PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess medication adherence and its related factors among elderly people living alone with chronic diseases using a conceptual framework with the Belief about Medicines Questionnaire and the Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale-Korean version.Participants and methodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in 3,326 elderly people living alone, who were enrolled in Seongnam Center for Home Health Care in South Korea. They completed validated questionnaires assessing their adherence and beliefs about medication in general.ResultsIn attitudinal analysis using Belief about Medicines Questionnaire, 37.0% of patients were accepting of medication (high necessity with low concerns), 49.7% were ambivalent (high necessity with high concerns), 1.9% were skeptical (low necessity with high concerns), and 11.4% were indifferent (low necessity and low concerns). In multivariable analysis, we found that adherence was related to patients’ beliefs about medication; compared with patients who were accepting of medication, those in the other three attitudinal groups had significantly lower adherence (indifferent, p=0.003; skeptical, p=0.001; ambivalent, p<0.001). Also, low adherence was associated with heavy burden of drug costs (β=0.109; 95% CI 0.03, 0.19), presence of drug side effects (β=0.431; 95% CI 0.11, 0.75), dissatisfaction with medication (β=−0.626; 95% CI −0.77, −0.48), perceiving health status as poor (β=−0.151; 95% CI −0.27, −0.03), and receiving medical aid (β=0.655; 95% CI 0.42, 0.89). Gender, age group, and number of prescribed medication were not associated with medication adherence.ConclusionTo improve medication adherence of elderly living alone, it is essential to identify barriers to adherence, including their concerns and attitudes toward medications. These factors associated with adherence should be considered in further intervention studies.

BackgroundThe efficacy of two artificial tears, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and hyaluronate (HA), was compared in the treatment of patients with dry eye disease.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. The efficacy was compared in terms of the mean change from baseline in tear break-up time. The meta-analysis was conducted using both random and fixed effect models. The quality of the selected studies was assessed for risk of bias.ResultsFive studies were included involving 251 participants. Random effect model meta-analysis showed no significant difference between CMC and HA in treating dry eye disease (pooled standardized mean difference [SMD]=-0.452; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.911 to 0.007; P=0.053). In contrast, fixed effect model meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in the CMC group when compared to the HA group (pooled SMD=-0.334; 95% CI, -0.588 to -0.081; P=0.010).ConclusionThe efficacy of CMC appeared to be better than that of HA in treating dry eye disease, although meta-analysis results were not statistically significant. Further research is needed to better elucidate the difference in efficacy between CMC and HA in treating dry eye disease.

BackgroundWith the significant growth of migration and expatriation, facilitated by increased global mobility, the number of Koreans living abroad as of 2016 is approximately 7.4 million (15% of the Korean population). Healthcare utilization or health problems, especially among expatriates in developing countries, have not been well researched despite the various health risks these individuals are exposed to. Consequently, we identified the health utilization patterns and healthcare needs among Korean expatriates in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Uzbekistan.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey examined 429 Korean expatriates living in Vietnam (n = 208), Cambodia (n = 60), and Uzbekistan (n = 161) who had access to the Internet and were living abroad for at least 6 months. A 67-item questionnaire was used, and feedback was received via an online survey program. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with unmet healthcare needs and preferences of certain type of telemedicine.ResultsWe found that 45.5% (195/429) of respondents had used medical services in their country of stay. Among those who visited health institutions > 3 times, the most popular choice was general hospitals (39.4%, 15/38); however, they initially visited Korean doctors’ or local doctors’ offices. The most essential criteria for healthcare service facilities was a “skilled professional” (39.3%, 169/429), 42% wanted a health program for chronic disease management, and 30% wanted specialized internal medicine. A substantial number wanted to access telemedicine services and were willing to pay for this service. They were particularly interested in experts’ second opinion (61.5%, 264/429) and quick, 24-h medical consultations (60.8%, 261/429). Having unmet healthcare needs and being younger was strongly associated with all types of telemedicine networks.ConclusionsNearly half of the expatriates in developing countries had unmet healthcare needs. Telemedicine is one potential solution to meet these needs, especially in developing countries.

This study aimed to evaluate the most valid index among various indices of low muscle mass in assessing cardiometabolic risks in a Korean population. Appendicular lean mass index (ALMI, kg/m2), fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2), FMI-adjusted ALMI (ALMfmi), ratio of ALM to weight index (ALMwt), ratio of ALM to body mass index (ALMbmi) and ratio of ALM to truncal fat index (ALMtrunkfat) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 17,870 participants from 2008 to 2011. We adopted all the aforementioned indices of low muscle mass expressed as sex- and age-specific standard deviation scores (Z-scores). Low muscle mass for age was defined as Z-score <−1. The prevalence of low muscle mass was approximately 16% across all indices. Low muscle mass defined by ALMI had low muscle mass and low fat mass, and ALMfmi had low muscle mass at the same FMI. However, low muscle mass defined by ALMwt, ALMbmi and ALMtrunkfat had similar muscle mass with high FMI. The receiver operating characteristic curve in metabolic syndrome showed that the ALMtrunkfat was 0.74 in male and 0.69 in female, indicating that ALMtrunkfat was the best discrimination index for metabolic syndrome. This study showed that ALMtrunkfat could be a useful indicator for screening cardiometabolic risk factors, particularly in normal or overweight Asian population.

The purpose of this study was to examine the current utilization of healthcare services, exploring unmet healthcare needs and the associated factors among people living in rural Vietnam. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 233 participants in a rural area. The methods included face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire, and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. We considered participants to have unmet health needs if they had any kind of health problem during the past 12 months for which they were unable to see a healthcare provider. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with unmet healthcare needs. Of the participants, 18% (n = 43) had unmet healthcare needs, for reasons like transportation (30%), a lack of available doctors or medicine (47%), and communication issues with healthcare providers (16%). The multivariate logistic regression showed that living in a rural area, having stage 2 hypertension, and having insurance were associated with unmet healthcare needs. To better meet the healthcare needs in rural or suburban areas of Vietnam, allocation of adequate healthcare resources should be distributed in rural areas and insurance coverage for personalized healthcare needs might be required. Efforts should focus on availability of medicine, improvement of transportation systems, and communication skills of healthcare providers to improve access to healthcare services.

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease that commonly afflicts the elderly. This disease reduces the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and causes a significant social burden. Whether the effect of coexisting chronic conditions on HRQoL varies according to the presence of OA remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate this notion.MethodsA total of 13,395 participants were identified from the 2009–2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for analysis. HRQoL was assessed using the European quality of life-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) index. Patients with OA were defined as those diagnosed by a physician or those who displayed both, symptoms and radiological findings consistent with OA at the time of the survey. Associations between OA and 8 chronic conditions were tested using regression analysis.ResultsThe EQ-5D index was lower in patients with OA than in those without (mean difference, −0.145; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.138 to −0.151; P<0.001). Most patients with OA and chronic conditions showed a lower score than those without. EQ-5D was particularly lower in OA patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, and renal failure. The estimated β coefficient for the interaction term was significant in renal failure (−0.034; 95% CI, −0.055 to −0.012), after adjusting for demographic and socio-economic variables.ConclusionOA significantly affects HRQoL of Korean elderly individuals alone or when combined with other conditions. OA combined with renal failure is particularly detrimental. These results indicate the importance of managing OA, which is an underestimated disease in public health surveys.

BackgroundDyslipidemia is a major risk factor contributing to cardiovascular disease and its prevalence is steadily rising. Although screening tests are readily accessible, dyslipidemia remains undertreated. Evaluating health behavior patterns after diagnosis may help improve lifestyle interventions for the management of dyslipidemia.MethodsData from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010–2012 were used. A total of 6,624 dyslipidemia patients over 20 years old were included according to National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Logistic regression analysis was completed using a weighted method to determine whether awareness of dyslipidemia was associated with health behavior. Health behavior was divided into two categories: behavioral factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise) and nutritional factors (adequate intake of fiber, carbohydrate, fat, protein).ResultsThere were no significant differences in health behavior among dyslipidemia patients according to awareness after adjustment for covariates, diabetes and hypertension. Awareness in women was associated with decreased smoking (odds ratio [OR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32 to 0.94), but when adjusted for diabetes and hypertension the result was not significant (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.06). The same pattern applied to intake of carbohydrate in men (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.67) and protein in women (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.50). In subgroup analysis, awareness of dyslipidemia in men without hypertension or diabetes was associated with adequate intake of carbohydrate (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.72).ConclusionIncreasing awareness alone may not be enough to improve healthy behavior in patients with dyslipidemia. Efforts including patient education and counseling through a multi-team approach may be required.

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