This study investigated the associations between usual source of care (USC) characteristics, which incorporate primary care functions, and medication adherence and healthy behaviors in Korean adults with diabetes.

Excessive sodium and insufficient potassium consumption are major dietary contributors to hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular diseases. The sodium-to-potassium ratio is a known predictor of blood pressure (BP) and HTN. This study evaluated 16-years trends in dietary sodium, potassium, and the sodium-to-potassium ratio, and their associations with BP and HTN in Korea.

Psychosocial stress is a potential risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, the influence of the timing of stress exposure remains uncertain. We examined the prospective associations of baseline, cumulative average, and recent psychosocial stress with the risk of incident T2D in middle-aged adults.

This protocol paper describes the design and methodology of the Korean Human Exposure Safety Survey (KoHESS), a three-year national biomonitoring program (2023-2025). Korea's Act on Risk Assessment of Products for Human Use necessitates scientific evidence for aggregate exposure assessment and cumulative risk evaluation of hazardous substances in food and consumer products. Existing biomonitoring programs primarily focus on environmental exposures, limiting comprehensive assessment of products regulated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. KoHESS employs repeated cross-sectional surveys targeting approximately 5,000 Koreans aged 3-79 years per cycle, using complex stratified multistage sampling for national representativeness. Data collection includes standardized anthropometric measurements, biological samples (blood, urine), comprehensive exposure source surveys, and 2-day 24-hour dietary recalls. Chemical analyses using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measure 24 PFAS compounds, 25 phthalate metabolites, and 7 heavy metals, with quality assurance through certified reference materials. KoHESS will provide scientifically robust data for establishing safety standards, enable advanced exposure modeling, facilitate risk assessments reflecting cumulative exposures, support targeted protection for vulnerable populations, and contribute to international biomonitoring networks while promoting preventive hazardous substance management systems.

As the average age of pubertal onset continues to decline, the need for reliable and culturally appropriate tools to assess pubertal development has become increasingly important. However, no validated, non-invasive, self-report instrument has been available for use in Korea. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the Korean version of the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS-K). The original PDS was translated using a forward-backward translation procedure and reviewed by experts to ensure cultural relevance. The PDS-K was administered to a total of 217 elementary school students (grades 4-6). Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's α, item-total correlations, Cohen's kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The PDS-K demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α: boys = 0.79, girls = 0.74) and good test-retest reliability (ICCs: 0.77 for boys, 0.87 for girls). Sex-specific patterns of pubertal progression were also observed. Although further validation across broader age groups and against clinical benchmarks is warranted, the PDS-K provides a practical and culturally adapted tool for the non-invasive assessment of pubertal development and holds promise for large-scale epidemiological research.

Breast and cervical cancers are the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women. The Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) has strengthened cancer control efforts in the Asia region; however, only a few countries have achieved sufficient participation rates. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the existing evidence on socioeconomic factors influencing women's compliance with breast and cervical cancer screening in ANCCA countries. This study was conducted as a systematic review, with studies collected from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase. All included studies employed cross-sectional designs to identify socioeconomic factors affecting compliance with breast or cervical cancer screening. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were carried out by 2 independent reviewers with cross-checking. In total, 48 studies were reviewed. Education level and family history were associated with participation in breast cancer screening, while education level, household income, marital status, and medical insurance were linked with cervical cancer screening. When stratified by Human Development Index (HDI) level or by the presence of a National Cancer Screening Program, differences were observed in the factors influencing screening compliance. Nevertheless, higher education consistently correlated with higher screening rates for both cancer types, regardless of HDI level. This systematic review identified multiple socioeconomic factors that shape breast and cervical cancer screening compliance in Asian countries. To reduce disparities in participation, tailored multi-strategy approaches adapted to each country's specific context are required. These findings may provide useful evidence for future research and policy initiatives aimed at addressing health equity issues.

Global data often link greater socioeconomic deprivation to higher coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality. However, whether decentralized governance can mitigate this disparity by enabling tailored, equitable local responses remains unclear. We assessed whether Japan's decentralized pandemic response moderated the association between area-level socioeconomic deprivation and COVID-19 mortality across municipalities.

Late-onset sepsis (LOS), occurring after 72 hours of birth, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality especially in preterm neonates. Probiotics have been proposed as a preventive strategy to enhance gut health, modulate immune responses, and reduce the incidence of neonatal sepsis. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics in preventing neonatal sepsis in preterm neonates, with particular attention to the impact of different strains and dosage regimens. Eligible studies included preterm neonates (≤36 weeks gestational age) with culture-proven LOS and focused on probiotic supplementation. Comprehensive searches were conducted in MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, and ProQuest up to July 28, 2024. The Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2.0) was applied to assess study quality, and a random-effects meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager version 5.4. Additionally, the certainty of the body of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach. Thirty-one studies including 8,040 preterm neonates were reviewed. Meta-analysis demonstrated that probiotics significantly reduced the incidence of LOS (pooled risk ratio [RR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 0.95). Greater efficacy was observed with multistrain formulations (RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.95) and low-dose regimens (RR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.91). Probiotic supplementation was also associated with shorter hospital stays and a trend toward lower mortality, although the latter did not reach statistical significance. To effectively reduce LOS in preterm neonates, specific combinations of multistrain probiotics and optimized dosing strategies may provide the most benefit.

Adopting sustainable diets is essential for improving both human and planetary health, and such diets should be evaluated from a multidimensional perspective. We characterized trends in sustainable dietary patterns, quantified by the sustainable diet index for United States (SDI-US) adults, along with trends in diet quality, diet-related environmental impacts, food affordability, and food practices.

Although environmental factors influence lifestyle choices, few studies have examined how individual-level and neighborhood-level socio-demographic factors interact to affect diet quality in Korea. We investigated the associations between multilevel factors and diet quality among Korean adults and explored potential interactions by gender and age.

Extensive evidence indicates that social factors play an essential role in explaining atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This study aimed to examine which social factors are associated with the estimated 10-year ASCVD risk score among male and female adults, incorporating both multifaceted social network components and conventional risk factors.

Norovirus is a major global concern for foodborne outbreaks. We investigated a large-scale norovirus outbreak in a Korean city to identify the source of infection and implement control measures.

Cancer Public Library Database (CPLD) links data from four major population-based public sources: the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database in the Korea Central Cancer Registry, cause-of-death data in Statistics Korea, the National Health Information Database in the National Health Insurance Service, and the National Health Insurance Research Database in the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. The National Cancer Data Center has developed a new nationally representative sample cohort dataset from Korean Clinical Data Utilization for Research Excellence project (K-CURE) CPLD: Stomach Cancer Sample Cohort, Breast Cancer Sample Cohort, Colorectal Cancer Sample Cohort, and Liver Cancer Sample Cohort. The sample populations consisted of approximately 21% of all cancer patients from 2012 to 2019. The populations of the Stomach Cancer Sample Cohort, Breast Cancer Sample Cohort, Colorectal Cancer Sample Cohort, and Liver Cancer Sample Cohort were 51,951, 39,586, 53,485, and 27,375 patients, respectively. The dataset included cancer incidence information, demographics, socioeconomic variables, health utilization data (procedures, diagnoses, and medications), general health checkup data, cancer screening data before and after the cancer incidence, as well as death information. These cohorts could help researchers analyze time-to-event data on mortality, treatment outcomes, comorbid conditions following a cancer diagnosis, and cancer incidence risk factors. The data can be accessed through the K-CURE portal (https://k-cure.mohw.go.kr/).

Rising obesity rates among adolescents are a major global health concern and are closely linked to the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This study aimed to identify key behavioral and psychosocial factors influencing SSB consumption among adolescents.

 A telemedicine pilot project has received temporary authorization in Korea. The clinical effectiveness of telemedicine is well established; however, ongoing research must assess medical utilization, sustainability, prescription continuity, and safety.

Mukbang refers to livestreamed videos in which hosts consume large amounts of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods while interacting with viewers. Mukbang is widely viewed by Korean adolescents and has been associated with adverse health outcomes. To inform efforts to prevent excessive engagement with mukbang content among Korean adolescents, this study examined personal, community, and societal factors associated with excessive mukbang viewing (≥7 times/wk) and explored gender differences in these associations.

Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) reflects an organization's commitment to safeguarding workers' psychological health and safety. While international evidence links low PSC to poor mental health outcomes, its association with depression has not been well established in Korea. This study aimed to examine the relationship between PSC and depression among Korean workers, utilizing a large-scale, population-based survey.

Growing concerns regarding the concentration of cancer treatment in the capital city in Korea have raised questions about equitable access to timely and optimal patient care. In this study, we evaluated the impact of time-to-surgery (TTS) on healthcare utilization and outcomes, with the goal of providing policy recommendations for effective quality assessment of cancer care.

This study investigated the principal determinants of human Q fever incidence and explored regional variation between metropolitan cities and provinces in Korea.