As “mukbang” (eating broadcast) becomes increasingly widespread, there is growing interest about the impact of mukbang on public health. This study aimed to analyze the content of mukbang YouTube videos, as well as news articles related to mukbang and the association between watching mukbang videos and health habits. We analyzed 5952 YouTube mukbang videos, 5265 news articles, and a survey of 1200 people in Korea. In this study, we confirmed that the provocative content of mukbang YouTube videos, such as overeating, was related to video popularity (p < 0.001). In addition, more exposure to mukbang was associated with greater effects on dietary health due to mukbang (p < 0.001). The prevalence of news articles on the negative effects of mukbang showed an increasing trend over time, while the articles on “Mukbang is funny” were most common in all the years evaluated. To cope with public health problems such as obesity, it will be necessary to continue to investigate the content and effects of mukbang on public health.

Kang E, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2020 Dec;36(3):e33. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e33

We compared levels of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 neutralizing antibodies in recovery plasma from 7 completely asymptomatic coronavirus disease patients with those in symptomatic patients in South Korea. We found that serologic diagnostic testing was positive for 71% (5/7) of completely asymptomatic patients, but neutralizing antibody response occurred in all 7 patients.

This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Subjective Well-Being Inventory (SWBI) in a nationally representative sample in Korea. A total of 1200 people completed the semi-structured, self-reported questionnaire, which included five items from the SWLS and 14 items from the SWBI. All items and the total score of both the SWLS and the SWBI showed high internal consistency (with Cronbach’s alphas of 0.886 and 0.946, respectively). The item-total correlation values for both measures were in the ranges of 0.71–0.75 and 0.65–0.80, respectively. There were positive correlations between the SWLS and SWBI (r = 0.59, p = 0.01). The SWLS, SWBI and global well-being (GWB) scores were positively correlated with the McGill Quality of Life subscales (p = 0.01) but negatively correlated with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (p = 0.01). Participants under 50 years old (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00–1.69) and those in rural areas (aOR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.28–2.07) had higher scores on the SWLS than other participant groups. Participants who were under 50 years old (aOR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.12–1.92), were male (aOR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.04–1.71), were married (aOR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.13–2.01), lived in rural areas (aOR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.35–3.91), or had higher incomes (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.02–1.65) showed higher SWBI scores. This study showed that the SLWS and SWBI have good psychometric properties and could be applicable to Korea.

Background: South Korea took preemptive action against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by implementing extensive testing, thorough epidemiological investigation, strict social distancing, and rapid treatment of patients according to disease severity. The Korean government entrusted large-scale hospitals with the operation of living and treatment support centers (LTSCs) for the management for clinically healthy COVID-19 patients. Objective: The aim of this paper is to introduce our experience implementing information and communications technology (ICT)-based remote patient management systems at a COVID-19 LTSC. Methods: We adopted new electronic health record templates, hospital information system (HIS) dashboards, cloud-based medical image sharing, a mobile app, and smart vital sign monitoring devices. Results: Enhancements were made to the HIS to assist in the workflow and care of patients in the LTSC. A dashboard was created for the medical staff to view the vital signs and symptoms of all patients. Patients used a mobile app to consult with their physician or nurse, answer questionnaires, and input self-measured vital signs; the results were uploaded to the hospital information system in real time. Cloud-based image sharing enabled interoperability between medical institutions. Korea’s strategy of aggressive mitigation has “flattened the curve” of the rate of infection. A multidisciplinary approach was integral to develop systems supporting patient care and management at the living and treatment support center as quickly as possible. Conclusions: Faced with a novel infectious disease, we describe the implementation and experience of applying an ICT-based patient management system in the LTSC affiliated with Seoul National University Hospital. ICT-based tools and applications are increasingly important in health care, and we hope that our experience will provide insight into future technology-based infectious disease responses.