Background
: It is well-known that dyspeptic symptoms in functional dyspepsia are related to psychological factors such as stress mood disorder. But it is still controversial whether H.pylori infection is a important factor for functional dyspepsia. We conducted this study to investigate whether H.pylori infection or stress are related to dyspeptic symptom severity in functional dyspepsia.

Methods : From Mar. 1 1999 to Apr. 30 1999, attendees to a Health Screening Center and a Family Practice Center were eligible study subjects. The subjects were responded to questionnaire including dyspeptic symptom severity items and BEPSI-K(stress scale). And among eligible subjects, one hundred and thirty two diagnosed with functional dyspepsia by gastrofibroscopy were final study subjects. H. pylori infection was confirmed by antral biopsies & smear (Giemsa stain).

Results : In fuctional dyspepsia, high BEPSI-K score group(upper tertile) complained more severe dyspeptic symptom severity than low BEPSI-K score group(lower tertile) after adjusted for other variables(adjusted OR=8.349, 95% C.I.=2.232-31.231). But the dyspeptic symptom severity was not associated with H.pylori infection status (adjusted OR=1.514, 95% C.I=0.567-4.046)

Conclusion : The dyspeptic symptom severity in functional dyspepsia was associated with stress but not with H.pylori infection status.

Background
: Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection is associated with peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer and lymphoma. The prevalence of H.pylori infection increases with age and the risk factors of transmission are known to be poor socioeconomic status, crowding, sharing a bed in childhood and age. We attempted to determine the prevalence of H.pylori infection and identify the factors responsible for the different patterns of transmission in healthy Korean adults.

Methods : The study population was recruited from health promotion center and general health screening center in Seoul Joongang Hospital. We studied the 1,822 healthy 19 to 78-year-old adults form April 1998 to August 1998. lgG H.pylori Ab(ELISA) was measured to determine the infection of H.pylori and questionnaire for environmental information and demographic factor was surveyed.

Results : The mean age of study population was 41.2-year-old. The mean prevalence was 71.9%. A prevalence of H.pylori infection increased with age(p=0.001). An associated factor was crowding index (no of family using one room) in childhood(p<0.01). The total number of family and the number of family per one room in childhood were associated H.pylori infection, respectively(p<0.05). Current socioeconomic level, status of smoking and alcohol drinking, current crowding index, and sex were not associated with the infection rate.

Conclusion : The prevalence rate of H.pylori infection was 71.8% in Korean adults. The prevalence of H.pylori infection increased with age and crowding index in childhood.

Background
: It is widely accepted the Tai Chi has been suited for whole aged people, especially old aged women and improves bone mineral density and physical fitness levels. To investigate the efficacy of Tai Chi in postmenopausal women, we compared the bone mineral density and physical fitness levels between Tai Chi and control groups.

Methods : The study subjects were 10 Tai Chi and 18 control group who were postmenopausal women aged 40 years and older. Bone mineral density(BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine and femoral area using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and maximal O2 intake, flexibility, grip strength, sit up, broad jump, balance, side-to-side step were checked for assessment of fitness levels. Other data was gathered from the questionnaire.

Results : The BMD of lumbar spine and Ward's triangle was significantly higher in control group(P<0.05) and the results of maximal O2 intake(P<0.05), grip strength(P<0.05), sit up(P<0.05), balance(P<0.01) were significantly higher in the control group. Logistic regression analysis showed that the results of grip strength, sit up, balance were significantly higher in the control group(P<0.05).

Conclusion : Tai Chi improve physical finess levels and bone mineral density and can be a useful ex-physical type for menopausal women.

Background
: About 80 percent of Korean population over 55 years old show radiographic signs of osteoarthritis. Hence, osteoarthritis has become one of the most important public health problem among the old age. Despite the importance of this disease, proper methods for evaluation and diagnosis of osteo-arthritis have not been developed. Authors have investigated the sensitivity and specificity of thermography in diagnosing osteoarthritis.

Methods : Twenty patients who had visited the department of family medicine, Korean University Hospital, with non-traumatic knee pain during the period from April 1 to May 30, 1999, were included in the study. Patients had gone through series of careful history taking, physical examination and laboratory evaluations for clinical evaluation of osteoarthritis of the knee joints. Furthermore, the radiographic and thermographic examination of both knee joints were assessed.

Results : Among the twenty patients who have been examined, 15 patients were to have shown radiographic abnormality; on the other hand, 14 patients showed thermographic abnormality. Seventeen patients showed clinical manifestations of osteoarthritis. Twelve patients, among those who had clinical osteoarthritis, were shown to have osteoarthritis in both image studies, i,e. radiographic and thermographic abnormalities. All patients who had not shown clinical osteoarthritis, were normal on both image studies. The sensitivity and specificity of thermography in diagnosing osteoarthritis were 80% and 80%, respectively (P<0.05).

Conclusion : Hot spots or asymmetric distribution in the knee joint area of osteoarthritis patients were in thermographic examination. Thermography has shown efficacy in the evaluation of osteoarthritis.

Background
: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common diseases dealt with by primary physicians. UTI is common in the elderly and has a great influence on the quality of the elderly's life. Thus, we conducted a study in one nursing home to find out the prevalence of bacteriuria and epidemiologic characteristics of the elderly.

Methods : The study was performed twice on April 12 and on May 4, 1999 among 108 subjects residing in a nursing home of Hanam City. The authors inquired the subjects pertaining to the history of UTI symptoms, collected urine samples by midstream clean-catch technique and catheterization and performed routine and microscopic urine analysis and urine culture.

Results : The overall prevalence of bacteriuria in subjects was 23.1%(25/108) ; 20%(3/15) in males and 23.7% (22/93) in females. The prevalence of the bedridden subject was 40.9% (9/22). Among the urine samples of 25 cases which were positive in the urine culture, E. Coli was found in 15 cases(60%). The sensitivity, specificiy, positive and negative predictive value of pyuria for bacteriuria were 44.0%(11/25), 87.9%(73/83), 52.3%(11/21) and 83.9%(73/87), respectively, while those of nitrite test for bacteriuria were 64.0%(16/25), 97.5%(81/83), 88.%(16/18) and 90.0%(81/90), respectively. The prevalence of bacteriuria increased by 16.23% as age increased by ten years using the Cochran-Armitage's linear trend test.

Conclusion : The prevalence of becteriuria in the elderly residing in a nursing home was higher than that of the elderly residing in a community. In the elderly over 60 years old, the prevalence of bacteriuria increased as the age increased. Immobility is considered as a risk factor of bacteriuria. Bacteriuria may be treated by antibiotics focused on E. Coli. Thus, we can expect improvement in the quality of life as well as extension of life span.

Background
: FACES III is a useful instrument for the evaluation of family function. It was translated with evaluation of it's validity and reliability and used in many researches in Korea. But following studies for validity and realiability of FACES III didn't show consistent results. And for the evaluation of family function of middle school students, FACES III can be a useful tool. But it is important to reinvestigate the validity and reliability of FACES III to apply this instrument to them.

Methods : In 1997, self-report instrument FACES III questionnaires were distributed to all members of one boys' middle school students in Inchon. The 1150 questionnaires except incomplete questionnaires form 1249 students were analyzed.

Results : The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for internal consistency reliability were 0.71 for adaptability and 0.80 for cohesion. The Pearson's correlation coefficient between cohesion and adaptability for construct validity was 0.59. Correlations between total scores and each item scores were moderate to strong, cor-relations between items in subcategory were weak. In factor analysis, there were many items that were not compatible with factors according to concept of FACES III.

Conclusion : The validity and reliability of FACES III can not be guaranteed when applied to the evaluaton of middle school students' family function.

Background
: Hepatitis B is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocelluar carcinoma. It is a well-known fact that Korea is one of the hyperendemic areas of Hepatitis B virus among East Asian countries. Many pnst reports have shown that positive rate of HBsAg in Korea was about 6-14%. But precise data for Yongdong area of Kwangwon Province in Korea was lacking. Here authors report on the prevalence of viral markers of hepatitis B among adults in this area.

Methods : Sera were collected from 7469 residents in Yongdong area of Kwangwon Province who visited the Health Care Center, Asan Kangnung Hospital from September 11th to August 31th. HBsAg, AntiHBc-lgG, and AntiHBs were tested by radioimmunoassay.

Results : Positive rate of HSsAg of total study subjects was 8.5%, and significantly decreased as age increased, and higher in males(10.2%) than in females (6.6%). Positive rate for one or more markers among HBsAg, AntiHBc-lgG, and AntiHBs was 84%, and was significantly increased as age increased, and higher in males(86.2%) than in females(81.2%). All negative rate for HBsAg, AntiHBc-lgG, and AntiHBs was 16.0% and all positive rate was 0.5%. Positive rate of AntiHBc-lgG without HBsAg and AntiHBs was 15.7% Positive rate of AntiHBs without HBsAg and AntiHBc-lgG was 11.7%. Positive rate of AntihHBc-lgG and AntiHBs was 72.1% and 60.2%, respectively.

Conclusion : There was no significant difference in positive rate of HBsAg between this study for residents in Yongdong area of Kwangwon Province and past many reports. 84% of the total study subjects showed serological evidence of previous exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) naturally exposed or by vaccine immunization. 16% of the total study subjects was a proper candidate for hepatitis B vaccination.

Background
: The current various case-finding instruments for detecting depression in Korea are too cucumbersome and time-consuming for routine use in primary care or student and soldier groups because of too many questions. We carried out this study in order in to investigate the validity of the two-question case-finding instrument for detecting depression easily in the primary case or the mentioned groups.

Methods : We selected one boy high school in Seoul and 155 sophomer students answered the questionnaire by self-report. The questionnaire included two questions about depressed mood and anhedonia: (1) "During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless" (2)"During the past month, have you often been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing things(e.g., studying, playing or talking with friends) ?"
And then a resident of family medicine interviewed them and made a diagnosis for depression using the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV. Simultaneously we compared the test characteristics of a two-question case-finding instrument with those of a previously validated Beck Depression Inventory as a currently world-wide used screening instrument for depression.

Results : The prevalence of major depression as determined by the interview was 6.6%(10 of 151). The two-question case finding instrument had a Cronbach's α of 0.663-internal consistency, a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 54.6%, a positive likelihood ratio of 2.20 and a negative predictive value predictive value of 1.00.(A "yes" answer to either of the two questions was considered a positive test.) And the BDI had a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 68.1%, a positive likelihood ratio of 3.63 and a negative predictive value of 0.99(cut-off point=15). Area under the ROC curves of the two-question case-finding instrument was 0.882, greater than that of the BDI, 0.834.

Conclusion : The test characteristics of a two-question case-finding instrument were higher compared to those of BDI for major depression. Therefore, the two-question case-finding instrument is a useful measure for detecting depression and less time-consuming in primary care and certain groups.