in selecting a foreign hospital. Materials and Methods This study collected and analyzed data using systematic questionnaires that were self-administered by employees and outpatients to compare their recognition of the opening of the medical services market and the factors involved in selecting a foreign hospital. Results Employees exhibited a higher level of recognition than the patients. Reasons for agreement were to ensure the right of selection for both the employees and patients. Reasons for disagreement, however, were split between the two groups: degraded public characteristics of medical services, for employees; and expensive medical fees, for patients. The most urgent task to prepare for the opening of the medical services market is the improvement of the diagnosis and treatment technologies for employees, and improvement of the services provided by hospital staff for patients. Conclusion Korean hospitals shall need to improve their diagnosis and treatment technologies and provide medical services of high quality in order to compete with foreign hospitals.