Eun Chul Park

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and economic burden of chronic diseases are increasing worldwide. Nevertheless, little information is available on catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) associated with chronic diseases in Korea. This study explored the burden of household out-of-pocket health expenditures among the Korean population for different chronic diseases. METHODS: This study was conducted utilizing data collected from the 7,006 households that participated in the Korea Health Panel Survey (K

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to investigate the impact of socioeconomic status and subjective social class on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) vs. overall quality of life (QOL). METHODS: We performed a longitudinal analysis using data regarding 8250 individuals drawn from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). We analyzed differences between HRQOL and QOL in individuals of various socioeconomic strata (high, middle, or low household income and education levels) and subjective soc

BACKGROUND: The benefits of physical activity on physical and mental health are well known. The accessibility of sports facilities is reported to have considerable association with the amount of physical activity a person participates in. Therefore, we investigated the association between subjectively assessed accessibility of sports facilities and physical activity among Korean adults. METHODS: We obtained data from the 2012 Community Health Survey. Physical activity was measured based on weekl

Patients undergoing treatment for cancer have reported a variety of work-related problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a cancer diagnosis on employment status, and to identify relevant associated factors. This prospective cohort study was conducted at the National Cancer Center in Korea. Male patients newly diagnosed with stomach, liver, or colorectal cancers were recruited. Patients were interviewed and asked to complete an employment questionnaire every 3 months for

Previous suicide attempts are a leading risk factor for completed suicide. To identify specific characteristics of those at high risk for attempts, we investigated associations with socioeconomic status (SES). Data from the 2013 Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS) included adults who reported suicidal ideation (N = 220,245). Attempts in the past 12 months were assessed. Associations of demographic, socioeconomic, and suicide-related behavioral factors were analyzed using multiple logistic regr

BACKGROUND: To discover the association between eating alone and diet quality among Korean adults who eat alone measured by the mean adequacy ratio (MAR), METHODS: The cross-sectional study in diet quality which was measured by nutrient intakes, indicated as MAR and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) with the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) VI 2013-2015 data. Study population was 8523 Korean adults. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify the association

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To investigate the participation rates, positivity rates, and follow-up rates from 2004 to 2008 in an organized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program using a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in Korea. METHODS: The study population was men and women aged 50 years or older who were invited to participate in the National Cancer Screening Program for CRC between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2008. We collected the FOBT results and follow-up information for the FOBT positives.

OBJECTIVE: High blood pressure is a modifiable risk factor for stroke, but non-adherence to antihypertensive medication is a growing concern for healthcare providers in controlling blood pressure. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adherence to antihypertensive medication on stroke incidence. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: We analysed National Health Insurance claim data and check-up data from 2009 to 2013. PARTICIPANTS: 38520patients with hypertension were defined as th

Health insurance coverage has an impact on health care utilization. More health care utilization among Medical Aid beneficiaries appears to have a high possibility of a moral hazard risk under the Health Insurance program. Therefore, the moral hazard for Medical Aid beneficiaries should be avoided.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between types and amount of social activity and health-related quality of life according to gender and age group. METHODS: This study used data from the Community Health Survey (CHS), which was collected in 2011 and consisted of 229,226 participants aged 19 or older. A linear mixed effects model was used to evaluate the factors influencing health-related quality of life among individuals tracked in the CHS and, in particular, to a

This study aimed to examine the association between lifestyle factors and metabolic syndrome risk in South Korean adults. Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2018 data were used. The study included 6,995 subjects (2835 male; 4,160 female). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between the lifestyle factors, including sedentary time, sleep duration, alcohol consumption, smoking status, and dietary intake. Metabolic syndrome prevalence in health

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between a changes in social activity and cognitive function in Koreans aged 45 years or older. METHODS: Data were obtained from 6076 participants aged 45 years and older included in the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2012). Cognitive function was measured using the mini-mental state examination-Korean version (MMSE-K). Participation in social activities was classified as "consistent participation," "consistent non-participation," "participation to