Cancer is the leading cause of death in Korea. This study aims to examine changes in temporal trends in major cancer mortality. Mortality data for 1993-2012 were obtained from the Korean Statistics Information Service(KOSIS) database and age-standardized to the 2000 Korean population. Joinpoint analysis was used to identify significant changes in trends over time. The annual percentage rate change (APC) was computed for each segment of the trends. The age-standardized mortality rates (ASR) for all cancer sites combined decreased by 9.1% and 1.1% in men and women, respectively, from 1983 to 2012. ASRs from cancers of esophagus, stomach, and liver decreased substantially, whereas ASRs from cancer for all other sites increased markedly. ASRs for all cancer sites combined increased until 1994 and thereafter decreased significantly in both genders except for the period of 1998-2002 (APC: -5.5% for men [p<0.05] and 0.07% for women). ASRs for esophagus and liver cancers increased until the early 1990s and thereafter declined, leading to significant decreases [p<0.05] for esophagus cancer (APC: -1.85% for men and -3.82% for women) and liver cancer (APC: -1.55% for men and -0.56% for women) in 1983-2012. ASRs for stomach cancer declined (APC: -4.06% for men and -4.07% for women) except for 1990-1994. ASRs for uterine cancer peaked in 2003 and then declined (APC: 2.85%). ASRs increased significantly until 2002 for colorectal cancer in men (APC: 7.52%) and lung cancer in both genders. The most consistently upward trend was observed for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (APC: 3.55% for men and 5.29% for women; number of joinpoints=0). The greatest ASR increase was seen for prostate cancer for which mortality increased until 2002 at an APC of 12.56%. While mortality decreased significantly for esophagus, stomach and liver cancers in recent decades in Korea, challenges still remain for many other cancers, especially pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Surveillance of cancer mortality trends can lend valuable insights as to the prevention and control of cancer. Public health promotion efforts to control cancer such as lowering smoking rate and obesity could reduce the burden of cancer in many sites.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine trend of the gender and age death rate of intentional self-harm in Korea 1997-1999 and 2017-2019. The analysis was based on data of intentional self-harm deaths from the 1997-1999 (21,937 deaths) and 2017-2019 (39,920 deaths) vital statistics of Korea.Methods: We are analyzed annual data from 1997-1999 and 2017-2019 for Korea in order to examine trends in the rates and methods of suicide. Data on suicide methods were obtained from the death certificate data (1997-1999 and 2017-2019) of Korea Statistics.Results: The common methods in 1997-1999 were hanging (37.6%), poisoning (37.2%), and jumping (9.5%). In 2017-2019, hanging (51.9%) has surpassed poisoning (26.2%) as the most often used method. The preferred suicide methods were hanging and poisoning in Korea. Through 2003-2011, the suicide rate (per 100,000 population) increased from 26.0 to 40.7 in male and increased from 10.7 to 16.2 in female, There was a decline in rates of poisoning and drowning in both gender but an increase in hanging and jumping by both gender during the period. Age specific suicide rate increased with advanced age in both gender. The odds (2017-2019) were greater than the odds (1997-1999) in both gender.Conclusions: All age suicide rates of hanging increased in both gender. there was decline in age specific rate of poisoning in both gender.

서 론 다태아는 모성 및 주산기 이환, 사망 수준이 높고, 국가보건의료 서 비스 비용 증가에도 영향을 주며[1], 단태아보다 쌍둥이의 사망 위험도 가 신생아는 9배

Objective: This study investigated changes in life expectancy due to the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing the contributions of age, sex, and cause of death in 2019 and 2022. Methods: Korea’s simplified life table and cause-of-death statistics from 2019 to 2022 were used to assess mortality changes by age, sex, and cause of death during the pandemic. Joinpoint regression analysis was applied to detect trends, and the Arriaga decomposition method was used to quantify the contributions of age, sex, and cause of death to life expectancy changes. Results: Joinpoint regression identified a slow increase in life expectancy in 2007 and a decline in 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Life expectancy decreased markedly for men (−0.36 years per year, 95%CI: −0.68 to −0.03) and women (−0.45 years per year, 95%CI: −0.71 to −0.18). Age-specific contributions revealed declines across age groups, with the steepest reductions in the older population (80 years or older: −0.35 years for men; −0.52 years for women). Women (−0.68 years) contributed more to the decline in life expectancy than men (−0.41 years). COVID-19 ranked as the third leading cause of death in 2022, significantly contributing to the decline in life expectancy among the older population (aged 80 years or older: −0.306 years for men, −0.408 years for women). Women in Korea were more affected than men, reducing the sex-specific gap in life expectancy by 0.3 years. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the life expectancy in Korea, particularly among older adults, with women experiencing a greater decline than men. These findings emphasize the need for targeted public health strategies to address age and sex disparities in future pandemics. Before the pandemic, non-communicable diseases such as malignant neoplasms, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease dominated Korea’s top 10 causes of death. During the pandemic, however, COVID-19 rose to third place by 2022. Notably, intentional self-harm (suicide) contributed to an increase in life expectancy, suggesting shifts in the relative impact of various causes of death.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the risk of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) in babies born to unmarried parents (extramarital birth). Methods: This study used birth certificate data (1,523,594 births) from Korea Statistics, 2015-2018 years. Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by logistic regression analyses to describe the risk of PTB and LBW in extramarital birth adjusted for maternal age, maternal education, infantile sex, and type of birth (singleton & multiple birth). Results: During this periods, the rate of extramarital birth was 1.9 percent in 2015-2018. The incidence of LBW was 8.4 percent in extramarital birth and 5.9 percent in marital birth. The rate of PTB in extramarital birth were 10.6 percent and 7.3 percent in marital birth. The LBW and PTB rate of extramarital birth (father listed on the birth certificate) was 7.4 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively. Among extramarital birth (father not listed on the birth certificate) was associated with increased risk of PTB (12.3%) and LBW (9.5%). Compared with LBW and PTB rate of marital birth, the odds ratio (OR) for LBW and PTB were 1.66 (95% confidence interval, 95% CI: 1.56-1.77) and 1.57 (95% CI: 1.49-1.67) for extramarital birth (father listed). Risk of LBW (OR: 2.14) and PTB (OR: 2.14) was higher in extramarital birth (father not listed) than that of marital birth. Conclusions: The babies born to unmarried parents was associated with increased risk of LBW and PTB, compared with those of marital birth. Risk of adversed pregnancy outcome was higher in extramarital birth (father not listed on the birth certificate). More study is required to understand the factors to adversed pregnancy outcome of extramarital status.