This cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the reference values for bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the prevalence of osteoporosis in the Korean population by applying domestic reference data. In total, 25,043 Korean adults ≥20 yr of age (11,792 men and 13,251 women) participated in the study. The BMDs of the total hip, femoral neck...

Hypertension and hypertriglycemia are the most important contributors to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease risk in South Koreans with a relatively lean body mass. These major contributors differ from those identified in Western populations. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of the Korean diet associated with increased risk of MetS, whose prevalence has been ste...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To explore Korean American women's symbolic meanings related to their breasts and cervix, to examine attitudes and beliefs about breast and cervical cancer, and to find relationships between the participants' beliefs and their cancer screening behaviors. RESEARCH APPROACH Descriptive, qualitative analysis. SETTING Southwestern United States. PARTICIPANTS 33 Korean-born ...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that self-reports tend to underestimate smoking status, especially among women in Korea. We therefore assessed the characteristics of Korean women smokers who falsely described themselves as non-smokers. METHODS The subjects were 4,135 adult women aged ≥19 years who participated in the 2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of thes...

OBJECTIVE This study examined the effect of menopausal status on the risk of the metabolic syndrome in Korean women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2001. A total of 2,671 women who did not receive hormone replacement therapy (1,893 premenopausal women and 778 postmenopausal women) were included in the analysis...

PURPOSE Korean American women have twice the rate of cervical cancer than white women and demonstrate low rates in participation in cervical cancer screening. This study was to describe the perceptions about cervical cancer and factors related to cervical cancer screening among Korean American women. METHOD Focus group methods. RESULT Five themes emerged. First, knowledge about cervical can...

OBJECTIVES To examine trends in socioeconomic inequalities in major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among the Korean population. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING A nationally representative population survey database. PARTICIPANTS A total of 42 725 Koreans, aged 25-64 years, who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) II (2001) ...

We performed a multicenter cross-sectional study of 134 sexually active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for high risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and cervical cytological abnormalities among Korean women with SLE. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, HPV testing and routine cervical cytologic examination was performed...

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to compare gender differences in the psychometric properties of the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). METHODS: The sample comprised 334 Korean immigrants (97 women and 237 men) who reported daily smoking for the past six months. Item-by-item responses and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were compared by gender. Promax rotation was selected...

BACKGROUND The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test is an effective screening test for the early detection of uterine cervical cancer. The Pap test still plays an important role in Korean elderly women, as uterine cervical cancer remains a frequent form of cancer and an important cause of death. However, the participation rate and other factors related to the Pap test in Korean elderly women have been...