We investigated the associations of sarcopenia-defined both in terms of muscle mass and muscle strength-and sarcopenic obesity with metabolic syndrome. Secondary data pertaining to 309 subjects (85 men and 224 women) were collected from participants in exercise programs at a health center in a suburban area. Muscle mass was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis, and muscle strength was measured via handgrip strength. Sarcopenia based on muscle mass alone was defined as a weight-adjusted skeletal muscle mass index more than two standard deviations below the mean of a sex-specific young reference group (class II sarcopenia). Two cut-off values for low handgrip strength were used: the first criteria were <26 kg for men and <18 kg for women, and the second criteria were the lowest quintile of handgrip strength among the study subjects. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the combination of class II sarcopenia and being in the two highest quintiles of total body fat percentage among the subjects. The associations of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity with metabolic syndrome were evaluated using logistic regression models. The age-adjusted risk ratios (RRs) of metabolic syndrome being compared in people with or without sarcopenia defined in terms of muscle mass were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 1.47, p=0.008) in men and 1.12 (95% CI, 1.06 to 1.19, p<0.001) in women, which were found to be statistically significant relationships. The RRs of metabolic syndrome being compared in people with or without sarcopenic obesity were 1.31 in men (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.56, p=0.003) and 1.17 in women (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.25, p<0.001), which were likewise found to be statistically significant relationships. The associations of sarcopenia defined in terms of muscle mass and sarcopenic obesity with metabolic syndrome were statistically significant in both men and women. Therefore, sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity must be considered as part of the community-based management of non-communicable diseases.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of insomnia in various industries and the associated demographic factors. We searched the nationwide night-shift Workers’ Specific Health Examination (nsWSHE) data extracted in 2015 information on factors associated with insomnia, including sex, age, and the number of workers in the workplace. The prevalence of moderate insomnia in the total industry was 4.6%. Industries with a high prevalence of insomnia included the arts, sports, and recreation-related services industry, followed by the activities of household as employers industry, financial and insurance activities industry, human health and social welfare industry, and accommodation and food services activities industry. The prevalence of insomnia was higher in women. Age was a significant factor. In general, insomnia was highest among those aged ≥60 years. Insomnia was highest in small-sized companies with fewer than five employees compared to large enterprises with more than 1000 employees. This study is the first to analyze the prevalence of insomnia among night-shift workers who participated in the WSHEs. The findings of this study can be used to prioritize intervention policies for insomnia among night-shift workers.

Evidence for the association between high sodium intake and the onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is insufficient. This study examined the sex-specific association between sodium intake and the risk of NAFLD. This study included 2582 adults (aged 40–69 years; 1011 males and 1571 females). The total sodium excreted over 24 h was estimated from spot urine specimens using Tanaka’s equation. Based on these estimates, participants were categorized into three groups according to their 24-h urinary sodium excretion levels: lowest (T1), middle (T2), and highest (T3). In addition, the participants were divided into non-NAFLD (≤36) and NAFLD (>36) groups based on the hepatic steatosis index. During the follow-up period (14 years), NAFLD was observed in 551 participants. The estimated 24-h urinary sodium excretion levels were positively associated with the incidence of NAFLD in all subjects. Upon sex stratification, females in the T2 and T3 groups exhibited adjusted hazard ratios of 1.35 and 1.51, respectively, compared with the T1 group. However, a significant relationship was not observed in males. High intake of sodium, especially among females, may be an important factor contributing to the development of NAFLD. Individuals with high sodium intake should be appropriately counselled and monitored for the risk of NAFLD.

Kang YJ, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2018 Mar;33(14):e106. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e106

Background: This study analyzed the association between depressive symptoms and employment type, by considering both socioeconomic status and job stress factors. Methods: We analyzed 27,369 participants (13,134 men and 14,235 women) using data from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. The participants were divided into regular and precarious workers. Depressive symptoms were defined using the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and employment type. Results: Of the participants, 71.53% (N = 19578) were regular workers and 28.47% (N = 7791) were precarious workers. The weighted frequencies of participants with depressive symptoms (42.50%) were significantly higher than those of precarious workers (32.54%, p < 0.001). In the univariate and multivariate analyses, precarious workers had a significantly higher risk of depressive symptoms than regular workers (odds ratio [OR] 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42–1.64; OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07–1.26, respectively). The significant association between depressive symptoms and precarious workers has also been reflected in propensity score matched participants through crude and multivariate analysis (OR 1.54 [95% CI 1.43–1.66] and OR 1.15 [95% CI 1.04–1.26], respectively). Conclusions: The findings suggest that precarious workers may have a higher risk of depressive symptoms than regular workers. However, this is only a cross-sectional study. Therefore, further study is required to investigate the relevance association between depressive symptoms and employment types.

The mass media play a crucial role in risk communication regarding climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate the trend in journalistic reports on climate change in the daily newspapers of Korea. We selected 9 daily newspapers in Korea, which according to the ABC Association, represented 77% of newspaper circulation, out of a total of 44 Korean daily newspapers. The collected articles were from 2009 to 2011. All of the articles were sorted into the following 8 categories: greenhouse gas, climate change conventions, sea level rise, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change synthesis reports, expected damage and effect, use of fossil fuels, global warming, and mitigation or adaptation. A chi-squared test was done on the articles, which were counted and classified into cause, effect, and measurement of climate change according to the newspaper's majority or minority ownership structure. From the 9 selected newspapers, the number of articles on climate change by month was greatest in December 2009. Generally, the articles vague about climate change (lack of precise data, negative or skeptical tone, and improper use of terminology) were much more common than the articles presenting accurate knowledge. A statistical difference was found based on ownership structure: the majority-owned newspapers addressed the cause of climate change, while the minority-owned newspapers referred more to climate change measurement. Our investigation revealed that generally Korean daily newspapers did not deliver accurate information about climate change. The coverage of the newspapers showed significant differences according to the ownership structure.