Epidemiology and Health

Volume 16 (2); December 1994

Original Articles

A Descriptive Epidemiologic Study on Accidents of the Closed-Ward Patients in a Psychiatric Hospital.: Eun Sook Kim, Won Chul Lee; Korean J Epidemiol. 1994;16(2):181-196.

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This study was done to investigate some selected epidemiological characteristics of accidents occured in the closed-ward of a psychiatric hospital in Seoul during one year period from Jan. 1, 1993 toDec. 31, 1993. For this study, 1,570 accidents(702 patients) reported from 1,833 discharged patients were analysed. Major findings obtained from this study were as follows; 1. Prevalence rate of the accidents were 38 persons per 100 discharged pateints and 86 accident spells per 100 discharged patients. 2. The highest risk of accident was noticed in the group of male, 20-29 age, middle school graduate, and divorced. 3. By diagnostic category, accident rates per 100 discharged patients were 339 spells in seizure disor-der, 102 in substance abuse, 93 in schizophrenia, 69 in alcoholism, and 61 in mood disorder. 4. By the period, the accident rate was higher within I month after admission, and the rate was higher in April and November, Wednesday, the day of family visiting, and during day time. 5. Accident types were violent behavior(53%), alcohol drinking(12%), emergency for physical episode(9%), elopement(7%), property damage (5%), self-inflicted injury and suicidal attempt (4%). Severity of damage was usually minimal, and the persons who were commonly involved in the accidents were the petients rather than him self and therapist.; Summary

Self Rated Health and Mortality in Elderly Kangwha Cohort, 8-year follow up.: Hee Choul Ohrr, Sun Ha Jee, Il Soon Kim; Korean J Epidemiol. 1994;16(2):172-180.

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The effect of self rated health on all cause mortality was. examined in a community residents sample of 2, 848 men and 3, 534 women aged 55 years or over who has been followed for eight years, 1985-1993. This longitudinal study, conducted in Kangwha County, Keanggido, began in 1985 with baseline examinations of physical and life style characteristics. The results indicate that the self-rated health has a profound and independent effect on all cause mortality during the study period. Cox's hazard model estimates that persons with 'poor' self-rated health has 1.7 times (CI 1.2-2. 6) higher risk of all cause mortality than persons with 'excellent' self-rated health and persons with 'worst' one has 4.2 (CI 2.6-6.2) in male. Estimates for women are similar to those of men. Further researchs to investigate the effects on cause specfic mortality and effects to reveal the work mechanism of self-rated health are highly expected.; Summary

Positivity of Hepatitis B Virus(HBV) Markers and Changes of HBV Markers After Vaccination Among Healthy Works.: Hai Rim Shin, Jae Beom Kim; Korean J Epidemiol. 1994;16(2):163-171.

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Hepatitis B Virus(t-IBV) infection is one of the major health problems in Korea and HBsAg positive rate was known to be as 6-10% in general population. This study was carried out to determine HBV infection rate of workers who worked in one company and to assess the conversion rate of HBV markers(HBsAg: by RPHA method, Anti-HBs: PHA method) from 1990 to 1992. A total number of study subject was 1,972 male workers who were interviewed during health check up at 1992. Healthy workers were defined those who have none of the past histories of transfusion, hepatitis, abnormal liver function. The results were as follows: 1. HBsAg positive rate among healthy workers in 1990 was 2.7% and it was highest in age group thirties as 3.0% with no statistically significance by age group. 2. HBsAg positive conversion rate was 3.0% and negative conversion rate was 7.7% from 1990 to 1992. 3. The rate of Anti-HBs formation was 32.5% after 3 doeses hepatitis B vaccination.; Summary

Relations of Items of Serum Chemistry to Hypertension.: Dong Hoon Shin, Young Hee Lee, Suk Kwon Shu, Choon Won Lee; Korean J Epidemiol. 1994;16(2):155-162.

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Exploratory analysis was conducted in a health screening data which had been collected in residents of Taegu city in 1986 to seek out items of serum chemistry associated with hypertension. Six-hundred residents mere than 20 years of age were sampled by the multistage cluster sampling method. Because blood sampling and blood pressure measurements were possible in 384 residents of 600, the rest of 216(36%) were replaced with the healthy visitors to the Department of Health checkup, matched with age and sex. Fivehundred eighty subjects were used in the defined above systolic blood pressure 141mmHg and/or diastolic pressure 91mmHg. The most common age group was under 29 years of age in both sexes, with 103(38.3%) in males and 125(40.2%) in females. Mean body weight of males was Hypertensives were 24(8. in males and 21(6.8%) in females. The items of serum chemistry which showed p values less than 0.25 were glucose, albumin, total cholesterol, ALP and AST in males and glucose, creatinine, albumin, total cholesterol, AST and ALT in females. After controlling age and body weight, glucose and AST showed slightly decreased regression coefficients(beta=0.030, S.E.=0.018, beta= 0.021, S.E.=0.012, respectively) and p values 0.09, 0.08 respectively while albumin, total cholesterol and ALP showed substantially larger p values than unadjusted ones in males. After controlling age and body weight, total cholesterol only remained statistically significant (beta=0.015, S. E. =0. 007, p=0.04). These results suggested that certain items of serum chemistry might be associated with hypertension.; Summary

A Case-control Study of Risk Factors in Stomach Cancer.: Sang In Lee, Hee Choul Ohrr, Sun Ha Jee, Jung Sook Joo; Korean J Epidemiol. 1994;16(2):145-154.

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Stomach cancer is the most common cancer in Korea with highest mortality. Therefore, finding risk factors involved in its prevention is vitally important. Case-control study was done to demonstrate the relationship between smoking, drinking, food, nutrition, 5% salt solution and the incidence of stomach cancer. The study group consisted of 82 patients with stomach cancers confirmed by pathology as case group and 113 patients with chronic superficial gastritis as control. General characteristics, smoking and drinking habits, dietary habit according to food groups, individual preference to salty and spicy foods were analyzed. Subjects had undergone taste test with 10cc of 0.5% salt solution. Age adjusted odds ratios by Mantel-Haenszel test were performed for each variable. 1. Smoking in males had no direct relationship with incidence of stomach cancer, but in females there is a higher odds ratio in smoking group (OR=2.63). Drin-king had no effect on the odds ratio in males, whereas in females, the odds ratio was significantly decreased in drinking group (OR=0.25). 2. Consumption of fruits in females showed a protec-tive effect on developing stomach cancer (OR=0.41). Males who had more protein and iron intake were found to have significantly higher odds ratio for stomach cancer risk (protein OR=2.86, iron OR=5.18). 3. Salty diet habit in females showed a higher odds ratio for stomach cancer risk (OR=2.49). No correlation was found between spicy diet habit with stomach cancer. 4. Male subjects who did not feel salty with 0.5% salt solution showed significantly increased odds ratio (OR=4.59) for stomach cancer. This study is limited due to fact that the number of subjects was not large enough for indepth evaluation and that other confounding factors other than age was not sufficiently controlled. Further investigation that concerns ingestion of fruit group, the level of subjects' taste to 0.5% salt solution, and protein and iron intake on a larger scale is recommended.; Summary

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