Temperature effect on scrub typhus incidence in South Korea: the projection for climate change.

Objective: The influence of climate change on infectious disease dynamics is a subject of interest, but it demands robust scientific evidence. This study explores the short-term and long-term relationships between meteorological factors and the incidence of scrub typhus (ST) in South Korea.

Methods: From 2001 to 2018, data on meteorological conditions and weekly ST cases were sourced from national databases.

Combined effects of traffic-related air pollution, climate factors, and greenness on respiratory disease risk in infants.

Prenatal exposure to climate factors, air pollution, and green space has been linked to respiratory diseases in infants. However, the role of the combined effects of exposure to these factors on respiratory ailments remains unclear. Here we investigate the association of combined exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), climate factors, and green space during the prenatal period with respiratory diseases in infants.

Differential Effects of Green Space Typologies on Congenital Anomalies: Data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (2008-2013).

: Urban green space has been increasingly recognized as a determinant of maternal and child health. This study investigated the association between prenatal exposure to different types of green space and the risk of congenital anomalies in South Korea. : We analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Service (N = 142,422).

Environmental disease monitoring by regional Environmental Health Centers in Korea: a narrative review.

This study explores the development, roles, and key initiatives of the Regional Environmental Health Centers in Korea, detailing their evolution through four distinct phases and their impact on environmental health policy and local governance. It chronicles the establishment and transformation of these centers from their inception in May 2007, through four developmental stages. Originally named Environmental Disease Research Centers, they were subsequently renamed Environmental Health Centers following legislative changes.

Adequacy of the physician workforce for preparing for future society in Korea: an English translation.

This study aimed to assess whether the current physician workforce in Korea is sufficient to meet future healthcare demands, considering demographic changes and increasing medical needs. The objective was to project the future supply and demand for physicians and identify potential regional disparities. Data on outpatient and inpatient utilization rates were obtained from the 2018 Health Insurance Statistical Yearbook, and population projections were sourced from Statistics Korea (2017-2067).

Long-term exposure to air pollution and incident Alzheimer's disease among older adults: evidence from a large-scale retrospective cohort in Korea.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that predominantly affects older individuals. Although several studies have been conducted on the relationship between air pollution and AD, inconsistencies remain. This study explored the relationship between long-term exposure to air pollution and AD incidence among older adults in Korea using a large-scale retrospective cohort derived from the Korean National Health Information Database (NHID), a nationwide database covering the Korean population that enables temporal tracking of exposure and outcomes over a 10-year follow-up period, unlike cross-sectional studies.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Long-Term Exposure to Particulate Matter and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in the Asia-Pacific States.

Background: Global Burden of Disease (GBD) studies have proposed integrated exposure-response models primarily based on North American and European data, which may not be directly applicable to the Asia-Pacific region. Through a systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to explore the association between long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and mortality in the Asia-Pacific states.

Methods: We searched 3 databases (PubMed [n = 8,326], Embase [n = 4,709], and Cochrane Library [n = 357]) between 1st January 1990 and 31st July 2023.

Mortality burden attributable to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter among older adults in Korea.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and cause-specific mortality among older adults in Korea, providing insights into the evolving public health burden in an aging society.

Association of Maternal Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter During Pregnancy with Anterior Segment Dysgenesis Risk: A Matched Case-Control Study.

To assess the association of residential-level maternal particulate matter of 2.5 μm diameter or less (PM) exposure during pregnancy with anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD) risk. This study used data from children diagnosed with ASD (i.

Sex-specific effects of prenatal exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A on adverse birth outcomes: Results from The Korean CHildren's ENvironmental health Study (Ko-CHENS).

Objectives: Although previous epidemiological studies have reported the effects of fetal exposure to phthalates and phenols on birth outcomes, evidence is still limited. The objective of this study was to investigate whether prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals [EDCs; phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA)] is associated with birth outcomes and whether there are sex-specific effects.

Methods: We used data from the Korean CHildren's ENvironmental health Study (Ko-CHENS) cohort.

Machine learning-based analysis on factors influencing blood heavy metal concentrations in the Korean CHildren's ENvironmental health Study (Ko-CHENS).

Heavy metal concentration in pregnant women affects neurocognitive and behavioral development of their infants and children. The majority of existing research focusing on pregnant women's heavy metal concentration has considered individual environmental factor. In this study, we aim to comprehensively consider lifestyle, food, and environmental factors to determine the most influential factor affecting heavy metal concentration in pregnant women.

Corrigendum to "Ambient particulate matter and surrounding greenness in relation to sleep quality among pregnant women: A nationwide cohort study" [Heliyon 10 (5) (March 2024) e26742].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

Microplastic particles in human blood and their association with coagulation markers.

Recent studies have indicated potential health risks associated with microplastics (MPs) exposure, including alterations in blood coagulation homeostasis. This cross-sectional study aimed to quantitatively examine MPs in human blood and assess their association with coagulation markers. We recruited 36 healthy adults, collected whole blood samples, and analyzed MPs using Fourier-transform infrared (µ-FTIR) spectroscopy.

Associations among urinary 1-hydroxypyrene level, oxidative stress, and high blood pressure: A panel study among elderly Koreans.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental carcinogens. However, there is limited evidence for the relations between PAHs exposure and blood pressure (BP) with the mediating role of oxidative stress. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated relations among PAHs exposure, oxidative stress, and BP in the elderly population.

Predicting Lung Cancer in Korean Never-Smokers With Polygenic Risk Scores.

In the last few decades, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with more than 10,000 subjects have identified several loci associated with lung cancer and these loci have been used to develop novel risk prediction tools for cancer. The present study aimed to establish a lung cancer prediction model for Korean never-smokers using polygenic risk scores (PRSs); PRSs were calculated using a pruning-thresholding-based approach based on 11 genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Overall, the odds ratios tended to increase as PRSs were larger, with the odds ratio of the top 5% PRSs being 1.

Association between phthalate exposure and sleep quality in pregnant women: Results from the Korean Children's Environmental Health Study with repeated assessment of exposure.

Background: Evidence linking environmental toxicants to sleep quality is growing; however, these associations during pregnancy remain unclear. We examined the associations of repeated measures of urinary phthalates in early and late pregnancy with multiple markers of sleep quality among pregnant women.

Methods: The study population included 2324 pregnant women from the Korean Children's Environmental Health Study.

Prenatal and early-life air pollutant exposure and epigenetic aging acceleration.

Background: This study investigated the association of prenatal and early childhood exposure to air pollution with epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) at six years of age using the Environment and Development of Children Cohort (EDC Cohort) MATERIALS & METHODS: Air pollution, including particulate matter [< 2.5 µm (PM) and < 10 µm (PM) in an aerodynamic diameter], nitrogen dioxide (NO), ozone (O), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO) were estimated based on the residential address for two periods: 1) during the whole pregnancy, and 2) for one year before the follow-up in children at six years of age. The methylation levels in whole blood at six years of age were measured, and the methylation clocks, including Horvath's clock, Horvath's skin and blood clock, PedBE, and Wu's clock, were estimated.

Association between work from home and health-related productivity loss among Korean employees.

Background: After the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the widespread adoption of working from home, or teleworking, has prompted extensive research regarding its effects on work productivity and the physical and mental health of employees. In this context, our study aimed to investigate the association between working from home and health-related productivity loss (HRPL).

Methods: An online survey was conducted with a sample of 1,078 workers.

Mortality Burden Due to Short-term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter in Korea.

Objectives: Excess mortality associated with long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been documented. However, research on the disease burden following short-term exposure is scarce.