The Trend of Obesity-related Researches in Korea: from 1984 to 2002

Tak, Yang Ju; Lee, Young Sung; Lee, Jin Seok; Kang, Jae Heun

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rescently from 1990's, the researches related to obesity were increasing significantly. But most of researches were done individually and separately, so that datas were not sufficient to establise nation-wide strategies against obesity. The aim of this study was to establish and review the basic database on researches related to obesity in Korea from 1984 to 2002, which would reveal the recent trends and issues of researches related to obesity and thereby help to set up and going on the community base studies which proffer academic rationale of strategies against obesity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study materials were basic information and abstracts of about 200,000 articles from approximately 500 journals recruited by MedRIC(Medical Research Information Center) at Chungbuk National University and Richis(Research Information Center for Health) from 1984 to 2002. The search was done by using terms of obesity and overweight both English and Korean. The main variables for the analysis were publication date, method of research, number of subjects, age of subjects, follow up period, topics of study.
RESULTS
A total 295 of articles were found from search of MedRIC, and Richis, and they are analysed. The total number of articles were increased according to year, especially from 1997. Majority of studies were cross-sectional, descriptive observational study, but the portion of longitudinal analytic experiment was increasing slowly. The main topics of studies were prevalence and health implications of obesity, and studies about elderly obesity were only 3 cases.
CONCLUSION
The author suggest nation-wide conference supported by both government and clinicians to made community based systemic study, so that propose academic evidence of strategies against obesity.