Paek YJ, et al. J Korean Med Assoc. 2018 Mar;61(3):157-162. https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2018.61.3.157

Mixed results have been reported regarding whether habitual tea intake affects bone health. This study investigated the relationship between green tea intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2008 to 2011 and divided the participants into three groups according to their frequency of green tea intake over the past 12 months. BMD of the lumbar spine, total femur, and femur neck was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of osteoporosis and osteopenia according to green tea consumption were analyzed. Participants who did not consume green tea or consumed less than one cup per day were more likely to have osteopenia of the lumbar spine or femur than those who consumed it once to three times a day (OR 1.81 and 1.85, 95% CI, 1.20–2.71; and 1.23–2.77). Moreover, ORs for osteoporosis were 1.91 (95% CI 1.13–3.23) and 1.82 (95% CI 1.09–3.05) in non-consumers and consumers who drank less than one cup per day, respectively, compared with the reference group. These results support that green tea consumption may have benefits on bone health.

While the perinatal outcomes of active maternal smoking are well documented, results of the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during pregnancy are inconsistent. We aimed to examine the effect of ETS exposure, assessed by maternal hair nicotine levels at 35th week of gestation, on birth weight and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) and low birth weight (LBW). A total of 871 non-smoking healthy pregnant women were recruited by one Korean hospital between 1 October 2006 and 31 July 2007. Hair samples were collected and anthropometric questionnaires administered at 35th week of gestation. The primary outcome was birth weight and secondary outcomes were the risk of babies being SGA and LBW. Log-transformed hair nicotine concentrations were inversely related with birth weight after adjusting for confounding variables (β=-0.077, p=0.037). After stratifying hair nicotine levels by tertiles (T1, low [0.0-0.28 ng/mg]; T2, medium [0.29-0.62 ng/mg]; and T3, high [0.63-5.99 ng/mg]), the mean birth weight in each groups were 3,342 g (T1) 3,296 g (T2) and 3,290 g (T3), respectively. However the difference between groups was not statistically significant by analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) adjusting for covariates (p=0.062). In logistic regression analysis, the risk of SGA was higher in the T3 (OR=1.59, 95%CI 1.05-2.42) than in the reference group (T1), after controlling for confounding variables. The risk of low birth weight (<2,500 g, LBW) was not significantly higher (OR=1.44, 95%CI 0.95-2.19), but the risk of babies being below 3,000g birth weight was increased in the T3 group (OR=1.53, 95%CI 1.00-2.36) compared with that in the T1 group. Maternal ETS exposure during pregnancy was inversely related with birth weight. The risk of SGA increased in the highest ETS exposure group compared with in the low exposure group. To prevent ETS exposure during pregnancy, more comprehensive tobacco control policies are needed.

Background and Aims: To assess whether predictors of success in stopping smoking vary as a function of income level in Korean smoking cessation services.Design: Prospective study of predictors of smoking cessation up to 6 months' follow up.Participants: A sample of 954 people (mean age 49.13 ± 10.69 years; 863 [90.5%] men) enrolled in the Korean National Health Insurance Service smoking cessation programme in 2015.Measures: The outcome measure was self‐reported continuous abstinence up to 6‐month follow up. Predictors were income and other sociodemographic variables as well as smoking‐related variables measured at baseline.Results: The continuous 6‐month abstinence rate was 30.5%. The adjusted odds of 6‐month continuous abstinence were lower among low‐income versus the middle‐ or high‐income smokers (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.35–0.84), those with severe versus light/moderate cigarette dependence (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52–0.98), and use of bupropion versus varenicline (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.39–0.91). The association between cigarette dependence and outcome was only present among low‐income smokers.Conclusions: Lower income, higher cigarette dependence, and choice of bupropion versus varenicline are associated with lower chances of stopping smoking in Korean smoking cessation services, but the association with cigarette dependence is only found in low‐income smokers.

We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Korean national five-day residential smoking cessation program and the factors affecting the long-term smoking cessation of participants. The residential smoking cessation program (2017–2018) recruited smokers with a smoking duration ≥ 20 years and who have attempted to quit smoking more than twice and/or smokers with chronic morbidities. Participants underwent an intensive intervention, including individual psychological therapy, group therapy, medical counseling, and pharmacotherapy. The 6-month continuous abstinence rate (CAR) was assessed via self-reports, the urine cotinine levels, and/or expired-air carbon monoxide levels. Logistic regression was used to analyze the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) to assess factors related to smoking cessation. Overall, 484 participants who completed the residential program and questionnaire were evaluated. The 3- and 6-month CAR were 81.82% and 63.22%, respectively. The aOR of 6-month continuous abstinence was lower among participants with severe nicotine dependence (aOR: 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.81) and higher among participants with combination therapy of varenicline with short-term nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) (aOR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.07–2.51), with higher self-efficacy (aOR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.15–3.37). The residential smoking cessation program was effective. High self-efficacy, combination therapy of varenicline with short-term NRT, and low nicotine dependence were associated with a high 6-month CAR.

Eon Sook Lee, Yu Jin Paek. JKSRNT 2020;11:64-74. https://doi.org/10.25055/JKSRNT.2020.11.2.64