Yunsu Choi, Jun Yong Choi, Bo Youl Choi, Bo Young Park, Shin-Woo Kim, Joon Young Song, Jung Ho Kim, Sang Il Kim
{"title":"Comparison of HIV characteristics across 3 datasets: the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study prospective, retrospective, and national reporting system.","authors":"Yunsu Choi, Jun Yong Choi, Bo Youl Choi, Bo Young Park, Shin-Woo Kim, Joon Young Song, Jung Ho Kim, Sang Il Kim","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024055","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study has been conducted prospectively for 18 years. However, it faces limitations in representing the entire population of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Korea. To address these limitations and validate the study design, we analyzed characteristics across several HIV datasets.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We compared epidemiological and clinical characteristics from 3 datasets: the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (dataset 1, n=1,562), retrospective cohort data (dataset 2, n=2,665), and the national HIV reporting system of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) (dataset 3, n=17,403).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The demographic characteristics of age, sex, and age at HIV diagnosis did not differ significantly across datasets. However, dataset 3 contained a higher proportion of patients diagnosed after 2008 (69.5%) than the other datasets. Regarding transmission routes, same-sex contact accounted for a greater proportion of dataset 1 (59.8%) compared to datasets 2 (20.9%) and 3 (32.6%). The proportion of patients with CD4 T-cell counts below 200/mm3 at HIV diagnosis was higher in datasets 1 (39.4%) and 2 (33.3%) compared to dataset 3 (16.3%). Initial HIV viral load measurements were not obtained for dataset 3.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study demonstrated representativeness regarding the demographic characteristics of Korean patients. Of the sources, dataset 1 contained the most data on transmission routes. While the KDCA data encompassed all HIV patients, it lacked detailed clinical information. To improve the representativeness of the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study, we propose expanding and revising the cohort design and enrolling more patients who have been recently diagnosed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024055"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11573489/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141433139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soonsu Shin, Min-Ho Kim, Chang-Mo Oh, Hyejin Chun, Eunhee Ha, Hyo Choon Lee, Seong Ho Moon, Dong-Young Lee, Dosang Cho, Sangho Lee, Min Hyung Jung, Jae-Hong Ryoo
{"title":"Association of decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate with lung cancer risk in the Korean population.","authors":"Soonsu Shin, Min-Ho Kim, Chang-Mo Oh, Hyejin Chun, Eunhee Ha, Hyo Choon Lee, Seong Ho Moon, Dong-Young Lee, Dosang Cho, Sangho Lee, Min Hyung Jung, Jae-Hong Ryoo","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024041","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Inconsistent results are available regarding the association between low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and lung cancer risk. We aimed to explore the risk of lung cancer according to eGFR category in the Korean population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included 358,293 adults who underwent health checkups between 2009 and 2010, utilizing data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. Participants were categorized into 3 groups based on their baseline eGFR, as determined using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation: group 1 (eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2), group 2 (eGFR ≥60 to <90 mL/min/1.73 m2), and group 3 (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Incidences of lung cancer were identified using the corresponding codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were employed to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for lung cancer incidence up to 2019.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In multivariate analysis, group 2 exhibited a 26% higher risk of developing lung cancer than group 1 (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.35). Furthermore, group 3 demonstrated a 72% elevated risk of lung cancer relative to group 1 (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.58 to 1.89). Among participants with dipstick proteinuria of 2+ or greater, group 3 faced a significantly higher risk of lung cancer than group 1 (HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.37 to 6.24).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Low eGFR was significantly associated with increased lung cancer risk within the Korean population. A particularly robust association was observed in individuals with severe proteinuria, emphasizing the need for further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024041"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11369561/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140319538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sun Hee Na, Joong Sik Eom, Sun Bean Kim, Hyung Jin Yoon, So Yeon Yoo, Kyeong Sook Cha, Jong Rim Choi, Ji Youn Choi, Si Hyeon Han, Jin Ju Park, Tark Kim, Jacob Lee
{"title":"The prevention and response to infectious diseases in long-term care facilities in Korea: a nationwide survey.","authors":"Sun Hee Na, Joong Sik Eom, Sun Bean Kim, Hyung Jin Yoon, So Yeon Yoo, Kyeong Sook Cha, Jong Rim Choi, Ji Youn Choi, Si Hyeon Han, Jin Ju Park, Tark Kim, Jacob Lee","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024084","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are communal environments for patients with chronic diseases or older adults, making them particularly susceptible to significant harm during infectious disease outbreaks. Nonetheless, LTCFs have historically been subject to less stringent infection prevention and control (IPC) mandates. This study aimed to assess the current state of LTCFs and to develop an IPC system tailored for these facilities following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an online survey of 11,366 LTCFs in Korea from December 30, 2022 to January 20, 2023, to evaluate the components of IPC in LTCFs. The infectious diseases targeted for IPC included COVID-19, influenza, and scabies. Additionally, we compared institution-based and home-based long-term care insurance facilities.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 3,537 (31.1%) LTCFs responded to the survey, comprising 1,819 (51.4%) institution-based and 1,718 (48.6%) home-based facilities. A majority (87.4%, 2,376/2,720) of these facilities experienced COVID-19 outbreaks. However, only 42.2% of home-based facilities, in contrast to 90.6% of institution-based facilities, were equipped to manage concurrent COVID-19 cases. Similarly, while 92.1% of institution-based facilities were capable of managing influenza, only 50.5% of home-based facilities could do the same. The incidence of scabies was significantly higher in institution-based facilities than in home-based ones (26.1 vs. 4.3%). Additionally, 88.7% of institution-based facilities managed scabies cases effectively, compared to only 42.1% of home-based facilities.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Approximately half of the LTCFs had a basic capacity to respond to infectious diseases. However, there were differences in response capabilities between institution-based facilities and home-based facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024084"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11832240/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142510640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Decrease in household secondhand smoking among Korean adolescents associated with smoke-free policies: grade-period-cohort and interrupted time series analyses.","authors":"Hana Kim, Heewon Kang, Sung-Il Cho","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024009","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Smoke-free areas have expanded and related campaigns have been implemented since 1995 in Korea. As a result, household secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has decreased over the past 15 years. We assessed the cohort effect, the effect of a 2008 campaign on household SHS exposure, and the impact of a complete smoking ban in public places along with increased penalties, as implemented in December 2011.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nationally representative cross-sectional 15-wave survey data of Korean adolescents were used. The 810,516 participants were classified into 6 grade groups, 15 period groups, and 20 middle school admission cohorts. An age-period-cohort analysis, conducted with the intrinsic estimator method, was used to assess the cohort effect of household SHS exposure, and interrupted-time series analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of the smoke-free policy and the campaign.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For cohorts who entered middle school from 2002 to 2008, the risk of household SHS exposure decreased among both boys and girls. Immediately after implementation of the smoke-free policy, the prevalence of household SHS exposure by period decreased significantly for boys (coefficient, -8.96; p<0.05) and non-significantly for girls (coefficient, -6.99; p=0.07). After the campaign, there was a significant decrease in household SHS exposure by cohort among boys, both immediately and post-intervention (coefficient, -4.84; p=0.03; coefficient, -1.22; p=0.02, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A school-admission-cohort effect was found on household SHS exposure among adolescents, which was associated with the smoke-free policy and the campaign. Anti-smoking interventions should be implemented consistently and simultaneously.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024009"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11040220/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139378597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The association between employee lifestyles and the rates of mental health-related absenteeism and turnover in Japanese companies.","authors":"Atsuya Fujimoto, Hiroshi Kanegae, Kaori Kitaoka, Mizuki Ohashi, Kunio Okada, Koichi Node, Kenkichi Takase, Hiroshi Fukuda, Tomoyuki Miyazaki, Yuichiro Yano","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024068","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We assessed the association of employee lifestyles (e.g., smoking, exercise, drinking, and sleep habits) with mental health-related absenteeism and turnover rates utilizing data from the annual Health and Productivity Management survey by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This analysis included data from 1,748 companies, encompassing 4,199,021 employees. The average proportions of mental health-related absenteeism and employee turnover rates were 1.1±1.0% and 5.0±5.0%, respectively. In multivariable regression models that incorporated all lifestyle factors and confounders, a 1 percentage point increase in the proportion of employees who slept well was associated with reductions in their turnover rate (mean, -0.020%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.038 to -0.002) and in mental health-related absenteeism (mean, -0.005%; 95% CI, -0.009 to 0.001). A similar increase in the proportion of employees engaging in regular physical activity corresponded with a 0.005% decrease in the prevalence of mental health-related absenteeism (95% CI, -0.010 to -0.001). A 1 percentage point increase in the proportion of employees who smoked was associated with a 0.013% reduction in mental health-related absenteeism (95% CI, -0.017 to -0.008). Nonetheless, the current study's observational and cross-sectional design restricted the ability to establish causality between employee lifestyle factors and mental health issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024068"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11576526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141908026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Contrasting income-based inequalities in incidence and mortality of breast cancer in Korea, 2006-2015.","authors":"Jinwook Bahk, Hee-Yeon Kang, Young-Ho Khang, Kyunghee Jung-Choi","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024074","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Breast cancer incidence and mortality rates in Korea are increasing. This study analyzed income-based inequalities in the incidence and mortality of women breast cancer from 2006 to 2015, using national data that covered all Korean women.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used the National Health Information Database from 2006 to 2015. For women aged 20 and older, the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer per 100,000 by income quintile per year were calculated using the direct method. The rate ratio and rate difference (RD) of the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer per 100,000 between the top and bottom income quintiles were calculated as relative and absolute measures for inequalities.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>When comparing 2006 and 2015, both the incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer increased. The lowest income quintile experienced higher mortality rates despite having lower incidence rates. In 2015, the income-based RD in incidence and mortality rates between the highest and lowest income quintiles (Q1-Q5) was -19.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], -24.3 to -15.5) and 4.4 (95% CI, 2.9 to 5.8), respectively. Throughout this period, there was no statistically significant trend in income-based disparities in breast cancer incidence and mortality. The age-specific contributions to the absolute magnitude of inequality (RD) in incidence and mortality were more pronounced among middle-aged women than among older women.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study found that breast cancer in Korea exhibited pro-rich inequalities in mortality despite pro-poor inequalities in incidence. More equitable policies for screening and treatment of breast cancer are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024074"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11826041/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142298939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Boyoung Park, Yoonyoung Jang, Taehwa Kim, Yunsu Choi, Kyoung Hwan Ahn, Jung Ho Kim, Hye Seong, Jun Yong Choi, Hyo Youl Kim, Joon Young Song, Shin-Woo Kim, Hee Jung Choi, Dae Won Park, Young Kyung Yoon, Sang Il Kim
{"title":"Prevalence and trends of cigarette smoking among adults with HIV infection compared with the general population in Korea.","authors":"Boyoung Park, Yoonyoung Jang, Taehwa Kim, Yunsu Choi, Kyoung Hwan Ahn, Jung Ho Kim, Hye Seong, Jun Yong Choi, Hyo Youl Kim, Joon Young Song, Shin-Woo Kim, Hee Jung Choi, Dae Won Park, Young Kyung Yoon, Sang Il Kim","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024097","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024097","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study compared the current smoking prevalence among adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to that of the general Korean population and analyzed changes in smoking prevalence and cessation rates from 2009 to 2020.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study included a total of 10,980 adults with HIV infection who underwent a health screening examination (National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database; NHIS-NHID), 1,230 individuals with HIV infection who participated in the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort (KoCosHIV), and 76,783 participants from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We estimated the current smoking prevalence and the quit ratio, defined as the ratio of former smokers to ever-smokers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the NHIS-NHID and KoCosHIV studies, the prevalence of current and former smoking among adults with HIV was 44.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43.2 to 45.1) and 15.6% (95% CI, 14.9 to 16.3), and 47.7% (95% CI, 43.7 to 51.8) and 16.9% (95% CI, 11.8 to 22.0), respectively. In the KNHANES, these rates were 22.5% and 18.1%, respectively. The standardized prevalence ratio of current smoking among adults with HIV was 1.76 in the NHIS-NHID and 1.97 in the KoCosHIV. Furthermore, the likelihood of quitting smoking was lower among adults with HIV than in the general population (NHIS-NHID: 26.1%; 95% CI, 25.0 to 27.1; KoCosHIV: 26.2%; 95% CI, 20.2 to 32.1; KNHANES: 44.6%; 95% CI, 44.5 to 44.6). Among HIV-positive adults, there was a 1.53% decline in the current smoking rate and a 2.86% increase in the quit ratio.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adults with HIV were more likely to smoke and less likely to quit smoking than the general adult population. Tobacco screening and cessation strategies should specifically target this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024097"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11840409/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142865667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hye Won Woo, Sangmo Hong, Min-Ho Shin, Sang Baek Koh, Hyeon Chang Kim, Yu-Mi Kim, Mi Kyung Kim
{"title":"Sex-specific associations between dietary legume subtypes and type 2 diabetes in a prospective cohort study.","authors":"Hye Won Woo, Sangmo Hong, Min-Ho Shin, Sang Baek Koh, Hyeon Chang Kim, Yu-Mi Kim, Mi Kyung Kim","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024083","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Dietary soy, known for its high phytoestrogen content, has been suggested to exhibit a sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes. However, evidence regarding the sex-specific associations of different legume subtypes with type 2 diabetes remains scarce. We aimed to evaluate whether habitual consumption of soy and non-soy legumes (beans and peanuts) was prospectively and sex-specifically associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes incidence, taking into considering significant sex-specific genetic factors beyond legume consumption.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 16,666 participants (96,945 person-years) were followed and 945 incident cases were observed. Cumulative intake of legume subtypes was calculated using a food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline and during the revisit surveys.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Non-soy legumes are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in both men and women. Dietary soy intake, however, demonstrated a unilaterally interacting sex-specific association with type 2 diabetes risk (pinteraction for sex=0.017). Specifically, there was a significant inverse association with type 2 diabetes risk in women (incidence rate ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.48 to 0.80; ptrend=0.007), but no such association was observed in men. This sex-specific association persisted and even appeared antagonistic in minor allele carriers of 2 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms, rs10196939 (LRRTM4) and rs11750158 (near GFPT2) (pinteraction for sex=0.001 and 0.011, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Habitual consumption of legumes shows protective impacts against type 2 diabetes, although these benefits vary by sex. Non-soy legumes provide health advantages for both men and women, whereas soy consumption seems to be beneficial exclusively for women.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024083"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11832243/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142510639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An outbreak of Clostridium perfringens infection on a training ship anchored in Busan, Korea.","authors":"Seonmi Kim, Hyunjin Son","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024086","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>In September 2023, an outbreak of food-borne disease occurred among students on a training ship docked in Busan. This was an epidemiological investigation with the aim of improving infection prevention activities and group meal service practices on board ships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, a case was defined as an individual who experienced diarrhea more than twice a day during their training period aboard the training ship. A total of 171 exposed individuals including 6 food handlers was well-defined; therefore, a retrospective cohort study was conducted. We administered a questionnaire and conducted laboratory tests including 38 rectal swab samples. Relative risk (95% confidence interval) for each food item was calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 165 students and school staff members, 41 met the case definition, resulting in an attack rate of 24.8%; all cases were students. The shape of the epidemic curve was unimodal, with the peak from 00:00 to 06:00 on September 7, 2023. Clostridium perfringens was detected in 9 cases, and no other pathogens were found. Significant relative risk was shown in 11 different food items.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>C. perfringens was the causative pathogen of this outbreak on the training ship. Due to the lack of preserved food samples, the exact source of infection could not be confirmed. Ships are not classified as collective dining facilities, leaving them in a management blind spot. Therefore, specialized guidelines, voluntary inspections by the operating entities, and continuous education for managers and staff are necessary.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024086"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11832244/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142630690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yeong Jun Ju, Woorim Kim, Jina Han, Soon Young Lee
{"title":"Combined effect of anemia and chronic rhinitis on hearing loss in Korean adults: a nationwide observational study.","authors":"Yeong Jun Ju, Woorim Kim, Jina Han, Soon Young Lee","doi":"10.4178/epih.e2024063","DOIUrl":"10.4178/epih.e2024063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Studies have suggested an association between hearing loss and anemia. Hearing loss has also been linked to rhinitis, which is characterized by inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes and sinus mucosa. Few studies have concurrently explored the relationships between hearing loss, anemia, and rhinitis. This study was conducted to investigate the association between hearing loss and anemia and to further analyze the potential role of rhinitis in this relationship.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected from the 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Hearing loss was measured with an audiometer in a soundproof booth and was defined as at least moderate impairment (as indicated by a pure-tone average of ≥41 dB in the better-hearing ear). The association between hearing loss and anemia was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. The combined effect of anemia and rhinitis on hearing loss was assessed with an interaction term.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 2,772 participants, 477 (17.2%) exhibited hearing loss. Participants with anemia were more likely to experience hearing loss than those without anemia (odds ratio [OR], 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 2.33). Furthermore, the odds of hearing loss were greater in participants with both anemia and rhinitis (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.93 to 7.43) relative to those without either condition.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Anemia was associated with hearing loss in individuals aged 40 years and older. Based on the analysis of combined effects, participants with anemia and chronic rhinitis were more likely to experience hearing loss than individuals without these conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48543,"journal":{"name":"Epidemiology and Health","volume":" ","pages":"e2024063"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11576524/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141761721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}