Effects of a mobile healthcare service provided by public health centers on practicing of health behaviors and health risk factors

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated whether a mobile health (mHealth) application can instigate healthy behavioral changes and improvements in metabolic disorders in individuals with metabolic abnormalities. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Participants were divided into an mHealth intervention group (IG), which used a mobile app for 24 weeks, and a conventional IG. All mobile apps featured activity monitors, with blood pressure and glucose monitors, and body-composition measuring devices. The two groups were compared after 24 weeks in terms of health-behavior practice rate and changes in the proportion of people with health risks, and health behaviors performed by the IG that contributed to reductions in more than one health risk factor were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Preference for low-sodium diet, reading nutritional facts, having breakfast, and performing moderate physical activity significantly increased in the mHealth IG. Furthermore, the mHealth IG showed a significant increase of eight items in the mini-dietary assessment; particularly, the items “I eat at least two types of vegetables of various colors at every meal” and “I consume dairies, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, every day.” The proportion of people with health risks, with the exception of fasting glucose, significantly decreased in the mHealth IG, while only the proportion of people with at-risk triglycerides and waist circumference of females significantly decreased in the control group. Finally, compared to those who did not show improvements of health risks, those who showed improvements of health risks in the mHealth IG had an odds ratio of 1.61 for moderate to vigorous physical activity, 1.65 for “I do not add more salt or soy sauce in my food,” and 1.77 for “I remove fat in my meat before eating.” CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the additional use of a community-based mHealth service through a mobile application is effective for improving health behaviors and lowering metabolic risks in Koreans.

Comparison of Various Detection Methods of Mycobacterium Species in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue with Chronic Granulomatous Inflammation

BACKGROUND: To determine the most effective method for detecting mycobacteria in formalin- fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, we compared the results of Ziehl-Neelsen stain (ZNS) and mycobacterial culture with those of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). METHODS: We analyzed 54 cases diagnosed as chronic granulomatous inflammation. In all cases, ZNS and nested PCR using three different primers, IS6110, Mpb64 and IS6110/Rpobeta were done. RQ-PCR with the IS6110/Rpobeta primer was done in 51 cases. RESULTS: Mycobacteria were identified by ZNS in 15/54 (27.8%) cases. RQ-PCR had the highest sensitivity (80.0%) compared to PCR with IS6110 (73.3%), Mpb64 (60.0%) and IS6110/Rpobeta (73.3%). Specificity was higher in all PCR experiments (79.5-82.1%) than in RQ-PCR (69.4%) experiments. The false negative rate was lowest for RQ-PCR (20.0%) than for PCR with IS6110 (26.7%), Mpb64 (40.0%) and IS6110/Rpobeta (26.7%). The false positive rate was highest for RQ-PCR (30.6%) compared to PCR with IS6110 (20.5%), Mpb64 (17.9%) and IS6110/Rpobeta (20.5%). CONCLUSIONS: RQ-PCR had the highest sensitivity, and the lowest false negative rate, but it also had a higher false positive rate than PCR for detection of mycobacteria in FFPE tissues.

A Case of Malignant Coloenteric Fistula / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Malignant coloenteric fistula is a rare complication of colon cancer. Colon carcinoma is the most common etiology of this entity. Clinical features are diarrhea, weight loss, anemia and feculent vomiting. The diagnosis is most often made by barium enema examination. The primal therapy is operation. We present a case of a 51-year old male in whom a coloenteric fistula caused by transverse colonic carcinoma. He complained of abdominal pain, diarrhea and dizziness. UGI series demonstrated a fistulous track between colon and small bowel. On abdominal CT examination, a mass involving hepatic flexure of colon with a fistulous tract and metastatic nodules in right lobe of liver were found. Colonoscopy revealed a circumferential mass and the orifice of the fistula. The patient refused operation and expired one month after discharge.

Smoking, Alcohol and Other Drug Use in Korean Adolescents

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to figure out the prevalence of smoking, alcohol and other drug abuse and the relationships among them. METHODS: In July 1996, a total of 4,438 school adolescents randomly sampled from 6 schools(2 middle schools, 2 general high schools, 2 vocational high schools) in Seoul were assessed with a self-completing questionnaire pertaining to smoking, alcohol and other drug (sedatives, stimulants, inhalants) use. RESULTS: The current smoking rate of the study subjects in the study was 17.1%(male : 27.5%, female : 8.3%) and the current alcohol drinking rate was 29.4%(male: 34.0%, female : 25.4%). The experience rate of sedatives and stimulants was 4.0%(male : 4.7%, female 4.4%) and 12.1%(male : 7.0%, female : 16.6%), respectively. The experience rate of glue, butane gas and other volatile solvents was 1.3%(male : 2.5%, female : 0.4%), 0.8%(male : 2.0%, female : 0.2%) and 1.0%(male : 1.4%, female 0.6%), respectively. Current alcohol drinking as we71 as smoking was increased with age, higher in males than females, higher in vocational high school students than general high school students. The experience rate of stimulants was higher in females than males but the experience rate of inhalants(glue, butane gas, organic solvents) was higher in males than females. The younger the age of the study subject, the earlier the starting age of smoking and alcohol drinking. Smoking, alcohol and other drug use status was highly associated with one another. CONCLUSIONS: The most commonly used drugs by the study subjects were alcohol, cigarettes, stimulants, sedatives and inhalants in this order. Higher experience rate was seen in vocational high school students than general high school students.